Christmas Cruise

Trying to decide on taking the Miracle for a Christmas cruise this year. Any pros and cons on cruising at Christmas time. Thanks

We were on the Sunshine 2 years ago at Christmas. We had a ball.

We have done one cruise on Christmas and a couple of cruises the week before, which is generally significantly cheaper. We have really enjoyed it but our boys are teens and we don't have to worry about Santa. Of course I still have to spoil them rotten with gifts, so the only "down side" was having to get creative on small gifts such as DS3s, video games, cameras, and other small items. We took collapsible Christmas trees, stockings and gel clings that looked like old fashioned lights - very festive. Packed everything in an extra carry-on, with paper, wrap and tissue, and getting through security without a search was a total prayer.

Carnival does a lot of Christmas activities leading up to and on Christmas. I spent from early December until after new years on the ship. It was a great time!

I would love to cruise Xmas but it seems many consider it family time. I vote for making family time when the weather is good, and cruising when it is cold.

As senior cruisers with grown children, NO WAY. There will be over 600 kids, bring your ear plugs.

If you're looking to do it as a family and you don't mind many kids on board, then go for it. The 3 weeks prior though are usually the cheapest of the year, so if money is a factor you could sail then, save money and the ship will still be decorated so you'll get the Christmas groove.

Trying to decide on taking the Miracle for a Christmas cruise this year. Any pros and cons on cruising at Christmas time. Thanks

Lots of kids.

Lots of kid cruisers for sure.

The ships look fabulous with their Christmas decorations

Having just cruised this past christmas on the Magic I would definatly do it again in a heartbeat! Being on the ship for Christmas was the best , especially since Christmas day wespent on the island of Cozumel ! We've always cruised in April due to our kids spring break schedule and I would compare the crowds to that. Which to me is not that bad. I would say go for it!!!

We have done a Christmas Cruise four out of the last fiveyears. The first three were over Christmas, and last year we left on Dec 26 tomeet our family travel schedule. We have two grown daughters so the cruise isthe Christmas present which greatly simplifies gift giving (pro). We check each itineraryto know where the ship will be on Christmas Day and determine what services (ifany) are offered on the ship if Christmas is a sea day and what churches are walkingdistance if it is a port day. As others have already posted the ships are fulland there are many children (con). The cruise lines call them Holiday Cruises becauseHanukkah is typically only a few days before Christmas, and these cruises are popularwith non-Christians. We have always enjoyed the decorations in the common areasof the ship and enjoy the fact someone else did all the decorating (pro).

We did an 8 day Dream Christmas cruise in 2016 and had a blast. The ship was decorated nicely and there were several holiday activities each day. My favorite thing was winning my first Ship on a Stick for Christmas trivia on Christmas day. The day we left from NOLA, there was free champagne (as much as you wanted) and later in the cruise you could find egg nog in the Lido dining.