Dear Disney, Spring Break in Texas in 2013 is March 9, not March 15

[designertravels]

Who knows, maybe they will end up having to offer a Kids Sail Free, as it is not looking too popular. They had one for a short while that covered SB on the Wonder in LA.
(for now it's the Fantasy!)

Jill

 

[Milio99]

Oh wow - I just noticed your post. So you guys will have students coming back after a week off to take STARR.

Well, that's not very smart. I wonder how many kids will miss the first day of testing because they're not back from vacation yet?

 

[MandyGirl]

Well, that's not very smart. I wonder how many kids will miss the first day of testing because they're not back from vacation yet?

Or worse.... show up jetlagged and still take the test, doing poorly versus it being an absence. For those in SSI years that must pass to be promoted to the next gradelevel, such as Tuesday mathematics, it can be a challenge, especially when 9 days off from school (weekends, Spring Break) just occurred. I'd be hoping for "absence" so they could actually make it up later in the week since there is a clause for that:

"Mar 30 (Fri): All make-up sessions for assessments scheduled to be administered from Mar 26–29, 2012, must be completed by this date."

Of course, not that you can legally "encourage" a student to be absent... but still... And the End of Course exams (now called STARR) for high school students also count a portion of their classroom grade.

 

[ksloane]

Or worse.... show up jetlagged and still take the test, doing poorly versus it being an absence.

That would be my worry too.....*sigh* I hope parents are looking at testing dates as they make plans.

 

[ITGirl50]

Check out the Miami cruise prices for 2013 spring break! Why is Galveston so much more? You can get the Roy or Disney suite cheaper than an ocean view room on the Galveston Christmas cruise.

 

[Gracedis1]

Check out the Miami cruise prices for 2013 spring break! Why is Galveston so much more? You can get the Roy or Disney suite cheaper than an ocean view room on the Galveston Christmas cruise.

I'm shocked too about how much more it is to sail out of Galveston. We are in Texas and I would love to just drive there, but can't justify the price. We can take a Royal Caribbean cruise out of New Orleans for our Spring Break at half the price! Or we just might wait until we visit my husband's family in Miami and go from there.

 

[UmmGooD]

I actually booked this cruise. Not sure if we'll take it and yes it is insanely expensive. Our son will be 1 when we cruise and I cannot imagine trying to get to FL. Unfortunately I didn't book the Fantasy when it first opened so I didn't get really cheap rates.

I just priced the Fantasy and for our family of 5 there are no options for a single room and for a double room we are looking at maybe 500 more to sail from Galveston. I got burned thinking airfare would be cheaper during spring break for our LAX cruise this year and in reality the airfare for our family was pricing out to be around $1600 plus we would need transportation/etc... So this year I decided to pay up the $500 difference for the Galveston cruise and I am actually relieved I don't have to figure out how to get my 4 yo and 1 yo to another state.

I am not sure what MCO airfare runs during spring break but for a family of 4 (we don't have to pay for the 1yo) I bet the price difference would have to be > 1000 dollars cheaper on the Fantasy to make a difference.

 

[ITGirl50]

I am not sure what MCO airfare runs during spring break but for a family of 4 (we don't have to pay for the 1yo) I bet the price difference would have to be > 1000 dollars cheaper on the Fantasy to make a difference.

MCO airfare from Houston IAH is extremely high during Spring Break. We spent $1700 for 3 of us for this Spring Break for our 5-night Dream cruise. We aren't flying out until Sunday because our cruise leaves on Tuesday (we are staying at BLT a couple of nights). The return flight leaves at 11:50 (which is really early) but to fly back later was $100s more.

Last year we had to leave on Friday morning to pay about that same amount. To leave Saturday was unbelievably expensive. We had to take DD out of school a day. We didn't want to do that this year because she just started high school and it is really hard to keep up with missing a day.

The disaapontment is more about it being a 6-day cruise, AND it's not going to the best ports, AND no Castaway Cay, AND the cruise costs more than one more night on the new ship with better ports. if it was an 8-night cruise and cost $1000 more than the Fantasy cruise I would be on board.

Compare:
$4648 for 4c family veranda (deck 7) Fantasy 7 night
$5211 for 5a veranda (deck 7) Magic 6 night
Includes insurance

The Fantasy price is really good for Spring Break 2013. We also have it booked for June 2012 (booked 14-months early) and paid $5010 (with OB discount) for an 8B Family Oceanview stateroom.

 

[UmmGooD]

MCO airfare from Houston IAH is extremely high during Spring Break. We spent $1700 for 3 of us for this Spring Break for our 5-night Dream cruise. We aren't flying out until Sunday because our cruise leaves on Tuesday (we are staying at BLT a couple of nights). The return flight leaves at 11:50 (which is really early) but to fly back later was $100s more.

Last year we had to leave on Friday morning to pay about that same amount. To leave Saturday was unbelievably expensive. We had to take DD out of school a day. We didn't want to do that this year because she just started high school and it is really hard to keep up with missing a day.

The disaapontment is more about it being a 6-day cruise, AND it's not going to the best ports, AND no Castaway Cay, AND the cruise costs more than one more night on the new ship with better ports. if it was an 8-night cruise and cost $1000 more than the Fantasy cruise I would be on board.

Compare:
$4648 for 4c family veranda (deck 7) Fantasy 7 night
$5211 for 5a veranda (deck 7) Magic 6 night
Includes insurance

The Fantasy price is really good for Spring Break 2013. We also have it booked for June 2012 (booked 14-months early) and paid $5010 (with OB discount) for an 8B Family Oceanview stateroom.

So for me the airfare would be at least $2000. Let's look at it a different way with your comparison. Of course my situation is different because I either need 2 rooms or a Cat 4 (or 8 on the Fantasy) but for a family of 4 here is the comparison:
$4648 + $2000 airfare for 4c family veranda (deck 7) Fantasy 7 night = $6648
$5211 + $0 airfare for 5a veranda (deck 7) Magic 6 night = $5211

Plus no missed school no extra hotel costs etc...

So is the extra day and Castaway Key worth $1400?

I say no. In my case the price difference is greater and I have a 1 year old so flying or driving is a pain.

 

[UmmGooD]

Oh another thing is I checked RCCL's prices for cruises the same week and they are around 7k for two connecting balcony cabins or 6k for two connecting oceanview cabins the same week so Disney might be using that as their price basis. It all boils down to supply and demand. There are a lot more cruises out of FL to compete with.