NY/NJ Winter break? Crowded ship in January???

[bbryan5]

Have the Gem booked for a 10 night sailing leaving NYC on January 12th. Curious if this coincides with any high school or college recesses in the NY NJ area? Don't want to be around a couple thousand drunk college kids. Thanks! :D :D

[pr0pel]

There are no school breaks in NYC for that time. MLK is a day off but no one is going to pull their kids for that length of cruise, especially right after xmas. The next break is the week of Valentines Day.

[mjkacmom]

Dd19 is on winter break from Rutgers until the third week of January. According to her, everyone there is just as poor as she is, not having the funds for a long cruise.

[Budget Queen]

A lot of Suny college kids are all off. My two nephews are on the same cruise.

[cb at sea]

It's not the "local" area that has the only cruisers, you know! Folks come from all over, whether it's a northern port, or a Florida port!

 

Ships sail full, or pretty close to it, each sailing. 10 nighters will always have fewer kids and young adults than shorter cruises.....you can expect a full ship crowd, but fewer younger passengers.

Edited November 23, 2015 by cb at sea

[luvtheships]

Public schools will be in class. College kids can't risk taking a jan 12 cruise. They will be in the jan 2 perhaps. There is a possibility of something known as yeshiva week when the religious schools are off but not sure when that is in 2016. You can google that as that is a big family cruise week similar to jersey week in November

 

What you can expect is the majority of pax to be seniors or adults without kids or younger couples and couples with young adult children that can stay home and families with preschoolers and of course homeschooled kids. Also if it coincides with yeshiva week you will find many larger families. However I believe yeshiva week starts jan 23 in 2016.

 

You will have loads of Canadians and Europeans too at least that's what I found last year

Edited November 23, 2015 by luvtheships

[luvtheships]

A lot of Suny college kids are all off. My two nephews are on the same cruise.

 

 

Exactly. The SUNY schools go back later in January whereas private colleges tend to go back around mlk day

 

I have kids in both types so the Jan 2 is better for us as both are off

Edited November 23, 2015 by luvtheships

[Jeremiah1212]

I wouldn't worry about it. The 10 day itenerary alone will greatly reduce the number of kids and students on board. I've even noticed on the two 8 day trips I've taken mid-winter there are very very few kids on board.

 

Most colleges won't return until after MLK day on the 18th and even for the elementary aged kids that would return to class earlier, I doubt many parents would take their kids out for 10 days right after the long holiday break.

[Budget Queen]

There is another factor- this cruise had the 3/4th sail free for several months. At one point the earlier sailing did not offer it at the same time 1-12 did. We're all on this sailing. And there will be all ages. :) Doesn't bother me as all, who's on board. The ship is big enough.

[mking8288]

Even in the middle of winter or January, there are snowbirds heading south for warmer weather, even if it's for a few truly warm/hot & sunny days out of those 10 nights on the longer Caribbean runs by the GEM ... ship would typically be running at/close to 100% to 105% of double occupancies :D

 

With the beverage programs, I wouldn't necessary be "worried" about crowding by the college "crowd" - as long as they are of legal drinking age. We're all once at their "partying" age :D Just trying to picture all the adults with the drinking perks and "buzzing" around, from dusk to dawn since it's all "inclusive" to get their money's worth.

Edited November 23, 2015 by mking8288

[bbryan5]

Doesn't sound like it'll be too bad at all, even with the SUNY students being off. Don't get me wrong, I like somewhat of a "lively" crowd, but the idea of tons and tons of college kids on a cruise doesn't sound good.. that's why I have never, and will never do a spring break cruise. Thanks for the info! :D:D:D

[bbryan5]

It's not the "local" area that has the only cruisers, you know! Folks come from all over, whether it's a northern port, or a Florida port!

 

I get that.. however on my 7 cruises out of NYC, I could say my observations have been that the vast majority of PAX have been from the tri state area, especially NY/NJ.

[MaryLS]

Have the Gem booked for a 10 night sailing leaving NYC on January 12th. Curious if this coincides with any high school or college recesses in the NY NJ area? Don't want to be around a couple thousand drunk college kids. Thanks! :D :D

 

We are on that same sailing. We cruise every year around the same time. The ship will be full but not with college students. No worries.

[bbryan5]

We are on that same sailing. We cruise every year around the same time. The ship will be full but not with college students. No worries.

 

Thanks for the info! :D:D:D

[49erfan007]

Doesn't sound like it'll be too bad at all, even with the SUNY students being off. Don't get me wrong, I like somewhat of a "lively" crowd, but the idea of tons and tons of college kids on a cruise doesn't sound good.. that's why I have never, and will never do a spring break cruise. Thanks for the info! :D:D:D

 

I get what you are saying. One year my sister and I went to Panama City Beach in March not realizing it was college spring break. What a nightmare, it was absolutely crazy. Never will I do that again. I always feel safe with the longer cruises, young people just can't afford it. See you Jan 12th, can't wait :)

[luvtheships]

Doesn't sound like it'll be too bad at all, even with the SUNY students being off. Don't get me wrong, I like somewhat of a "lively" crowd, but the idea of tons and tons of college kids on a cruise doesn't sound good.. that's why I have never, and will never do a spring break cruise. Thanks for the info! :D:D:D

 

 

You don't get tons and tons of college kids....the college kids that are cruising are cruising with their families as it is next to impossible to find time for a vacay with a college kid in the summer

 

Internships...usually paid...start in early June and go until mid August and then there is only a short period after before they go back to campus

 

January cruises for college kids are family cruises