When do Christmas themed cruises start?

[RJHNorthyorks]

We are on the Aurora Northern Lights cruise leaving the U.K. on 15 November 23 and yesterday received an email saying it is Christmas themed and to pack your Christmas jumpers! 
This is the first we have heard of this and the cruise isn’t being marketed as a Christmas cruise on their website. 
Do they really start Christmas this early? 

[Winifred 22]

That’s around my birthday and I usually do a short cruise to celebrate on either P&O or Cunard depends on exact dates and itinerary but I have always missed the decorations being up. I don’t think they go up until end of November early December. Would love it if they did. 

[paulatsea]

My cruise is Dec 1st Auroa - email yesterday says full on Christmas - big tree , decorations everywhere. 

Hope so.

 

Have been on P&O November cruises before and not seen any decorations - only some preparations late November as I remember.

 

 

Edited November 7, 2023 by paulatsea

[RJHNorthyorks]

19 minutes ago, paulatsea said:

My cruise is Dec 1st Auroa - email yesterday says full on Christmas - big tree , decorations everywhere. 

Hope so.

 

Have been on P&O November cruises before and not seen any decorations - only some preparations late November as I remember.

 

 

That’s the email we had as well. 

[Josy1953]

We are going at the late November / early December and have received an email saying that we should look forward to seeing the Christmas Decoratons on the ship when we board.

This is the extract from thd email

 

The greatest gift is Christmas spirit

Get ready for a huge, sparkling tree to greet you with dazzling decorations throughout the ship, decking all the halls. There’ll be a choir and carol services, festive photo opportunities, a huge variety of entertainment, and special Christmas gifts in the shops.

Edited November 7, 2023 by Josy1953
more info

[davecttr]

7 minutes ago, Josy1953 said:

We are going at the late November / early December and have received an email saying that we should look forward to seeing the Christmas Decoratons on the ship when we board.

This is the extract from thd email

 

The greatest gift is Christmas spirit

Get ready for a huge, sparkling tree to greet you with dazzling decorations throughout the ship, decking all the halls. There’ll be a choir and carol services, festive photo opportunities, a huge variety of entertainment, and special Christmas gifts in the shops.

What ship is that? My Ventura cruise is late November early December

[Josy1953]

6 minutes ago, davecttr said:

What ship is that? My Ventura cruise is late November early December

Ventura N334 to the Canaries

[pete14]

I am also on the Aurora Northern Lights cruise leaving next week and was also surprised to receive the email. I wasn’t expecting it to be a Christmas themed cruise. Hopefully plentiful Christmas spirit will be flowing. It does seem a little early though.

Edited November 7, 2023 by pete14

[RJHNorthyorks]

4 minutes ago, pete14 said:

I am also on the Aurora Northern Lights cruise leaving next week and was also surprised to receive the email. I wasn’t expecting it to be a Christmas themed cruise. Hopefully plentiful Christmas spirit will be flowing. It does seem a little early though.

I ‘m travelling with OH, son and partner and 2 friends. I’ve emailed the TA to seek clarification - need to know whether to pack the Christmas jumpers for the party also mentioned in the email. 
We have done a Christmas cruise before but that was at Christmas. 

[Josy1953]

4 minutes ago, RJHNorthyorks said:

I ‘m travelling with OH, son and partner and 2 friends. I’ve emailed the TA to seek clarification - need to know whether to pack the Christmas jumpers for the party also mentioned in the email. 
We have done a Christmas cruise before but that was at Christmas. 

I told DH that the decs would be up and he said "don't bother taking my Christmas jumper I won't be wearing it, it is too early "

[killaypirate]

Well I’ll be taking my Bah humbug jumper then! Or my Goofy xmas hat. Can’t decide which.

[RJHNorthyorks]

3 minutes ago, Josy1953 said:

I told DH that the decs would be up and he said "don't bother taking my Christmas jumper I won't be wearing it, it is too early "

Despite the “it’s too early comments” my lot seem to be digging out the jumpers. 

[Cathygh]

Britannia on 17th November is also Christmas themed, I amatrying to source a T shirt as it will be too hot, I hope, for the jumpers

[killaypirate]

It seems likely that at the very least they’ll be putting up decs on Aurora for Nov27 departure.

[jh1809]

I wonder if P&O have brought forward putting up the Christmas decorations this year? When I was on Aurora's cruise to the Caribbean from mid-November to Mid-December last year, IIRC the decorations only went up about a week from the end o9f the cruise, so something like 7th December.

[jeanlyon]

Dear me, it's as bad as the shops.   I get so fed up with Christmas Ads already on the TV.  For me Xmas doesn't start until about 15th December.

[david63]

2 minutes ago, jh1809 said:

I wonder if P&O have brought forward putting up the Christmas decorations this year?

It could be to do with the contractors - perhaps putting the decorations up on turnaround day rather than whilst on the ship during a cruise. Or a change of contractors.

 

The cynic in me says this is another cost cutting exercise.

[Fionboard]

1 minute ago, jeanlyon said:

Dear me, it's as bad as the shops.   I get so fed up with Christmas Ads already on the TV.  For me Xmas doesn't start until about 15th December.

For me it does not start at all, which is why I am always away on holiday! 

[jh1809]

1 minute ago, jeanlyon said:

Dear me, it's as bad as the shops.   I get so fed up with Christmas Ads already on the TV.  For me Xmas doesn't start until about 15th December.

And all the charities I've ever donated to, plus a few that I haven't, have already started sending out their Christmas begging letters. I'll donate to a couple, but if I tried to donate a worthwhile amount to all of them, I'd be in poverty!

[david63]

1 minute ago, jh1809 said:

I'd be in poverty

... or unable to go on any more cruises☹️

[Josy1953]

7 minutes ago, jh1809 said:

And all the charities I've ever donated to, plus a few that I haven't, have already started sending out their Christmas begging letters. I'll donate to a couple, but if I tried to donate a worthwhile amount to all of them, I'd be in poverty!

We only donate to 2 charities, both of which have helped us and members of our families.  One is the local Hospice who were brilliant with my M-I-L and with my sister for the last 4 weeks of her life  the other is The British Heart Foundation who funded several heart specialist nurses at when DH was in UHNM before his surgery.  It maybe selfish to only donate to charities that have helped us but I like to think that at least we know that these charities are genuine and we have seen what the do with the donations.

[davecttr]

Very christmassy on Oceana years ago. They could not find the christmas music CD until boxing day 🙄

[Fionboard]

2 minutes ago, davecttr said:

Very christmassy on Oceana years ago. They could not find the christmas music CD until boxing day 🙄

Sounds like a result! 

[david63]

12 minutes ago, Josy1953 said:

It maybe selfish to only donate to charities that have helped us

Not selfish at all - we cannot give to every charity and we all choose the ones that we want to support for out own reasons.

[Megabear2]

45 minutes ago, david63 said:

It could be to do with the contractors - perhaps putting the decorations up on turnaround day rather than whilst on the ship during a cruise. Or a change of contractors.

 

The cynic in me says this is another cost cutting exercise.

We had a Caribbean cruise on Azura a few years back which ended mid November, I think 2018.  A group of people arrived to decorate her on the Friday, first day of the overnight.  Speaking to the lady in charge we learned they were responsible for the whole fleet and went from ship to ship on a rota.  Azura was to be followed by Britannia - they were mid schedule - and then they would fly back to catch up with the other ships in European waters.  Interestingly they were a Canadian outfit who specialised exclusively in cruise ship decoration. No idea if they are still the same people but it was very interesting, by the Saturday when we left the whole ship was finished and looked very Christmassy and glamorous.