A Christmas cruise is the perfect way to keep the fun festive parts of the holiday season but to leave the stress and hassle behind. There are so many wonderful reasons to consider giving yourself and your family the gift of a cruise over Christmas! Join me to discover the top 12.
Note: We may earn a small commission from the affiliate links below.
Time Together Without the Stress
Quick! What is your favorite thing about Christmas? What part do you dread?
I love spending the holidays with my family. But I hate the stress of the shopping, cooking, cleaning, and all the other crazy things that sometimes accompanies Christmas. Too much time is spent on finding the perfect gift and not enough time is spent on the things that really matter.
Taking a Christmas cruise gives you loads of family time without the stress. Sure, you do have to decide which cruise to take, but that is total fun. Once that decision is out of the way, it is literally smooth sailing. Some may think paying for the cruise is the real stress, but when you consider everything that is included in the price, it can be cheaper than celebrating at home.
Don’t worry if you have friends or family that are not cruising with you over Christmas. You can still stay in touch. Cruise lines have really upped their game with affordable WI-FI access and some mobile phone providers also offer packages. So, you can still call your third cousin once removed to wish him a Merry Christmas – if you really must.
The Ship is Decked!
While not all cruise ships are created equal, most have beautifully designed and decorated public spaces no matter the season. But cruise lines go all out decorating their ships for the holiday season. You will see lights and decorations galore! Most will boast trees in every major public space, as well as decorated stairways and festive dining venues.
In addition to all the beautiful holiday decorations, cruises offer all sorts of special activities during the holidays. You can help light the tree, visit with Santa, attend winter wonderland shows, go caroling, make cookies and gingerbread houses, and loads of other fun stuff.
Choose White or Sandy
Are you looking for a cold (and possibly snowy) Christmas? Then head to Europe. You can enjoy all the benefits of the cold weather without lifting an ice scraper! Don’t forget to consider the fabulous Christmas market itineraries you will find throughout Europe. These special cruise itineraries totally revolve around Christmas!
Do you prefer warm sandy beaches? Then the Caribbean is your ticket! With a vast selection of cruises to choose from, you are bound to find your Christmas cruising dream come true. You can find a Caribbean itinerary from any U.S. port. This makes driving to the embarkation point possible for many. The ability to drive to your port will save you a pretty penny in airline costs.
The fact is, you will have an array of destination choices when you elect to cruise over the holidays. Also, cruising allows you to visit a different country every day without the stress of getting there. Variety is the spice of life!
Entertainment Galore
Cruise ships offer great entertainment for everyone all year long. No matter your interest, you can find something you enjoy on board. Singers, dancers, comedians, magicians, jugglers, and even Broadway caliber shows grace the stage each evening. But there is more!
Today, cruise ships offer great entertainment all day long! It isn’t just shuffleboard on the Lido deck anymore. You will find movies, games, and live music by the pool deck all day and into the evening. Most ships offer a gym, fitness classes, and spa services for their guests. You can enjoy wonderful spa treatments you may not splurge on at home.
Ships also often boast ice skating facilities, bowling allies, and other amazing venues. Your cruise director will have games, wine tastings, galley tours, and a host of other activities pretty much every minute of the day. Plus, every ship offers great international shopping when at sea. Oh, and for those gamblers out there – there is also a casino where you can win – or lose – big.
Are you bringing kids? Don’t worry! There is typically a special itinerary of activities they can do with you or under the supervision of the cruise staff. This means a little private time for the adults.
Something for Everyone
Cruising at Christmas really does offer something special for everyone. You will find dozens of excursions to choose from for each port of call. You can select the easy and sedate bus tour of the area if you want to keep things simple. But those who are more adventurous can go parasailing over the ocean, hiking up a mountainside, tubing down a lava tube, hang-gliding over a canyon, or almost anything else imaginable while in port. There are several cultural and historical tours at most ports. You may also elect to hire a taxi and check things out for yourself.
With the wide variety of scheduled entertainment and activities to choose from on board, it is impossible to get bored. You may also elect to find a secluded corner to huddle up with a good book, zone out in a deck chair, or simply sit on deck and watch the horizon.
Reduce Your Holiday Shopping Load
The year my family and I decided to stop the madness of gift giving is the year I began to really enjoy the holidays. We were all adults and could buy ourselves the things we needed and wanted. This made gift buying a complete nightmare! But we decided that it was much more important to spend time together and give each other the gift of memories.
Since then, I have proposed this plan to basically everyone I exchange gifts with. Some go for it, and some don’t, but my holiday shopping stress is a thing of the past. Now, obviously, I cannot take a holiday cruise with everyone I ever exchanged a gift with. But we do try to plan a small trip or get-away each year. Or we commit to monthly lunch dates, theater tickets, etc.
The ship and the shore will hold a host of treasures for those you feel you still must give a little something. Perhaps an ornament from the Christmas market? Or earrings from a port of call? If you are buying for a cruise-mate you might consider a spa treatment or a photo session. One year my family purchased an unlimited photo package from the ship. We then posed every single time we saw the photographer in hopes of getting at least one good one! It worked!
Less Stuff You Don’t Need
Not only will cruising at Christmas reduce your holiday shopping load, but it will also help you cut the clutter. Let’s face it, we all get a bunch of stuff we don’t need, or even want, from loving and well-intentioned friends and family.
So, if you take a cruise at Christmas you will get quality time with the ones you love, less stress, and wonderful memories. You won’t get chia pets, ugly sweaters, odd smelling candles, questionable home-baked goods, or any of the other ridiculous things people buy out of desperation to find the perfect gift for the person who has everything.
Someone Else Cooks
Probably one of my favorite things about taking a cruise for Christmas is that someone else cooks. Not only do they cook – but they cook a vast variety of different entrees for every single meal! So, my husband who wants a traditional Christmas meal with turkey and ham can have at it. I prefer seafood. Everyone in your party can get exactly what they want for every single course – and you don’t have to cook a thing!
Not only do you not have to cook, but you also don’t have to plan. And best of all, you don’t have to grocery shop!!!!! I detest going to my local grocery on the best of days. But, going to pick up the fresh produce and other last-minute items on Christmas Eve is the absolute worst. What is it that brings out the hate in holiday grocery shoppers?
Cruises have a variety of dining venues on each ship. Most are included in the ticket price, but some do have a relatively small upcharge. The food in the main dining room typically offers some of the best choices and is included in the cost. This venue offers top-notch cuisine year-round, but they really kick it up a notch for the holidays.
Most ships also include an all-you-care-to-eat buffet that is open most of the day and late into the evening. These are particularly good for breakfast and days where you are hanging out on the pool deck. Many ships also offer a few included specialty venues for pizza and other items.
Someone Else Cleans
OK, I lied. Someone else cooking is great, but I really enjoy the fact that someone else cleans on a cruise ship. This is particularly nice at Christmas when I feel the pressure to clean both before and after company. Your stateroom steward will enter your room 2-3 times each day to clean and freshen the place up. They will even leave you a cute little towel animal to wish you goodnight.
I LOVE having a perfectly clean stateroom without having to lift a finger. And it is fun to see what surprise towel art is awaiting my return from the theatre each night. But, if you prefer privacy over cleanliness, you can always use that “Do Not Disturb” sign and they will leave you in peace.
I don’t worry too much about laundry on a cruise, but if you must, you can often find coin-operated machines on board. Better yet just ask your cabin steward to send it to the laundry for you. They will dry-clean or wash and fold for a small fee.
Opportunities for Solitude and Reflection
While cruising at Christmas is a wonderful opportunity to spend time together, you don’t have to spend every minute together! Yes, cruise ships offer great activities and entertainment. They also offer plenty of opportunities for solitude and reflection. You can participate in yoga or mediation classes in the gym, or you can find a quiet corner to chill all on your own.
I love to spend time with my close friends and family. But reality is, I am a full-fledged introvert and so I also need time alone to reboot my engine. Cruise ships are full of nooks and crannies with comfy chairs and ocean views where I can curl up with my book and escape to a world of my own.
Make Memories to Last a Lifetime
Unless it was a really big-ticket item, will you really remember what you receive for Christmas 10 years later? You will if you decide to take a family cruise. This is really the very best reason to go on a cruise for Christmas. You will create great memories that will last a lifetime. That is worth so much more than that $90 sweater.
Start the New Year with a Bang!
Yes, cruise ships host amazing parties and celebrations to ring in the new year. Some even host an “early ball drop” celebration for those of us who like to pretend we live in a different time zone and go to bed early (so we are ready for our port of call the next day)!
They say that what you do for New Year’s determines how you will spend the year. Honestly, I don’t’ know about you, but I can’t think of any better way to ring in the new year than discovering interesting places with the people I love most in the world.
Planning Your Holiday Cruise
Taking a cruise at Christmas (or any other holiday for that matter) is a great way to celebrate with your friends and family. That said you do need to put in a little time on the front end to secure your preferred experience. Here are a few tips to help you plan:
- Decide where you want to spend Christmas and select a cruise.
- Look for special celebrations in port but also beware of closed venues on holidays.
- Book 9-12 months in advance for the best deals. Your Travel Agent will be able to assist you with timing.
- Remember you can celebrate Christmas in July (or any other month) if your destination, schedule, &/or pocketbook demand.
- Pack for a celebration! Bring something nice for formal evenings and go all out with matching t-shirts and such to celebrate your family trip!
- Don’t forget to pack all your cruise essentials!
- Decorate your stateroom (bring some fun stuff to deck your room out).
- Check your daily activities newsletter/website/app for all the best things to do!
- If bringing gifts, wrap them AFTER you go thru security.
Looking For Other Great Holiday Vacations?
Cruising is the easiest way, by far, to spend your holidays. But there are other great options to consider as well. Check out all of our Holiday Travel Guides.
Plan your trip! I would love to work with you to plan the perfect holiday.
Tell us what you think below in the comments. You can also contact us and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest so you never miss a post!
