did you enjoy Christmas on the cruise ship

[*Miss G*]

We went on our first Christmas cruise last Christmas and loved it. Twelve nights on Cunard's QM2 from New York. The ship was decorated, we had Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, and New Years Day special dinners. Wouldn't hesitate to take it again. Formal, festive, with lots of repeat passengers.

 

They also gave us small poinsettia plants! So cute. Oh, and a Royal Doulton (or was it Wedgewood?) gift on Christmas Day! I get a lot more gifts on Cunard than I do on HAL. Why am I on HAL again?

[tv24]

We were on the Nieu Amsterdam for the Christmas cruise a few weeks ago. The decorations were pleasant, although nothing special. On Christmas Eve, there was a special show of staff singing Christmas songs. This was very sweet and completely in the spirit of Christmas, so I enjoyed it, although it was not very polished...maybe that's why I liked it! Overall the ship was jam-packed with every inch occupied. At times it was hard to find a seat in the buffet or in the entertainment venues. Hallways were jammed. Lines at the main dining room. Christmas fills up the ships, families pack into the cabins, it's very, very crowded, much more than I've ever seen in the 27 cruises that I've sailed. So come for the big party, or stay home.

[shipshapertoo]

I traveled solo on the Oosterdam this past Christmas season, embarking on Dec 20 from San Diego, and loved it. The ship had a singles/solo luncheon in the main dining room on Dec 21 and the dining room manager put

together seating for whoever wanted to have dinner together every night.

 

I sat with a great group of people every night and the table had a great location--back of the dining room overlooking the ocean.

 

And the decorations were lovely...Christmas trees, poinsettias everywhere, gingerbread village and the 3 adorable elf dolls in the Lincoln Center room.

 

Yule log was one of the desserts on Christmas day and the ship also had special holiday alcoholic drinks only for the Christmas cruise.

 

I don't have young children but I went to the Christmas Day festivities held

at the main stage. It was so much fun.. I was laughing out loud at the video the ship showed of Santa and his elves arriving on the ship and running around doing all the things that passengers do.....trying on jewelry, eating in the Lido. Very well done and very funny.

 

A very enjoyable cruise.

[rkacruiser]

I traveled solo on the Oosterdam this past Christmas season, embarking on Dec 20 from San Diego, and loved it. The ship had a singles/solo luncheon in the main dining room on Dec 21 and the dining room manager put

together seating for whoever wanted to have dinner together every night.

 

I sat with a great group of people every night and the table had a great location--back of the dining room overlooking the ocean.

 

And the decorations were lovely...Christmas trees, poinsettias everywhere, gingerbread village and the 3 adorable elf dolls in the Lincoln Center room.

 

Yule log was one of the desserts on Christmas day and the ship also had special holiday alcoholic drinks only for the Christmas cruise.

 

I don't have young children but I went to the Christmas Day festivities held

at the main stage. It was so much fun.. I was laughing out loud at the video the ship showed of Santa and his elves arriving on the ship and running around doing all the things that passengers do.....trying on jewelry, eating in the Lido. Very well done and very funny.

 

A very enjoyable cruise.

 

So agree with your comment about the Christmas Morning festivities and video! A real memory highlight and seems to be a HAL "staple" since I have experienced this on two HAL Christmas cruises.

[geoherb]

We sailed on several Christmas cruises (and two that included New Year's Eve) when DH was a community college professor. After his father's death five years, though, we have stayed home for Christmas to be with his mother (and mine--although mine doesn't care as much about our being home for the exact date).

 

Last month we took a Princess cruise from Dec. 10 through Dec. 20. We had most of the holiday decorations. And we paid a lot less than the cruise line charged for the following cruise. We also had a couple of dozen children on our cruise. The next one had more than 500.