Cruising when school is in session

[MnAsMom]

will their be a lot of kids on board? We are still trying to figure out what to do.. suck it up and pay the extra $$ for summertime or pull our son out of 1st grade for a week and save a bit. We just were wondering if there will be other kids on board and if camp is fun with less children? I don't want it to be boring for them although they seem to make fun wherever they go!

 

Thanks

[OneParticularHarbour 71]

I think it depends a lot on the ship your sailing on. We sailed on Carnival a few years ago in December- it wasn't one of their newer ships at the time & there were hardly any kids on board. We have since sailed on Disney in September, January & February and there have always been plenty of kids of all ages. I would think sailing on one of Carnival's or Royal Caribbean's new ships would probably have kids year round as well. Also, I think parents are more likely to pull the younger kids out of school rather than older kids when the workload is so much more to make up. Enjoy whatever you decide! :)

[crusinmama06]

What cruiseline? What ship? How many days?

 

That is the biggest way to tell how many kids will be onboard. We have sailed 4 cruislines, most of them while school is in session and there were always kids galore.

[Ellanora]

will their be a lot of kids on board? We are still trying to figure out what to do.. suck it up and pay the extra $$ for summertime or pull our son out of 1st grade for a week and save a bit. We just were wondering if there will be other kids on board and if camp is fun with less children? I don't want it to be boring for them although they seem to make fun wherever they go!

 

Thanks

 

All of my cruises have been during the school year, and there were always plenty of kids there. Maybe a few less of the older ones and more preschoolers, but still plenty for my son to play with and make friends. Go for it - he'll love it.

:)

[MnAsMom]

What cruiseline? What ship? How many days?

 

That is the biggest way to tell how many kids will be onboard. We have sailed 4 cruislines, most of them while school is in session and there were always kids galore.

 

Carnival Pride, Mexican riviera, 7 days. we considered the Elation but I much prefer the itinerary on the Pride and I feel like the Pride is a nicer ship overall.

 

Is there any way to find out approx. how many kids are booked on board a ship?

 

Thanks Ladies

[gigismf]

If you booked your cruise through a TA, they can contact the cruise line and ask. The cruise line can give your agent an idea of how many children are booked on a particular sailing. They will not provide the details of ages but they will have a good idea of how many guests are under 18.

You may need to wait until after final payment becasue that's when the guet list is beginning to finalize.

[Kerry's Girls]

There will always be enough kids to play with on a 7 day out of L.A. Many L.A. schools are on year-round schedules, so there are always kids on a break, along with all the parents who pull their kids out of school for the great rates and better weather in Mexico during the school year. The only cruises I've ever been on that didn't have many kids were ones with a longer itinerary.

 

Best,

Mia

[Lewski709]

will their be a lot of kids on board? We are still trying to figure out what to do.. suck it up and pay the extra $$ for summertime or pull our son out of 1st grade for a week and save a bit. We just were wondering if there will be other kids on board and if camp is fun with less children? I don't want it to be boring for them although they seem to make fun wherever they go!

 

Thanks

I say pull him. We are pulling 2 of ours, 3rd grade and pre-school, in May. The way I look at it, we are saving some dough and we won't be able to do it (pull them from school) much longer. The higher they get in school, the more difficult it is to make up the lost time. Do it now, while he is still young. :D

[dekor8r]

We are cruising Princess in April and taking DGS. I just called them directly & after verifying who I was w/booking # & name, they told me the number of kids on our sailing, broken down by age groups. I am sure they noted it on our booking... I think they are being cautious for the childrens sakes, for which I am very happy!

[mumof3boys]

will their be a lot of kids on board? We are still trying to figure out what to do.. suck it up and pay the extra $$ for summertime or pull our son out of 1st grade for a week and save a bit. We just were wondering if there will be other kids on board and if camp is fun with less children? I don't want it to be boring for them although they seem to make fun wherever they go!

 

Thanks

For that very reason of saving the extra $$, we're pulling our 3 boys (Kindergarten, grade 2 and grade 8) out of school for a week and a bit in January. I've read that if there are less kids on the ship that their camps are minimal, but I haven't come across anyone who has actually gone with younger kids during the school season.

[luv2cruz24]

will their be a lot of kids on board? We are still trying to figure out what to do.. suck it up and pay the extra $$ for summertime or pull our son out of 1st grade for a week and save a bit. We just were wondering if there will be other kids on board and if camp is fun with less children? I don't want it to be boring for them although they seem to make fun wherever they go!

 

Thanks

We cruised on the Navigator of the Seas the first week in November, and there probably weren't as many kids as there would have been if school had not been in session, but there were plenty of kids in Adventure Ocean with them!

[Onessa]

We've cruised November and May with our DD, and there have always been a decent number of kids on board (not as many as in June, but enough for her to have fun).

[rabelgirls]

I have taken out my two oldest DD in the past with no problems at all. I am going to take all three of them out in November for an all girls cruise. They will be 2nd grade, 7th grade and 11 grade at the time time of sailing. Just take their homework with them. I request the homework and they can do it on the trip down or back, or even at down times on the boat. Your choice! But, I wouldn't hesitate to take you child out of school.

[mug]

We took 3 of our four out of school in january to sail RCL's mariner. My fourth grader was given her homework for the week. she got most of it done on the plane and the evening before we sailed at the hotel. My senior is just getting to june and the only thing they were worried about at he school was the fact he was going to have 5 unexcused abcenses. My first grader made a picture journal to tell about his trip and that is what he was graded on. none of them really missed anything.

 

Kids on board, the AO told us they had 50-60% less children signed up but that meant for us that our children got more attention while in the program. The rest of the time they were with us and we were so busy there wasn't even time forthe little ones to hang out with friends.

 

The older ones made friends and were off. they checked in appropriately and i have to hope while they were out of my site they were behaving like the gentlemen i raised them to be.

michelle

[familycruising4us]

Taking my 3 children out in January. (ages will be 13,7,5)

I booked it last Feb 2007, hoping their 2 days off for end of quarter would fall about the same time. Schedule was put out last month, and they have the Friday before (we fly out that Friday :) ) and then Monday off. Worked out well, they'll only miss 4 days.

 

I too am concerned about the number, or lack there of, of children. Not that I'd want the ship to be over run with kids, lol, but to have enough for them to have friends would be nice.

So far, in my roll call, we are the only ones with kids... :(

Maybe we should have all discussed our plans prior to booking. :D

[mumof3boys]

Too bad we couldn't have been on the same ship Tisha, my 3 kids are the exact ages as yours. We'll be sailing on the Splender but on January 3rd. This will be our first time on a family vacation and on a cruise so I'm excited,worried and nervous all at the same time!

 

Michelle and Bill have a good point though....at least the kids will be well cared for with less kids on the cruise.

 

I'm already bugging my husband with booking another cruise in January/February 2010 (I'm that confident we'll enjoy our January 09 cruise) so if anyone else is looking that far in advance let me know :)

[JO-TRAVEL ALOT]

I am taking my kids (10 & 13) out of school March 31-April 4th to cruise on the Norwegian Majesty. I did the same last year for a land/sea package at Disney. We just make up the work and have a mom and sons week.