Christmas Cruising

[Lovincruisin1321]

This will be the first time our family will be on a cruise ship during Christmas.

 

Just curious....

 

How do you celebrate Christmas on a cruise ship?

 

Do you decorate your stateroom? Can you put up a mini tree w/lights?

 

Do you still exchange presents?

 

Tell me what you've done so we can start planning!

 

Thanks!:)

[Got Tequila?]

This will be the first time our family will be on a cruise ship during Christmas.

 

Just curious....

 

How do you celebrate Christmas on a cruise ship?

 

Do you decorate your stateroom? Can you put up a mini tree w/lights?

 

Do you still exchange presents?

 

Tell me what you've done so we can start planning!

 

Thanks!:)

 

 

We were on the GEM last year for Christmas. The ship has decorations up, so we did our own thing in the cabin and on the cabin door. A small tree would be great. We brought gifts for our cabin stewards, and a few other staff on the ship...we chose boxes of candy since we know many of the crew share cabins and space is limited. We also included $$ along with the cards for our cabin stewards.

 

I also handed out candy canes to a bunch of crew around the ship to spread the holiday cheer.

 

I got a nice gift from the jewlery store...a beautiful watch. Although Steve did forget to pack the Christmas card for me....and there aren't any available on the ship.

 

On the ship they had a reading of the night before Christmas, a couple of holiday movies were shown. There are trees decorated, and beautiful gingerbread houses around the ship. On Christmas morning Santa and his elves had gifts for all the kids, and photos were taken in the atrium.

 

We had a great time, but our family at home missed us......this year we are cruising from 12/12 -12/19 so we will be home for the actual holiday. We may still decorate the cabin a bit...

[Lovincruisin1321]

We were on the GEM last year for Christmas. The ship has decorations up, so we did our own thing in the cabin and on the cabin door. A small tree would be great. We brought gifts for our cabin stewards, and a few other staff on the ship...we chose boxes of candy since we know many of the crew share cabins and space is limited. We also included $$ along with the cards for our cabin stewards.

 

I also handed out candy canes to a bunch of crew around the ship to spread the holiday cheer.

 

I got a nice gift from the jewlery store...a beautiful watch. Although Steve did forget to pack the Christmas card for me....and there aren't any available on the ship.

 

On the ship they had a reading of the night before Christmas, a couple of holiday movies were shown. There are trees decorated, and beautiful gingerbread houses around the ship. On Christmas morning Santa and his elves had gifts for all the kids, and photos were taken in the atrium.

 

We had a great time, but our family at home missed us......this year we are cruising from 12/12 -12/19 so we will be home for the actual holiday. We may still decorate the cabin a bit...

 

Awww...love the fact that you were thoughtful and got gifts for the crew. I definitely will keep that in mind. Thanks!:)

[Fishbait17]

Although my kids are grown up, Christmas just isn't right without toys. So on all my Christmas trips (we haven't been home for Christmas in 11 years!), I always bring a bag of small fun toys: PlayDoh, Pez, race cars, etc - and we have a gift hunt in our cabin/room/house/resort or else put them in stockings (small bills work well too, my kids get casino money). We hang stockings and everyone gets a very small special gift inside - it's fun to shop for a tiny, very special gift for everyone! We usually travel with a crowd so we sometimes have 15-20 stockings, and everyone brings one "joke" gift and we have a blind gift exchange - keep in mind that if you are flying, wrapped gifts are often opened, so leave them unwrapped and bring a few gift bags instead. Another tradition we have had since our girls were babies is to read The Night Before Christmas and the Polar Express just before bed (last year it was 3 am!) with milk and cookies, room service always obliges but we get them early in the night - and we always have a bell to ring. We also have a family tradition (3 generations), an antique lollipop house that Santa places lollipops into, and we have always brought that as well - but last year I passed it on to my brother who recently started a family. Asked about bringing a lighted mini-tree on the ship but was told they are not allowed (fire regulations). In the GV last year, we asked if we could get a mini-tree or something but were told that none were available - later that week they put one up in the OTHER GV and it irked me, as they were upsold and paid less than half we did... In suites we have always gotten a mini gingerbread house. I always bring non-denominational holiday cards and small gifts for staff members (last year it was tiny boxes of salt water taffy, gift cards, and lottery tickets). Everything we bring adds up to one small extra bag that we use for souvenirs on the return. Usually the toys are given to children on the ship a day or two after Christmas but we bring home our stockings and books. I love to be away for the holidays!

 

Robin