Christmas Cruising

[thechandlers99]

DH and I will be cruising with the fam (party of 9 total) on the Glory over Christmas. We were all wondering what we should expect on board. What "special" things do they do to celebrate the holidays?

[firefly333]

We had a holiday party one afternoon complete with singing children and santa. I counted 8 christmas trees last christmas, but most were not very big. garlands in the atrium areas up on lido .. oh and must not forget the christmas carols piped into the elevators to get you into the mood.

[gusandgidgetsmom]

I hope you enjoy your Christmas cruise. We went several years ago on a Christmas cruise and all of us--8-- said we would not do it again. There is nothing like your own decorations and families around those decorations. We love to cruise but found Christmas cruising a very big disappointment. Just our opinion! They had decorations but everything was just secular and nonspecific--garland and trees with santa. In our families Santa plays a very small part so it was disappointing to see him everywhere. I understand that this cruise is not just for Christians and why they have it that way, but did nto stop the disappointment!

[thechandlers99]

I hope you enjoy your Christmas cruise. We went several years ago on a Christmas cruise and all of us--8-- said we would not do it again. There is nothing like your own decorations and families around those decorations. We love to cruise but found Christmas cruising a very big disappointment. Just our opinion! They had decorations but everything was just secular and nonspecific--garland and trees with santa. In our families Santa plays a very small part so it was disappointing to see him everywhere. I understand that this cruise is not just for Christians and why they have it that way, but did nto stop the disappointment!

 

Thank you for your opinion, but we are all very excited about not having to decorate and having someone else do all the work. Christmas is my favorite holiday but it can be exhausting at times. My family and I can't wait!

[rnmmom]

Are the ships only decorated the week of Christmas? We are sailing on the Magic the week before 12/11-12/18 - do you think it will be decorated then?

[tarps14]

We are also booked for a Christmas cruise on the Spirit (12/23-1/1/12). We are very much looking forward to it also so don't let any one person's opinion change that for you. My father passed away several years ago and Christmas the last few years just hasn't been the same. New traditions have been formed and most of the old ones have dwindled away. We wanted something to get us all excited for the season again. We love cruising and promised our two younger children (well, not so young...22 and 18) that we would go on a cruise this year to celebrate their graduation from college and high school respectively. It seemed like the natural answer to just combine it all. So we will have a great deal to celebrate this holiday season and maybe we can bring some of the magic back. Think of the memories you'll make and I agree with you, no frantic rushing around, last minute shopping and tons of cooking to do. No worries! Enjoy! :cool:

 

P.S. To RNMMOM...yes, they start putting up the decorations the week of Thanksgiving!

[Megnolia]

DH and I loved our Christmas cruise, and I am looking forward to doing it again in the future :)

 

We were on the Victory in 2008

 

- Christmas trees in various locations onboard

- (fake) evergreen garland with red and gold balls on all the railings in atrium and indoor public areas

- beautiful gingerbread village set up in the casino

- Lions in the casino (statues) were wearing santa hats and capes all week

- Wonderful Christmas Eve show - children did songs and dances, beautiful costumes (like White Christmas), set up a living room with a fake fireplace on stage and the cruise director read a story to the kids. Many staff from all areas of the ship participated with real candles, singing silent night in their own languages. It was very moving.

- Santa was there with a great backdrop for photos.

- Christmas Eve formal dinner with special menu on festive paper

- Large Menorah in the atrium

 

Things we thought we might see but didn't: No Christmas music played on the ship at all. Not many people wearing santa hats or otherwise dressed differently than other cruises

 

Things we did to celebrate: brought window clings to decorate mirrors, and a hanging snowman to put on the outside of our door. Brought some small gifts to exchange, and brought Christmas cards and boxed Lindt chocolates to give to all our stewards and waiters on Christmas day along with an extra cash tip in addition to our normal end of the week tips. (we gave "happy holiday" cards with snowmen because it was very snowy in our hometown at that time)

 

On shore: The islands were decorated for Christmas, and the atmosphere was so festive.

 

The bottom line for me: I loved how the Christmas feeling lasted all week. At home, it seems like every business tears down their decorations by the evening of the 25th and the music is off the radio. The decorations were still up, and there was no boxing day madness to ruin the Christmas feeling.

 

I believe decorations go up right after Thanksgiving, so you will see them on any December cruise.

 

It was a wonderful experience, and I bet your family will have a blast!

[raylene5]

I would LOVE to do a Christmas cruise...not to have to cook the stinkin holiday dinner alone would get me on the ship. But I would be sad if the ship weren't decorated. I bet a Disney cruise for Christmas would be perfect because I know they go all out at the parks so I'm sure they do the same on their cruises. Too bad the holiday cruises are soooo expensive! I'm sure you'll have a blast!

[Megnolia]

We are also booked for a Christmas cruise on the Spirit (12/23-1/1/12). We are very much looking forward to it also so don't let any one person's opinion change that for you. My father passed away several years ago and Christmas the last few years just hasn't been the same. New traditions have been formed and most of the old ones have dwindled away. We wanted something to get us all excited for the season again. We love cruising and promised our two younger children (well, not so young...22 and 18) that we would go on a cruise this year to celebrate their graduation from college and high school respectively. It seemed like the natural answer to just combine it all. So we will have a great deal to celebrate this holiday season and maybe we can bring some of the magic back. Think of the memories you'll make and I agree with you, no frantic rushing around, last minute shopping and tons of cooking to do. No worries! Enjoy! :cool:

 

P.S. To RNMMOM...yes, they start putting up the decorations the week of Thanksgiving!

 

Sorry to hear about your father. I found on my rollcall there were many people who were cruising for similar reasons. DH and I were in a similar situation - his mother had passed away and father remarried, and we struggled for a few years to find a meaningful way to spend Christmas day, and ended up trying to drive from city to city for dinners with extended family. We just wanted to be on our own - so we joined 3000 other people for our private Christmas ;) It was a great decision.

[PatrickZJD]

My birthday is Christmas Day, and while there are many places I would love to visit, I don't believe a cruise ship is one of them. I think the atmosphere would be simply too impersonal, and I cherish attending traditional Catholic Mass too much.

 

Now New Year's Day, on the other hand....;)

[pe4all]

We have done several Holiday cruises. As others have said -ships decorated nicely, holiday music played in dining rooms and corriders all week (maddening, after a while!:p) free champagne Xmas Eve, holiday meal served in dining room, special kid's camp holiday show put on (cute), santa in atrium Xmas eve, etc. Many people decorate their cabin doors like giant presents with a bow, and many have tiny trees on their dining room tables, or wear holiday light neclaces. While we do not celebrate Christmas, it is a wonderful time to sail. Are going again this holiday week, and am looking at 2012 already!:D

[okwriter]

DH and I cruised on the Legend December 12-19 last year. For us, the cruise WAS Christmas! Back home, I didn't put up a tree or hang decorations, and we didn't buy each other gifts. On the ship, we had our picture taken on board in front of one of the holiday-ish backdrops and then had a handful of Christmas cards made that we sent out as soon as we got home. The *after glow* of the cruise made for a wonderful, relaxed holiday. :)

[pjhootch]

We did a Christmas cruise in 2009 with our three kids that were 18 and 28 at the time. We started traveling for Christmas when the twins were 14 and for us it works out well.

 

The decorations are everywhere in the public areas, there is a big Christmas tree and holiday music. When we boarded the ship they were handing out free champagne.

 

My 28 year old wasn't much of a drinker... but we had a horror show getting from Orlando to San Juan, my husband and I got held up in security and the 28 year old and my 18 year old son were seated on the plane. By the time we got to the boarding gate they had given our seats to standby passengers and closed the door to the jetway. They had no money or credit cards and were about to fly to San Juan alone. I melted down and got us on the plane but it scared the kids to death. Then we got to San Juan and our taxi driver took us to the wrong ship in port, and we had to get a second cab to take us to the right ship because it was on the other side of the harbor.

 

When we boarded the ship my daughter whipped a champagne glass of a server's tray and downed it in one gulp. He stood there with his mouth open watching her as she grabbed a second glass and tipped it back too. We all burst out laughing.

 

Most of the islands are decorated near the port areas and the shops. They were showing Christmas films on the big screen outside one night, I remember "The Polar Express" because we all went out to watch it one evening.

 

Generally it was a festive atmosphere and people were in the holiday spirit. Have a great time. It is wonderful to have someone else cook and serve your holiday meal and see all the decorations that you don't have to take down and put away yourself!

[fkfad]

We have taken a couple of Christmas cruises with our kids and their husbands... I enjoyed it thoroughly! No decorating at home (and, better yet, no decorations to put away after the holiday)! Someone else worried about the Christmas day menu (as well as the cooking and the cleaning)! No gifts to wrap (the cruise was everyone's Christmas gift). The ships were beautifully decorated! We had a very small gift exchange on the ship and gave small gifts to the crew. We decorated our cabin door... It was fun...even our kids enjoyed it! I would do it again in a heartbeat!

[thechandlers99]

Are the ships only decorated the week of Christmas? We are sailing on the Magic the week before 12/11-12/18 - do you think it will be decorated then?

 

A few years ago we cruised the first week of November and they holiday decorations were already starting to go up. I'm sure they will be all decorated when you board.

[MuffyKismet]

We go every year a week or so before Christmas (we are always back at home for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) but still get to enjoy the festive decore on the ships for the holiday time. Our kids LOVE cruising for their Christmas presents!!! They have all done it several times now, the youngest is now 21 but they STILL LOVE IT! Lots of great memories!

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thay do it up very nicely

[TX Cruise Girl]

I'm excited about taking my first Christmas cruise this year. A friend and I are leaving on the Carnival Triumph on 12/24/11. If it turns out well it might be my new Christmas/birthday tradition.

[QLUVS2CRUZ]

Last year we went on the Freedom December 26-Jan1. It was the day after Christmas, but the ship was still decorated. My personal opinion is that the ship is decorated very nicely but understated...if you don't want to be really "Christmasy", it worked, but also if you want the Christmas decorations, they were there...so it wasn't over kill with someone else's decor. Since we weren't on for actual Christmas day, I'm not sure of festivities, but since we were on for NYE, I can tell you they had a special dinner that night in the MDR and gave out the beads, paper blowers, and hats, then later on there was a big celebration at midnight, where I think free champagne was provided...I was fast asleep by then...I might have stayed up but since the next day was debarkation, I was sleeping...it was fun and I think they did a good job celebrating but not too over powering...if that makes any sense.

 

We would have loved to go over Christmas, but it just didn't work out for us. I probably wouldn't choose to be away from home every year, but it's nice to do something different every once in a while.

 

I think you will enjoy it!

[con3]

We are going on the Glory Christmas cruise too!!!! I usually cook for 35-40 people, I will not miss that :)

I am looking forward to being greeted with free champagne, hope they are still doing that:D

Connie