chirstmas/new years cruises

[ladyduarte]

i have a couple questions for you guys i hope you do not mind

i am new to crusing i am taking my first on in november, however my entire family is looking inot a family cruise in december of 2005, how do they typically work, when do they leave before or after christmas, are we asking for big trouble going this time of the year price amd passenger wise?

please give me your thoughts i appreciate it very much

and when do they open up booking for that time of the year?

thanks a million

 

 

Lesa

[Sophie]

We cruise between Thanksgiving and Christmas every couple of years. We prefer the first week of December . Great rates, less children, and generally great weather! And the ships are usually all decked out for the holidays!

 

Sophie

[csteinhauser]

Well, it seems as if the cruise lines have special "holiday" cruises this year (at least RCCL does) that are longer than the normal 7 day cruise so that they encompass both Christmas and New Years. They are definitely more expensive. I think this is probably the most expensive time to travel other than spring break.

 

Cindy & Jonathan

 

Explorer of the Seas 9/21/02

Mariner of the Seas 11/23/03

Enchantment of the Seas 11/22/04

[abridalmaven]

We were on the ship this Christmas and it was so much fun, they even gave presents to all the passengers! there were plwnty of kids on the 10 day we were on, but they ( and I ) were so busy I barely noticed them.

 

My vacation pics

http://community.webshots.com/user/abridalmaven

Norwegian Dawn May 23

[ccletzgo]

If the cruise falls over christmas, OR over new years, OR over BOTH, then there is a big differance on the price, vs. "just another week"

The price is almost double.

Our christmas cruises we have left as early as the 20th. One we left Christmas morning and that was very exciting. I have done 4 of them now. For a family, its fun, but very differant. Now my kids want to cruise at christmas, but in the past they have been a little torn. Santa isnt on the cruise.

 

 

Book early. Its the only way to get the lowest price possible. Christmas cruises do nothing but go up. Price never dropps. Also to get the cabins you want. I booked the navigator's holiday cruise for dec 2004, LAST December. I may change my mind, but at least I have the lowest price locked in.

 

Lets Go!

 

Royal's Viking Seranade 1/94

Carnival, Holiday 12/95

Carnival, Jubilee 12/96

Royal's, Song of America 11/98

Celebrity Galaxy 9/99

Royal's, Viking Seranade 6/00

Celebrity, Millennium 12/00

Royal's Vision 2/02

Royal's Vision 12/02

Royal's Monarch 6/03

Celebrity Galaxy 9/17/04 !!

 

 

 

 

[mtlcever]

We sailed over Christmas and New Years in 02 with 2 teens. Lots and lots of kids! Brilliance was very decked out and festive. $$ were very high and we booked 12 mos early. Was a memorable experience and the kids loved it. People without kids were a little stressed by so many children. Was a great experience, but dont know if Id pay the high prices again.

[cmjaffe]

Unf. Xmas/New Years for 2005 (going into '06) isn't in the system yet.. all dates before AND after are.. If you're at all interested in going at that time grab what you can as soon as it hits the computer.. since the pricing will only GO UP.

Got Brilliance when it first hit for this year.. and at that time the pricing was the same as any other 10 night sailing.. as of Sept. 16th they repriced everything for that sailing increasing it by at LEAST 25%.

Carolyn

[cruisernh]

I hear ya' I think the Brilliance went on the computer last July and like you we grabbed at that price. I don't think I would go at Christmas if I had to pay 4 times as much.

[Cruising Fool]

cruisernh: Looks like you're going on our Brilliance sailing at XMAS. Come on over and join our boards.

 

Marianne

Royal Caribbean - 23; Carnival - 11; NCL - 9

Princess - 4; Costa - 2; Disney - 1; Celebrity - 1

Other now defunct lines - 18

 

Until Our Jewel of the Seas Canada/NE Cruise

 

Until Our Radiance Thanksgiving Cruise

 

Until Our Brilliance Christmas Cruise

 

 

[klingoncruiser]

What a great time to cruise. Yes, there are more children on board. NO, it is NOT double the price, BUT it is more than normal. We have done it the last two years and are already booked for this comming christmas. Prefer the Xmas/New Year runs, but this year the determinly set them apart. (Dumb move) We are teachers, so we can hit both, but NOT if they split them. We can only hit xmas.) Most people with children have the same problem. But on the other hand I bet the new year cruises have a lot less children. (We do a 10-12 nighter. If you go on a 7 night, it is O.K. for children on both.)

 

No one will grumble that you need to be with family or something that is tradition. They all turn green with envy. Start a new family tradition, but watch out, it is addicting!

 

I wrestled with reality for years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state, I finally won out over it. (Harvey 1950)

 

Next cruise- Serenade of the Sea to Alaska- July 25. Roll call started!

 

[Merion_Mom]

Klingon -

 

You're mistaken about kids and New Year's cruises. VAST quantities of children of all ages on New Year's cruises. All of them were having a great time. It really is a wonderful time to cruise, if your wallet can stand it. NY is the most expensive week of the year to cruise, by the way. For many of us, it's also the only time everyone is available.

 

And if you time it very badly, the price on a NY cruise can be MORE than twice some other weeks.

 

(and of course, there is NEVER a C&A coupon for a holiday sailing)

 

As for a cruise that includes both holidays, they do exist, but they're more than the 7 days. There are lots of 11 and 12 day cruises this year that will include both Christmas and New Year's.

 

Carol

 

 

Voyager of the Seas - 5-day to Canada - NO AIRFARE!!!! 8/2004

 

Jewel of the Seas 12/2004

Explorer of the Seas 12/2003

Explorer of the Seas 8/2002

 

<marquee>till we sail on the Jewel! New Year's Cruise.....12/26/04</marquee>

 

<marquee>..........................Oh, no! We have become New Year's Cruise Addicts!</marquee>

<center>

<a href="http://www.escati.com/counter98/free_time_codes.htm">

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[ccletzgo]

We paid $5800.00 for 4 people in a cat D. Cabin on the Vision Christmas of 2002. (7 days)

 

pretty pricey. And not real comfortable.

 

I just canceled the Navigator 9 day holiday. 4 people, $8582.00 cruise only! one promanade cabin and one deluxe ocean view w/balcony. That was the price in Jan. and its gone up considerably sense.

 

What amazes me is the range of price when you look at differant lines at christmas time. Some lines keep the holiday rates down. Royal isnt one of them.

 

Lets Go!

 

Royal's Viking Seranade 1/94

Carnival, Holiday 12/95

Carnival, Jubilee 12/96

Royal's, Song of America 11/98

Celebrity Galaxy 9/99

Royal's, Viking Seranade 6/00

Celebrity, Millennium 12/00

Royal's Vision 2/02

Royal's Vision 12/02

Royal's Monarch 6/03

Celebrity Galaxy 9/17/04 !!

 

 

 

 

[cruisernh]

I am a teacher too. So I am goingv to have to take an extra day off for our 10 day cruise. It is gonna be worth it!

[geoherb]

We sailed a 4-night RCI cruise out of San Juan for Christmas in 1999. I wouldn't do it again--or Thanksgiving again. Sailing out of San Juan is better, though, because it did cut back on the number of kids.

 

We like the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas when prices are great. We can do our shopping for presents in the islands.

[ZZROX]

I'm booked on the NOS 12/24/04, Christmas/New Year's cruise. We travel this time, as my older son is in college. 2 E1 cabin's which are outside with balcony are costing me $10,374..yes this is very expensive...but when traveling this week it is expected.

[TomNorth86]

We paid about $1200pp for a window stateroom on the Vision for New Years this year...glad that we booked when we did!

 

Royal Caribbean New Years Mexican Rivera on Vision of the Seas!

 

Going with us?

<link>http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=927093444&f=1683059817&m=445109301</link>

[billylen]

Another poster mentioned that you can cruise the week or two prior to xmas and still get the holiday spirit. We cruised the Vision Dec 7th and the ship was already decked out. We had a blast! Took my son out of school for a week.

 

When we were debarking, the crew was busy setting up a model train village in the atrium for the Dec 14th cruise, so if you want to save some money and have a good taste of xmas on RCCL, try to book the week or two before Christmas!

 

Bill in Monrovia

 

"Everyone has some good in them. Sometimes you just have to look a little harder to find it..."

 

6/27 Serenade of the Seas

[iowacruiser]

The calander is forcing many cruiselines to combine the two holidays into one sailing.

New years and Xmas are both on Saturday this year. Some cruiselines (Norwegian and Carnival) are sailing New Years day with certain ships.

Last year we sailed HAL Volendam for 8 days over New Years. We had 4 couples booked in category A blcony and got them for about $1300 per person (booked in June)

This year we are opting for New Years Eve and Day in Ft Lauderdale and cruising on the 2nd. The prices are much lower.

[tonyt]

We did a family cruise for New Years 2003. We paid more for an inside cabin without air out of New Orleans than we did for for a balcony cabin including air out of San Juan on Dec 13,2003. We are from Pittsburgh. If you can swing it to go right after Thanksgiving or New Years, you can save mucho $$.

We are doing a Thnksgiving family cruise this year, which is not too much more than normal, but the kids will miss less school than if we went when rates are less.

tonyt

[Cruising Fool]

CRUISERNH: (Let me try this one more time, now that I have the thread linked to my posting.)Looks like you're going on our Brilliance sailing at XMAS. Come on over and join our boards.

 

Marianne

Royal Caribbean - 23; Carnival - 11; NCL - 9

Princess - 4; Costa - 2; Disney - 1; Celebrity - 1

Other now defunct lines - 18

 

Until Our Jewel of the Seas Canada/NE Cruise Roll call here

 

Until Our Radiance Thanksgiving Cruise Roll call here

 

Until Our Brilliance Christmas Cruise Roll call here

[natesfirewife]

We are taking the Grandeur December 18th and getting off the ship on Christmas Eve. We booked at the beginnng of the year and our cabin (JS) has already gone up by $1100!! We got a great deal at $2500 for the four of us. It pays to book early when it comes to the holiday season. I thought it would be great to spend the holiday season in New Orleans/ Caribbean.

 

Misty

 

 

Roll Call for the Grandeur 12/18/04. Come join us in New Orleans for the Christmas Season!! <A HREF="http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=927093444&f=1683059817&m=389105961&r=699105961#699105961

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</A>

Grandeur of the Seas / W. Caribbean / 12-18-04

Vision of the Seas / Mexico / 04-04-04

Radiance of the Seas /Alaska /07-05-03

[avatexrs]

The dates you can go on a "holiday" determine everything. For example, this year VOS has a 6 nighter from 12/18-12/24 and a 10 nighter from 12/24 - 01/03. My kids are out of school on 12/17, so I got the last few cabins on the 6 nighter - 5 people in 2 outside cabins for a total of only about $3100. The same cabins on the 10 nighter were $10,000+.

[ZZROX]

Anyone else on the 12/24/04 sailing of the NOS?

[fisher joe]

we booked "cheapest" inside cabin on the Grandeur leaving Christmas eve returning Jan 3 for $900 a person (booked 9-2-04). Now only better cabins are available at about 1300 pp and up. Sailed 3 other cruises and like 2 or 3 deck inside "cheapest cabins" Can sleep any time, very dark and quite....rather spend time up on deck people watching than sitting in room.

[lidja]

All you Christmas cruisers---what is the usual programming for Christmas Day on board? We'll be at sea that day, and I'm wondering how things generally turn out---you've mentioned that there are a lot of kids on these cruises. Do families sort of hang together in their staterooms and have their own little celebrations with gifts etc., or does Santa show up in the atrium, or does everything rev down to minimum services to give the crew a break, or what? I'm not sure what to expect and plan...

 

Thanks for your help,

 

Lidja