This year we are doing a Christmas cruise. My elderly parents (90s) decided staying home is depressing since a lot of the things we used to do at Christmas we don’t do anymore because so many friends and family have passed away or are not able to get around (luckily, my parents are still very active for their age). My mother has always rejected doing a cruise at Christmas because she said it was depressing. This year it was her idea!
Anyway, we will be on board for Christmas, New Year’s, and my dad’s birthday which is in between. What is the vibe on a cruise over the holidays? Are the holidays acknowledged? What special things might I be able to plan in advance for my dad’s birthday? I was thinking about the chefs table? We will be on Azamara.
Hey, dude. You need to book ASAP. They’re running out quickly.
Christmas is a busy time. There’s a lot of it all. It appeals to me. Families are rushing about everywhere in an attempt to enjoy themselves and be stress-free. We pick a peaceful area to hang out without kids.
@Nidal We’ve made reservations already! We’re on board the Azamara. All I’m doing is attempting to gauge the atmosphere. There won’t be many families with kids on that line, in our opinion.
@Salish It will probably sell out, but probably not for many children. Many individuals take advantage of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve cruises.
@Mitchelle Yes, that makes sense; you already sense it. I wouldn’t go too far in my research. It will sabotage the thrill and surprise of exploring the ship. Because of the cost, you’ll notice a slightly older population and fewer children.
We are empty nesters on the younger side and we did a cruise over New Years last year for some of the same reasons.
We have a host a huge Thanksgiving with family and friends, a smaller Christmas, and we used to have big NYE but mainly for my kids and their friends and the parents just to keep my kids home. I didn’t necessarily want to have e the parents but it came with the territory I guess. With our young adult kids doing their own thing, we had a couple years of NYE on our own.
Last year was a blast. We were on Celebrity. They went all out on NYE with either a big party poolside or smaller parties scattered about. People were in great spirits because…how can u not be? We met a ton of people and we were even invited to tailgate and stay with people we met overnight as there was a big football game in FL day of debarking. We are totally hooked and have a New Year’s cruise planned out for the next few years.
Let them know about your Dad’s special Bday as well. Specifically call to make sure it’s on the rez and ask for any requests u want. They Will USUALLY accommodate. Let the waitstaff know as well.
@Meech I appreciate the information. Every cruise with Azamara includes a huge White Night party, and we’re quite sure ours will take place on New Year’s Eve! For the celebration, my dad has already purchased new white shorts and a white shirt!
It was a wise decision to include his birthday in the reservation.Although I had not considered it, I will ask our travel agent to include that information!
One year, we took a cruise from December 26 to December 31. Despite the ship having been abruptly put into service just two weeks prior (long story), it was decked out for Christmas, replete with a massive gingerbread house.
We have reserved a cruise for this year from December 21 to January 4, so we will be traveling during Christmas and New Years. Many of the yearly participants in our Facebook group report that there is Christmas supper along with an entire day of festivities and music.
Indeed. Away from their families, the crew members experience loneliness. I purchased a box of cheap Christmas cards and distributed them. Everyone was grinning and they were really well-liked. You may carry a few small candy canes. The vessel is embellished. Some individuals bring decorations for their doors. It was meaningful to me to keep in mind anyone who could be experiencing loneliness.
@Salish This is so adorable. I detested it when my family would go to the movies after Christmas dinner because we shouldn’t encourage people to spend time apart from their families. At the age of twenty or so, I eventually spoke up, and my grandfather began to bring $50 gift cards for the dozen or so employees. I adore you, Poppy.
I took a cruise during Christmas, and we continued our journey past New Year’s Day. The ship was decked out for Christmas with bows, trees, and garlands. The onboard programming was distinctly winter/holiday themed. I got a gingerbread house decorated. We recognize the holidays, but only from a commercial perspective. I don’t remember anything religious in the public places. It is also entirely optional for you to participate. (Easter is the same; there are chocolate bunnies everywhere.)
On a different voyage, my dad turned sixty years old. We were given a little cake to share at our table, which was probably cut to fit the number of guests. We didn’t make any requests, even though my dad overindulged and became ill a few days prior, but the cruise operator is aware of each passenger’s birthday.
@Jayden Hehe! The fact that the cruise line knows your birthday escaped my attention! Thank you for the details.That’s exactly what I wanted to know.How festive could things be? I don’t mind being festive…I simply had a question!
We had a great time celebrating Christmas on The Sky Princess. Ten days in the southern Caribbean. The ship has a wonderful interior design. had a few additional events taking place in the atrium. Furthermore, our ship had roughly 750 passengers underbooked on Christmas Day, suggesting that many people dislike being away on that day.
@Hudson Interesting, since I believe we’ve done Christmas on Hal twice, and both times they sold out despite only being 7 nights. Yours was a ten-night stay at a premium price range, which may have contributed to underbooking.
@Salish We took a Celebrity 10-day Christmas trip around the Caribbean. It was an amazing vacation. There’s no rush to finish everything. Without a doubt, I would do it again! Have fun on your cruise!
I believe that many of them are still available as of right moment. For instance, we recently reserved a Thanksgiving trip, therefore I’m assuming that many Christmas cruises are still available. Our most recent Christmas cruise was on Hal, and they were running a special where kids sailed for free, or very cheaply, which would have helped.
@Grande Perhaps it was the extended schedule. We might do another in a year or two, but I’m not sure. Every two weeks or so, my daughter asks when we’re going again.
