From $9073 to $5973 in two weeks...

[3redheads]

That's how much the April 8th, 2006 sailing is: $9073 (Cat 5) through allseastravel.com
Two weeks later, it drops to: $5973

We cancelled our April 8th (Spring Break time)Disney cruise because we just cannot afford that much money! Booked through RCCL, Junior Suite, for $6117.

We'll see how this cruise line works out. We're actually booked with them in August 2005 also.

Doesn't this seem high? $9000k plus?

Going on the cruise 2 weeks later isn't an option. Can't take kids out of school.

Maybe sometime in the future.

In the meantime, what do you think about the prices?

 

[allears]

Prices on cruises, any line, tend to be a bit volitile like that. It's simply a matter of supply and demand. During peak times, like spring break, the ships can fill up at a higher price. We try to sail in February and there can be a big difference from week to week depending on school and holiday scheudles.

 

[LAMPSKIES]

How many in you sailing party?

 

[LAMPSKIES]

That IS the week before Easter, usually one of the most expensive weeks. I think you got miss priced the second time.....a cat. 5 w/2 adults thru DCL is in the 6000.00 range, add 2 children and it is 9700.00.....better check again...

 

[Sue (mom of 3 boys!)]

Like most cruise lines, Disney knows there are many folks who can only travel during school breaks. Unfortunately, I am one of those people because I am a teacher. Also, it has become extremely difficult for my kids to be out of school when it is in session. Missing a week in middle school or high school is much harder to make up than in elementary. Anyway, to make a long ramble short, we have just accepted that if we want to leave cold, snowy, grey MA over February break, that we will have to pay a premium. We really need a break at that time of year...

 

[LAMPSKIES]

My DDs are getting older 15 and 13 and it is getting a little more difficult for them to take off of school for extended periods of time....the difference come to about 500.00 per person between our "peak" Thanksgiving sailing and our "non peak". That beaks down to saving an extra 5 bucks a day....

 

[3redheads]

There are 4 in our party. We have pulled the kids out of school before, but next year DD starts middle school. I think it would be way too difficult to catch up on what she missed.

Oh, and my quote was from www.allseastravel.com.

I'll post on how I like RCCL, but my heart is still with DIsney

 

[westjones]

There are 4 in our party. We have pulled the kids out of school before, but next year DD starts middle school. I think it would be way too difficult to catch up on what she missed.

Oh, and my quote was from www.allseastravel.com.

I'll post on how I like RCCL, but my heart is still with DIsney

We are having sticker shock too! My twins go to middle school next year, and we are sticking to the school schedule for now on. What we are doing is going on the 4 night cruise Sun-Thur and then going to WDW from Thur-Sat. We love both, so it works for us.

We are considering the RCCL also for a future cruise, but not next year. I do love hearing reports about RCCL as we ponder our future cruising options.

DJ

 

[mmouse37]

I have pulled my kids out of school for a week every year including through high school...they always make up the work and have never had a problem, ever. I feel they will get much more out of week away visiting places and meeting people than they will in the classroom. I am very upfront about it with the school and we are lucky that the school is OK with it. I feel sorry for people who's schools are much stricter.

 

[tvguy]

I have pulled my kids out of school for a week every year including through high school...they always make up the work and have never had a problem, ever. I feel they will get much more out of week away visiting places and meeting people than they will in the classroom. I am very upfront about it with the school and we are lucky that the school is OK with it. I feel sorry for people who's schools are much stricter.

Not a legal option in California public schools. A felony in fact.
It is funny to see the truancy sweeps they do every couple of months, you see them arresting the stereotypical uncaring parent who doesn't make his or her kids go to school.....and then you see some well dressed man or woman get arrested at work for taking their kids out of school for an unauthorized reason (vacation).
Not an issue for us since our kids are in private school, but the school year is so short now, they need all the classroom time they can get. Heck, public schools are only in session 36 weeks, that leaves 16 weeks to sneak in a vacatin.

 

[Tink&SquirtsMom]

Not a legal option in California public schools. A felony in fact.

Thats not true. My mom is a school teacher in the Rio Linda district. And I know Del Campo teachers (I see you are in Carmichael). And my dd will attend a CA public school next year. The teachers legally have to write out a lesson plan (though many won't be happy about it and schools do not encourage it) for up to seven days. There are rules that after 7 days of non necessary absense you need to pull your child out of that school and enroll in independant study, then you can reenroll into the school when you return (and pray you still have a spot in the same class). But you can absolutely pull your kid out for up to 7 days without facing any legal action (and longer if you do the independant study route). Though I don't think I will pull my kids out. My neighbor took her kid to Hawaii for 7 days and said the school gave such a hard lesson plan they spent a good 4-6 hours everyday of the vacation doing work and he was still behind when he returned. That was a first grader!

 

[mketting]

This is quite inconceivable to me that the schools should have that much "control" over any families life!!!

School is very important, but by no means will it ever be the #1 priority outweighing the family itself. I work with teenagers who have been removed from the regular school setting for any number of reasons. Even though I have been at the job for almost 7 years I still am shocked by the things I see and hear from these troubled kids. If these kids had had families that made them a priority I would easily say that 80% of them wouldn't have ended up where they are now.

If the only week my family can go on a vacation falls on a week when school is in session, I have absolutely no issue with taking them out of school.

 

[princessdaisy]

We live in San Diego, California and my dd will miss 8 days of public middle school. The school was fine with it and she will be doing an "independant contract" make up work. Her teachers even gave her most of the make up work early to finish on spring break.

The schools in my area have been very understanding and the teachers are glad to see us take educational trips as a family. I just make sure that she completes all the work & she catchs up with her subjects and sometimes is even ahead of them.

 

[winjos]

I'm a high school teacher in CA. Although it is a hassle to get the lesson plan together for the kids, I think it is great when kids get to spend time with their families. On the other hand, what gets my goat is when I do all this work to get everything together for the student and when they return, they haven't done a thing!! NOTHING!! Then they fall way behind!! Then the parent get mad because their grades have fallen...geez!!

About truancy and the law, it really is a school district thing. I know a school that locks its doors and then takes truant kids to JH and then cites there parents who then have to go to court. My school district wants the states money, therefore students have to sign the contract, etc.

Back to the OP:sometimes kids visiting other countries and experiencing other cultures provides a powerful learning experience. So, if juggling around a couple of dates to get the best price ends up with them missing days, you might want to weigh the benefits.

 

[Tink&SquirtsMom]

I just wanted to say sorry to OP for hijacking your post. Not intended... have to learn to think before I type.

As far as the prices go I suspect your second quote may have been a misquote. ??? I probably wouldn't pay that much, and if I wouldn't take my kids out of school (which you stated you would not) and had your heart set on a Disney cruise I might do a smaller vacation and then take a summer cruise. You could probably do an early or late summer cruise and the smaller vacation for the price of the one week before Easter cruise. I think RCL is a good option though. Let us know how you like it.

 

[Sue (mom of 3 boys!)]

School is very important, but by no means will it ever be the #1 priority outweighing the family itself. I work with teenagers who have been removed from the regular school setting for any number of reasons. Even though I have been at the job for almost 7 years I still am shocked by the things I see and hear from these troubled kids. If these kids had had families that made them a priority I would easily say that 80% of them wouldn't have ended up where they are now.

Forgive me if I am misunderstanding your point, but I see that statement as an overgeneralization. I also know many troubled teens, and they ARE the priority of their families. Choosing not to take children out of school for a vacation does not mean they are not a priority.

 

[mketting]

My point isn't that a family vacation would solve all the ills of the world but even though I know that there are many wonderful families that have troubled teens, I think the scal is heavily tipped and that there are many more troubled teens with lousy families.

I guess the whole thing comes down to what an earlier teacher said, I don't think any of the schools would have a problem with kids missing a school if all the parents were always responsible to hold up their end of the bargain.

 

[LAMPSKIES]

Winjos..........good to hear from a teacher on this subject....We have taken our DDs out of school for a week for a DCL sailing each of the last 4 years.....We let the teachers know in advance and we seem to get "positive" feedback. My DDs are A and B honor students and may miss one or two more days the rest of the year due to illness so I do let it bother me......True story, Eldest DD (a freshman) took French...I said "French?" her answer was that when we were on our eastern sailing in 03 and we were on the French side of St. Maarten she liked the way it sounded and wished she could understand....so for our 10 day x-mas 06 sailing she says she'll be ready!!
Our youngest DDs was studying the Hurricans in one of her classes and they were reading about the destruction of Grand Cayman.....we had just been the 3 weeks prior on our Western sailing....they teacher had her do a report for extra credit and told the class all about it.....sometimes you can learn a lot outside of the classroom too??

 

[Jhalkias]

Every parent needs to make their own decision, and the parent knows their own kids best. What I am about to say may not necessarily apply to your kids, but it might . . .

We have taken our son out of school for a week since he was in third grade. We also always got assignments, and worked with the teachers in a respectful way. We made sure he did his homework, and enjoyed the time with his family, and seeing other cultures.

This year he is graduating - it was the first year he did not go with us - but his choice which we allowed him to make - after all, it was his senior year. He is graduating in the top ten of his class of over 400 students, and was accepted into a six year Medical school BS/MD program here in Ohio that only accepts 105 students each year.

As I said, it always depends on the child, and the parents . . .If both value education and make sure that the work gets done, I doubt that it has that much of a long-term effect on the eventual school outcome. In FACT, it may have a positive effect!

Although I do remember once having a friendly (humerous) discussion with one of his teachers who said "tell your dad I don't appreciate you taking vacations during school" - I told his teacher, I don't appreciate your summer vacation when I have to work!!!

BTW - I am a Board of Education member too . . .

So, do what you think is best for your kids and your family - weigh school, cost, and crowds in making your decision.

 

[3redheads]

We will see how my daughter does in Middle school before we take her out. This year, in 6th grade, she had quite a bit of homework. Scratch that, a lot of homework.

The only way we could do Disney again, for a 7 day, is to go on off peak dates.