Chrristmas cruise help

[bhcruise]

We will be on Royal Caribean this year for Christmas, can anyone tell me what we can expect? Do they have holiday activities? Also if anyone has any advice on the best way to make Christmas special, my children are 7 and 3 so they still believe in Santa. I want to make it as special as possible because their Dad is going to be deployed for Christmas so I don't really want to tell Santa we are on vacation or anything like that. Thanks for the help!

[cb at sea]

Did you want to bring all the presents onto the ship? Unless you're driving to port, I don't see a way to do that efficiently! (I just remember Christmas presents for that age group to be quite bulky, with little parts, and a huge mess!)

[imsulin]

You could also have Santa come before the cruise, with a little note saying he knows you'll be gone over the actual Christmas Day. He could also leave some gifts like new swim suits, shorts, Tees, beach toys, and small toys that are easily packed. I've only been on one cruise over Christmas, and that was on HAL. There weren't that many kids on board (I heard that the next week's cruise over New Year's was full of kids, though, because they received the cruise as a Christmas gift). The ship was beautifully decorated, and Santa was all over the ship on Christmas Eve, leading little parades of kids, playing hide & seek, and hosting a nice Christmas party for them that afternoon with Christmas cookies and punch. Each child received a HAL T-shirt as a gift. Both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were sea days.....which was nice. Don't think anything's open at any port on Christmas Day. It was a great cruise, and the weather was perfect! Enjoy your cruise!

[sacway]

We've been on several Christmas cruises, and will be leaving home on Christmas Eve for a Christmas Day cruise this year.

 

We'll take our Christmas stockings with us, and some very small stuffers. We'll leave our tree up at home and there will be a few surprises for the kids on our return. We have taken a string of holiday lights for the cabin, and decorated the cabin door, too.

 

Not everyone on a cruise celebrates Christmas, and we've also cruised on Hanukkah, you'll see those displays that part of the holiday season.

 

You'll see themed activities in the daily schedule. May include caroling, decorating, things like that. Christmas movies in the theater and on the TV. A visit from Santa. Traditional Christmas dinner.

 

Have a great holiday with the kids. You'll get to spend more time enjoying them and less in the kitchen cooking up the holiday specials.

[LAnn]

We've been on Royal Carribean for Christmas and they did have holiday activities. There was a giant Christmas tree in the atrium, and Christmas Carol singing. On Christmas day Santa arrived by boat and climbed onto the ship and distributed presents to all the children (a beach bag/towel combo). Eggnog (both alcoholic and non) was served nearby. We had also packed small gifts for our daughter that Santa left for her in the cabin while she was sleeping. There was a plant in the room, so Santa left the gifts under the plant in lieu of a Christmas tree. The kid's club also had holiday festivities, like cookie decorating. I thought it was all great and that my daughter would love it, but actually she said the next year she wanted to stay home and celebrate Christmas with the family like we normally do.

[bhcruise]

Thanks for the help! we are driving to the port since we only live about 30 mins. away so I think I am going to try and bring presents with us. This will be our first year doing something different for Christmas so I am hoping the kids enjoy it.

[imsulin]

Thanks for the help! we are driving to the port since we only live about 30 mins. away so I think I am going to try and bring presents with us. This will be our first year doing something different for Christmas so I am hoping the kids enjoy it.

 

You might want to bring along an empty suitcase or duffle bag to hold the things you KNOW your kids will buy/receive during the cruise! Just remember that ship's cabins are TINY (unless you spring for the full-blown suite), with one outlet in the cabin, and one in the bathroom. Also, you CANNOT pre-wrap Christmas gifts, as they have to go through the same pre-boarding security system that airlines use.

[kitty9]

Thanks for the help! we are driving to the port since we only live about 30 mins. away so I think I am going to try and bring presents with us. This will be our first year doing something different for Christmas so I am hoping the kids enjoy it.

 

The only problem might be, if you wrap the presents. Security might make you unwrap all the gifts before allowing them onto the ship. It's the same way for someone who flies---you cannot take wrapped boxes on airplanes.

[Gatrcruzer]

Dear bhcruise,

Good luck with the Christmas planning! That sounds like a really neat idea, and a good diversion from the deployment. Families make so many sacrifices when their loved ones are deployed, and it makes me sad to think about your family celebrating Christmas without dad around. Best of luck to all of you, and many thanks to your husband and to all of you for your service to our country.

[bhcruise]

Wow! I didn't even think about the presents and security. I will have to figure that one out. I am a little worried about how small the cabin will be because we are not getting a suite. Thanks again everyone.

[disney922]

We will be on the Oasis for Christmas our kids 2 and 6! My 2 year old does not know but 6 year old understands. Since we booked trip, I told her that I ask the cruiseline if Santa came on ship and that they told me that Santa does come but only brings 1 small gift for all the kids....since Santa knows we have to travel and that he will leave the "rest" of the gifts at home, so when we arrive home on New Years Eve day all their presents will be waiting for them under the tree. I told her that we will write a letter to Santa telling him that we are going on a cruise for Christmas cruise so he knows.

 

We are going to get her a DSi this year so that will be easily transported I will bring a section of wrapping paper and wrap it in our room. Not sure about our little one, probably a couple match box cars....

 

We will also bring a mini tree (if we can fit it) and some cling on decorations that we can just throw out.j

 

Very exciting, I can't believe the countdown is almost in double digits :)