Cruise a week before Christmas 2017

We are considering a cruise leading upto Christmas, should be back either 23rd or 24th, leaves around 16th or 17th on a Royal cruise

to the western Caribbean from Florida.

Will there be many families on board this week?

we don't want to be over run by thousands of 'young people'

I'm sure there would be more kids/families then vs early December for example.

We are considering a cruise leading upto Christmas, should be back either 23rd or 24th, leaves around 16th or 17th on a Royal cruise

 

to the western Caribbean from Florida.

 

Will there be many families on board this week?

 

we don't want to be over run by thousands of 'young people'

Lots and lots.

:eek:

Not too many on smaller ships, unless you're on an Oasis class they seem to have more kids every week. But still won't be as bad as Christmas or Spring Break...

. But still won't be as bad as Christmas or Spring Break...

I suspect that week WILL be part of Christmas break for many schools.

Regardless of the ship - there will be lots of families and kids. That week prior to Christmas (and of course Christmas week) is school break for most every school in the US and many other countries.

If you are looking for a week that has fewer kids, try either a week earlier in December or a few weeks later in early January.

good luck and enjoy

M

This is the first week of most school districts Christmas break and coming off the ship on the 23rd or 24th families do not pay the holiday cruise rate and are home for Christmas you can expect mostly families and lots and lots of kids. We sailed this same week this last Christmas and the ship probably had at least half of the ship kids. Lots and lots of large families traveling together. With that being said we did not feel like kids were taking over, as they were busy and entertained for the most part. We did spend our days in the solarium though (on Harmony it is several decks). Only ran into lots of kids on the sports deck and slides but it was not bad. Going into the dining room is where you saw the tables had more kids than adults sitting at them. If you are looking for a sailing that is not a majority of kids pick a week they are in school.

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I cruise every December. We take the 12 day cruise, that gets back around the 22-23rd. This is the Grandeur, sailing from Baltimore. We have very few children on that cruise. Might be because of the boarding port. The schools around here usually don't have their Christmas break until right before Christmas, until after the new year. We love cruising at that time of year. Like I said, might be different in Florida.

Gwen [emoji3]

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I cruise every December. We take the 12 day cruise, that gets back around the 22-23rd. This is the Grandeur, sailing from Baltimore. We have very few children on that cruise. Might be because of the boarding port. The schools around here usually don't have their Christmas break until right before Christmas, until after the new year. We love cruising at that time of year. Like I said, might be different in Florida.

 

 

Gwen [emoji3]

 

 

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If you are doing a 12 day that gets back around the 22-23rd you are leaving around the 10th-11th, kids are still in school and high school & middle school kids have final exams right before the break in about half the school districts so they are usually in school right up to break. Most schools will start their break the same weekend the OP is looking to leave (a week later than you). There will be lots of kids.

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How many public schools are closing for holiday break starting on December 16/17? We don't go out until either the 22nd or 23rd and I find it strange that any school would take off 2 weeks.

That said, people will pull kids out in order to get the lower fares that a non holiday sailing will offer.

This year Christmas will fall on a Monday.

Because of that, many schools will have the full week off before Xmas(Just like last year16 when Xmas was on Sun).

So yes there will be much more families than usual.

Although the official school 17/18 Calendars have not come out yet.

I took the gamble months ago and booked 2 cruises that week at really good rates.

Now just wait and figure out which one to choose.....

This year Christmas will fall on a Monday.

 

Because of that, many schools will have the full week off before Xmas(Just like last year16 when Xmas was on Sun).

 

I still don't agree. Our public school had a 1/2 day on Friday, December 23rd this year, and the week between Christmas and NY off. With Christmas on Monday in 2017, I'd expect we might still get the 1/2 day on Friday, December 22nd, and the following week off. No way would they give us 2 full weeks!

How many public schools are closing for holiday break starting on December 16/17? We don't go out until either the 22nd or 23rd and I find it strange that any school would take off 2 weeks.

 

 

 

That said, people will pull kids out in order to get the lower fares that a non holiday sailing will offer.

Most school districts in the states that do not do year round school take two weeks off for Christmas. People do pull their kids out for vacation, which is why you do see kids year round but when schools are out on vacation the ships fill up with the majority that do not.

Our Christmas break and all the districts around us (Houston area) start the weekend of December 16/17 and I know my sister's kids in the Chicago area have the same. We went on the 17th this year and the ship was cram packed full of kids from all over the country that were on their 2 week break.

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I still don't agree. Our public school had a 1/2 day on Friday, December 23rd this year, and the week between Christmas and NY off. With Christmas on Monday in 2017, I'd expect we might still get the 1/2 day on Friday, December 22nd, and the following week off. No way would they give us 2 full weeks!

In the Philadelphia area, most schools don't get off until the 22nd or 23rd, unless Christmas falls on a Monday or Tuesday, then the last day would be the Friday before. But never the full week leading up to Christmas.

I still don't agree. Our public school had a 1/2 day on Friday, December 23rd this year, and the week between Christmas and NY off. With Christmas on Monday in 2017, I'd expect we might still get the 1/2 day on Friday, December 22nd, and the following week off. No way would they give us 2 full weeks!

That is YOUR school district. Los Angeles City Schools (the 2nd biggest school district in the US) always has the week before AND the week after Christmas off.

we don't want to be over run by thousands of 'young people'

Just make sure your rabies shots are up-to-date and you should be okay.

How many public schools are closing for holiday break starting on December 16/17? We don't go out until either the 22nd or 23rd and I find it strange that any school would take off 2 weeks.

 

That said, people will pull kids out in order to get the lower fares that a non holiday sailing will offer.

All school boards in Ontario get a full 2 weeks off over Christmas and New Years. Last year some boards were off the full week before Christmas while others were off the full week after New Years.

Our Christmas cruise this year was with Celebrity, not RCCI, and it was not overrun with kids. I think it will depend on what kind of ship you choose to cruise on. If the ship is one that has all the bells and whistles then there will be loads of kids. The ship we were on was very nice but I thought to myself that if I had young children or teenagers with us, I would have preferred a different kind of ship--one that would be very entertaining to kids which would likely make the ship overrun with kids.

This year Christmas will fall on a Monday.

 

 

 

Because of that, many schools will have the full week off before Xmas(Just like last year16 when Xmas was on Sun).

 

 

 

So yes there will be much more families than usual.

 

 

 

Although the official school 17/18 Calendars have not come out yet.

 

 

 

I took the gamble months ago and booked 2 cruises that week at really good rates.

 

 

 

Now just wait and figure out which one to choose.....

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I still don't agree. Our public school had a 1/2 day on Friday, December 23rd this year, and the week between Christmas and NY off. With Christmas on Monday in 2017, I'd expect we might still get the 1/2 day on Friday, December 22nd, and the following week off. No way would they give us 2 full weeks!

You don't have to agree but that's how the school calendar is here in Houston and much of TX.

They got off a total of 17 days.

I am sure there are many other place that are similar.

Then there's getting to be more year round schools. My Grand Daughter has 24 days off for Christmas Break, first day off last month off was Dec 16...