Christmas Cruises – What to expect
Have you ever been on a Christmas cruise? Today, we’re sharing 10 things you can expect on one of these magical adventures, just in time for the holidays! Here are a few examples on how Christmas cruises are different.
Christmas Cruise Dinner
A delicious Christmas dinner is offered onboard, and it includes all the traditional foods you love, including oven-roasted turkey with all the trimmings. The best part (OK, maybe not better than the freshly baked pumpkin pie) is no cooking and no dishes!
Royal Caribbean offers a holiday themed version of their bottomless galley brunch:
Stuff yourself silly at our holiday-themed version of our Bottomless Galley Brunch, and indulge in all of your favorite trimmings. Tuck into your best holiday dishes and drinks as our chefs go above and beyond to impress your inner foodie.
Seasonal activities
What Disney Cruise Lines does:
Disney Cruise Line gets even more magical around the holidays with Very Merrytime Cruises. These special holiday-themed sailings feature a Deck the Deck party (with candy cane limbo), meet-and-greets with Disney characters in adorable winter attire and a tree-lighting ceremony with Mickey himself. For cruises that include Disney’s private island Castaway Cay, guests will experience the Caribbean retreat with a wintry twist — from a reindeer-themed tram to real “snow” flurries.
What Royal Caribbean does:
The ship’s crew is there to make sure you have the best holiday cruise. At the start of your voyage, take part in the time-honored tradition of lighting the massive ship’s tree. Join Santa’s hardest working elves for the ultimate Christmas celebration and a surprise Christmas giveaway. Get up on deck for a festive walk in support of World Wildlife Fund’s Arctic programs, presented by Coca-Cola. Decorate your own gingerbread cookies and unleash your creativity with DIY ornament classes.
Christmas Traditions
A non-denominational Christmas service is offered on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, featuring bible stories, hymns and prayer. You can also sing carols together around the tree, do some Christmas-themed arts and crafts, and mail letters to Santa in a special mailbox in the lobby.
- Holiday-themed craft projects, such as making cards or ornaments
- Christmas tree or Hanukkah menorah lighting ceremonies
- Gingerbread displays or decorating activities
- Ugly sweater or Christmas costume contests
- Caroling parties or holiday music from deck musicians
- Visits from Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus or other seasonal celebrities
- Holiday story times or Christmas bedtime stories
- “Snow” celebrations on deck or in a large atrium
- Seasonal movies offered on poolside theaters or in-cabin televisions
- Special holiday-themed entertainment shows
- Christmas or other holiday-themed trivia contests
- Religious services or non-denominational Christmas services
- Special gifts for passengers or special gifts available for purchase
To find out more about Christmas cruises tune in to this week’s CruiseTipsTV Unplugged podcast
Stay In Touch
Thanks so much for listening! We hope you’ve enjoyed this podcast and we’d love to hear from you! Please feel free to direct message us on Instagram or Facebook with your thoughts, or just check in to see what we are up to on those platforms. We have lots of fun on Instagram, and we have a wonderful welcoming cruising community on Facebook. Be sure to check those out.
Need a travel agent?
Looking for a good travel agent? Contact our travel agency partner, Montebello Dream Vacations & let them know you were referred by CruiseTipsTV when you call. Wendy will match you with the best agent for your needs. Phone number is on the website.
Join the Academy!
Download our shore day bag checklist, and more cruise packing and planning checklists & videos by joining the CruiseTipsTV Academy. We have a special discount code for our podcast listeners. To redeem the $5.00 discount on our Master Class, enter code UNPLUGGED at https://academy.cruisetipstv.com
Here’s what people are saying about the CruiseTipsTV Unplugged Podcast
- Love this podcast - so many tips!
November 8, 2023 by Berrmic from United StatesI’ve listened to many cruise related podcasts and this is the best by far. So many wonderful tips! I’ve become a carry-on only traveler because of CTTV and love being able to avoid the long walk to retrieve my luggage. I took the cruise line personality quiz on the CTTV website and we absolutely loved our first Holland America cruise. Much better fit than our previous cruises. I am always going back to previous episodes to pick up tips and advice I may have missed. Thank you CTTV!
- Great podcast!October 25, 2023 by Soiffey72 from United States
This is a great and fun podcast with such practical and useful information.
- Best podcast ever!!September 2, 2023 by Orla H. from United States
I started listening to the podcast about a month ago. They are so helpful for anyone who is taking a cruise, first or 50th. I’m going on my second cruise soon and just from listening I booked another! Thanks so much for giving me so many tips for my next cruise.
