Christmas/New Year Cruise???

[808lady]

My parents are relatively young and active, but find hosting the huge holiday family celebrations to be getting a bit much. They have their big house on the market, and may be moving into a smaller retirement place. This will be their first year having holidays in someone else's house. We will take a cruise together sometime this winter to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. The question is whether to do it on the holiday or later in the winter. Have you ever cruised on the actual holiday? Were there things that made it seem like the holiday and more special than usual? Did it seem to be strange to be onboard instead of home with your own traditions and familiar decorations? Any thoughts or advice appreciated.

[Phxazzcruisers]

We have taken several holiday cruises and really enjoyed them. The ships are decorated and New Year was a blast. We highly recommend it !!!

[cruisestitch]

Ships are always decorated, Santa makes a visit for the kids, some people hang decorations on their door, the only downside is that these cruises are always higher priced -- law of supply and demand at play. There should be a clergyman or two on board to conduct services and mass, and there's usually a carol sing-along or something on the main stage. For those who don't celebrate Christmas nothing the ship does is so over-the-top that they would be made to feel uncomfortable.

[Bruin Steve]

My parents are relatively young and active, but find hosting the huge holiday family celebrations to be getting a bit much. They have their big house on the market, and may be moving into a smaller retirement place. This will be their first year having holidays in someone else's house. We will take a cruise together sometime this winter to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. The question is whether to do it on the holiday or later in the winter. Have you ever cruised on the actual holiday? Were there things that made it seem like the holiday and more special than usual? Did it seem to be strange to be onboard instead of home with your own traditions and familiar decorations? Any thoughts or advice appreciated.

 

Since my wife works for a school district, "Winter Break" is one of the few times during the year we can get away for a cruise...

 

That said, we usually avoid cruising over Christmas or New Year's mostly because the prices on most ctuises over those holidays are the highest of the year--often as much as three times the price of the same cruise and cabin one week earlier or one week later. Since my wife's district gives her three weeks off for Winter break, there is usually a week we can cruise during the break but at a lower price...

 

BUT, twice, we have actually cruised over Christmas and/or New Year's...

 

This past holiday season, we cruised on the Celebrity Century December 24 sailing--13 nights which spanned both holidays...Remarkably, the fares were quite reasonable (though airfare was not). We had never been to Australia or New Zealand before and with this cruise being entirely within my wife's Winter Break, it was too good to pass up...

 

The ship was decorated for the Holidays and they had a number of events--especially aimed at th children onboard--like a "Visit from Santa"...There were some special events like a "Gingerbread House Workshop"...

 

New Year's Eve had parties onboard in several venues...with free champagne passed around at Midnight...

 

Obviously, it's easier to do the holidays on a cruise than to host them at your house...

 

This coming Winter Break, we are going back to our targeting the "off-week" of Winter Break...This year, it is the week before Christma--so we're cruising on the Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas Decemeber 16 cruise--what we've all dubbed as the "End of Days" cruise because of the Mayan Calendar thing...It's relatively cheap--we've got a nice balcony cabin for about $800 per person an airfare, for us, will only be about $400 pp round trip...We disembark on December 23 and will be home before Christmas...I am guessing that the ship will likely already be decorated for the holidays for our cruise--as I know from past experience they generall leave those decorations up for our cruises that have been the first week of January...

 

Good luck...

[Putterdude]

We have done two and always get off saying never again.

The ships are highly decorated and very festive. There are often Christmas crafts, carol singing and religious ceremonies. Santa flies in and comes down the funnel. They can be a great venue for an extended family to celebrate as there is no planning, no cooking and no clean-up.

The downside is that they are much more expensive than any other cruise. They are sold out, every bunk that drops out of the ceiling, sofa bed and cot is filled and the ship is filled to the gunwales. Add to that a lot of unruly children and their even more unruly parents and you can imagine the scene.

However, I do know of people who do it year after year.

[808lady]

Thanks all for the tips and advice. Much appreciated!

[kelmac]

This will make our 12th year in a row that we have spent the holidays on cruise ships! (My wife is a teacher)

Yes, it's more expensive and their will be more kids on board, but when we think of a white Xmas, it always includes a sandy beach. We have decorations stored away, I think, deep in the back of the garage. We don't even remember what it's like to stay home for the holidays. We realized it was pretty expensive staying home, with all that goes on during the holidays, and having a break from the winter weather, made it a no brainer.

 

By the time final payment is due, we've only had one cruise that stayed at the original price we paid. Usually, we pay about 20% to 25% more than other cruises, but it's always been worth it to us!! There are a couple of cruises that can actually be less money during the holidays, as their clientele are very anti-children, and are wary of holiday cruises. Check out Oceania, Azamara and Cunard. We've scored great holiday deals on Oceania and Cunard in the past. When Oceania brings out their December, 2013 schedule we will be right there to jump on a deal.:)

 

Enjoy!

Kel:D

[jackdiamond]

We have done it; and, we have enjoyed it. However, I do remember Santa, but I do not believe that he came down the funnell. But remember, in the old days I did not believe that he came down the chimney. He was just too fat.

[trubadur]

We have done it; and, we have enjoyed it.

 

However, I do remember Santa, but I do not believe that he came down the funnell. But remember, in the old days I did not believe that he came down the chimney. He was just too fat.

 

HA HA HA! He must have been the funny French Exec Chef aboard the Summit (who played Santa in 2011 for Xmas) - seen him in our friends' vids and photo albums:

http://2011holidaycruisecaribbeansummit.shutterfly.com/pictures

http://2011holidaycruisecaribbeansummit.shutterfly.com/videos

http://2010holidaycruisemercury.shutterfly.com/pictures

http://2010holidaycruisemercury.shutterfly.com/videos

[Mulege]

The first few sailing after New Years are usually heavily discounted. We pass on holiday sailings. Prices are inflated and a lot of children.

[gkny]

We usually sail right after Thanksgiving or right before Xmas. They have deeply discounted prices during those times.

[CountrycruiserNL]

Can we expect anything fancy or special on New Year's Eve? Do ladies wear long gowns?