Christmas–it’s the most wonderful time of the year, especially if you can find the ultimate, no-cooking, no-cleaning, no-gift-wrapping, stress-free holiday at your nearest cruise port. You can sail to the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Hawaii, or Europe. You can sail on your favorite cruise line–Carnival, Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line, the adults-only Virgin Voyages, and more.
The holidays on a cruise ship typically begin around Thanksgiving and last just past New Year’s. It is dependent on your ship’s itinerary and sailing dates. Each cruise line handles the holidays just a little differently, but if your sailing is a “holiday” sailing, you can be sure you’ll find the holiday spirit everywhere you turn.
The holiday magic includes Christmas trees, garland, lights, and Hanukkah menorahs. The crew gets into the spirit with festive hats and caroling. You can decorate a gingerbread house, wear your ugly Christmas sweater, enjoy holiday trivia, and watch Christmas movies. Santa Claus even visits the ship on Christmas morning. Whatever the holiday looks like for you and your family, you can still do that AND make new holiday memories with new traditions.
There’s the bonus of not spending a day or two in the kitchen, then all afternoon or evening doing the dishes. On your cruise, a professional chef will prepare your holiday-themed meal. You can enjoy turkey, prime rib, or ham with all the traditional sides. And the desserts! Oh, the desserts! Hot chocolate, eggnog, Christmas cookies, pumpkin pie. Best part–no clean up!
Tropical Christmas sailings are the most popular sailings. Trade the snow for the sand, trade icy roads for a pool, trade the stress for the relaxation. When you arrive at a port, they are also decked out for the holidays, meaning you can enjoy a tropical vibe with a Christmas flair. European river cruises along the Rhine and the Danube offer a more traditional holiday as they visit local Christmas markets.
But what about the gifts? Cruisers have become very creative with younger children and gift-giving on board. One option is to bring small, easy gifts and a note from Santa. Even better, take a picture of Santa leaving the larger gifts at home under the tree. Families give “experience” gifts in the form of a once-in-a-lifetime excursion, a lavish dinner at a speciality restaurant, or even the cruise itself.
Sailing during the holidays is not without hiccups. The crowds (and the cruise fare) will likely be larger. The pool and the buffet may be crowded. This just means you need to plan a little more in advance, especially if your family is larger or you want specific shore excursions. Additionally, make sure you arrive at your port city a day or two before embarkation since the weather can be unpredictable in the winter, causing delays and cancellations. You do not want to miss your ship!
Stress-free. No cooking. No cleaning. No gift wrapping. What else could you want? Check your favorite cruise line for the dates of their holiday cruises and start a brand new tradition you will not want to break.