Christmas Cruise on Royal Caribbean insights

[Cancruizer]

Hi All,

 

I'm wondering, for those who have done a Christmas cruise with Royal Caribbean, what is to be expected? I know the ship will be decorated beautifully, but what will they have in way of activities, special meals ect? 

 

Thanks so much!

Ilana

[ONECRUISER]

Yes, decorations on all Royal ships go up this week until first of the new year. Santa comes every week, lots of Xmas music below deck... Great Xmas Day meal

Edited November 26, 2018 by ONECRUISER

[nanseev]

I traveled last year on the Oasis.  Decorated, great Christmas dinner, movies all Christmas themed.  Busy week.  I didn't love that they were showing Christmas movies for days after Christmas. But, it was a great cruise.  The specialty restaurants increase their prices this week as well, so the holiday nights are more expensive, and the week-dining eating packages are usually not available.

[Clarea]

13 hours ago, Cancruizer said:

Hi All,

 

I'm wondering, for those who have done a Christmas cruise with Royal Caribbean, what is to be expected? I know the ship will be decorated beautifully, but what will they have in way of activities, special meals ect? 

 

Thanks so much!

Ilana

 

Turkey will be one of the choices in the MDR.

[sjb317]

We were on Grandeur for Christmas and New Years  in 2016. Santa came down the elevator Christmas morning as “snow” was falling into the Centrum. Santa had a gift for each child (a beach towel) and we could get pictures of the child with Santa.  Eggnog was handed out Christmas morning.   There was Christmas related meals in the MDR on both Christmas Eve and day.  Christmas music was everywhere for the entire cruise.  And of course, the ship was beautifully decorated.

 

Our adult son it was the most “christmassy” Christmas he had ever seen.😂

 

Sherri🙂

[starrcards]

8 hours ago, nanseev said:

I traveled last year on the Oasis.  Decorated, great Christmas dinner, movies all Christmas themed.  Busy week.  I didn't love that they were showing Christmas movies for days after Christmas. But, it was a great cruise.  The specialty restaurants increase their prices this week as well, so the holiday nights are more expensive, and the week-dining eating packages are usually not available.

 

The ultimate dining package for this year's Freedom Christmas cruise is cheap, $126.  The reason is that you can't use it in Chops or Giovanni's for  Christmas Eve or Christmas Day dinners,  Those run $75 pp!  So the only place to use the plan those nights is Sabor (or the MDR which you could do without spending the $126).

[starrcards]

Does anyone have a copy of a Christmas Eve or Christmas dinner menu to post?  Thanks.

 

[clarky213]

We were on Ovation Last Christmas in New Zealand. Carol Service on xmas eve in the main shopping area with all the Officers. and Midnight Mass in the theatre, Then Santa arriving Christmas Day from the Pod.

Atmosphere on the ship was amazing.

[Cancruizer]

On 11/26/2018 at 6:40 PM, ONECRUISER said:

Yes, decorations on all Royal ships go up this week until first of the new year. Santa comes every week, lots of Xmas music below deck... Great Xmas Day meal

Thanks!! I'm on for Christmas this year - should be fun :-)

[Cancruizer]

21 hours ago, nanseev said:

I traveled last year on the Oasis.  Decorated, great Christmas dinner, movies all Christmas themed.  Busy week.  I didn't love that they were showing Christmas movies for days after Christmas. But, it was a great cruise.  The specialty restaurants increase their prices this week as well, so the holiday nights are more expensive, and the week-dining eating packages are usually not available.

I hadn't even thought of the Christmas movies, fun (I guess for a while, lol). Thanks for the info!

 

14 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Turkey will be one of the choices in the MDR.

Good to know, thanks :-)

 

13 hours ago, sjb317 said:

We were on Grandeur for Christmas and New Years  in 2016. Santa came down the elevator Christmas morning as “snow” was falling into the Centrum. Santa had a gift for each child (a beach towel) and we could get pictures of the child with Santa.  Eggnog was handed out Christmas morning.   There was Christmas related meals in the MDR on both Christmas Eve and day.  Christmas music was everywhere for the entire cruise.  And of course, the ship was beautifully decorated.

 

Our adult son it was the most “christmassy” Christmas he had ever seen.😂

 

Sherri🙂

I have to say that sounds amazing!! Wow

[Cancruizer]

12 hours ago, clarky213 said:

We were on Ovation Last Christmas in New Zealand. Carol Service on xmas eve in the main shopping area with all the Officers. and Midnight Mass in the theatre, Then Santa arriving Christmas Day from the Pod.

Atmosphere on the ship was amazing.

Sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing your experience with me :-)

[cb1400]

The ship will be beautifully decorated. "Santa" will visit and IIRC there were little gifts for all of the children (I think my son got a torch/Maglite type thing). There was carol singing on the Royal Promenade on Christmas Eve, and I'm fairly sure there was a religious service in the theatre. There was a traditional Christmas meal in the MDR (turkey etc), to be honest it wasn't as good as I would make at home, what can you expect for mass catering? But it was fine. We did a B2B with the changeover on Christmas Day, so we actually got everything twice lol (because they did the Christmas stuff, gifts/eggnog/Santa/turkey dinner etc on both Christmas eve and Christmas Day!) Be aware that you will pay a premium for a Christmas or New Year cruise. 

 

FWIW I thought they did New Year better than Christmas, the New Year celebrations were massive. Four or five different parties in different locations each with a different theme/vibe. 

 

Allure Dec 17 2011 - Jan 3 2012

[blushfulstall]

Are there premiums for alcoholic drinks as well? Now it's making me reconsider if we should opt for the beverage package...

[Clarea]

19 minutes ago, blushfulstall said:

Are there premiums for alcoholic drinks as well? Now it's making me reconsider if we should opt for the beverage package...

 

There are usually a few drinks on the menu that are higher in price than is covered by the beverage package, but I've not seen reports of regular drink prices being raised for holiday cruises.

[KelJ]

We sailed on Anthem over Christmas 2017.  It was a gift to our children and their significant others (all are in their twenties) and my parents.  It was fabulous to not stress about shopping and wrapping gifts for everyone (other than some OBC and a cruise-related gift bag for each) and to not decorate.  

 

The ship was beautifully decorated.  Santa gave gifts to all children on Christmas morning.  There was a special Christmas dinner menu (although I don't have a picture of it).  We loved sailing over Christmas and would love to do it again (but sailing over Christmas is VERY expensive).

 

We have sailed the week before Christmas a few times, and the ships were of course beautifully decorated then as well.

Edited November 28, 2018 by KelJ

[accio_7]

Looking forward to checking out the Christmas tree and decorations in 10 days time aboard Adventure! This will be my first time to cruise around the holidays 🙂

[Katemusical]

We are sailing on the Indy leaving Xmas Eve. I can't wait! Cruising on Xmas is so special and seems like an extra gift.

 

I assume that all of the activities (Santa, etc) will be in the dailies...is that correct?

 

[spookwife]

On 11/26/2018 at 5:35 PM, Cancruizer said:

Hi All,

 

I'm wondering, for those who have done a Christmas cruise with Royal Caribbean, what is to be expected? I know the ship will be decorated beautifully, but what will they have in way of activities, special meals ect? 

 

Thanks so much!

Ilana

 

 

quite frankly, we were unimpressed.   way too many LARGE multigenerational family groups.  there will be  holiday themed dinner, caroling,  HoHo Claus will give out  cheap trinkets to the kids.  when we last went, they didn't jack up the price in specialties for the 24th and 25th and 31st.  now they do and you don't get much more  for the extra cost.  there will probably be a service of some sort at midnight. (ours was run by a Catholic Priest but  more non denominational.  )

 

the backgrounds for photos are much more holiday themed.  

[Cancruizer]

Thanks to all for the great replies. Super helpful - much appreciated!

 

Ilana

[starrcards]

Some say great, very christmasy. Others were not inpressed.  Guess I'll have to make up my own mind in 3 weeks!

[sjb317]

25 minutes ago, starrcards said:

Some say great, very christmasy. Others were not inpressed.  Guess I'll have to make up my own mind in 3 weeks!

I don’t see how you couldn’t be impressed🙄.  We had a great time and would love to do it again!

 

Sherri🙂

[starrcards]

Sherri, we have cruised RCCL 5 times so far (Grandeur, Jewel x 2, Empress and Oasis) and have enjoyed every one.   I like to think of myself as a foodie but not a food snob.  I find no problem with RCCL food as many posters do. I can find something new to try in any venue.  The same goes with the ship.  I don't have time to look for rust or dirt in the door tracks.  I'm on vacation and my job is to have fun and enjoy myself, not nit pick everything.  We are looking forward to our Freedom Christmas cruise and from all the posts and pictures, it seems great.  Sorry, if I don't win a prize at the Meet&Mingle or if Santa's gift on Christmas isn't worth at least $10K, I'm still going to have a great time.  It's Christmas and I'm with my family.  And best yet, RCCL is doing all the cooking and decorating.  Merry Christmas.

[spookwife]

58 minutes ago, sjb317 said:

I don’t see how you couldn’t be impressed🙄.  We had a great time and would love to do it again!

 

Sherri🙂

 

 

easy.   when very large family groups camp out  hoarding all the tables on the pool deck  all day.   when it takes an hour to get a particular background photo because the  family in front of you wants pics with just the adults, then just the kids then the kids with gram and gramp, etc and so on.  when the suite/Concierge Lounge is overrun by the kids who swoop in and  grab all the chocolate covered strawberries and desserts in the first 3 minutes of cocktail hour.  when the pool deck is wall to wall people  all day and all the loungers are  taken up by the kids at night watching  the movie on the big screen.  when the hot tubs have more kids bobbing around in them then the main pool does.  when your Christmas Day excursion on Nassau doesn't happen because the tour operator never shows up and won't answer his phone.  

 

there is more to a holiday sailing than pretty decorations and the same turkey dinner in the MDR as is served the second formal night.

 

so now we go the first 2 weeks of December.  still all the decorations, the caroling and the  atmosphere,   without the crowds

[2chiefs]

The two times we cruise during Christmas, they also had a Christmas themed Ice show.

We cruise the week before Christmas every year as well and they are always decorated and varies from ship to ship.

[sjb317]

4 hours ago, spookwife said:

 

 

easy.   when very large family groups camp out  hoarding all the tables on the pool deck  all day.   when it takes an hour to get a particular background photo because the  family in front of you wants pics with just the adults, then just the kids then the kids with gram and gramp, etc and so on.  when the suite/Concierge Lounge is overrun by the kids who swoop in and  grab all the chocolate covered strawberries and desserts in the first 3 minutes of cocktail hour.  when the pool deck is wall to wall people  all day and all the loungers are  taken up by the kids at night watching  the movie on the big screen.  when the hot tubs have more kids bobbing around in them then the main pool does.  when your Christmas Day excursion on Nassau doesn't happen because the tour operator never shows up and won't answer his phone.  

 

there is more to a holiday sailing than pretty decorations and the same turkey dinner in the MDR as is served the second formal night.

 

so now we go the first 2 weeks of December.  still all the decorations, the caroling and the  atmosphere,   without the crowds

Wow, you always seem to have nightmare cruises!  54 cruises and we’ve never had one with that many issues,  no matter what time of year.😀.  

 

Sherri🙂