Christmas cruise - what to expect

[ch1mpy]

I'm considering booking a Christmas cruise on Oceana leaving on 19 December. I've cruised before and loved it but never at Christmas... Can anyone here make any suggestions as to what I should expect from a Christmas cruise? I'm guessing that because its in December the weather isn't going to be too great, so will there be more indoor activities during the days at sea? What is Christmas Day like onboard?
any info gratefully received as it will help me make up my mind about booking or not!

[valerie]

it does rather depend what you are looking for, personally we love xmas cruises been the last 7 years, last year on Oceana on a cold cruise to sweeden but still swam in the outside pool xmas day. we are booked again on oceana this year. weather wise you may get lucky and have a couple of warm days at ports, xmas day always at sea and no matter where we are we have never managed a sunny one, although on aurora we did have breakfast outside one year. Usual festivities carol concert xmas morning the usual quizzes etc, band at lunchtime. Some extra festive entertainment, nativity etc, and the ships are always decorated lovely with a gingerbread village in the atrium and xmas cakes displayed as well.

xmas dinner in the evening which is fantastic, and the staff get into the xmas spirit from xmas eve onwards. Its quite funny to see groups of families together in the lounges opening their pressies on xmas morning.

The entertainment the last few years has been very good last year they had some students onboard from a sweedish music college for a few hours who were fantastic.

A bit like other cruises though you can get involved or ignore the festivities and do other things instead.

any other questions feel free to ask

[Manoverboard]

We prefer to have Christmas at home but perhaps you could also consider a Christmas Market's Cruise as these are extremely Christmassy and a whole lot cheaper, especially when booked as a Getaway deal a couple of months or so prior to departure.

[Suekersh]

We love the Christmas cruises and it is the first cruise we book when the brochures come out. We prefer the Caribbean but have been on a med cruise once at Xmas.

Xmas Eve is wonderful with the pax choir singing carols and all the children dressed up to watch father Xmas arriving by the funnel.

The day is as busy or quiet as you want to make it. We tend to breakfast on the balcony with a bottle of champagne. We don't do presents now as the cruise is our present to each other. We contact the family then just chill until lunch time.

The ship goes quiet in the afternoon as the officers serve the crew their Xmas lunch.

The Evening meal appears to be endless with so many courses, then as you think you have finished, there is Xmas cake, mince pies, nuts, fruit, chocolate, dates etc etc. the tables are decorated with crackers and hats. It is a fabulous experience.

Sue

[Kendhni]

We did a 4 week Christmas cruise on Oceana and had an absolutely fantastic time ... I would thoroughly recommend it. The best way I can describe it is that Christmas, with all the trimmings, just happens without all the fuss and running about.

[qbman1]

We have done a Christmas Cruise for the last 5 years and have the next two booked. Can't recommend it too highly. The weather in the Med can be a bit iffy but you will be unlucky if temperatures in the Canaries are not up in the low 20s

The experience on board (especially the "child friendly" ships) is first class and I can't really better Sue K's enthusiasm

[Andrea S]

ch1mpy

As you can see there are people who do Christmas cruises on a regular basis and love them.

We have only done 1 and it is something we wouldn't do again.

The cruise we were on was absolutely fantastic , their was a wonderful atmosphere on board but Christmas Day for us was the one day that we didn't enjoy.

It was a very long day and not eating until the 2nd sitting ( which was running late with it being a festive meal ) was far too late for us to eat. The main meal itself was quite disappointing and it was well past 11.00 pm when we left the dining room. If there had been any entertainment we had missed it so we ended up having a drink on the balcony and then had for us an early night.

At home we love the run up to Christmas , the decorating, the presents under the Christmas tree, the baking and the family arriving for Christmas dinner.
Perhaps it was a combination of all those things that we missed.

Ours was a 28 night cruise so we had so many wonderful days that it was easy to 'forget ' about Christmas Day.

It may be the ideal cruise for you only you know what this time of the year means to you.

If this cruise also covers New Years Eve you will find that it is the best place ever to be. Something definitely not to be missed.

[ch1mpy]

Thank you all SOOOO much for all the REALLY helpful comments and suggestions. They are all very, very useful.
Think we'll need to make up our mind fairly soon so all this information is going to help a great deal.
I really love Christmas so think this sounds like a really lovely way to spend it. Also we've been thinking about doing something different for Christmas for years, as in just the two of us and not the rest of the family, so from the sounds of it this could be ideal.
Thanks again to each and everyone of you for the advice.

[Sir Cumference]

Hello there

I did my first Christmas cruise last year (on Azura). As I was travelling as a single passenger, I was very apprehensive - but I thoroughly enjoyed it. So much so, that I am going again this year on Oceana.

Last year, Azura was well decorated in festive trees, garlands etc. There were Christmas cakes and gingerbread villages on display and the Atrium looked spectacular.

There was carol singing (led by a passenger choir) in the Atrium on Christmas Eve as well as a Senior Officer choir too on Christmas Day. There was a pantomime on Christmas Eve (Oh, yes, there was!) which was excellent and a Carol Service on Christmas Morning. The children also put on a nativity play later in the morning. Santa came down the funnel on Christmas Eve and all passenger received a present (in the cabin on Christmas Eve)

Christmas Dinner was a tremendous affair with the food just arriving course after course - hats, crackers and other assorted "Christmassy" things were on the table too.

I loved it and appreciated not having to be involved in the run up to Christmas at home. Passing through the Atrium on Christmas Eve, I overheard an elderly lady in one of the armchairs comment "This beats queuing for sprouts at Tesco" - my sentiment entirely. My advise: Go for it, you'll love it

[ItsmeAnnC]

I'm afraid I'm with Andrea S on this one. I had always wanted to do a Christmas and New Year cruise, and once the children were married and before grandchildren came along seemed the ideal time. We went with friends and SO looked forward to it. Sadly the atmosphere on board was lacking, probably largely down to the norovirus closing down the buffet and affecting activities. The decorations were lovely but that's where it ended really. No mince pies, except after Christmas dinner, no mulled wine. There was a pantomime, which was fun, but other than that the entertainment was the same as on any other cruise - nothing Christmas themed at all. I missed the end of my first sitting Christmas dinner because I was in the passenger choir and they scheduled us to sing at 7.30 before second sitting. However, had I not been in that, it would have felt even less festive.
That said, the holiday itself was great and we enjoyed it for that. But Christmassy it was not. We met some people we know from a neighbouring village that we hadn't realised were going. They do a Christmas/new year cruise every year and thoroughly enjoy them. They said this one was the worst they had done, so I think we were unlucky. BUT you pay a premium for a Christmas cruise and we felt we would not risk the outlay again. I would rather do all the work and preparation at home - much more fun!
I have, however, been on a Winter Wonderland/Christmas Market cruise and would thoroughly recommend these - they are much more festive.

[Dancing Queen]

This year will be our 25th year of Xmas cruising ( missed 2011 due to my husband breaking his ankle 3 days before sailing so had to cancel ) I absolutely hated spending Xmas at home and hope we never have to do it again.

We have always followed the sunshine and gone to the Caribbean, last year we did the Med and I was a bit concerned I wouldn't enjoy it, how wrong was I it wasn't about the sunshine ( although that is always very welcome ) the atmosphere on board was equally as good and we were very lucky with the weather, Xmas Day we had a drinks party on our balcony and it was literally red hot.

Doing the Med again this year but have booked b to b, 10 days doing the Xmas Markets (which is a fabulous cruise if you haven't done it ) then back to Southampton before we head out to the Med for 14 days, I am so looking forward to both.

If you do decide to book, do take Xmas decorations and a small Xmas tree to decorate your cabin, mine usually looks like a Winter Wonderland.

[Mrs Pugwash]

This year will be our 25th year of Xmas cruising ( missed 2011 due to my husband breaking his ankle 3 days before sailing so had to cancel ) I absolutely hated spending Xmas at home and hope we never have to do it again.

We have always followed the sunshine and gone to the Caribbean, last year we did the Med and I was a bit concerned I wouldn't enjoy it, how wrong was I it wasn't about the sunshine ( although that is always very welcome ) the atmosphere on board was equally as good and we were very lucky with the weather, Xmas Day we had a drinks party on our balcony and it was literally red hot.

Doing the Med again this year but have booked b to b, 10 days doing the Xmas Markets (which is a fabulous cruise if you haven't done it ) then back to Southampton before we head out to the Med for 14 days, I am so looking forward to both.

If you do decide to book, do take Xmas decorations and a small Xmas tree to decorate your cabin, mine usually looks like a Winter Wonderland.

That sounds just wonderful! Doing the Xmas markets then the Christmas cruise, Enjoy!
Wish I was doing it!

[GillD46]

We would really love to do the Christmas Markets cruise, but getting back on December 23rd is just cutting it too fine for me. I really wish they'd scheduled it just a couple of days earlier.

[ch1mpy]

Once again, thank you all for your really helpful comments and suggestions. We are still really keen on doing the cruise, although still not quite booked it as i'm waiting to see what kind of bonus i get from work first.... (especially as the price seems to have gone up a bit recently - which i understand is to be expected as they are so popular). Fingers crossed we'll be in a position to book come September.
Thanks again one and all, all your comments are very much appreciated - good and bad.