Christmas onboard - suggestions.

[curry767]

Hi all,

 

Taking our first Christmas cruise this year.

 

We will be on Ovation ex Sydney and I am keen to hear the usual RCI procedure on Christmas Day. Any do's and don'ts would be greatly appreciated too.

 

I should add we will be at sea on Christmas Day.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Ourusualbeach]

The ship will be decorated, Santa will arrive in the morning and hand out gifts for the kids and there will be a special dinner menu that night. Carolling on Christmas Eve.

 

On Oasis last year for Christmas and we waited until we boarded to purchase our specialty restaurant reservations and drink packages and found that they raised the prices on board for the Holiday sailing by $5pp from what they were in the cruise planner before the cruise.

[CapeCodCruiser]

I brought along some LED Christmas lights, One set was battery powered and I put them on the outside of the cabin door with the battery pack on the inside. I used the museum putty to stick the battery pack to the door - worked like a charm. I put some on the mirror using suction cup hooks.

 

For many years my DH & I did not exchange gifts - it was always fun watching the kids and other family members open theirs and really neither of us wanted anything or what we did want we just went out & bought. After a couple years away from family I decided Christmas morning was not very fun without presents so I decided we would start exchanging gifts...with a twist.

 

Each year we set the "rules" about 6 or 7 of them. Each person must buy the other one gift for each rule. Some of our rules have been:

 

Something orange (I use a random color generator website)

 

Something from aisle 13 at the grocery store (again random number generator)

 

Something form the dollar store

 

A gift card to a restaurant or store you've never been

 

Something you can wear

 

Something from a thrift store

 

Something you really want yourself

 

Something that starts with your initials

 

 

There are variations - my brother & his wife did something that starts with each letter in their names.

 

These gifts are usually small in size & price and could easily be wrapped and packed for a cruise making your Christmas morning at sea extra special & fun. You could even get one of those tissue paper trees that fold flat and attach it to a mirror.

[curry767]

Thanks for the replies.

 

We are travelling with 7 & 4 year olds, so obviously looking to make sure they have a great day.

 

Cheers

[luv2cruise523]

We love, love, love sailing for Christmas! Brought Command Hooks and attached to cabin walls hung stockings, brought a small tree and mini lights and ornaments. The cabin looked very festive. Our childern are 14 & 15 .

[Merly]

We sailed Christmas a couple of years ago. Ship was nicely decorated and pretty tree in dining room. There were nice table decks in the Schooner bar and Windjammer including lots of sweets, which disappeared over the period of the cruise. Carols on Christmas Eve and Santa came on Christmas morning to give all the children a gift. It was a sea day and was very quiet. It was formal night Christmas night, but I don't remember the meal being anything special. We took small gifts to exchange. But all in all I remember it as being rather quiet.

[curry767]

Hadn't thought to think about ornaments but thanks for pointing this out to me, will need to get planning.

[readytolose]

For many years my DH & I did not exchange gifts - it was always fun watching the kids and other family members open theirs and really neither of us wanted anything or what we did want we just went out & bought. After a couple years away from family I decided Christmas morning was not very fun without presents so I decided we would start exchanging gifts...with a twist.

 

Each year we set the "rules" about 6 or 7 of them. Each person must buy the other one gift for each rule. Some of our rules have been:

 

Something orange (I use a random color generator website)

 

Something from aisle 13 at the grocery store (again random number generator)

 

Something form the dollar store

 

A gift card to a restaurant or store you've never been

 

Something you can wear

 

Something from a thrift store

 

Something you really want yourself

 

Something that starts with your initials

 

 

There are variations - my brother & his wife did something that starts with each letter in their names.

 

These gifts are usually small in size & price and could easily be wrapped and packed for a cruise making your Christmas morning at sea extra special & fun. You could even get one of those tissue paper trees that fold flat and attach it to a mirror.

 

I love this! How fun! I'm going to show my hubby and suggest we do it!

[Haoie]

I'll be on the Radiance right before Christmas [the cruise before] - will the decorations be out by then? Anything special on the menu maybe?

[Clarea]

I'll be on the Radiance right before Christmas [the cruise before] - will the decorations be out by then? Anything special on the menu maybe?

They start decorating the ship the day after Thanksgiving.

[curry767]

They start decorating the ship the day after Thanksgiving.

 

Different for Australian cruises, as we don't celebrate Thanksgiving?

[TulipBee]

I'll be on Radiance on Christmas Day. As it is a sea day, do they do special meals at lunch as well as dinner? (My family traditionally do Christmas lunch).