Disney Cruise ever on Cdn March Break?

[petsaregreat]

Hi!
Does anyone know if Disney ever has cruises over Canadian march break? Looking at the dates for 2016 they don't seem to line up. I am a teacher and cannot leave a day early or come back late. Need exact March break dates. Thanks!

 

[amie416]

This one?

http://www.cruisefish.net/finder.md?id_cruise=50972

 

[mkmommy]

Yes there are cruises, the Fantasy does 7 day Caribbean cruises from Cape Canaveral leaving every Saturday. The Magic and Dream are doing 3 or 4 day Bahama cruises from Cape Canaveral .

This coming March we are doing 4 day cruise out of Miami leaving Wed March 16 coming back Sunday March 20.

 

[keaster]

When are your dates? Here our kids are off beginning Monday March 14th. There is a cruise that leaves saturday March 12 returning on saturday March 19th.

 

[hardis5]

We did a 7-day Saturday to Saturday in 2013. In 2016 there still is a 7-day on the 12th with little availability and there is also a 4-day starting the 14th. To Disney, they cruise per their normal schedule that just happens to coincide with our March Break. Expect to pay $$$$$ for just like Florida during that week, supply and demand means you'll pay a lot more even if you can get what you want and if flying, you'll pay outrageous amounts again.

Sailings during that week have been available for more than a year so if thinking of, do not wait long or you'll be out of options.

 

[Maddysdaddy]

Not sure there is any such thing as "Canadian March Break" - between us and our friends, the kids are off on three different weeks over March/April. If there is nothing showing on the 2016 schedule that lines up with your exact dates, they aren't going to be adding any 2016 cruises at this point. Sorry.

Have you tried looking at another line that has a reputation for being fairly kid-friendly, such as Norweigan or Royal Caribbean?

 

[isabellea]

Like the pp wrote, not everyone have the same spring break week. Ours is the first week of March and we are cruising on the Wonder March 2-6. The kids will miss a day of school on the 7th but that's okay. Lucky for us, that week is relatively cheap compared to other ones. The only thing is that flying to FL for Spring break is crazy expensive!

 

[grantclaire]

We are on the March 16/16 cruise out of Miami. Will be March Break here in Peel Region. Ontario

 

[Cheerio]

If you want a Sat-Sat date out of port canaveral look at the Fantasy it does eastern and western caribbean cruises.

 

[surfer_ed]

It is March Break pretty much somewhere anytime between mid Feb to April 1st. it will be peak season so prices will be higher but the weather will be great. We have done March twice and it was very nice, Air Fare was more costly but tis the season.

 

[petsaregreat]

Thanks for the help!
I am looking to take the family for March Break 2017. We don't have the school year calendar for 2017 yet but I would like to do a 7 day Caribbean cruise. Looking at the 2017 I assume March Break in Toronto will be either 11-19 or 18-26 so it looks like Disney has a cruise running on March 18th. We have never done a cruise before but don't people recommend you arriving in the departure city a day early? Has anyone had any experience arriving the same day? I am not allowed to take the friday before March break off of work.

 

[mkmommy]

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/list/calendar/calendar2016_2017.pdf

Most school boards following the Ministry calendar.

DCL released spring 2017 a couple of months ago.

 

[OntFamily]

Mar 11, 2017 is scheduled by DCL to be the start of a 7 day Eastern Carribbean cruise, and Mar 18 will be a Western Carribbean (out of Port Canaveral).

 

[darwinsrule]

The cruise options the last few years just haven't been as good. The Fantasy has been doing its usual 7 night run, but DCL has had the other ships doing shorter runs. Great if they are your first cruise and are looking to try it. Doing a Bahama run in March isn't really appealing to us (I want a beach where the water temp doesn't remind of Northern Ontario in summer).

Reality is as a teacher you are basically in a position of travelling at peak times, at peak prices. There are ways to do it to save money.

We did a 7-day Saturday to Saturday in 2013. In 2016 there still is a 7-day on the 12th with little availability and there is also a 4-day starting the 14th. To Disney, they cruise per their normal schedule that just happens to coincide with our March Break. Expect to pay $$$$$ for just like Florida during that week, supply and demand means you'll pay a lot more even if you can get what you want and if flying, you'll pay outrageous amounts again.

We were on the same cruise in 2013. Still our favourite cruise of all time

Pricing is always an issue this time of year. You need to jump on things when they first come out since the prices are not going to go down. Other thing to keep in mind is, if you live near the border anyway, to look at flying from a location like Buffalo or Detriot. For last March (5 night Wonder out of Miami), airfare from Toronto was in the 3-4 thouand range. We booked out of Buffalo for $1400. Even with the exchange difference now you are still lightyears ahead. Then you also get to miss the complete zoo that is Pearson. Again you have to jump on it the day things are released. Yes people look at you a little strange for having vacations planned 18+ months out, but you learn to live with that.

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/list/calendar/calendar2016_2017.pdf

Most school boards following the Ministry calendar.

DCL released spring 2017 a couple of months ago.

To do something different than the calender requires approval from the Ministry for the change. That arose from the mess that occured in the GTA a few years ago.

 

[hdrolfe]

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/list/calendar/calendar2016_2017.pdf

Most school boards following the Ministry calendar.

DCL released spring 2017 a couple of months ago.

That's interesting since our school board sent out a message asking parents to vote on the Christmas break, whether to run from Dec 17 to Jan 2, or from Dec 24 to Jan 9. That was a month ago but haven't heard of a decision... I am hoping to book something over that break. We can't afford to go on March break this year.

 

[Madame]

That's interesting since our school board sent out a message asking parents to vote on the Christmas break, whether to run from Dec 17 to Jan 2, or from Dec 24 to Jan 9. That was a month ago but haven't heard of a decision... I am hoping to book something over that break. We can't afford to go on March break this year.

Which board is this? I have worked for 2 boards & my kids are enrolled in a 3rd & I've never heard of voting for a break.

The provincial government has really tightened up rules for breaks/start-end dates in the last 10 years.

 

[hdrolfe]

Which board is this? I have worked for 2 boards & my kids are enrolled in a 3rd & I've never heard of voting for a break.

The provincial government has really tightened up rules for breaks/start-end dates in the last 10 years.

Ottawa Catholic School Board. It was new to me but he's only in grade 1 so I wasn't sure what to think! I don't have a preference really. Just want to know what it'll be so I can plan. Yes already start planning for next Christmas break lol.

 

[Madame]

Ottawa Catholic School Board. It was new to me but he's only in grade 1 so I wasn't sure what to think! I don't have a preference really. Just want to know what it'll be so I can plan. Yes already start planning for next Christmas break lol.

I wish we could vote for breaks! I'd much rather work until the Friday before Christmas next year! I hope the vote goes the way you want it to.

I should probably be careful what I wish for as well considering I'd need both my board & my kids' board to break at the same time

 

[darwinsrule]

I should probably be careful what I wish for as well considering I'd need both my board & my kids' board to break at the same time

And that is why you need Ministry approval to deviate from the schedule (which is unlikely it would be granted regardless). DW lives and works for TDSB. The majority of the teachers in her school live in either Durham or York. It wasn't that long ago that they boards messed things up in the GTA and why the Ministry moved to the set callender for major holidays.

 

[bankr63]

In the Ottawa Area you might want to be careful. The main OCDSB generally follows the Ministry's recommended calendar, but the Catholic and French school boards often vary from the ministry suggested schedules. I manage a group of people with kids in several boards, and always like the scheduling flexibility I get when they DON'T align. It's much easier to allow people to take off their breaks when they aren't all the same.

OCDSB asked teachers to vote on a break last year (DW is a teacher), but ended up going with the ministry suggested dates. But it could easily have gone the other way. I wouldn't book anything non-refundable until your specific board posts its calendar.

ETA - if you look at the Ministry calendar, it says right on the calendar that Christmas and March break are "Board Designated" breaks, not Ministry designated; and that "Note: A School Board may modify school calendar dates with prior approval of the Ministry. Please contact your school board to see if their School Holidays have been modified."

The Ministry designates how many instructional days must be held within the year, but we have Ontario boards here that start earlier and end later than the Ministry calendar. Based on what we see in Ottawa, I don't think the ministry ever withholds approval of changes.