Christmas Cruising

[hbtcruiser]

We are looking at cruising with extended family for Christmas in 2017, possibly including New Year as well. At the moment we are looking at either RCCI or Princess as we have previously cruised with RCCI and others with Princess. I would be travelling with a 4 year old so children activities also comes into it.

 

Is there anything special done aboard the ships for Christmas or New Years? Dinners, celebrations, shows? Does anyone know when the 2017/18 cruise season come on sale?

 

Thanks in advance :)

[GUT2407]

We are looking at cruising with extended family for Christmas in 2017, possibly including New Year as well. At the moment we are looking at either RCCI or Princess as we have previously cruised with RCCI and others with Princess. I would be travelling with a 4 year old so children activities also comes into it.

 

Is there anything special done aboard the ships for Christmas or New Years? Dinners, celebrations, shows? Does anyone know when the 2017/18 cruise season come on sale?

 

Thanks in advance :)

 

They do a Crissy dinner, old Santy comes to the little ones, they have a do on NYE.

 

Princess tend to have an older demographic than RCCL

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Get the best of both...find one that does both Christmas and New Year. Christmas is wonderful on board and New Years Eve is even better.

[CoopColbie]

I thought I read somewhere that the RCI 2017 cruise calendar for Australia will be released in later March. Not sure when the Princess cruises will be released.

[Blue Elephant]

Carnival, P&O and Celebrity are showing Christmas cruises out of Sydney for 2017 at this stage.

[joybook]

Depends very much on what you are looking for and also depends very much on the Cruise Director. We did a Christmas Cruise a couple of years ago on the Sea Princess out of Brisbane and it was great - could not have wished for anything better. Christmas 2014 and also for New Year's eve we were on the Golden Princess. Christmas was very iffy and left a lot to be desired, however the New Year's Eve celebration/party in the Atrium was great.:)

[The_Big_M]

I wouldn't say they're hugely different with RCL. There is a Santa visit, and a 'special' (as in different) menu, but it doesn't have things like turkey or Christmas cake or anything traditionally associated.

 

There are some decorations, and there'll be a new years' party for the countdown (this year's was quite interesting - with a significant surcharge for prime Promenade seating!) No difference in the shows.

[aussielozzie18]

RCI Christmas is very low-key. We loved the Christmas decorations on our first Christmas cruise on the Rhapsody. On the much bigger Voyager of the Seas, the decorations were barely noticeable except for a large Christmas tree on the Promenade. I think you would be disappointed by Christmas Dinner in the MDR on RCI - apart from crackers on the table, very low key. Christmas Eve on the Rhapsody, there was carols in the centrum and free champers. Santa does come and hand out gifts for the kiddies on Christmas morning so that is sweet and you can get a Santa photo on the ship as well as on your port day. We thoroughly enjoyed our Christmas cruise but we werent wowed on Christmas Day.

 

New Years Eve is more elaborate. Party on the Promenade and Pool Deck (weather dependant). Free champers at midnight. Balloon drop at midnight. New Years decorations on the table in MDR and special NYE menu.

[Aus Traveller]

I wouldn't say they're hugely different with RCL. There is a Santa visit, and a 'special' (as in different) menu, but it doesn't have things like turkey or Christmas cake or anything traditionally associated.

 

There are some decorations, and there'll be a new years' party for the countdown (this year's was quite interesting - with a significant surcharge for prime Promenade seating!) No difference in the shows.

For Christmas on the Sea Princess just over a year ago we had turkey and vegs followed by plum pudding for Christmas dinner. :) We had fake snow in the atrium at set times each day and Christmas carols sung by a small group of crew.

[OzKiwiJJ]

We've done two Christmas cruises.

 

2014 on Sun Princess. The ship was beautifully decorated with a small decoration on the mail slot of every cabin, which made the corridors look very festive, a tree and decorations in the atrium, and a Christmas tree in the Wheelhouse Bar. There was a gingerbread house display in the atrium for several days before Christmas and, I think, there was a opportunity to decorate your own gingerbread house, possibly for a fee. Christmas Eve was a formal night, carol singing in the atrium, with "snow" falling, and a special Christmas show. Dinner that night was the Gala menu with lobster and pheasant. Christmas Day dinner had crackers on the table, turkey, Christmas pudding, and a couple of other Christmas specials on the menu. I believe Santa arrived at some stage and gave gifts to the kids.

 

2015 on Celebrity Solstice. Again beautifully decorated in the centrum and bars, but nothing in the corridors. There was a set display, including houses and a model train, in between the two banks of lifts on the lower level of the centrum. Christmas Eve was formal night, with lobster, duck, turkey and ham on the menu. There was carol singing in the centrum and a special Christmas show which included a large group of kids singing the Aussie version of The Twelve Days of Christmas. Christmas Day lunch had crackers on the tables, turkey and Christmas pudding. But there were no crackers on the tables for Christmas Day dinner, which was a disappointment especially as they were actually quite good crackers with great "groan" jokes. There was turkey, ham and Christmas pudding on the menu again though. Santa visited - we actually saw him this time - and I think he handed out gifts to the kids.

 

We really enjoyed both our Christmases on board. I think the Princess one was just a tad better than Celebrity.

[The_Big_M]

For Christmas on the Sea Princess just over a year ago we had turkey and vegs followed by plum pudding for Christmas dinner. :) We had fake snow in the atrium at set times each day and Christmas carols sung by a small group of crew.

 

I've heard and seen pictures on Princess that there is more attention and effort put into their version.

 

I came away not so impressed with ours (low key as said above was spot on), and heard others enjoyed the general topic of Christmas experience onboard more, but it's due to being on different lines.

[Aus Traveller]

I've heard and seen pictures on Princess that there is more attention and effort put into their version.

 

I came away not so impressed with ours (low key as said above was spot on), and heard others enjoyed the general topic of Christmas experience onboard more, but it's due to being on different lines.

After being on the Christmas cruise on Princess, followed by the New Year cruise, we felt we were "Christmassed out". :D It was lovely though. :)

[dizzy1948]

After being on the Christmas cruise on Princess, followed by the New Year cruise, we felt we were "Christmassed out". :D It was lovely though. :)

 

Dec 2013 On the Dawn Princess and Christmas Day and New Years Day were ship days. Fantastic full ship - full on everything. Gala Dinner - Christmas lunch - New Years Eve Party - sleep in New years day. If I was to do another Christmas Cruise - I'd look for the same set up. Absolutely fantastic. :D

[Kinkacruiser]

Looking forward to our upcoming Emerald Princess Christmas + NZ cruise even more after reading this :D

[markandallan]

Explorer of the seas RCL Christmas New Years was not worth the premium paid in my opinion even though it was still a great holiday. Christmas Dinner in the MDR was terrible a couple of crackers on the table , nothing like a Christmas menus and confused muddled service and paid $25 for lobster which was dry and bland. We left after main.

They did Xmas morning well with Santa coming onto the promenade and leading the kids down to the ice skating rink our daughter loved it.

The deck party was canceled due to wind for New Years and they had the party on the promenade, but 3800 people do not really fit comfortably so we went to the Viking lounge which was good but all the bars shut at 2am. Many not happy, but many were.

Don't expect bells and whistles and expect to pay more but not receive a great deal for the premium payed.

All that being said we have a New Years cruise booked with princess this year so we will see how another cruise line manages it.

[tompaddyelle]

We do a Christmas cruise every year (it has become our family tradition) ::)

We have not been disappointed once but found our last Christmas cruise on the Dawn Princess to have been our best yet. I think the small ship provides a better holiday feeling as you get to know the other passengers and crew better.

The younger children I saw had a ball doing christmas craft, making cookies and having their own christmas party with Santa.

The best bit about cruising at Christmas is that you get to escape all the "busyness" that always happens at home and you can just enjoy being together as a family without anyone bring lumbered with all the work.:D

[JacintaH]

All of our cruises have been over the Xmas/New Year break as we like to escape the heat of the tropics and we dislike Xmas hype. Our line of choice is Celebrity as they don't make such a fuss of Xmas but do put on a great New Years Eve party. RCL may have the same philosophy.

 

I do know that people who really like to make a celebration of Xmas do express disappointment that there was no sense of occasion on the day.

 

My only issue with Xmas cruises is the hoards of unsupervised children. Tweens and Teenagers prefer to wander and end up being annoying brats packs as their behaviour and intelligence drops to the lowest common denominator.

[pomgo]

one of our christmas cruises was disappointing with 1200 yes that's right children on board and mostly unsupervised. However, does not put us off doing more Christmas New year cruises. Irene and Stan

[maxmia]

Hi Irene and Stan, we met you on a cruise,a few years ago. Stan hurt his arm on the bus. I think it was a Hal cruise, I can't remember, we have done a number of cruises since then, now with Princess. Hope you are both well, Barbara and Kevin