December cruise questions

[HOSKI]

I have some questions about what RCI does for cruises in December. I tried to look at old reviews but believe it or not very few mentioned Christmas and decorations unless it was the week of Christmas. We are on Navigator of the Seas December 16th to 21st and wanted to know if things will be geared toward Christmas. Will the shows, parade, activities and kids activities be Christmas themed? What about desserts and such? We tried to book for Christmas week but they didn't have the cabins available that we needed.

 

 

 

We are hoping for a joyful Christmas themed cruise. This is a Christmas present for our kids (19, 12, 7) so we would the Christmas feeling. If you have traveled RCI in December could you tell me about your cruise experience?

[Merion_Mom]

They begin decorating the ships the day after Thanksgiving. Your ship will be Christmas-amped. :)

[cruisefan0110]

We had a very nice view of the Promenade Christmas Tree the week after Thanksgiving last year. But we really did have our fill of the limited Christmas music played in the public areas. :-)

[ubish00]

We cruise annually the last week of November or the beginning of December partly for the Christmas decorations.

[TonyL128]

If you are on the ship during Christmas week, they will have a parade with Santa, gifts from Santa for the kids and carol singing on the Promenade. Of course they will Christmas drinks and special Christmas dinner in the MDR.

 

They also have special Christmas dinner at the Specialty Restaurants, but, they charge 2X the usual cost and you just get cheap Champagne with dinner.

 

 

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[roadburner]

HOSKI

 

We almost always cruise in December. Christmas & Hanakah decorations everywhere. We bring Seasonally teamed decorations for every cruise, so in December we usually buy one of the $1 plastic door cover sheets from Wal-Mart. Throw it away or give it to a crew member when we get off.

BTW...we will be on Navigator from Dec 7 to Dec 21.

 

Kay (& Steve)

[HOSKI]

Roadburner

We will have to meet up. My other half is also Steve and we are bringing my brother Steve so you and I can sit and yell Steve to see who answers. Lol

 

I was hoping for Christmas overload with Christmas activities while on board but it seems like just decorations and piped in music. I will have to be content with that.

 

We are a group of 7 or 8. My brother booked a second but hasn't found a cruise buddy yet.

[George C]

We boarded day after thanksgiving last year tree was already up but they lit it a couple of days after, you will not be disappointed

[SeaHunt]

We were on the Oasis last December with friends who would make a stop in the Windjammer after dinner just to see what bread pudding/cobbler was being offered that night, and if they liked it we would sit with them while they had a little bit. Not sure this happens on every ship, but I thought it was a nice gesture that the manager and waiters would come through the Windjammer passing glasses of champagne, serving Christmas cookies and chocolate covered strawberries while wishing everyone Happy Holidays :D

[roadburner]

Another thing that we do is bring window gel still-ons for the windows & mirrors. They don;t like them oh thr doors as they sometimes stain. We also get thr flat, glittery plastic ornaments from Wal-Mart that come 10 or 12 in a 3x3x1 package for about $3, and tape them to the walls and ceiling. We even had a 6” decorated tree one year—decorated with colored seashells, of course. If you have a balcony, bring a. Garland to wrap the rail with. Complete it with bows. When the cabin is decorated, it’s even a better near-holiday cruise!:hearteyes:

 

Kay

[Ladysilver]

We LOVE cruising in December!! :hearteyes:

[do_not_spindle]

Ship will be well-decorated for Christmas. The tree and other large decorations will be a very popular background for pro and amateur portraits. Many of the shows will have a holiday theme, particularly week of Christmas and more kids aboard. If cruise is during Hannukah, there will be a menorah as well and nightly Hannukah services before dinner (often led by a rabbi or volunteer lay leader on the cruise, with the ship providing wine & latkahs), at least that has been our experience on GoS on several sailings.

[SamTimeDining]

If you have a balcony, bring a. Garland to wrap the rail with. Complete it with bows.

 

 

Please don't do this, it can/will blow off and end up polluting the ocean.

[2chiefs]

We LOVE cruising in December!! :hearteyes:

We do too!

 

For the OP:

We cruise every December and have cruised a couple Christmas' and one Thanksgiving.

Decorating usually starts right after Thanksgiving and keeps going till the Chrismas cruise. If the ship is building a new gingerbread house neighborhood, you'll see it being built day by day which is fun to watch. Unfortunately, we didn't see any Chrismas shows except during the actual Christmas cruises. I believe they will have Christmas movies on the pool deck and in the movie theater close to Christmas (not sure).

 

For Christmas cruises, we've seen some very nice Chrismas themed shows, ice shows etc. Also, they will have crew and passenger caroling in the promenade or other open space.

[starrcards]

If you are on the ship during Christmas week, they will have a parade with Santa, gifts from Santa for the kids and carol singing on the Promenade. Of course they will Christmas drinks and special Christmas dinner in the MDR.

 

They also have special Christmas dinner at the Specialty Restaurants, but, they charge 2X the usual cost and you just get cheap Champagne with dinner.

 

 

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We are on the Freedom Christmas week this year and looking forward to all the special frills. Christmas dinner in the MDR...do they just move the turkey dinner to that day or is there a totally special menu? What's on it?

[HOSKI]

We tried to get Christmas week but are sailing mostly free from casino certificates hubby and daughter earned on cruise last month. I was hoping the ice show would be Christmas. Maybe next year for Christmas cruise. I guess I'm so used to Christmas being a month long thing that I thought they would do the same. We will enjoy the decorations and I will bring some for our door at least. Hopefully we will get some Christmas cookies and such.

[2chiefs]

We are on the Freedom Christmas week this year and looking forward to all the special frills. Christmas dinner in the MDR...do they just move the turkey dinner to that day or is there a totally special menu? What's on it?

I can't remember any special Christmas dinner. I'm not saying they didn't have one. If they did, I guess it wasn't memorable. We've been on two Christmas cruises.

[2chiefs]

We tried to get Christmas week but are sailing mostly free from casino certificates hubby and daughter earned on cruise last month. I was hoping the ice show would be Christmas. Maybe next year for Christmas cruise. I guess I'm so used to Christmas being a month long thing that I thought they would do the same. We will enjoy the decorations and I will bring some for our door at least. Hopefully we will get some Christmas cookies and such.

I don't remember any Christmas cookies...

They build ginger bread houses so you'd think they would at least make some gingerbread men cookies.

Anyway, nothing can beat the ranger cookies anyway!!

[Giantfan13]

We were on the Grandeur for her 20 Anniversary cruise, Dec 8 2016, 12 day cruise. Besides having a huge party for her anniversary, the ship was already decorated for Christmas when we boarded. A huge tree in the Atrium, garland everywhere and Santa did make a couple of appearances. Many passengers also brought Christmas themed stuff to decorate their doors etc. And they did have a Chanukah menorah which they lit a new bulb for each new day.

This year we are doing a TA on the Rhapsody arriving in Tampa on Dec 22, so I know the ship will be in full Christmas tribute. So looking forward to it.

 

Cheers

Len

[mattR]

When do they take down the decorations? We embark Dec 27th

[Ourusualbeach]

When do they take down the decorations? We embark Dec 27th

Just after New Years.

[ma23peas]

Please don't do this, it can/will blow off and end up polluting the ocean.

You must not be a certified Christmas decorator. My decorations have sustained gusts of 80mph. If allowed, we will bring a pre-lit garland that runs on 2AA batteries!!!

[cruiselvr04]

I bring a battery operated 6 inch tree, clings for the mirror and door decorations. It takes very little room and makes it feel more like Christmas.

 

We have a big balcony this time so I’m going to string some battery operated lights but will secure tight with zip ties to ensure they don’t get away.