Spring Break Cruises

[travelmatron]

We just got back from an Oosterdam cruise where we had one of the stern suites (7132). My husband absolutely LOVED how quiet our cabin was. It was his favorite thing about the whole cruise. I'm looking at two cruises on Vista Class ships in March, and I know that will be during spring break. The two cruises are Zuiderdam Panama Canal (10 days) or Noordam Southern Caribbean (10) days.

I really have three questions:

1) Do any of you have any opinions as to which would be the more interesting cruise (we are snorkelers and haven't been to most of the ports on either cruise)?

2) What have your experiences been on 10 day spring break cruises with kids?

3) We loved the open verandah. It looks as if both ships have been modified. What have been your experiences with a covered stern verandah?

[Willsot]

I would say it depends on how interested you are in the Panama Canal portion. I assume both itineraries include Half Moon Cay (a plus). If the southern includes HMC, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, St. Thomas (great snorkeling excursion to St. John), I favor that one. If the Panama itinerary includes HMC, Aruba and Curacao, those are also nice ports.

 

I'm guessing that families with school-aged children tend to select 7-day itineraries more often than the 10-days.

[Cruzman]

As a rule, HAL doesn't attract many spring breakers on their 7 day itineraries, but even fewer on a 10 day. As to itinerary, both sound wonderful! We've done the Canal/Costa Rica, etc, but haven't done the islands to the southeast as yet. Bet you can't go wrong with either.

[travelmatron]

I bet you're both right, if there were a lot of problems with kids/students on spring break someone would speak up about it.

[mtnmommy]

We took a 10-day Southern Caribbean with our kids (ages 5 and 9) over spring break last year and had only about 25 children on our sailing, including teens and babies. We are planning to go on the Ryndam's 10-day Mexican cruise over break this year, but I haven't found out how many kids are on board. Most families don't take the 10-day cruises, although the Vista class ships might attract more (we were on the Maasdam.) My kids do miss about three days of school, but we travel with Grandma (retired teacher!), and she greatly prefers the 10 day trips. The kids always keep a travel journal and have to give a presentation to the class when they return--

 

We loved the Southern Caribbean--St. Lucia, Martinique, Barbados, and Half Moon Cay were highlights. I've been on a Panama Canal transit cruise, too, and the Canal is really something to experience. Snorkeling on both trips should be good--don't think you can go wrong with either itinerary, just depends on whether you want more island-hopping or the Canal.

[Rotterdam]

We just got back from an Oosterdam cruise where we had one of the stern suites (7132). My husband absolutely LOVED how quiet our cabin was. It was his favorite thing about the whole cruise. I'm looking at two cruises on Vista Class ships in March, and I know that will be during spring break. The two cruises are Zuiderdam Panama Canal (10 days) or Noordam Southern Caribbean (10) days.

I really have three questions:

1) Do any of you have any opinions as to which would be the more interesting cruise (we are snorkelers and haven't been to most of the ports on either cruise)?

2) What have your experiences been on 10 day spring break cruises with kids?

3) We loved the open verandah. It looks as if both ships have been modified. What have been your experiences with a covered stern verandah?

 

For years I have sailed over Presidents week ......until 2 years ago......we did a 10 day Southern Carib on Noordam...it was over run w/ 400+ kids...the magrodome pool area was unuseable because the kids were not allowed in the aft pool....which was often the scene of the lovely parents screaming at other passengers when they were reminded that their little ones were not permitted in the aft pool.....all hell broke loose one day when one child pooped in teh midship pool & it was closed for the rest of the day for cleaning....and of course the loungs had a constant flow of kids running around & be careful of the baby carriages in the dining rooms.....even at late seating......

 

The officers were trying to keep peace but the parents of the "lil darlings" were unbelieveable in their behavior!!!!

 

Last year we did a 13 day Panama Canal on QM2....joyfully...only 3 kids onboard

[kryos]

I'm purely guessing on this, so take what I say with a grain of salt ... but I would *think* that how many kids are on the sailing would in large part depend upon if HAL offers any "specials" on it.

 

I don't think many kids would, on their own, choose HAL. They would rather be on a Carnival or RCI ship if they had their druthers. The kids you do get on HAL are the ones who are traveling with their parents, and it is their parents who make the decision as to what boat they will sail on. Often parents will make that decision based on price and nothing more. If RCI is charging $350 each for a sailing, and mom and dad have two kids, that's gonna be $700, plus generally another $350 for both of the kids as third and fourth in the cabin. However, if HAL is offering a $99 special for each kid, with a $400 each price for mom and dad, plus offers a larger cabin ... that actually works out a bit cheaper and the cabin is bigger. Then throw in any other special offers that HAL may be using to entice travel agents to book HAL ... such as a higher rate of commission which the TA can kick back a small percentage to the customer, making the cruise even slightly cheaper ... onboard bennies, etc. ... chances are the parents will opt for HAL, especially if they are not "married" to any particular cruise line. In a case like that, you will have a lot of kids on your sailing that week.

 

So, my guess would be that the sailing you were on that was overrun with kids was one for which HAL ran a special encouraging parents to bring their kids.

 

I've seen this sort of thing even on the luxury lines during school vacation periods, and one needs only peruse these boards to find posts detailing what the other passengers were faced with on those sailings.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[travelmatron]

For years I have sailed over Presidents week ......until 2 years ago......we did a 10 day Southern Carib on Noordam...it was over run w/ 400+ kids...the magrodome pool area was unuseable because the kids were not allowed in the aft pool....which was often the scene of the lovely parents screaming at other passengers when they were reminded that their little ones were not permitted in the aft pool.....all hell broke loose one day when one child pooped in teh midship pool & it was closed for the rest of the day for cleaning....and of course the loungs had a constant flow of kids running around & be careful of the baby carriages in the dining rooms.....even at late seating......

 

The officers were trying to keep peace but the parents of the "lil darlings" were unbelieveable in their behavior!!!!

 

Last year we did a 13 day Panama Canal on QM2....joyfully...only 3 kids onboard

 

This is my greatest fear