Too Many Kids....

[cruzndiz]

Not to get flamed or anything but I specifically have always traveled when the kids are IN school. I selected my February 20 cruise because it is the week AFTER president's day and a full month BEFORE Spring Breaks.

 

That being said, for those of you who have taken the Bahamas cruise out of New York in the past (in Feb. when not a holiday) were there many kids on board?

 

I've seen some of the summer posters talking about 700, 850, 1000 kids on board....yikes!:confused:

[njhorseman]

I wouldn't say it's a month before spring break. We did a March 3rd cruise on the Gem this year, and there were a lot of spring breakers on the cruise.

[JerseyGem]

Feb 2010 does look light- less than 250,000 potential college cruisers (LOL). Check out this website for more Spring Break dates & colleges.

 

 

http://www.tripsmarter.com/panamacity/springbreak/sbcalendar.htm

 

If your cruise is more than one week, you'll be less likely to have huge numbers on board (most spring breaks are one week).

 

You can also google your ship and the dates and see if any college groups (or other groups) have anything organized for your cruise.

[romrai]

Everyone has the right to have a vacation of their choice. We too choose to vacation while the kids are in school. Not because we don't like kids, but because we have a hectic life and want peace and quiet.....hard to do with lots of little ones (that includes college folk too) around. I have to agree with previous poster about taking longer trips. We usually go for 12 - 16 or the more exotic cruises.

 

sue

[derf5585]

Remember kids are the cruisers of the future. Maybe some of those kids will get the cruising bug and be converted for life.

 

How many of you cruised as kids and got hooked that way?

 

I got hooked by being in the Navy

[SeattleMother]

K-12 schools around here usually have mid-winter break before or after presidents day. My sister's kids in Arizona get two weeks off for it.

[bakerintn]

Derf said....I got hooked by being in the Navy

 

Did you get towel animals every night??

[derf5585]

Derf said....I got hooked by being in the Navy

 

Did you get towel animals every night??

 

No but I did get a blanket party

[Cell1919]

Everyone has the right to have a vacation of their choice. We too choose to vacation while the kids are in school. Not because we don't like kids, but because we have a hectic life and want peace and quiet.....hard to do with lots of little ones (that includes college folk too) around. I have to agree with previous poster about taking longer trips. We usually go for 12 - 16 or the more exotic cruises.

 

sue

 

I think that's a fair point. Equally if people do book in the school vacations then they must do so knowing what they are likely to find.

 

Funnily enough, though, being a parent and wanting peace and quiet once in a while are not mutually exclusive:D. It's a responsibility we take on willingly, but just once in a while we wouldn't mind a week or two away from the kids to recharge our batteries:cool:.

[Debbie in Orlando]

We booked our very first cruise on 2/27/05 on the Spirit with the thought that it would be before Spring Breaks start. WRONG, way over a 1000 Florida Gators joined us. Turned into the infamous Feb. 05 Spirit Cruise discussed for weeks on here. We had a good time, but............. coulda been perfect if not for all the noise etc. I would think the 20th would be some safer, but who knows. I go with the thought that "Any cruise is better than no cruise. :)

[bruinfan1967]

If you want to avoid the kids. I would check the school calenders for the rest of the New England states. I do not think the all take the same weeks off.

 

Not to get flamed or anything but I specifically have always traveled when the kids are IN school. I selected my February 20 cruise because it is the week AFTER president's day and a full month BEFORE Spring Breaks.

 

That being said, for those of you who have taken the Bahamas cruise out of New York in the past (in Feb. when not a holiday) were there many kids on board?

 

I've seen some of the summer posters talking about 700, 850, 1000 kids on board....yikes!:confused:

[1kycat]

All it takes is for one private school to be out and for those parents to plan a group cruise. It only takes 30-40 kids who are very familiar with one another and their parents non-supervision to ruin many peoples experience. But I don't blame NCL. I blame the parents.

[ruffs]

Yikes, 1000 of any kind of group seems like alot on a ~2000 person cruise.

[mpk218]

Oh Oh , how about taking your kids out of school for a cruise ( that always lights a fire). It kills me that the summer prices are twice that of off season :rolleyes:

I figure they can either learn about the Panama Canal in class Or we can go see it . Guess which way I lean :D

 

mpk

[sailingsistah]

If you want to avoid the kids. I would check the school calenders for the rest of the New England states. I do not think the all take the same weeks off.

 

They don't. Our spring break goes Feb 22-26. Granted our school is small, but the Supervisory Union purposely moved it from the President's Day week (which it had always fallen on in the past) to this week to coincide with neighboring districts and states.

[lulu78]

mpk218...Im right there with you..

 

I always take my daughter with me on cruises, and so does the rest of my family (5 girls total....ages now 8-14). However, we have learned our lesson about traveling during spring breaks, so far we have always taken our cruies in April with a few weeks in difference, but NO MORE !!! our last cruise on the CCL-Liberty had over 1200 kids and strangely most of them knew each other, it made for the most uncomfortable stroll down the promenade :mad: ....so...... next year we are planning a May cruise, way after spring break, but before summer vacation.....and no, we have no problem taking our girls out of school for vacation (granted they have to have the grades for it) ;)

[TrikeRider]

I took that cruise during this last spring break and there were not a lot of kids on board that I noticed. So I would imagine an off week in Feb. would be light on kids.

[STARFISH*4]

unfortunately i cruise around the holidays (dec) so MORE KIDs i know that is expected i guess i just EXPECT that their parents make them behave, but hey they dont at HOME (meaning when they are out shopping, dining whatever) so i guess why would they on vacation....some act like its their ship and LET EM LOOSE FREE TO DO WHATEVER...ohhhh that is NCLs slogan huh....ughhhhhhhhhhh

my last cruise the SCREAMs of KIDs--ya know that piercing one that you HEAR throughout the whole store....well it followed me EVERYWHERE....the plane, the ship, the tour before the flight home...the flight home:eek:

but then i APPLAUD the PARENTs who have those WELL-BEHAVED CHILDREN....GOD BLESS YOU and KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!;)

[DAGVBSB]

Not to get flamed or anything but I specifically have always traveled when the kids are IN school. I selected my February 20 cruise because it is the week AFTER president's day and a full month BEFORE Spring Breaks.

 

That being said, for those of you who have taken the Bahamas cruise out of New York in the past (in Feb. when not a holiday) were there many kids on board?

 

 

Spring Breaks in the United States range from the week after President's Day through the end of April. Many college spring breaks begin shortly after President's Day ("mid term breaks" they are called because they are halfway through Semesters). I know public school breaks in Ohio stretch over 6-8 weeks depending on how late Easter is.

 

Anytime you cruise between President's Day and the end of April, you run the risk of kids on break.

[msmayor]

Be aware that its not just the US....my neighbor took an NCL out of NY just after President's Day last year and there were a LOT of kids aboard...many more than she expected.

 

Turns out it was a school holiday in Canada that week.

[Nelie]

You also have to take into accuont school holidays from around the world. this is an example of school holiday from my state in Australia

 

April 10- 26th

July 4- 20

September 26- Oct 11

December 11th - 26th Jan

 

My point is somewhere around the world kids will be on holidays LOL

 

I get what you mean though you want to reduce the amount if you can by picking another date

[Powriv]

Remember kids are the cruisers of the future. Maybe some of those kids will get the cruising bug and be converted for life.

 

How many of you cruised as kids and got hooked that way?

 

I got hooked by being in the Navy

 

Kids can be the cruisers of the future just not on the one I am cruising on. :D

 

As others have said if the kids are well behaved or the parents are keeping them under control within reason then I don't even notice the kids

 

Its the one where the parents have take leave of their responsibilities cause they are on vacation that make it difficult to relax and enjoy a kid free vacation( I have a 5 yr old step daughter that is a real handful)

[2boyzmom]

Oh Oh , how about taking your kids out of school for a cruise ( that always lights a fire). It kills me that the summer prices are twice that of off season :rolleyes:

I figure they can either learn about the Panama Canal in class Or we can go see it . Guess which way I lean :D

 

mpk

 

We did the 11 night Panama Canal cruise last February on RCCL. Took the boys out of school. Kids on this cruise were a novelty. Only 20 or so on board. Average age was 55 +. it was fantastic and a trip of a lifetime for the boys who are 7 and 9.

 

We always cruise Presidents week but not out of NY even though we live here. We try and book 9 night cruises which cuts down on kids for some reason.

[Seago2]

There is NO WAY to predict when there will be a "safe" time to cruise in the winter. My kids, for example, get the traditional Christmas and Easter break. Most other schools districts around here have the split winter/spring recess (a week at President's day and a week sometime later). Colleges have spring break at completely different times- I have one son with a spring break after Easter and one who had his in early Feb. Both are Northeast private colleges that you would think would be on the same schedule.

 

The safest time to travel with your own kids, if you are looking for a less kid-infested ship, is at the very end of August/beginning of Sept (my kids don't start school until Sept. 9th!!! Most Southern schools start now) OR in late May if you are a Southern school parent.

[newmexicoNita]

Not to get flamed or anything but I specifically have always traveled when the kids are IN school. I selected my February 20 cruise because it is the week AFTER president's day and a full month BEFORE Spring Breaks.

 

That being said, for those of you who have taken the Bahamas cruise out of New York in the past (in Feb. when not a holiday) were there many kids on board?

 

I've seen some of the summer posters talking about 700, 850, 1000 kids on board....yikes!:confused:

 

you have picked a great time to cruise, as for so many (up to 1000) I have never been on a cruise with that many kids, and I hope I never am.

 

Nita