Early March cruise...crazy or not?

[icunrse]

I am booked on a March 6th cruise next year. I'm wondering if anyone has taken one around the same time, and is it full of kids or college kids? I don't know even when spring breaks occur! I've been out of the loop for awhile. Thanks.

[CruzCrazy]

Spring breaks occur at staggered times from late February through early April for various colleges. You don't say which ship out of which port. That can make a big difference.

 

We've done several cruises around St. Patrick's Day in March on 8-day itineraries, and there wasn't much craziness going on. That being said, the shorter cruises may have more of a college spring break party influence than longer cruises.

 

Easter is March 27 in 2016, so presumably lots of elementary and high schools will have their spring break around that time, so you should be ahead of that anyway.

[denrusk]

How long is the cruise? Shorter cruises are ways a little more "crazy". We go every year in early March during our kids break. We went last year on Elation for 5 days and there were plenty of kids, but there always are at the times we cruise so it was no big deal. There were also a lot of older, "young adult", age kids (just showing my age!), but everyone was just having a good time and made the cruise a lot of fun. Don't worry, if you have been on other cruises during summer and holiday it will be pretty much the same.

[icunrse]

Thanks. I figured shorter cruises would attract more college aged kids. I'm leaving out of Miami, 7 day cruise to Western Caribbean. Not that I'm a curmudgeon, but I would much rather float around with a varied group of people. Our first cruise was at Christmas on a Princess ship.

Edited February 16, 2015 by icunrse

[Martini Mom]

It's a noticeable difference in the crowd going from a 3 day to a 4 day cruise. 3 day cruises can be like frat parties.

[icunrse]

When I was in nursing school, a group of about 10 stressed out nursing students took a 3 day Bahamas trip because it was all we could afford. I don't think we were sober much of that trip!

[almendrada]

We're also taking our very first cruise on March 6 in the Caribbean - definitely a 7-day itinerary, although we haven't decided which one in particular. In our case, we're doing it then because March 6 is my spring break from school...but I'm 36! Maybe there are "college kids" like me that will be hanging out on a 7-day cruise, but I think it might be a bit pricey for the younger crowd. That's a big assumption, I'll admit.

 

I will also say that I have a vague memory of trying to go on a cruise with my friends when I was actually college-aged, but the cruise lines wouldn't book us because of our ages. Of course that was a good 15 years ago now, and I'm sure things may have changed.

[icunrse]

Thanks ladies! I'm 46, but I still feel 30. I could have fun at an insurance seminar, but my hairdresser who has logged many cruises got me worried about being on a ship with a bunch of kids :D

[mzloolue]

It will be interesting anyway.

 

I would do it and not worry about it if that helps. :)

[Surfdiva83]

We went last year the second week in March for my daughter's spring break. It was crowded, but we still had a great time. It is what you make of it. This year spring break in our area of Florida falls the second and third week of March, but as another person said above they span from late Feb - April depending on location. Just go in expecting a full ship and have a great time!

[icunrse]

Thanks again. I usually don't hit the panic button :eek: but with my hairdresser getting off her 10th cruise this weekend and me with only 1 under my belt, I was trapped (while getting my hair done) and vulnerable. I will have fun no matter what!!:)

[almendrada]

A bit off topic: the Grunwald quote in your signature about the beach is sublime. I swear I heard ocean surf in my head when I was reading it! :cool:

[Martini Mom]

On a 3 day cruise I went on, a bunch of college kids acted like the cruise was one big Halloween party (it was summer btw). The would wear matching theme bikinis each day with sombreros, stick on mustaches, shot glass belts and dance with cardboard cut outs of guys that they brought along. The guys in their group didn't dress up, but were loud and crazy. At dinner in the MDR, including elegant night, the girls would come in naughty Halloween type costumes, like a sexy maid, sexy nurse, sexy sailor, etc. We didn't mind that much, but I'm sure some parents of small kids did. The college kids looked ridiculous, but I'm sure that was the point.

[crzjnke]

We cruised last Spring Break and had quite a few college kids on board. None of them were obnoxious or disrespectful. I have an 8 year old and never felt that they were inappropriate. My hubs and I got a kick out of their antics!

 

However, we did a land based vacation at an AI on Paradise Island during Spring Break one year and it was a disaster! There were drunk kids everywhere! They even raided the kitchen one night.

 

I think it's kind of like a box of chocolates! You never know what you're going to get.

 

With that being said, we're headed out on a 5 Night Western in 32 days. Spring Break tends to be when I can not take the cold weather anymore! I'm a teacher and we have to cruise when I don't have to work. Good luck!

[mousey]

I have cruised during every spring break since my DS was 9...he's 19 now. We never had any problems with spring breakers. Yes they can often be rowdy and crazy...but it never bothered us. As one of the other posters here said...your cruise is what you make of it. Go with an open mind and a good attitude and you can't help but have a good time. There are always, always places on board cruise ships where you can find a quiet place to hang out if that is what you want. Most of the action is around the pool and hot tubs so avoid those areas if you want quiet and privacy. If you're a party person...then go for it!:D

[Island Crazed]

I think you'll be fine. We've cruised 3 times the first week of April. It had school aged kids but it was fine. I think the longer cruises are safer.

[icunrse]

A bit off topic: the Grunwald quote in your signature about the beach is sublime. I swear I heard ocean surf in my head when I was reading it! :cool:

 

Aww. Thank you! One of my favorite things to do at the beach is looking for "treasures" to include sea glass and shells. On our first cruise, I found a little ocean side spot in Aruba behind a dumpster where the mother load of sea glass resided. I was frantically picking it up, and my husband was freaking out yelling that I'd get Hepatitis! :eek: it is now sitting in a little glass jar on my fireplace mantel.

[icunrse]

On a 3 day cruise I went on, a bunch of college kids acted like the cruise was one big Halloween party (it was summer btw). The would wear matching theme bikinis each day with sombreros, stick on mustaches, shot glass belts and dance with cardboard cut outs of guys that they brought along. The guys in their group didn't dress up, but were loud and crazy. At dinner in the MDR, including elegant night, the girls would come in naughty Halloween type costumes, like a sexy maid, sexy nurse, sexy sailor, etc. We didn't mind that much, but I'm sure some parents of small kids did. The college kids looked ridiculous, but I'm sure that was the point.

 

Oh no!!! I like the way sombrero/mustache combo sounds, because I'm a little crazy...in a fun not psycho way :) but Halloween costumes all racy in the dining room is too much.

 

I get along with almost everyone, so I know I'll have a blast. I need to not worry about it. I know my Yankee mouth will get me into trouble if I see sexy costumes at dinner :mad:

[minimartha]

We got married spring break in college and usually cruise the first week of March every year. There are usually a lot of college kids BUT we've found that some cruise lines (Celebrity and Holand America) had very few. If we cruise on Carnival or RC we try to book a more expensive room where there aren't as many kids on the ship. This has worked out except two years ago we had a suite on Valor B2B out of San Juan. The suite beside us had kids all night long on the balcony partying. It was horribly loud. It didn't ruin our trip though. Still one of my favorite cruises ever