Cruise during Christmas??? Good Idea?

[artistsj]

My husband and I have moved far away from friends and family. We are now their fair weather friends as I am not going north in the winter. Do the cruise ships offer full services on Christmas day? Is the price higher or lower than the week before or after? How far south do we need to go to enjoy 80 degree water and weather? This is the hard question, "Will the holiday still feel lonely on a cruise"?

[trish1c]

Cruises offer full services on Christmas day. Not everybody celebrates Christmas. There will be decorations.

As for how lonely it will feel that's up to you. Sometimes to me it's more lonely in a crowd than alone at home. I also don't like the contrast between 80F weather & Christmas decorations. I have been in the Caribbean in December & on cruises for NYE. Santa shouldn't be in shorts. :p

Other people love that & feel better away from the familiar.

[tak81288]

I can't answer most of your questions since I haven't cruised during Christmas but have done tons of research because we seriously thought of doing one this year (we booked one mid January instead). From what I noticed prices were good the first and second week of December but skyrocketed from there until after New Years. (Many school districts have two weeks off for the holidays so prices will rise during that two week or so time period since many families choose that time to cruise). The ship is still fully functionally, has regular activities...etc just like any other cruise.

 

Whether or not you feel lonely is really up to you. If you are thinking about the family/friend gathering(s) back in your home state and you are missing out, then yes, you will be lonely. If you are concentrating on spending time with your husband and enjoying your vacation then you will be fine.

 

We decided on mid Jan as a post holiday cruise for a few reasons though. We didnt want to deal with the holiday crowds and prices for flights and the cruise were much better. Temps in the Carribbean don't vary too much year round so weather will most likely be nice most places. You may want to go further south than the bahamas though. Their swimming temps can be iffy in the winter. They are similar to Florida.

 

Hope you have a good time on whatever you decide.

[megr1125]

I cruised alone over Christmas/New Years and really had fun...(it was a nice 9 or 10 night itinerary on Serenade)

 

Ship looked lovely, fun for all.....even santa had gifts for all the kiddos (17 and under)....the menu had a variety of foods such as Christmas and Hanukkah 'favorites'...

 

I booked only about 2 weeks ahead and had a great deal on a balcony out of SJU. I think it was less than $100 bucks/day......and i presume a little dumb luck was involved.

 

If i could find a decent itinerary at a decent price, i would go again...sadly though, as least as far as RCCL goes, they are almost 'forcing' you to book a b2b to cover both holidays....and some of the itineraries (such as Explorer) kind of stink....Port Canaveral, Bahamas and Coco Key...NOT really what i want to do, but if the price was right, i'd suck it up...too bad though that the 2 holiday weeks are the SAME....:eek::rolleyes::mad:

[Jasalth]

I was on a Disney Cruise over Christmas so I can speak for what I experienced on that line at least.

 

Yes everything was fully open. Christmas Day was actually a Sea Day for us though, but I have read where people were in a port on X-Mas day and were worried about excursions and stuff, but they were all running.

 

I did cruise as a whole family reunion type thing (we were the ones who moved down south and Grandma and Great Grandma wanted to spend X-Mas with my kids) so I can't say about the loneliness. If you are outgoing type people then I would say it would be as lonely as you make it. Also if you are seated with other table-mates it might make dinner less lonely, but that would also depend if they celebrate.

 

Price... price is a BIG one. I did think about going on a X-Mas Cruise for school reasons for my children. The prices I found for this year.. are 2-4 times the cost than the cruise we booked on 12/11. Kids are out of school for the holidays so it is one of the few winter times parents feel they can book a cruise and be okay with their kids.

[Hlitner]

Christmas cruises are very popular and normally priced somewhat higher then typcial cruises. We generally find two kinds of folks on the Xmas criuses. 1. Families and extended families that use the cruise as a way to get together for the holidays and 2. Couples (with no children and non available) that want to be away on the holidays where things are open. But beware because there are always plenty of children and teens on Xmas cruises...so if you want to get away from kids this is not the week.

 

Hank

[Shorex]

Do the cruise ships offer full services on Christmas day?

 

Absolutely. Christmas cruises are in high demand (hence the higher fares). We have been on Crystal, Regent, Silversea and the Marco Polo during Christmas. At least on those lines, the ships are extensively decorated, and there are special holiday menus and entertainment.

Is the price higher or lower than the week before or after?

 

Higher. Supply/demand. Our holiday cruises were all sell-outs.

 

How far south do we need to go to enjoy 80 degree water and weather?

South of Bermuda and north of the equator. Caribbean should do it.

We once were in Bangkok in December. Christmas decorations and carols were prominent everywhere. This is a Buddhist country with seasons of hot and hotter and Christmas displays were everywhere. Whoda thunk?

This is the hard question, "Will the holiday still feel lonely on a cruise"?

 

You will have your husband with you. Make the cruise special and romantic. Bring a few decorations for your stateroom. Plan a champagne toast. Do not entertain thoughts of "lonely". Change the "n" to a "v".

[dobiemom]

Cruises offer full services on Christmas day. Not everybody celebrates Christmas. There will be decorations.

As for how lonely it will feel that's up to you. Sometimes to me it's more lonely in a crowd than alone at home. I also don't like the contrast between 80F weather & Christmas decorations. I have been in the Caribbean in December & on cruises for NYE. Santa shouldn't be in shorts. :p

Other people love that & feel better away from the familiar.

In Hawaii, Santa was tan, thinner, wore sunglasses, and came in on a surfboard! :D I thought it was great!

 

I would love to cruise during the holidays but the price is too high. I have cruised a few times after Thanksgiving and the ship is beautifully decorated.

[STARFISH*4]

would love to cruise over Christmas but with prices 2x at least higher than the weeks before we will be HAPPY with that!!

[TX Cruise Girl]

My friend and I are cruising on carnival of the Cristmas holidays this year for the first time. At first the price was signifigantly hight, but we've had 3 price drops since we booked. A couple more and the price will be the same as my cruise last May plus 2 extra days. I check the prices at least twice a day! I know they're coming! :D

[Putterdude]

We did a cruise over Christmas and New Years a few years ago. Yes the ships will be decorated to the hilt for Christmas and there will be religious services and carol sings. There will be Christmas activities like ginger bread house building and so forth. There will be lots of families aboard with many children in fact every bed, bunk and cot will be sold. With that comes crowding, very unruly children (and their parents as well). This all comes with a premium of $500+ pp. IMO it is a great venue for families in the sense that there is no planning required, no meal cooking and no clean up. I also know of people who have done this more than several times and really quite enjoy it. As for DW and I, we are in no hurry to rush back.

[BruceMuzz]

Will you enjoy a Christmas Cruise?

Probably yes.

 

But bear in mind that on EVERY ship, on EVERY cruise line, on EVERY Christmas cruise there are far more complaints and far more dissatisfied passengers than on any other cruise of the year.

 

Your chances of enjoying a Chrtistmas cruise are still good - but not nearly as good as at other times of the year.

[klauer]

My husband and I took our older (teenage and up) kids on two Christmas cruises and had a great time. When we went by ourselves we were more aware of the crowds and lots of unsupervised kids. On Chrismas day one of the kids was riding a fold-up bicycle (which I guess was a present) around the ship! This was on Princess which is supposedly less of a "party" cruise line.

[trish1c]

But bear in mind that on EVERY ship, on EVERY cruise line, on EVERY Christmas cruise there are far more complaints and far more dissatisfied passengers than on any other cruise of the year.

 

Really? Just curious. . . what is the basis for this statement?

Is the service just bad b/c the crew misses their families too or are the passangers extra cranky?

[Love.II.Cruise]

We've done several Christmas cruise. I'll try to answer your questions while sharing some personal experience.

 

Do the cruise ships offer full services on Christmas day?

 

Absolutely, with Santa Clause and carolers! There will even be midnight mass if you like and sometimes there are other religious services. The kids can go see santa and get a small gift. However, if your ship ports on Christmas... this could be a different story. We once ported for Christmas in Melbourne, Australia. The whole town was shut down and there was hardly anything to do. We went back on board (high was about 80), and I burnt to a crisp. :mad: I think I changed my massage reservation 3 times because it took that long to heal.

 

Is the price higher or lower than the week before or after?

 

Christmas and New Year cruises are always more expensive the the week before Christmas and the week after New Years. Many people travel with family and kids because the kids are out of school during Christmas and New Years. Usually there are good deals the two cruises before Christmas and the two cruises after New Years. And there are less kids.

 

How far south do we need to go to enjoy 80 degree water and weather?

 

Anywhere in the Caribbean will be really nice. Mexico will have good weather and panama canal cruises are typically hot. Hawaiian cruises will we have great weather. I wouldn't recommend Tahiti since it's their summer and their rainy season. During America's December, it is summer in Australia and New Zealand and we found the weather to be really enjoyable at this time of year.

 

"Will the holiday still feel lonely on a cruise"?

 

This varies from person to person. I love going on holiday cruises and have done many. I bring colored lights where I can change the setting to fading in and out or have them blinking wild (for New Year's). I typically hang them around the room with those 3M hooks on the wood (possibly fake) paneling. They come off at the end of the cruise with no damage. But I'm sure on more than one occasion someone has inspected my room to make sure it wasn't a fire hazard. However, I do have a a family member who lost their mother on Christmas several years ago. No matter where this family member is for Christmas, they are always sad.

[geoherb]

We have taken six Christmas cruises and enjoyed every single one of them. They have included cruises on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Holland America, and Princess ships. I usually watch prices of several and have been able to find ones that weren't outrageously priced. But we'll take an obstructed view or even an inside cabin just to get on the ship. If you're the type who has to have nothing less than a balcony cabin, be prepared to pay a lot more during that week.

 

This year, DH's vacation schedule works out so that we can take a cruise the week before Christmas (Dec. 17-24). We'll still get to see the ship decorated but will miss out on some of the extras such as Santa Claus bringing gifts for the children and special menus for Christmas dinner.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

Years ago we used to do Christmas cruises -- weren't many families on board.

 

Our last Christmas cruise was about 7 or 8 years ago -- ship was loaded with children. Many were running around the ship unsuppervised.

 

JMO -- it was not a nice quiet Christmas like we used to have.

 

Everything will still be operating on Christmas day -- nothing is shut down like some restaurants.

[BruceMuzz]

Really? Just curious. . . what is the basis for this statement?

Is the service just bad b/c the crew misses their families too or are the passangers extra cranky?

 

I have had to work 28 of the past 30 Christmas cruises.

 

Too many passengers onboard

Too many kids onboard.

Too many unsupervised kids onboard.

Long lines for most everything.

Too many passengers complaining about too many kids onboard.

Highest airfares of the year

Highest cruise fares of the year.

Incorrect bookings / double bookings.

The cruise line employees who normally fix these problems are on vacation just like you.

Highest number of lost suitcases of the year.

The people who normally find these suitcases are on vacation just like you.

Highest number of cancelled flights and delayed flights of the year.

The people who normally sort these out are on vacation just like you.

Non-Christians are upset about the decorations.

Christians are upset that there are not enough decorations.

Parents cannot afford to tip, so the highest amount of tips removed for the year.

Crew would prefer to be home with their families at Christmas; many are not very happy.

Many attractions, museums, shops, etc are closed this week.

Service engineers who normally fix technical problems on the ship are on vacation just like you. Nothing gets fixed this week.

With all the children and families running around at all hours, we receive the highest number of noise complaints of the year.

Children love to use the toilet as a garbage disposal. They stop up the ship's toilet lines more often than any time of the year.

At Christmas we see the highest number of domestic disputes of the year. Unfortunately there are no empty cabins to allow us to split up the couples. There are no empty hotel rooms to put them ashore, and no empty airplane seats to fly them home.

[Putterdude]

OK, Bruce's other than that, how do you enjoy working on a cruise ship over Christmas?:D

I could probably add a few of our unfortunate experiences but you have pretty much nailed down the lowlights of a Christmas cruise.

[barante]

A few years ago, because of a TA going belly up, we ended shifting 12-day Caribbean cruise on Celebrity from January to Christmas/New Tear's. We thought it would be prohibitively expensive, it wasn't.

We celebrate Christmas but worried that the ship would overdue the tinsel part. Not to worry. The ship was tastefully festive, free bubbly flowing -- a routine that was repeated on New Year's eve.

Several of our fellow passengers said the cruise didn't feel like Christmas. So if it is reindeer and snow you are after going to the tropics may be a wrong idea. But we thoroughly enjoyed the cruise, particularly since we were able to board in and return to Baltimore.

[barante]

I just checked and saw some real deals for cruises that cover both Christmas and New Year's. There is a 15-day HAL cruise from Tampa that is about $1,500 pp. inside. The itinerary kind of repeats itself because it has been clobbered together from two seven-day cruises. But the price is right.

This seems to be one of those years when you can find some real deals.

[MrsPete]

I think cruising at Christmas would be a fun idea for the years after our children are out of the house and married . . . but I doubt we'll ever do it. Two reasons:

 

1. The prices. I can't justify paying so much more for the holiday season. We've had price drops for every cruise we've taken -- except the one cruise we took on Thanksgiving. That cruise just kept going up, up, up.

 

2. We said then that we'll never sail a holiday again. So many families choose to sail while the kids are out of school, and this means the ship sails FULL-FULL-FULL. We weren't even assigned a table in the main dining room; we were shoved over into one of the overflow rooms. Everything was crowded. And, again, I can't justify paying MORE for reduced circumstances.

 

Someday in the future, when we're retired, I can imagine us giving one another a cruise as a Christmas gift -- but we'll actually take the trip in January or so. Lower prices, fewer people onboard.

[cruisequeen4ever]

I have had to work 28 of the past 30 Christmas cruises.

 

Too many passengers onboard

Too many kids onboard.

Too many unsupervised kids onboard.

Long lines for most everything.

Too many passengers complaining about too many kids onboard.

Highest airfares of the year

Highest cruise fares of the year.

Incorrect bookings / double bookings.

The cruise line employees who normally fix these problems are on vacation just like you.

Highest number of lost suitcases of the year.

The people who normally find these suitcases are on vacation just like you.

Highest number of cancelled flights and delayed flights of the year.

The people who normally sort these out are on vacation just like you.

Non-Christians are upset about the decorations.

Christians are upset that there are not enough decorations.

Parents cannot afford to tip, so the highest amount of tips removed for the year.

Crew would prefer to be home with their families at Christmas; many are not very happy.

Many attractions, museums, shops, etc are closed this week.

Service engineers who normally fix technical problems on the ship are on vacation just like you. Nothing gets fixed this week.

With all the children and families running around at all hours, we receive the highest number of noise complaints of the year.

Children love to use the toilet as a garbage disposal. They stop up the ship's toilet lines more often than any time of the year.

At Christmas we see the highest number of domestic disputes of the year. Unfortunately there are no empty cabins to allow us to split up the couples. There are no empty hotel rooms to put them ashore, and no empty airplane seats to fly them home.

 

That was well said! I've never experienced one, but I think I'll spread out my fun by enjoying a family Christmas at home and go on cruises other times of the year!

[barante]

Since most cruises sail full anyway, how can a Christmas cruise be more "full, full, full?"

Since most cruises sail full, how can lines be longer at Christmas?

Since cruise lines employ contract employees, how can they be on "vacation just like you?"

How about this contradiction? "Crew would prefer to be home with their families at Christmas; many are not very happy," you write. (Many coming from cultures that don't celebrate Christmas).

There are pros and cons to cruising on Christmas. No reason for spurious arguments that don't mesh with reality. I, for one, will take a Christmas cruise any old time.

[tak81288]

Since most cruises sail full anyway, how can a Christmas cruise be more "full, full, full?"

Since most cruises sail full, how can lines be longer at Christmas?

Since cruise lines employ contract employees, how can they be on "vacation just like you?"

How about this contradiction? "Crew would prefer to be home with their families at Christmas; many are not very happy," you write. (Many coming from cultures that don't celebrate Christmas).

There are pros and cons to cruising on Christmas. No reason for spurious arguments that don't mesh with reality. I, for one, will take a Christmas cruise any old time.

 

I think that when people are using the term "full" within this thread, they mean at max capacity. Sailings are counted as full when they reach a certain number of passengers. It doesn't necessarily mean that more people can't fit on the ship.

 

Around the holidays, certain summer sailings, spring break and such the ships are at "max capacity"...Meaning every single bed, cot...etc has a passenger on it.

 

So for example, you can easily have a ship that has 2500 passengers on it and the cruiseline states the sailing was full. That same ship could very well fit 3000 passengers at max capacity. 500 more people in lines, 500 more people crammed into the shows...etc...This will happen around peak cruising times. Although the ship counts 2500 passengers as a full sailing, they will cram 3000 passengers on there when they have to.