12 best Christmas cruises for 2024 and 2025
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Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself to a quiet morning opening gifts. The Panorama has plenty to keep you busy, ranging from trampoline parks to adults-only outdoor retreats. Though any cruise in December could potentially be considered a Christmas cruise, some do it better than others.
Australasian & South Pacific Cruises
Tallinn's Raekoja plats is the spot where the first public Christmas tree was put on display in Europe. Fun holiday activities include outdoor skating rink, jazz and classical concerts, illuminated snow sculptures, and Santa's house where kids post Christmas list and feed baby reindeer. Skansen's Christmas market is ultra-traditional - it has been held since 1903 annually. Skansen is like outdoor cultural museum, it's historic, so you'll see how a Christmas market during the 1800's looked in Sweden. Homemade jams, mustards, sausages, bread, cakes and marzipan, as well as traditional handicrafts (embroidery, leather, holiday decorations).
Best for short cruises: Riverside Luxury Cruises' Christmas on the Danube
Celebrate and pamper mom onboard with a relaxing spa treatment, a specially-themed balcony breakfast, complimentary sparkling wine and a rose at dinner, and much more. Pack your appetite — all your favorite flavors of the holiday season are onboard. Savor mouthwatering Thanksgiving staples like oven-roasted turkey and old-fashioned pecan pie.
Christmas Cruises 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 New Year's Eve
But if you want a Christmas cruise that hits all the highlights, you can’t go wrong with a Danube River cruise. Itineraries vary between cruise lines, but most call on top destinations like Vienna and Budapest. These river cruises only run seasonally while the markets are open, so they tend to book up quickly with passengers ranging from older adults to all types of families looking for a winter holiday filled with festive fun. Most cruise lines exploring Europe’s rivers visit the Christmas Markets during the holiday season, so your choices are endless! As if never-ending shrimp and beautiful coastlines weren’t enticing enough, cruise lines go all out each winter for holiday celebrations.
Classic Christmas Markets (Uniworld)
Aka "bristle worms", these are tube-building marine species living on coral reefs in tropical ocean waters. Each of these worms produces two multicolored spirals, which are apparatus for feeding and respiration. These beautiful creatures are CruiseMapper's choice of "Christmas Cruise" photos because of their most obvious "Xmas-themed" look.
Consider a holiday bonus for the crew
A blend of tradition and luxury, Princess Cruises offers a quintessential Christmas experience. Tailored especially for families, this cruise line promises a magical experience when cruising with kids. For those seeking an intimate and culturally immersive Christmas experience, Viking River Cruises offers the perfect setting.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Each Adventure Guide travels with the group throughout the cruise so your family really gets to know them, and they get to know you. This allows them to make personalized recommendations about activities and meals. As you walk through each town they share the history, culture and legends of the destination. Be sure to get the town's specialty, a steaming bowl of moules frites (mussels with fries), for Christmas lunch. After three days of touring smaller towns, you'll return to Paris, where the Eiffel Tower is visible from the banks of the Seine. Day two will bring you to Rouen, where you are invited to join Christmas Eve dinner and midnight mass.
Night Catalina & Ensenada Cruise
Then the whole family can reunite for a stress-free Christmas dinner, feasting on a delicious banquet while cherishing each other’s company. This year, spend the holidays in a warm winter wonderland with your favorite holiday traditions — plus some epic new ones — onboard the world’s boldest ships. Bring everyone together for Thanksgiving memory-making that the whole family will be grateful for. Sailings in December keep magical Christmas celebrations dancing through your head. The Netherlands also have long traditions of Christmas markets, but Valkenburg Christmas market is the most unique.
Best Christmas cruises of 2023 from just $607 - Cruise Passenger
Best Christmas cruises of 2023 from just $607.
Posted: Thu, 14 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Making a special Christmas ornament while sailing can be a memorable activity, especially for kids. While the cruise will likely have its own entertainment, there’s something special about listening or watching your festive favorites. While it’s essential for any cruise, ensure you pack the necessary adapters and chargers to keep your devices running. You’ll likely be capturing lots of memories or video-calling loved ones to share festive greetings. While cruises are largely all-inclusive, packing right can enhance your experience.
The best way to check the cost of a Christmas cruise is to start the reservation process online or call a travel agent—getting a quote is not a commitment to buy. Nearly all cruise lines quote a starting price but the rate will change based on the exact type of stateroom you prefer and number of passengers in your room. Mandatory taxes and fees can also increase your total cost but will be included in your final quote. This trip sails over both Christmas and New Year’s, for twice the excuse to celebrate—assuming you can peel yourself away from the incredible history, culture, food and beaches along the way. If the holidays are more about adventure than traditions, this is the cruise for you.
River cruises may have a reputation of appealing to older travelers, but people of all ages are discovering they're a great way to travel. Adventures by Disney offers a range of family-friendly river cruises thanks to a partnership with AmaWaterways, and in the wintertime, three of their itineraries focus on Europe's historic Christmas markets. On these journeys, you'll glide along the Danube or Rhine rivers, making stops in countries like Germany, Austria, and France. Choose a Rhine voyage to see the canals of Amsterdam lit up for the holidays or a Danube trip featuring a shore excursion to a festive outdoor ice-skating rink in the heart of Vienna. No matter which itinerary you select, all meals are included, and you can partake in onboard activities such as gingerbread cookie decorating and a mulled wine tasting. For those who prefer celebrating the holidays at home, you can still experience the top Christmas cruise destinations to help you get in the spirit of the season.
If you have free time, be sure to stop in at La Couronne, the oldest operating restaurant in France and the place that inspired Julia Child to start cooking. Riverside Luxury Cruises' Christmas Atmosphere Along the Danube cruises depart in early and mid-December 2024. In Vienna, you can choose to visit one of the city's 100+ museums or visit the iconic Opera House before heading to the Christmas market for a glass of mulled wine and shopping. For those interested in wine, Krems is a must-see destination known for some of the best wines in the country.
Onboard, you can make a card for your sweetheart, send a singing telegram, renew your vows, watch themed Movies Under the Stars, and so much more. Leave the cooking to Princess, and join us for an elaborate traditional holiday feast in the dining room, complete with all the trimmings. You can also purchase unlimited premium beverage and specialty dining packages, bon voyage gifts, perks packages, an unlimited class pass to the fitness center, and more special treats on our website. Ring in the new year with an enchanting countdown to the massive balloon drop. Plus, score an invitation to the hottest New Year’s Eve party at sea, where jam-worthy live music starts the year on just the right note.
Swaying palm trees, turquoise waters, and sun-soaked beaches – the Caribbean offers an idyllic setting to switch up your traditional snowy Christmas. Choosing a Christmas cruise doesn’t mean forgoing the essence of the holiday; it simply means reinventing it. Whether you seek warmth, relaxation, adventure, or novelty, the myriad benefits of a Christmas cruise ensure an unforgettable holiday experience. On an all-inclusive cruise, the staff takes care of the minutiae, leaving you free to soak in the festivities, relish gourmet meals, and partake in entertainment options without the typical holiday stress.
The hardworking staff will appreciate your extra generosity during the holiday season. The crew will decorate public areas on board, but passengers often go all-out decorating their doors and cabins for the holidays, as well. You'll find stateroom doors on Christmas cruises covered in wrapping paper, adorned with garlands or dotted with holiday-themed images.
Around 60 exhibitors usually offer their crafts and products, glass Christmas decorations, ceramic and wood creations, as well as original gift ideas. Piazza dei Signori (known also as Piazza Dante), is accompanied by typical flavours and smells of Christmas specialties as mulled wine, delicious sandwiches and sweets with typical Nuremberg sauerkraut and sausages. At CruiseMapper's "Christmas New Year Cruise" hub you can compares all major cruise companies' December Holiday offers as itineraries and prices. Our Xmas cruise finder allows searching by departure ports, countries and company, also allowing you to choose vessel type (ocean ship or riverboat) and a preferable call port along the itinerary. Holiday sailings to the Caribbean are popular choices for cruisers, and a wide range of lines offer December cruises from Florida.
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