Christmas Cruise

[Angel19]

I'm cruising on the Ventura on the 17th December this year to the canaries! Can anyone tell me their experiences of Christmas cruising? I'm particularly keen to find out how Father Christmas delivers presents as my youngest child still believes in Father Christmas! How can I hide her presents in our cabin!! Oh and this is my first post so apologies if this question has already been covered in previous threads!

[Florry]

I'm cruising on the Ventura on the 17th December this year to the canaries! Can anyone tell me their experiences of Christmas cruising? I'm particularly keen to find out how Father Christmas delivers presents as my youngest child still believes in Father Christmas! How can I hide her presents in our cabin!! Oh and this is my first post so apologies if this question has already been covered in previous threads!

 

 

Never done a Christmas cruise, but if I had to hide presents I'd pack them into a case and leave it unpacked under the bed until it was time for the 'big delivery' I would also make sure Santa sent a letter saying he was confused to find the kids on a ship so he left most of the big presents at home for them to open when they got back, but delivered some small presents so they didn't think he'd forgotten them. Best I can come up with I'm afraid [emoji106]🏼

[indiana123]

The highlight for me, on Oriana, was when Father Christmas popped up from the funnel. I was choked up.

 

There were no children, apart from us big ones, on Oriana so not a lot of exuberant Christmas events, but I think Ventura will be totally different.

 

Have fun

[natross1110]

I've got a hessian sack and a few light presents and I'll be leaving it under the largest Xmas tree just prior to my 6 year old entering the atrium so he thinks Santa left it there for him.

Santa knows he's on holiday and can't get large presents back on the plane from the Caribbean so his large presents will be at home :) have a great Xmas cruise

[Angel19]

Thanks for your responses guys. We are sailing from Southampton so baggage isn't an issue! My children are older too so there gifts are smaller these days thankfully!! ;)

Edited November 17, 2015 by Angel19

[Florry]

The highlight for me, on Oriana, was when Father Christmas popped up from the funnel. I was choked up.

 

 

 

There were no children, apart from us big ones, on Oriana so not a lot of exuberant Christmas events, but I think Ventura will be totally different.

 

 

 

Have fun

 

 

You have reminded me of a childhood memory; my late Father was dressing up as Father Christmas for the school Mum worked at, he brought the suit home and one Christmas Evening went and knocked the doors of the neighbours asking if the kids had been good and made a list of what they wanted (guided by the nods and shakes of the parents) there were some amazed children that night, he was such a character.

[pudd]

We did Arcadia last Christmas so not sure about children. I am sure they will have lots of fun things going on for them. Father Christmas was up on the funnel on Christmas Eve . All of the grown ups were excited to see him when he came down and walked around. We had carols on the deck and lots of people wore Christmas jumpers. The ship looked lovely and the crew built a big festive display in the atrium overnight as a surprise. Christmas Day was quite quiet- probably as no children and we had a gala dinner in the evening.

[Esprit]

We've done two Christmas/New year cruises in the Caribbean. My son was 10 the first time and thought Christmas wouldn't be the same in the sun.

 

He had a fantastic time. As did all the kids aboard. Father Christmas wowed them too.

 

The atmosphere on board was amazing. From the Carol singing Christmas eve, midnight mass with the crew right through to the Christmas day formal dinner.

 

Thought it couldn't get better. Then we had the New Year's Eve deck party. Just brilliant.

[Angel19]

We've done two Christmas/New year cruises in the Caribbean. My son was 10 the first time and thought Christmas wouldn't be the same in the sun.

 

He had a fantastic time. As did all the kids aboard. Father Christmas wowed them too.

 

The atmosphere on board was amazing. From the Carol singing Christmas eve, midnight mass with the crew right through to the Christmas day formal dinner.

 

Thought it couldn't get better. Then we had the New Year's Eve deck party. Just brilliant.

Sounds like you had an awesome time! I really can't wait now!! :)

[leehobbs]

Its our first Christmas cruise too.... I have a letter from Santa ready for my youngest explaining the fact that some presents will be at home and that he will still be able to get some presents to him as he can use the funnel. I am also taking a case with the presents in that I will keep hidden until the time. I am also taking a few decorations to make the cabin feel like its christmas.

[HomelessBear]

There's a big shelf in the wardrobe area above the hanging rail (where the life jackets are kept). This would hold lots of presents from prying eyes, especially if you hide them behind other stuff there.

 

Have a great cruise.

[sddsddean]

Come and join the roll call at http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2241289

 

We've done one Xmas cruise before on RCI. I think all the children on board got a present from Santa on Xmas morning (there was certainly a long line to see him!!). The ship was decorated and there was a special 'buffet' lunch on the Royal Promenade (which of course Ventura doesn't have). Xmas dinner was a formal night, so we're expecting it to be on Ventura.

 

Simon

[winniesbestm8]

Bit different for us as we fly on Christmas Day to join Azura.

 

We are not sure what to do about presents yet

[Mark-Sheffield]

We also did a Caribbean Christmas cruise a few years ago and the decorations were magical and you could see that P&O had spent a lot of time and money to make it special. Father Christmas does make an appearance :-)

Edited November 20, 2015 by Mark-Sheffield

[davecttr]

We had god and bad experiences on Oceana last year.

 

On xmas eve santa was spotted on the funnel ( I slept through all this) but he did not climb down because of 'elf and safety' ;) One little girl grabbed santa and had to be prised off. When I woke up I met exited kids and exhausted parents and grandparents in the lifts. I told the children to remember to wake up really early and if they were really good they might hear santas sleigh bells :D

 

A horrified grandad told me the kids had been told to have a nice long sleep and not wake up early - ooops!. Pity i did not have little bells as maybe it would have been fun to trot along the family cabin corridors in the wee hours, maybe at the cost of being thrown off the ship at the next port :D

 

A sort of bad thing was they did not manage to distribute the xmas music CD's to the bars etc until BOXING DAY. I will have a word with them this year.

 

The really bad thing was xmas dinner. As I was on freedom dining we had to queue to choose our sitting. There was an enormous queue for early sitting and almost no queue for late. I made the mistake of choosing late. The meal had zero atmosphere. The dining room was half empty and we had 4 people on a table for 8. the tables next to us had no diners!. We left before the pudding :( This year i am on early sitting club :)