Spring Break for school kids?

[kruzkeen]

This info might be on another thread. I have done a search and the answer did not jump out at me.

I have neither school age children nor grandchildren so I do not know when the spring break is for school kids.

Is it the same week in every state? Is it only one week?

Whenever it is I would assume that there be will a smaller percentage of kids on a 10 or 14 day cruise in the spring than one a 7 day one.

Thanks Ken

[Orcrone]

Kruzkeen,

There is no one set week for spring break. In fact some areas, like where I currently live, have one week for spring break. If I'm not mistaken, when I used to live in Massachusetts they had two seperate weeks, one in February and another in April. I would guess that one area or another has spring break from February through April. Also keep in mind that some school systems now have year-round school, getting a break at different times throughout the year.

I would also agree with your statement about longer cruises. Since most areas have one week at a time off for spring break, the longer cruises will tend to have fewer kids.

Also, fall is probably a better time to cruise if you don't want many kids on the ship, as schools generally don't have a fall break.

[elmorejj]

In this area of OHIO, kids are out either the week leading up to Good Friday, or the week following, and usually for just one week.....jean :cool:

[super_grover]

it totally depends on the school board in most cases...Mine is the second last week of february. January and the early part of march might be safer bets than others, but I suppose it all depends.

[DNCButler]

In our area of Wisconsin and my sister's area of Illinois, March 26th is spring break in 2005.

[peaches from georgia]

Winter/Easter/Spring breaks stretch from early February until mid-April, some school systems getting more than one. Usually they will get a week in the winter and then a long weekend (which many parents will turn into a full week) around Easter, whenever that happens to fall each year.

So a 7 day cruise is really not 'safe' from kids for almost 3 months. The only cruise we consider is at least a 10 day one after Easter. We just don't take a cruise to have to discipline somebody else's kids or face a madhouse of 400 kids in the pool, in the Pinnacle, in the dining room, in the lounges, in the elevators, in the .......

Before I get flamed, I have 3 sons of my own, 5 grandchildren and the 6th on the way. It's not a matter of not liking kids; it's a matter of not liking unrelated kids on my vacation, so we make choices before booking.

[ekerr19]

Most colleges have staggered Spring break periods. Our kids last day is 3/19/05 - the day we leave for FLL. They are out the entire following week and Easter Monday.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Winter/Easter/Spring breaks stretch from early February until mid-April, some school systems getting more than one. Usually they will get a week in the winter and then a long weekend (which many parents will turn into a full week) around Easter, whenever that happens to fall each year.

So a 7 day cruise is really not 'safe' from kids for almost 3 months. The only cruise we consider is at least a 10 day one after Easter. We just don't take a cruise to have to discipline somebody else's kids or face a madhouse of 400 kids in the pool, in the Pinnacle, in the dining room, in the lounges, in the elevators, in the .......

Before I get flamed, I have 3 sons of my own, 5 grandchildren and the 6th on the way. It's not a matter of not liking kids; it's a matter of not liking unrelated kids on my vacation, so we make choices before booking.
No one would be within their rights to flame you about this. You have the right to choose to cruise when children are less likely to be travelling. How could that bother anyone when you're freeing space on those all important dates for families travelling with their children?

On the other hand, I think people who choose to travel during an obviously busy vacation week should understand there are going to be a lot of kids and live with it.

So now I'll get flamed:D . That's okay ... doesn't bother me anymore!;)

[Natmar]

Spring break does vary - we sailed on Carnival the first part of March this year with our children (7 & 11) and there were only a handful of other children on board the ship hoping to miss all the college spring breakers but were surrounded by them - if we had known in advance that the ship was full of them we would not have cruised since we regret having to have exposed our children and ourselves to drunk college kids. They were plastered even before the life boat drill began and would continue to party into the wee hours in the hallways & pools. I don't know if HAL would attract that many college kids but I would be more concerned about them than children, but of course that is just our opinion.

[Lokalona]

Spring break in Indiana is March 26, 2005 for school age kids...college is usually sooner.

We take the kids on "family based ships" for spring break and if we go during the Christmas holidays...most of them are expecting kids and it works out better that way. We will be on the Vision of the Sea for that week.

When I have no kids on my vacation I really don't want too many other kids around either. There is a time and place...coming from a mother of 5 kids ages 22-14....

[spcl4cs_gal]

Being a teacher here in Ontario, it is really impossible for me to vacation without kids during my spring break....this year the Break runs during my week on the Zuiderdam...sigh!

[iluvcruzin]

This is a question that is brought up quite often. Peaches in Georgia has it pretty close on the dates IMHO - Mid-February until May 1st. The reason for extending it to May is that sometimes Easter is at the end of April and there can still be many children onboard. We took a cruise once at the end of April starting on Easter (22nd) and there was about 800 children on board (it wasn't a HAL cruise so this number would be lower on average than this). I too am going to be booking all my cruises outside these dates. Reason being.. I've been there, done that, now my kids are older so I don't have to anymore :)

[Mark1513]

One year we had 4 different spring breaks for my wife and three children. One was half-way through a college semester. One was between college quarters. One was the week after Easter. The fourth was the week before Easter.

[Arubalisa]

DH teaches K-6 in the North Atlanta metro area. 3 of these N. metro districts are now converting to "year 'round" calenders. The schedule for the children still includes the "regular" school holidays like Labor Day and ML King Jr Day, the rest are:

1st day of school, first Monday in August
Off Third week of September-- "School Holiday"
Off the week of Thanksgiving-- "School Holiday"
Off Two weeks at Christmas/New Years (return: Jan. 4, 2005 & 2006, Jan. 7, 2007)
Off February President's Week
Off First week of April-- "Spring Holiday"
Friday before Memorial Day-- Last day of school

In our part of Georgia "Spring Break" has always been the first week of April, never tied in to Easter week.

[viennacruiser]

MY kids here in Northern Virginia have spring break starting March 18, my daughter who is at University of South Carolina has Spring break the week before. I teach at a college in Montgomery County, Md and have the same break as my younger kids. This is the week before Easter so I am not sure how many kids will be there, my kids will be in Ft Lauderdale with grandma and grandpa:)
Nancy and Mike