We are booked for our first cruise on the new Ruby Princess in March 2009. Would we have any cause for concern booking a cruise during spring break?

Hello Amra, and welcome to Cruise-Chat;

well, it is a seven day cruise at very reasonable prices for a new ship, sailing r/t from Ft. Lauderdale during Spring Break. Define "concern".

Will there be a lot of younger people there to party? Probably. Will Princess allow things to get out of hand? Probable not.

The good news is it is a very large ship and you shouldn't have any trouble finding a spot that suits your "party" level, be it wild, or more on the quiet side.

Rick

I thought I'd use "concern" as not to offend any of the college cruisers. However, I was wondering if experienced cruisers avoided this time of year knowing that the younger set uses this time to blow off a little steam. We are really looking forward to our first cruise. We'll be with a whole group of other couples. Two of which are celebrating 20th wedding anniversaries, and one couple celebrating an engagement!

Well, since we are being perfectly honest here, yes, we avoid cruising during Spring Break and pretty much every other busy travel season; not so much because of college kids blowing off steam, but because it's when families with lots of young kids travel. Don't get me wrong here--we have three grown sons and five grandchildren, and when we take them on cruises, that's when we go--because it's when they can go.

But when it's just my wife and I, we try to avoid those times. We are both 65, retired, and cruise for enrichment and relaxation; and peace and quiet.

Rick

Hi Amra, and welcome to cruise-chat.com!

I'm a parent of a teen, and even I try to avoid spring breaks. Yet, I have little choice as the school calendar dictates our vacations. I've found that some lines are better at handling the kids than others, and I would have no hesitation booking on Princess.

Congratulations to all three couples on your milestones! Might I suggest a vow renewal for the anniversary couples? We did this on Princess a few years ago and it remains a highlight.

Once again, welcome aboard!

LisaP

Hi Arma, welcome to Cruise-Chat. Congratulations on your celebrations and your first cruise! You will have more than normal family and children on board with you, but Princess will not allow it to get out of hand. I do hope you enjoy Princess as much as we do. They're our favorite line, so far. The Ruby is a new ship and from the pictures I've seen, a real beauty. We sailed on the Emerald last year and she was gorgeous. We'll be on the Royal in December, and I'm really excited. She's a small ship, with an unusual itinerary, and a relatively new ship, too. Best wishes for a marvelous experience, and once again, welcome aboard!