Timing of cruise out of PC

[Billy Baltic]

We are looking at a week in Orlando and a week on RC out of Port Canaveral, possilby in 2025.

For us, it would be good to do this during the Easter school holidays (in Ireland) to avoid missing school.

In 2025 that would be the second half of April. 

Is this also a time that schools in the US are closed and if so, would the ships be very busy?

Does this coincide with spring break?

I'm also aware that April 2025 is on sale already so we would need to act quickly.

I know this part is speculation but do you think prices for WOS out of PC will fall back when its sharing a port with Utopia?

[poocher]

Easter in Ireland is the same time as Easter in the US.  I would expect a very crowded vacation.

[firefly333]

Usually right after easter in florida a lot of the snow birds go home. Later half of april its starting to get hot and people who live in the north and live there part time will be making plans to go home. Hotels start to get cheaper around easter and going forward. 

 

I'm booked for wonder feb 2025 and havent seen a sign prices are dropping. Utopia will be doing 3/4 day cruises. I hate having a extra turn around day so it might not be as direct competition as you think. One short and one longer cruises. 

 

Though on carnival I hadnt seen any sign the price of mardi gras was falling until now they are brinjjg in that costa ship they are making a carnival ship out of. .. I saw a couple of dates drop maybe $50. Not enough to get excited but some I know what to try the italian ship which will also be out of PC and competing for pax. .. getting crowded. 

[Billy Baltic]

16 minutes ago, poocher said:

Easter in Ireland is the same time as Easter in the US.  I would expect a very crowded vacation.

Sorry. I worded it poorly. Here the schools close for 2 weeks around Easter. Is it as (overly) generous in the US?

[OCSC Mike]

I don’t see prices dropping anytime soon,  especially Wonder out of PC.

 

No, schools are not closed for 2 weeks here for Easter. That said, Wonder seems to be full or close to it regardless of season.

[Cutigerlady]

Typically, FL schools have Spring Break in March as do most colleges in the US and are only out for one week.  Most schools don't align with the Easter holiday for Spring Break.  I know my kids are out the first week of April, regardless of how Easter falls for public school.  My private schooler, is also out the first week of April and then gets Good Friday/Easter Monday off.  Some years it is all together, but other years it is not.  

[sjinnj]

Here is New Jersey my kids normally have the week off from school after Easter.  I am not sure how other states do it.   2025 Easter falls on April 20th, so the week 21st to 25th I would think there will be a lot of kids will be off on Spring break.

[poocher]

Some schools will have the week before Easter off, some the week after.  Some will only have a few days off but parents will pull kids out for a whole week anyway.  Here in CT, this April vacation happens 99% of the time around Easter.  I don’t think this is unusual up here.

[twangster]

Locally the publuc school system is operated by Brevard County.   

 

The 2022-2023 calendar can be found here for reference:

 

https://www.brevardschools.org/cms/lib/FL02201431/Centricity/Domain/4/2022-2023 At A Glance Calendar 12-14-2021.pdf

 

For Easter they observed Good Friday only.  

 

Their spring break is typically several weeks earlier in March.   That is the week most families would vacation.  With only one  day of Easter as an official holiday the majority of parents won't take their kids out of school around Easter or if they do its to make an extra long weekend only rather than a full week of vacation.  

[ONECRUISER]

2 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

I don’t see prices dropping anytime soon,  especially Wonder out of PC.

 

No, schools are not closed for 2 weeks here for Easter. That said, Wonder seems to be full or close to it regardless of season.

Though it Depends, 10% are now Year round where even my Kids and now Grands always get 2 weeks off. Lived/Stationed all around the Country where some always got first week April off, others different same week and then some more always closer or over the ever moving Easter Date. Teacher's Union's control this quite a bit. Also we now have highest amount ever Home Schooled they can take Vacations when and as long as want

Edited June 21, 2023 by ONECRUISER

[poocher]

17 minutes ago, twangster said:

Locally the publuc school system is operated by Brevard County.   

 

The 2022-2023 calendar can be found here for reference:

 

https://www.brevardschools.org/cms/lib/FL02201431/Centricity/Domain/4/2022-2023 At A Glance Calendar 12-14-2021.pdf

 

For Easter they observed Good Friday only.  

 

Their spring break is typically several weeks earlier in March.   That is the week most families would vacation.  With only one  day of Easter as an official holiday the majority of parents won't take their kids out of school around Easter or if they do its to make an extra long weekend only rather than a full week of vacation.  

I think the April vacation is more a northern states thing.  That being said, Florida is a VERY popular destination for April vacation.

[smokeybandit]

School holiday calendars vary a ton for spring break. From late February to late April.

[twangster]

12 minutes ago, poocher said:

I think the April vacation is more a northern states thing.  That being said, Florida is a VERY popular destination for April vacation.

 

Florida has the most visitors in February and March.  That's not to say no one comes in April, but it's not the peak.  

 

The top source state is New York.  Other northern states contribute about 1/3 of what New York state sends to Florida.    

 

 

New York state does tend to have an April week long break around Easter.

 

As far as cruise trends March is strong contender then April tends to soften a bit before it begins to ramp up in June for the summer peak season that dominates the cruise market.  This pattern repeats year after year.  

 

 

 

[S.A.M.J.R.]

I think, as a general rule, colleges have spring break at some point in March, and elementary/jr/high schools late March through the middle of April.  

 

We've had kids in the public school system for over 20 years now and their spring break is usually the 1st or 2nd week in April.  

[mjkacmom]

2 hours ago, Cutigerlady said:

Typically, FL schools have Spring Break in March as do most colleges in the US and are only out for one week.  Most schools don't align with the Easter holiday for Spring Break.  I know my kids are out the first week of April, regardless of how Easter falls for public school.  My private schooler, is also out the first week of April and then gets Good Friday/Easter Monday off.  Some years it is all together, but other years it is not.  

Schools in the northeast have spring break in April, usually backing up to the beginning of end of easter week (our kids get out for summer the end of June). Florida is an easy flight.

[twinmommy08]

Every school district sets their own schedule on when breaks will occur each school year. We have 3 main school districts in my county. Each district takes Spring break at a different time each year. Private schools tend to have the most generous breaks than public schools in my area. Mid-March through end of April is considered the Spring Break season in the US. 

 

Summer break for my kids start before Memorial Day, but other districts don't begin summer break until middle of June. My kids go back to school the 2nd week of August and some don't return until after Labor Day. 

[poocher]

And that is much of New England, mid June end of the year, Labor Day start.  Feb vacation has turned into just a couple of days (mostly to air the germs out of the schools) and April is a full week before or after Easter.

[pcur]

This web site has a list of college Spring breaks for 2024.  The latest ends on 4/6/24.

 

https://www.ststravel.com/college-spring-break-dates

 

Most schools in the US have one week for Easter/Spring break.