An after Christmas cruise is a tough sell for my wife

[hapster85]

For years now, I've wanted to try a cruise during the holidays, but have never had much luck convincing my wife. Because of our work schedules, the timeframe is usually pretty limited. Christmas 2020 is on a Friday, which presents the perfect opportunity for us to both be off the following week.

 

I'd hoped that the kids being grown and busy doing their own things might make it more palatable to her. But so far, no. There's just something about the holidays that says "home" to her. I respect and understand that. Doesn't stop me from dropping hints though.

 

The prices are really pretty good right now, too.

 

She's a bit more open to going over Thanksgiving, but not much. Prices are even better that week.

 

Maybe stories of positive experiences from some others would help? Meanwhile, a guy can dream.

[Ourusualbeach]

Join us on Oasis this Christmas.  She’s fresh out of drydock.  Love Christmas cruises, no cooking, cleaning or in laws.

[KBS1607]

We cruised over Christmas on Princess and it was lovely. We had our adult daughter with us, though. 

[vacationlover_mn]

Haven’t gone over Christmas, but have done early December and LOVE it!  Great weather, few kids, good prices.  Note, I’m from MN, so my standards for great weather are pretty low 😉

[bigeck]

1 hour ago, hapster85 said:

 

For years now, I've wanted to try a cruise during the holidays, but have never had much luck convincing my wife. Because of our work schedules, the timeframe is usually pretty limited. Christmas 2020 is on a Friday, which presents the perfect opportunity for us to both be off the following week.

 

I'd hoped that the kids being grown and busy doing their own things might make it more palatable to her. But so far, no. There's just something about the holidays that says "home" to her. I respect and understand that. Doesn't stop me from dropping hints though.

 

The prices are really pretty good right now, too.

 

She's a bit more open to going over Thanksgiving, but not much. Prices are even better that week.

 

Maybe stories of positive experiences from some others would help? Meanwhile, a guy can dream.

 

Try Dubai on Jewel. 23rd Dec and gets back on 30th. Couple of days in a hotel to see the fireworks and fly home on the 2nd.

Cheap cruise

[hapster85]

Try Dubai on Jewel. 23rd Dec and gets back on 30th. Couple of days in a hotel to see the fireworks and fly home on the 2nd.
Cheap cruise

While that sounds like an awesome trip, I wouldn't stand a chance of selling that one, even if I could manage to get a couple of days off before Christmas. Maybe after retirement.

[vacationlover_mn]

42 minutes ago, vacationlover_mn said:

Haven’t gone over Christmas, but have done early December and LOVE it!  Great weather, few kids, good prices.  Note, I’m from MN, so my standards for great weather are pretty low 😉

Note- if it wasn’t for DH, i’d always cruise in early December... but, he is all “I need a break in the bad weather, in Feb!”. 😞

[kccrzr]

4 hours ago, bigeck said:

Try Dubai on Jewel. 23rd Dec and gets back on 30th. Couple of days in a hotel to see the fireworks and fly home on the 2nd.

Cheap cruise

 

We are booked on this cruise and can’t wait. It will be our first Christmas cruise but we will have our two adult daughters with us. 

 

Since we we are still working, planning a cruise around a holiday gives us more bang for our PTO days. We are taking a Med cruise over the 4th of July.  And last year sailed to the Bahamas over MLK Day and Bermuda over Labor Day. 

[bajathree]

5 hours ago, hapster85 said:

 

For years now, I've wanted to try a cruise during the holidays, but have never had much luck convincing my wife. Because of our work schedules, the timeframe is usually pretty limited. Christmas 2020 is on a Friday, which presents the perfect opportunity for us to both be off the following week.

 

I'd hoped that the kids being grown and busy doing their own things might make it more palatable to her. But so far, no. There's just something about the holidays that says "home" to her. I respect and understand that. Doesn't stop me from dropping hints though.

 

The prices are really pretty good right now, too.

 

She's a bit more open to going over Thanksgiving, but not much. Prices are even better that week.

 

Maybe stories of positive experiences from some others would help? Meanwhile, a guy can dream.

 

Sister in law was the same way....would always say....Can't go without the kids even though they were grown adults doing their own thing. Didn't stop my wife and I from saying.....SEE YA .....lol

[Hoopster95]

5 hours ago, hapster85 said:

 

Maybe stories of positive experiences from some others would help? Meanwhile, a guy can dream.

 

 

Radiance in Oz... picture XMas Eve. I estimate at least 75% of the ship were awesome and fun local Ozzies! 

10pm in the Centrum... many of us had already been enjoying the evening (dinner, show, drinks ... feeling pretty good if you know what I mean)

The RCL orchestra was set up on deck 4, alongside the approx 15 foot Xmas tree. XMas carol books were handed out. I am not exaggerating, the railings all the way up to deck nine were packed. Deck 5 and 6 at least 3-4 deep and surely deeper. We were shoulder to shoulder on deck 4, you could not move. This event was the only thing scheduled at that time...

 

We began Xmas caroling... you could not hear yourself. Imagine at least 1000 people in the centrum with their loudest voices all singing "O Come, all Ye Faithful" and "Drummer Boy" all the way up to deck 9. The band shut down for some songs as we were totally acapela in the Centrum. Felt like we were in church. I think what the activity staff thought would be a 15-20 min event lasted for 1 hour 15 minutes with everyone wanting more, laughing and hugging each other, starting the next song in the booklet before the band can begin lol! it was the most awesome thing. One of my best memories on any cruise. 

 

Waking up XMas morning and watching the kids visiting Santa at the tree was pretty cool too.... as was heading up to the pool deck around 10:30am and it was already 30 degrees Celcius!!! Beach Day on Dec 25th... can't beat that 

[Coralc]

We always like to go in early to mid December, before Christmas. The prices are less expensive and the ship is nicely decorated for the holiday. We are then home for the actual holiday. (not that we do anything special) There are too many kids on Christmas cruises, and the prices are usually higher. 

[Bloodgem]

10 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

 Love Christmas cruises, no cooking, cleaning or in laws.

 

Agreed no cooking; cleaning; relatives or excessive food shopping.

hapster85 if your kids come to you for Christmas, you could use the argument that the kids might like to do their own thing for once.

[3monkeys4me]

We like traveling over the holidays too. My kids are young enough that they still travel with us. I am not too sure what we will do when they move out, hopefully we can continue to travel together or once they settle in their own lives we may choose our own days for family celebrations. My husbands family typically celebrates the week before Christmas. 

[sgmn]

9 hours ago, bigeck said:

Try Dubai on Jewel. 23rd Dec and gets back on 30th. Couple of days in a hotel to see the fireworks and fly home on the 2nd.

Cheap cruise

Hotels in Dubai are usually mega expensive over NY. Very popular for the fireworks. Also weather can't be relied to be hot.  Went in January and wasn't really beach weather, around 20 degrees. To be sure of good hot weather need to travel late Feb or March 

Edited February 20, 2019 by sgmn

[gatour]

It sounds like you are not planning on cruising after Christmas.  If so, then your wife will get to do the Christmassy stuff before the cruise.  Leading up to Christmas can be intense and people experience a post Christmas let down.  Having a cruise just after Christmas can be a way to unwind from the Christmas run-up

 

My wife is from a large extended family who live local to us.  Christmas is a big thing for them.  One year we took a 11 day cruise just pass Christmas so  we could use vacation time from two different calendar years.  She was able to do all of the normal Christmas stuff, like baking cookies, shopping etc along with go the big family gathering on Christmas day where presents are exchanged.  It worked out fine.

[orville99]

14 hours ago, vacationlover_mn said:

Note- if it wasn’t for DH, i’d always cruise in early December... but, he is all “I need a break in the bad weather, in Feb!”. 😞

We fixed that dilemma by doing both.

 

Seriously though, we've done short cruises the week between Christmas and New Year, and they are very relaxing. It's nice to do Christmas with the family and have a built in excuse why you won't take any leftovers home. We've also done several New Years eve cruises, and while they were fun, the cost was a bit too steep for us, so we now do a mid-December and mid-February cruise for about the same price as a single NYE cruise.

[er345]

I am very much looking forward to someday being able to cruise over the Holidays.

I don’t want to wish away these precious years while my kids are home and still want traditional Christmas.  Fortunately they still have grandparents who look forward to seeing them.  But the Holidays are so darn stressful! I’m pretty much over the whole family getting together for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I need a break!

 

Im thinking there might be a few years once we are empty nesters and before we are grandparents when we can just do our own thing.  Then maybe after a few years break I will get sentimental and want to do traditional Christmas again with my own grandkids. 

[bigeck]

6 hours ago, sgmn said:

Hotels in Dubai are usually mega expensive over NY. Very popular for the fireworks. Also weather can't be relied to be hot.  Went in January and wasn't really beach weather, around 20 degrees. To be sure of good hot weather need to travel late Feb or March 

I booked a hotel ages ago. Got the Radisson Waterfront for £125 per night. 30th to 2nd Jan. Now it's up to £400 per night.

As for the weather, I'll take what I get. I can't go in Feb or March

[orville99]

11 minutes ago, bigeck said:

I booked a hotel ages ago. Got the Radisson Waterfront for £125 per night. 30th to 2nd Jan. Now it's up to £400 per night.

As for the weather, I'll take what I get. I can't go in Feb or March

The temperature in Dubai (even at 20C) has to be better than the temperature in Fife any day. The last time I was in the UK, 20 would have definitely been a beach day

[Beav1279]

My husband and I just went on our first Christmas cruise this past year. It was the best! No stress about last-minute shopping or cooking. No schedules to worry about.. no traffic to be stuck in. We went on a Carnival ship out of Galveston, TX. The ship was all decorated for Christmas and many of the cabins decorated their doors! We had a special meal on Christmas Day, a Christian service on Christmas Eve, a visit from Santa, Christmas caroling, and an ugly sweater contest. Even though we missed seeing our family, we had the BEST time and would do it over in a heartbeat!

[ShillyShally]

We love cruising over Thanksgiving BUT plane tickets are crazy expensive on top of any sailing premium.  I've wanted to do a NYE one and may one day do it but not sure I can swing the costs/justification.

[KelJ]

We sailed on the Anthem over Christmas 2017.  It was an eight-night cruise.  There were ten of us (me, my husband, my mom and dad, four of our six grown kids and two of their significant others).  Initially we booked six cabins for twelve people, but a couple months before the cruise one of our sons got a new job and couldn't get time off to go with us, so sadly he and his wife were unable to join us and we canceled their cabin.

 

Pros:

1.  No decorating (and then undecorating) back home.

2.  No gift buying or wrapping (the cruise was our gift to everyone).

3.  No Christmas grocery shopping and meal preparing.

4.  No snow.

 

Cons:

1.  Price (it is very expensive to sail over Christmas).

 

I'd love to sail over Christmas and New Year's!

 

[kag19]

All my husband has to say is "how about a cruise..." and I am in. :) Our kids are still young though and taking them over the holidays can get expensive.  Once they get a bit older we will go though.

[orville99]

44 minutes ago, kag19 said:

All my husband has to say is "how about a cruise..." and I am in. :) Our kids are still young though and taking them over the holidays can get expensive.  Once they get a bit older we will go though.

My wife is the same way - she usually starts saying that the same week we get back from a cruise. After about two weeks, it changes to "see if there are any cabins available on the ships sailing this weekend."

 

We joke that our time on land is just an extended shore excursion.

Edited February 20, 2019 by orville99

[jaowel]

We did a NYE cruise for the first time this past year and LOVED it! Our 20, 15 and 12yr old children wanted an experience instead of gifts, so it was a win-win for us for sure! We are planning to make it an annual trip...with or without the kids. The whole cruise was very relaxed and the ship went all out for NYE! Our first cruise with Royal won't be until next year, but I'm sure they make cruising over the Holidays very special for their guests.

I hope she changes her mind 🙂