Children on board in March

[voyager1964]

Hello HAL cruisers,

 

Seeking your help to decide between two itineraries

1. Nieuw Amsterdam (FLL, Day at sea, Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas, 1/2 Moon Cay, FLL), from March 16

2. Eurodam (FLL, Day at sea, Day at sea, St. Maarten, St. Johns, Roseau, Castries, Basseterre, St. Thomas, day at sea, 1/2 Moon Cay, FLL), also from March 16.

 

Due to my work commitments, I would prefer the first option, but am afraid there would be too many children as this is more or less a school break time. But, I am not sure there would be significantly less overcrowding on the second itinerary.

 

What would experienced mariners advise?

 

For a background, we have usually sailed with Celebrity, also tried RCCL, NCL, and, more recently, Azamara. My wife has difficulty with stairs. And, you can guess the reason for this cruise from my screen name:)

 

Thanks!

[0106]

@voyager1964 Easter is March 31; there will be MANY children the week prior.  Do both cruise depart the 16th?  If so, select the cruise with your preferred ports.  The ships are sisters.  There will be children on both.  Book specialty dining and excursions asap.

[cruisemom42]

You didn't provide the length for each cruise but judging from the ports listed, the second one is longer -- 12 days?

 

I'd say you have a much better likelihood of fewer kids on that one. It's longer (may not fit with school break dates) and likely more $$.

 

[0106]

@voyager1964  I didn’t count the number of ports.  I agree with @cruisemom42, longer cruises have fewer children.

[wdw1972]

Last March I made the mistake of doing a 7-night sailing on Nieuw Statendam (approx March 7-14).  The number of kids onboard was ridiculous!  Thank heaven we had our cabana in the Retreat and basically ate specialty dining almost every night, or it would have been a nightmare.  Walking through the Lido pool area we'd see & hear the pool FULL of screaming (having fun - but noisy & not what's desired by people used to a more adult environment) kids! The aft pool which is normally for adults only was also open to kids (with adult supervision).  We agreed early on - NEVER do a 7 night sailing during March.  We're doing a 9-night this March and are holding our breath it will be better - after that it's back to 10/11 night itineraries and shifting more to February from March.  

 

You'll probably be ok on the longer (second) itinerary - that will be more like a typical HAL cruise and what you're used to.

 

Sue/WDW1972

[DaveOKC]

Did one 7 day Caribbean cruise in March a few years ago - NEVER AGAIN.  Far too many kids for my liking.  

[albingirl]

In the spring, the southern school districts have various weeks off. Your safest bet for cruise with a minimum of kids is during the fall and deep winter, after the holidays. Or, like others have said, the long cruises generally don't attract families. 

[whogo]

The Eurodam sailing is eleven days, take it for likelihood of fewer children.

[voyager1964]

Thanks for your thoughts!

A follow-up question: if we compare the Eurodam 11-days cruise in March with the same cruise but in February, how many more children should we expect in March? Like <100, 100-200 or still 200+?

[RD64]

Canadian - Ontario schools - March Break - so lots from our side of the 49th parallel. Weekend of March 16th will be a busy one.

[IAcruising]

 

Kids are either great, or they suck. We've experienced both. Certainly, the longer the cruise, the less kids. Good luck.

[QueenofEverything]

The February cruise will definitely have fewer kids.  After we took a 5 day cruise in March one year (didn't know any better at the time) that was completely full of drunk college kids, we heard a rule of thumb.  Never take a cruise in March out of Florida that is 7 days or less.  

[Shalandara]

It varies across the US as to when spring break happens.  For my county it is always starts on Good Friday (as a half day) and then the week after Easter is the break.  Nearby counties are before, the same as us, or fixed to a specific week and not the movable Easter week.

So it is a gamble no matter what week you go for -- it will be spring break for some portion of the schools. 

[rodndonna]

2 hours ago, QueenofEverything said:

The February cruise will definitely have fewer kids.  After we took a 5 day cruise in March one year (didn't know any better at the time) that was completely full of drunk college kids, we heard a rule of thumb.  Never take a cruise in March out of Florida that is 7 days or less.  

 

I will just add - if you can - avoid being born in mid-March, or you will never be in a position to celebrate a birthday with travel ...speaking from experience 😥

 

 

[Dobby36]

17 hours ago, voyager1964 said:

Thanks for your thoughts!

A follow-up question: if we compare the Eurodam 11-days cruise in March with the same cruise but in February, how many more children should we expect in March? Like <100, 100-200 or still 200+?

I would doubt in either March or Feb the total number of kids will exceed 100.  There is a chance of that on summer holiday, around Christmas, in short weeklong Mexico/Caribbean voyages.  But I’d seriously doubt there would be fun dress of kids on a 11-day voyage then.  

[Fouremco]

On 9/15/2023 at 8:07 PM, RD64 said:

Canadian - Ontario schools - March Break - so lots from our side of the 49th parallel. Weekend of March 16th will be a busy one.

For 2024, the Ontario March break is the 11th - 15th. So on the 16th, Ontarians will be disembarking and heading home, and shouldn't pose a problem for the OP.

[RD64]

6 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

For 2024, the Ontario March break is the 11th - 15th. So on the 16th, Ontarians will be disembarking and heading home, and shouldn't pose a problem for the OP.

Thanks - I am a teacher, and not sure how I made the mistake.

[Fouremco]

21 minutes ago, RD64 said:

Thanks - I am a teacher, and not sure how I made the mistake.

I'm sure that you were simply checking to see who was paying attention!😇

 

 

Edited September 17, 2023 by Fouremco

[IAcruising]

11 hours ago, RD64 said:

Thanks - I am a teacher, and not sure how I made the mistake.

 

I wish I understood Canadien humour, or when it's not. 

[DarrylR85]

On 9/15/2023 at 9:43 PM, IAcruising said:

 

Kids are either great, or they suck. We've experienced both. Certainly, the longer the cruise, the less kids. Good luck.

To be fair....I feel the same about the adults on cruises as well...

[DarrylR85]

I sailed March 11-18 last year out if FLL. Maybe 100 kids under 18 and well behaved. 100s of college age "kids" there on their own. This was a significant dynamic change in my experience compared to the New Years cruise with over 500 kids, and many young couples along with your more traditional over 65 crowd. Im Only 38....i will likely never cruise a short itinerary in March again. Think power drinking crowd, large groups out and about and loud well into the wee hours.  In talking with people that did B2B cruises around those dates the week before and after were the same. 

[IAcruising]

4 hours ago, DarrylR85 said:

To be fair....I feel the same about the adults on cruises as well...

 

There are places and times I avoid at all costs, for that very reason. Kids are kids, and nothing compared to truly ignorant adults.

 

[seaoma]

4 hours ago, DarrylR85 said:

I sailed March 11-18 last year out if FLL. Maybe 100 kids under 18 and well behaved. 100s of college age "kids" there on their own. This was a significant dynamic change in my experience compared to the New Years cruise with over 500 kids, and many young couples along with your more traditional over 65 crowd. Im Only 38....i will likely never cruise a short itinerary in March again. Think power drinking crowd, large groups out and about and loud well into the wee hours.  In talking with people that did B2B cruises around those dates the week before and after were the same. 

 

We experienced this as well. I have sailed in the Caribbean every March since 2016 and last year was the worst. 

[Torquer]

Wow!  I am really surprised by this thread.  Were these badly behaved children/young adults that several people mentioned on a HAL cruise?  Or was it Carnival, Disney or another mass-market cruise line?  I can't imagine the 100s of college age drunken kids on a HAL ship that someone mentioned...it just isn't the demographics for them to want to cruise on HAL.

 

In all our many cruises on HAL I can't remember of ever being bothered by badly behaved children or drunken adults.  Now, we don't take 7-day cruises anymore, so maybe things are different there.  The worst we have encountered are crying/screaming very young kids under 3 in the MDR who don't know any better yet.  Even then, if I was their parent I would take them out of there so they didn't offend others, but that didn't happen...but this is very rare.  In general, the kids we do see on HAL are very well behaved.

[IAcruising]

7 minutes ago, Torquer said:

In all our many cruises on HAL I can't remember of ever being bothered by badly behaved children or drunken adults.

 

When was the last time you were on a spring break, or holiday cruise on HAL?