How soon do the ships decorate for Christmas?

[furluvcats]

We are on an early December sailing on the Amsterdam and wondering if it will be decked out for the holidays by then? Very much enjoyed this on another ship...Thanks for any input =).

[topspot]

We sailed Eurodam the past 2 Thanksgivings and they were starting to decorate then. I'm sure someone who cruises more often will have a more accurate answer. That's what is nice about cc.:)

[aliaschief]

On Dec. 10, last year, we sailed on the MS Eurodam. It was beautifully decorated inside and out. On December 17 as we disembarked they put Christmas wreaths on every cabin door. The crew was told they had to wear Santa hats for those embarking for the Christmas week cruise.

 

Previous threads on this matter have shown that the decorating time schedule does vary from ship to ship.

[arzz]

Since the Amsterdam is headed to dry dock right after the December 2 cruise I would be very surprised if they have much in the way of Christmas decorations up for the Dec 2 cruise -- then again it will be Hannukah week then so who knows.

[jtl513]

As just said, it varies from ship to ship. We've done four mid Dec cruises, and 3 of the 4 times the ship was well decorated when we got on around the 10th to 12th, but the 4th time the Zuiderdam was still not well done by the time we got off on Dec 22nd.

[airlink diva]

I'm sailing on the Maasdam in December (the 6th) and really hope that the ship is decorated for Christmas! Great photo ops!!!

[Spinner2]

We were on the Amsterdam last December, from Dec 2 to 23. The Christmas decorations storage boxes were sitting out in approximately the places they'd be needed when we boarded and over the next few days you'd see "progress" in those spots. Trees, bows, wreaths, etc. all over the public areas of the ship seemed to go up first and the final items were in the area near the front desk--a creche and on the opposite side of the area, a toy village with a train track. There was a "tree-lighting" activity about Dec 18 and from then on all of the tree lights stayed on. My understanding is that when our cruise ended the new cruisers came aboard to "dark" trees and the lighting activity was Dec 24 and many more decorations and such came out. I know that we saw our dining stewards carrying their "holiday uniforms" to their cabins after receiving them at the end of one dinner service.

 

I also saw some Hanukah decorations as well.

 

So, even if you're not on the ship exactly on the holiday dates I think you'll find a festive ship all through December.

[DFD1]

airlink diva: We're sailing 12/6 Maasdam as well. See you on board! Happy Holidays already!

[furluvcats]

Thanks for the replies...I didn't know she was going into dry dock after our sailing...does tend to make you think there won't be much in the way of holiday decorations! A fabulous cruise is to be had nontheless!

[maxout]

On three different cruises I have seen the decorations going up and completed by the end of week after the (U.S.)Thanksgiving.

[wander]

In the past, don't know about now, HAL used shoreside firms to decorate so timing depends on when they were at a Port with such services.

 

I was on a HAL ship, a B2B cruise where change occurred in Fort Lauderdale in early December. I stayed on the ship for the day. As disembark was nearing the end piles of boxes appeared around the ship and maybe 40 (a guess) folks in same color golf shirts with logs "flowers afloat" or something like that appeared and started unpacking and decorating. By noon all was done, the boxes disappeared and the workers were all eating in the Lido before the ship opened for embarking passengers. The process was quite interesting to watch. No one leaving the ship or boarding had any idea how the place looked several hours later or earlier.

[jtl513]

In the past, don't know about now, HAL used shoreside firms to decorate so timing depends on when they were at a Port with such services.

I think now it's a combination of both shore and ship people doing it, as during our last two December cruises on the Noordam decorations were clearly increasing as the cruise went on, and I watched as crew members put up some outside lights near the smokestacks.

 

One display at the Explorers Lounge still had a sign on it as we got off on Dec 21 that said something to the effect "No photos please - work in progress".

[airlink diva]

airlink diva: We're sailing 12/6 Maasdam as well. See you on board! Happy Holidays already!

 

We are under 50 days!!

This cruise is my Christmas gift from me!

It's a little early,but hey I been very good this year (well most of the time :D!)

While I love Christmas decorations, I hate taking them down after Christmas! If they are on our ship, that's going to be my Christmas decorations!

[furluvcats]

We are under 50 days!!

This cruise is my Christmas gift from me!

It's a little early,but hey I been very good this year (well most of the time :D!)

While I love Christmas decorations, I hate taking them down after Christmas! If they are on our ship, that's going to be my Christmas decorations!

We believe a cruise is is the best gift you can give yourself...we often do a cruise as our Christmas to eachother or birthday or Annv. gift! yay for you!!

[Australian family]

We were on the Volendam last December, we boarded 4th December and were disappointed that there was no Christmas decorations up. They started to put decorations up about halfway through our 14 night cruise, and the decorations were up at the end of the cruise. The next cruise was a Christmas cruise.

[arzz]

Furluvcats -- we love the Amsterdam and are scheduled on Dec 2 like you -- we knew about the dry dock but are not particularly concerned as it has been on the schedule for a long time. We did another HAL ship a couple of years ago the week before a dry dock and had no issues. The week after the dry dock, however, I would be a bit more concened.

 

However, as I said earlier, I don't know about the holiday decorations under the circumstances. We have taken several holiday cruises and the last time or two on HAL we have watched the decorations being put up by shore people on embarkation day. Did not know they might have been partially up earlier. Watching the pros take stuff out of the boxes and decorate those trees is something to behold.

[furluvcats]

Furluvcats -- we love the Amsterdam and are scheduled on Dec 2 like you -- we knew about the dry dock but are not particularly concerned as it has been on the schedule for a long time. We did another HAL ship a couple of years ago the week before a dry dock and had no issues. The week after the dry dock, however, I would be a bit more concened.

 

However, as I said earlier, I don't know about the holiday decorations under the circumstances. We have taken several holiday cruises and the last time or two on HAL we have watched the decorations being put up by shore people on embarkation day. Did not know they might have been partially up earlier. Watching the pros take stuff out of the boxes and decorate those trees is something to behold.

we are looking forward to the wine party, are you attending? Last cruise we did a poker run to various cabins which folks served refreshments...it was alot of fun to see the various room types from interior to the OS.

[k-town girl]

On three different cruises I have seen the decorations going up and completed by the end of week after the (U.S.)Thanksgiving.

 

I'm just glad that HAL is not bending to the "politically correct" view of some how offending those who do not believe in Christmas.:D

Let the trimming begin!!!

[Australian family]

I'm just glad that HAL is not bending to the "politically correct" view of some how offending those who do not believe in Christmas.:D

Let the trimming begin!!!

 

The cruise we were on, they were bending the way of being politically correct, as that is why they wouldn't put the xmas decorations up, until one religion had finished celebrating one of its events.

[teachtocruis]

We love to cruise at Christmas! Well, we love to cruise. But there is something special about Christmas. We have cruised with Princess during Christmas or New Year's and they were beautifully done, and included decorations for the other religious holidays as well.

 

We are on our first HAL cruise this Christmas and New Year's and are looking forward to their decorations and activities. At least I hope they will have some Christmas related activities going on. Does anyone know about this?

Kayla

[arzz]

In our experience on HAL at Christmas -- there are a lot of sophisticated decorations, there is usually a special Christmas show and carrolling -- I remember egg nog on Christmas day. You will not feel like you left the holiday behind at all. I also remember a wreath on our cabin door, and special holiday meals. There will also be Christmas mass as well as Protestant services. Clergy on board.

[KNOT2L82SAIL]

Since the Amsterdam is headed to dry dock right after the December 2 cruise I would be very surprised if they have much in the way of Christmas decorations up for the Dec 2 cruise -- then again it will be Hannukah week then so who knows.

Let's hope the Amsterdam is not headed to drydock right after the December 2 cruise as it is leaving from Los Angeles for the Panama Canal cruise on December 22. :) I think she is going into drydock in 2011.

[arzz]

I might be wrong but if you search for cruises on the Amsterdam you will find no cruises scheduled between the Dec 2 -14 cruise and the Dec 22 cruise.

 

I also believe that I saw this listed on the dry dock schedule posted on this board -- I do not remember if it is a dry dock thread or a sticky.

 

Since the dry dock is only 8 days long I assume that it is just for routine maintenance -- no big changes.

[arzz]

Amsterdam dry dock is scheduled for 2010 -- check it out in the following link

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=26288513&highlight=dry+dock+schedule#post26288513