When are the busiest "spring break" weeks this year?

[Breezie68]

I decided to google "spring break 2012", and found most start the 2nd week of March.

I am going on the Destiny the first week of March.

Do you think I will encounter a lot of early spring breakers?

 

Thanks :)

[capriciousc]

Honestly, I think that in years like this one where Easter falls "late", when spring breaks will happen is a bit of a shot in the dark. Also, there are regional differences, and then differences between secondary school schedules and university schedules.

 

Our DD (who attends a private, parochial school in Georgia) has her spring break the week of March 12. The local public schools have theirs around Easter. Schools in the south tend to start earlier and let out earlier than schools in the north, plus we don't usually have the winter break that northern schools have to accommodate for possible snow days.

 

Odds are, there will be some, but given the variability in school schedules with regards to spring break (as opposed to say, Christmas or Thanksgiving) it probably won't be as crowded as it would during other "holiday" times.

[remharri]

I decided to google "spring break 2012", and found most start the 2nd week of March.

I am going on the Destiny the first week of March.

Do you think I will encounter a lot of early spring breakers?

 

Thanks :)

 

My schools spring break is the first week in March :D

 

You will find most colleges in March and High Schools run into April. But you won't see too many towards the end of April I wouldn't think.

[Matt62]

Spring break will run from early March through mid April. My daughter is in a private school, hers is mid March, my son's public high school is April 7-14.

 

If you want to avoid spring breaker, avoid these weeks or avoid CCL, DCL, PCL, NCL and RCL.

 

If you want to be in the middle of spring break, go during these weeks.

[remharri]

Spring break will run from early March through mid April. My daughter is in a private school, hers is mid March, my son's public high school is April 7-14.

 

If you want to avoid spring breaker, avoid these weeks or avoid CCL, DCL, PCL, NCL and RCL.

 

If you want to be in the middle of spring break, go during these weeks.

 

Agree, you can normally get decent pricing still I've noticed from mid April through Mid May, after that it goes up and probably gets busy with summer breaks.

[rsjc]

Typically second week of March is the highest rate at least out of Galveston.

[bzpilot]

Here is a quick summary on colleges...

 

 

• February 20-24, 2012 -- 251,000 students (Universite du Quebec, University of Toronto, University of Waterloo)
  
• February 27 - March 2, 2012 -- 263,000 students (Georgia State University, U of Michigan at Ann Arbor, U of Ottawa, Universite de Montreal)
  
• March 5-9, 2012 -- 1,214,900 students (Ball State, Central Michigan U, Florida State University, Michigan State U, Penn State [Pennsylvania State University], U of Central Florida, U of Florida, U of NC at Chapel Hill, Université de Montréal, Gonzaga, U of Central Florida, MSU [Michigan], U of Virginia, U of Wyoming)
  
• March 12-16, 2012 -- 1,112,500 students (U of Arizona, Colorado State U [CSU Fort Collins], Gonzaga, Harvard, ISU [illinois State], Indiana State at Bloomington, Iowa State U, Montana State U [bozeman], New York University, Ohio State University, Purdue, Texas A&M, Tulane, U of Alabama, U of Georgia, U of Houston, U of Idaho, U of Iowa, U of Kentucky, U of New Mexico, U of North Dakota, U of Rhode Island, U of South Carolina, U of Texas, Utah State, Washington State, U of Waterloo)
  
• March 19-23, 2012 -- 1,321,000 students (ASU [Arizona State U], Arkansas State, Clemson, Kansas State U, Kent State, Oklahoma State, Princeton, Purdue, Rutgers, U of Arkansas, U of Cincinnati, U of Hawaii, U of Maryland, U of Massachusetts, U of Oklahoma, U of St. Thomas [Virgin Islands], U of Tennessee, Wellesley, U of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Wichita State)
  
• March 26-30, 2012 -- 500,002 students (CSU Pueblo, University of Colorado [uC Boulder], Idaho State University, OSU [Oregon State University], San Diego State, UC Berkely [California], U of Delaware, U of Missouri-Columbia, U of Oregon, West Virginia University)
  
• April 2-6, 2012 -- 100,000 students (Augusta State, U of Wisconsin, Binghamton)
  

[junglecat]

We cruised spring break last year on Valor during the 3rd week of March. Yes, it was spring break, Yes there were lots of families, but no there were no issues, no rowdies, no crazy college kids. It was PERFECT. Thanks Carnival.

[nlt46]

We too cruised last year at Easter. Really there were not as many kids as during the summer. The ones that were on the Conquest out of Galveston seemed well behaved and involved with activities. I'd do it again.

 

Nancy

[Martini Mom]

I asked the same question recently and the answer was March through mid April. My kids have theirs in the beginning of April. We are looking at cruising the end of April to avoid the kiddos. ;):)

[JennLuvs2Cruise]

I am a UMASS student and we have our spring break starting on March 19. I would think the entire month of March to mid April (elementary students have April vacation) will be a busy cruise season with families, children and young adults. Also, college students tend to stick to cruises less than 7 days. So the 3,4 & 5 day cruises out of Florida would be most congested with college students.

[hermitstyle]

Here is a quick summary on colleges...

 

 

• February 20-24, 2012 -- 251,000 students (Universite du Quebec, University of Toronto, University of Waterloo)
  
• February 27 - March 2, 2012 -- 263,000 students (Georgia State University, U of Michigan at Ann Arbor, U of Ottawa, Universite de Montreal)
  
• March 5-9, 2012 -- 1,214,900 students (Ball State, Central Michigan U, Florida State University, Michigan State U, Penn State [Pennsylvania State University], U of Central Florida, U of Florida, U of NC at Chapel Hill, Université de Montréal, Gonzaga, U of Central Florida, MSU [Michigan], U of Virginia, U of Wyoming)
  
• March 12-16, 2012 -- 1,112,500 students (U of Arizona, Colorado State U [CSU Fort Collins], Gonzaga, Harvard, ISU [illinois State], Indiana State at Bloomington, Iowa State U, Montana State U [bozeman], New York University, Ohio State University, Purdue, Texas A&M, Tulane, U of Alabama, U of Georgia, U of Houston, U of Idaho, U of Iowa, U of Kentucky, U of New Mexico, U of North Dakota, U of Rhode Island, U of South Carolina, U of Texas, Utah State, Washington State, U of Waterloo)
  
• March 19-23, 2012 -- 1,321,000 students (ASU [Arizona State U], Arkansas State, Clemson, Kansas State U, Kent State, Oklahoma State, Princeton, Purdue, Rutgers, U of Arkansas, U of Cincinnati, U of Hawaii, U of Maryland, U of Massachusetts, U of Oklahoma, U of St. Thomas [Virgin Islands], U of Tennessee, Wellesley, U of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Wichita State)
  
• March 26-30, 2012 -- 500,002 students (CSU Pueblo, University of Colorado [uC Boulder], Idaho State University, OSU [Oregon State University], San Diego State, UC Berkely [California], U of Delaware, U of Missouri-Columbia, U of Oregon, West Virginia University)
  
• April 2-6, 2012 -- 100,000 students (Augusta State, U of Wisconsin, Binghamton)
  

Don't forget the directional schools. Most people know college spring breaks of the big conference schools, as they are in the news more. Like my college (U of N. Florida) goes on spring break the 12-16th as well, but we are in the atlantic sun conference, so not that big of a conference really - plus we don't have a football team, so we wouldn't be in the news much anyways. So on top of the numbers, I would always say to think MORE. There are also JC's and CC's that fall within a lot of major college spring breaks.

[msk1]

As Spring Breaks vary all over the calendar note that the length of the cruise is an important factor. The longer the cruise the fewer the kids/students. 5-7 days pull LOTS of families. If you have the time go long and enjoy fewer young ones on board. We have a 9 day (two teachers here) scheduled and few kids are currently booked.

 

msk1

[futureAG]

Enjoy your cruise! No way would I book a March cruise! I hope the kids are still in school when we sail the first week of May. Don't get me wrong... I love well behaved kids & hope to have a few of my own some day. Until then I prefer to avoid peak time when kids are likely to over run the ship.