Freedom - Busier At Thanksgiving?

[bristolrugbyfan]

Hi Everyone

We are UK based looking to join Freedom in the Caribbean (ex Port Lauderdale) during Thanksgiving weekend this year. I just wondered whether the ship will be extra busy as this is such an important holiday? Also we will be spending some time at Universal Orlando prior to cruising - are the parks generally much busier during the holiday?

[ticktoneer]

Hi Everyone

We are UK based looking to join Freedom in the Caribbean (ex Port Lauderdale) during Thanksgiving weekend this year. I just wondered whether the ship will be extra busy as this is such an important holiday? Also we will be spending some time at Universal Orlando prior to cruising - are the parks generally much busier during the holiday?

Hi, from our experience doing the same thing, the ship was full but no busier in terms of feel and service than you would normally encounter.

 

Regarding the theme parks they are heaving with people and queues are really long. Sorry to be the bearer of not so good news on that front.

[Mama24]

We were at Disneyworld during Christmas in 2011. Never again. I have to believe that Thanksgiving would be just as bad.

[UCF_Knight]

You said you would be cruising "Thanksgiving weekend". Thanksgiving is on Thursday, November 28 this year. Do you mean the cruise that runs through Thanksgiving (leaving November 24), or do you mean the cruise leaving the Sunday after Thanksgiving (December 1)?

 

If you mean the November 24 cruise, Freedom will definitely have a lot more kids on it than any other week between mid-August and Christmas since most US citizens get off work Thursday and Friday that week. Kids are also off school at least Thursday and Friday, with many being off Wednesday and other days as well (my kids get off Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday). So Freedom would definitely be pretty crowded that week because a lot of families can take a week long vacation with only having the kids miss a couple days of school and with only having to miss a few days of work. Going to the theme parks pre-cruise, though, would be fairly light crowds except for Saturday, November 23.

 

If you mean the December 1 cruise, that would be a lot less crowded because there would be a lot less kids on the cruise. The first few weeks of December typically have great deals because they are some of the least busy travel times in the US. However, going to the theme parks pre-cruise would be very crowded as it would be Thanksgiving week and the above information applies about the large number of vacationers that week.

 

No matter which of those cruise options you are doing, I would recommend doing the theme parks post-cruise for the smallest crowds.

[Bettytrouble]

As a former Orlando-ite..I am with UCF_Knight

 

The parks are HIDEOUS with crowds at Thanksgiving . Once the weekend after Thanksgiving is over, the parks really empty out until about 10 days before Christmas right thru New Year and until kids go back to school. If you get off the cruise after Thanksgiving, depending on debarkation day,, by the Monday after things are really much calmer. The week after Thanksgiving is our favorite time of year to go- the decorations are up, it is not hotter than heck, and we don't have to wait 2 hours for a ride!

[Cruisin MarcnFran]

We live in Central Florida and the schools in Orange County are closed the whole week of Thanksgiving. Our neighbors always cruise with their children.

[MrsKC08]

Traditionally the week AFTER Thanksgiving is always less crowded and even less expensive. This always tends to be our favorite time to cruise on that particular week. As for the Theme parks, I would also suggest doing them after your cruise and those first two weeks in December WILL be less crowded at the parks. Take it from a lady who was raised in Orlando and lived there for 27 years. Disney was my weekend play ground as I was growing up, thanks to the season passes.

[Paul65]

The crowds on the ship won't vary too much, but during Thanksgiving week there will likely be more families with school-age children. But the ships normally sail at or near full capacity, with the difference being how much they have to reduce fares in lower demand times in order to filler her up.

 

The theme parks, on the other hand, will have noticeably bigger crowds/lines during peak periods like Thanksgiving.

[bristolrugbyfan]

Thanks everyone

 

That was exactly I as suspected. We are due to fly into Orlando on Thanksgiving Day itself, then the Freedom cruise disembarks Sunday 1st Dec, so the cruise should be quieter and we have the option to do the theme parks after the cruise. Our hotel is based on I-Drive - can anyone suggest any alternatives to theme parks for 28/29/30 Nov - I suspect even lying by the pool at our hotel might not be particularly restful at this time??!!

[Cruisin MarcnFran]

Thanks everyone

 

That was exactly I as suspected. We are due to fly into Orlando on Thanksgiving Day itself, then the Freedom cruise disembarks Sunday 1st Dec, so the cruise should be quieter and we have the option to do the theme parks after the cruise. Our hotel is based on I-Drive - can anyone suggest any alternatives to theme parks for 28/29/30 Nov - I suspect even lying by the pool at our hotel might not be particularly restful at this time??!!

 

There's a lot to do on I Drive without having to visit the theme parks. Here's a link ... Happy planning!

 

http://www.internationaldriveorlando.com/50ways/index.asp