What better way to spend the holidays with family and friends than on Christmas holiday cruises? Sail to the Caribbean islands, where the skies are always beautiful and the sea is perfectly clear. Escape to the Mexican coasts to see the cliff divers in Acapulco or the spectacular sunsets in Cabo San Lucas. Set sail to the Mediterranean for a more typical European feast. Or take a trip to exotic destinations like the Galapagos Islands, Tahiti, or even the tip of Africa. Whether you want to stay close to home or embark on a bucket-list adventure, one of these Christmas holiday cruises could be the ideal gift to help you celebrate the holidays in style.
Best Christmas Holiday Cruises in 2023
#1. AmaWaterways
AmaWaterways provides seven itineraries for visiting Christmas markets along the Rhine and Danube rivers, as well as seeing the holiday grandeur of Europe’s big towns like Vienna and Prague. Snow-dusted medieval squares and fairytale marketplaces with chalet-inspired booths, thousands of multicolored lights, festive decorations, ice skating rinks, whimsical handmade items, Christmas carolers, carousels, and more await visitors.
The eight-day iconic Christmas marketplace itinerary includes a visit to Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg, Germany, one of the world’s oldest and most famous Christmas marketplaces. Drink glühwein (hot mulled wine) and eat currywurst (curried sausages) and kartoffelpuffer (fried potato pancakes). Make room for sweet treats such as schaumkuss, a chocolate-covered marshmallow, and lebkuchen, a typical spiced cookie.
Guests on board the ship can partake in activities such as tree-trimming, caroling, and “Shoes for St. Nick,” a European tradition in which passengers put their slippers outside their stateroom door before going to sleep. They wake up in the morning to slippers loaded with delightful delicacies, just like the children of Europe on Saint Nicholas Day.
#2. Celebrity Cruise Lines
During Celebrity Cruises’ Canaries, Morocco, and Spain holiday cruises, spend Christmas Day in the Canary Islands and ring in the new year on the Mediterranean Sea. Celebrity Infinity will set sail from Barcelona a few days before Christmas 2023 on a 13-day round-trip tour. It has eight ports of call, including Casablanca and Tangier in Morocco, as well as Seville and Valencia in Spain.
Guests on the ship may enjoy spectacular Christmas trees, traditional holiday feasts, themed concerts and pop-ups, carolers, gingerbread winter villages, and even a visit from Santa. The onboard bars offer seasonal classics like spiked apple cider and classic mulled wine, in addition to holiday-inspired cocktails like candy cane and gingerbread martinis. Plan to celebrate New Year’s Eve with fellow cruisers at the huge countdown bash.
#3. Viking
In 2023 and 2024, Viking will provide a 12-day Christmas on the Main & Moselle trip between Paris and Prague. Passengers aged 18 and up can visit four European nations on the adults-only sailing: France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Czech Republic. In addition to shopping in Paris and visiting several Christmas markets in Germany, you should visit notable landmarks such as Reims Cathedral in France and the Luxembourg American Cemetery. Don’t miss the region’s famous wines, such as Moselle, riesling, Müller-Thurgau, and gewürztraminer.
The holiday spirit is carried over to the ship with Christmas-themed cooking demos and seasonal decorations such as garlands, lights, and gingerbread houses. Guests will also be able to sample regional cuisine, watch cultural events both on and off the ship, and learn about the history of Christmas markets and local holiday traditions.
#4. Walt Disney Cruise Line
In November and December of 2023 and 2024, Disney Cruise Line will offer dozens of Christmas-themed cruises. Cruisers who want to spend the holidays with Disney’s cast of characters in 2023 can book a four-day Very Merrytime voyage from Port Canaveral, Florida, to the Bahamas. Consider Disney Cruise Line’s eastbound 15-day cruise that departs from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and transits the Panama Canal before disembarking in Galveston, Texas.
Guests can gather around the three-deck-tall Christmas tree on the first evening of every voyage for the tree lighting ceremony, a holiday song, and the introduction of Santa Claus. Other events include Mickey and Minnie’s Holiday Party, themed Very Merrytime activities for children of all ages, carolers singing carols, and Christmas-themed food and beverages. During the special excursions, Disney characters like Mickey and Minnie Mouse will be dressed in festive new holiday clothing.
#5. Azamara
Consider spending Christmas and New Year’s Eve sailing round-trip from Cape Town on Azamara’s 14-day South Africa Intensive Voyage to cross South Africa off your bucket list. The 2023 cruise aboard Azamara Pursuit leaves on December 21 and includes stops in Port Elizabeth, which has one of the world’s densest elephant populations, and Richards Bay, which is packed with unique species and breathtaking landscapes.
The staff will provide Christmas entertainment for the travelers, including singalongs and carols. Restaurants will offer special menus, holiday-themed buffets, religious services, and a tree-trimming party. Throughout the trip, festive delicacies such as hot chocolate, cookies, and snacks are served. The New Year’s Eve White Night party, with entertainment, music, and light snacks, will take place around the ship and on the pool deck, with all passengers dressed in their best white apparel.
#6. Windstar Cruise Lines
Celebrate the holidays with a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Tahiti’s sun-drenched islands. You’ll set sail on the four-masted sailing yacht Wind Spirit a few days before Christmas. Windstar’s 10-day Overwater Bungalow & Tahitian Paradise Cruise Tour includes a three-night stay in Moorea’s Overwater bungalows. A half-day private automobile tour and a romantic beach dinner with a beautiful French Polynesian sunset over the South Pacific Ocean are among the resort’s amenities.
Guests may get into the holiday spirit by visiting the ship’s colorful Christmas trees and decorations, as well as holiday-inspired beverages and sweets. A Christmas movie, a gala tea, an interdenominational Christmas service, and a Christmas Eve feast are among the special events planned for the journey. Christmas morning kicks off the day’s festivities, which include holiday breakfasts, a Yuletide afternoon tea, and a Christmas supper, followed by a variety show in the evening.
#7. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL)
On Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, Norwegian Viva, prepare your bikini, flip-flops, and sunglasses for a tropical holiday. The nine-day Caribbean cruise departs round-trip from San Juan, Puerto Rico, a few days after Christmas. There are eight ports of call, including stops in Curaçao, Bonaire, St. Lucia, and Aruba, all of which are gorgeous islands. Splurge on exquisite suite accommodations in The Haven for a special occasion. The ship-within-a-ship retreat has a private restaurant, a lounge, a sundeck, a concierge desk, and butler service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The holiday-themed events on Norwegian ships differ according to the itinerary and ship. Nonetheless, there will be plenty of festive entertainment on board, including traditional holiday meals and holiday-inspired musical presentations, trivia, and family and youth activities. Guests are encouraged to provide interdenominational services to fellow passengers during the voyage. The Freestyle Daily Program also includes Hanukkah services. Plan on sleeping in on New Year’s Day and relaxing at sea after a late night celebrating New Year’s Eve on board the cruise.
#8. American Queen Cruises
The holiday-themed, eight-day roundtrip New Orleans adventure on American Queen begins with an overnight stay in the city and concludes just in time for Christmas Eve in the Big Easy.
During the Lower Mississippi River voyage, the ship, a 417-passenger paddle-wheeler and the largest steamboat ever built, will call at four ports. Guests will enjoy holiday markets established specifically for the cruise in Natchez, Mississippi, where they may purchase gifts and delicious delicacies. The historic Nottoway Resort in White Parish, Louisiana, will also welcome you with bonfires along the riverbanks. Donations to Giving Trees in port towns that benefit local charities let you get into the true Christmas spirit.
On board the ship, there are plenty of festive activities such as Christmas plays, singalongs, caroling, and cooking demonstrations. Guests can also use their artistic skills to decorate gingerbread houses, ornaments, and cards while sipping hot chocolate or savoring holiday-themed beverages. Hanukkah traditions will be celebrated with specially prepared meals such as handmade latkes (fried potato pancakes).
#9. Silversea
Spend the holidays with many kinds of waddling penguins, gigantic seals, and majestic whales while exploring the White Continent’s ice-covered coasts for a life-changing experience and the merriest Christmas of all. The 10-day Punta Arenas to Puerto Williams voyage on Silversea’s Silver Endeavour departs Chile for the Antarctic Peninsula a week before Christmas in 2023.
Travelers can experience this weird and fascinating region of the earth over the course of five days of tours. On Christmas Day, weather permitting, guests will join the expedition team for a zodiac trip around the South Shetland Islands.
Christmas trees and lights, gingerbread houses, holiday arts and crafts, caroling, religious services, and musical performances by the crew and professional entertainers are among the festive touches on board the ship. On Christmas Day, guests will also enjoy a traditional holiday supper.
Best Christmas Holiday Cruises in 2024
If you want to get the best deals on a holiday cruise, book early. So, here are some cruises to consider for your Christmas holiday in 2024.
#1. AmaWaterways
- Offers a 7-night Christmas market on the Danube cruise.
- Dates of departure: December 9–15, 2024
- AmaBella is the name of the ship.
A European river cruise is the most convenient method to visit several of Europe’s famed Christmas markets.
Your ship will land in the center of each city, usually within walking distance of the markets. During the holiday season, AmaWaterways guests return from a day of shopping to events on board that include tree-trimming, caroling, and a fun European tradition called “Shoes for St. Nick,” in which passengers who leave their slippers outside their stateroom awake to find them filled with sweets.
Unlike most Christmas-related retail businesses in the United States, which remain open throughout the holiday season, many of Europe’s Christmas markets lock their doors by December 22, so you’ll need to plan your vacation around that day. AmaWaterways’ seven-night Christmas Markets on the Danube trip departs from AmaBella. With port calls at Passau, Germany; Linz, Vienna, and Weissenkirchen, Austria; and Budapest, Hungary, you’ll be immersed in the holiday spirit.
The weeklong cruise begins at $3,699 per person.
#2. Princess Cruises
- Offers a 7-day Western Caribbean trip.
- Dates of departure: December 21–27, 2024
- Sun Princess is the name of the ship.
Sun Princess, the first ship in Princess Cruises’ new Sphere-class series, will make its debut in February 2024.
Take the line’s newest flagship on a round-trip Fort Lauderdale itinerary that includes stops in Cozumel, Mexico, Belize City, Belize, and Roatan, Honduras. Three sea days give visitors plenty of opportunity to explore all of the ship’s amenities, which include a dome-covered pool area and a top-deck family activity zone.
The 4,300-passenger ship will be around 21% larger than the Princess fleet’s current largest ships. It will be the line’s first ship with suites that have exclusive access to a private restaurant, lounge, and sun terrace. Sun Princess will also have an innovative new “cabana cabin” on the ship’s extra-wide 10th deck, which will provide access to a private deck space.
With festive decor around the ship and an occasional “snowfall” in the Atrium, it will be easy to get into the holiday spirit while onboard Sun Princess. If you’re traveling with children, you can leave cookies and carrots for Santa and his reindeer. Caroling, storytime, and other holiday activities will help you make wonderful holiday memories.
The price of an inside stateroom on the Eastern Caribbean cruise begins at $701 per person.
#3. Windstar Cruises
- Offers an 11-day Costa Rica and Panama Canal cruise.
- Dates of departure: December 28, 2024–January 1, 2025.
- The cruise ship is Wind Star.
Book a Panama Canal cruise for your winter holiday as a Christmas present to yourself.
Windstar Cruises Wind Star—a cruise ship that’s part yacht, part four-masted sailing ship—is sailing through the Panama Canal and up Central America’s Pacific coast to Costa Rica this holiday season.
The ship departs from Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica, and makes its first stops at Quepos and Puerto Jimenez. The ship will next visit the Panamanian towns of Isla Parida and Colon before traveling through the Panama Canal.
Windstar provides a tray of Christmas cookies, candy canes, mandarin oranges, roasted almonds, and chocolate sweets to each cabin to sweeten the holiday.
The 11-day Central American vacation costs $3,199 per person, not including port fees and taxes.
#4. American Queen Voyages
- Offers a 9-day Christmas trip from Memphis to New Orleans.
- Dates of departure: December 21–29, 2024
- The American Countess is the name of the ship.
Glide down the Lower Mississippi River and take in the sights of ancient villages decked out for the holidays. This American Queen Voyages itinerary features specially built European-style Christmas markets in Natchez, Mississippi.
The tour begins with a pre-cruise hotel stay in Memphis, where you can visit the National Civil Rights Museum and the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum. Cleveland, Vicksburg, and Natchez, Mississippi, are among the other stops, as are New Roads, Baton Rouge, Nottoway, and New Orleans, Louisiana.
A premium holiday shore trip in Natchez is available to guests. The Jeweled Christmas in Natchez tour includes a stop at The Towers, one of the most luxurious privately owned antebellum estates in the state. The holiday decorations and displays, which include over 100 Christmas trees, will have guests oohing and ahhing.
Passengers will enjoy festive holiday decorations, special holiday entertainment, seasonal cuisine, and Christmas beverages while on board.
The nine-day Memphis to New Orleans Christmas cruise begins at $3,249 per person, which includes taxes, port fees, and gratuities.
#5. Viking
- Offers a 12-night Antarctic Explorer cruise.
- Dates of departure: December 22, 2024–January 1, 2025
- Viking Polaris is the name of the ship.
While instinct may tell you to stop by the North Pole to check on Santa’s operations, the weather is simply too cold, dark, and snowy for cruising. Instead, plan a Christmas expedition to the South Pole or Antarctica.
On the Antarctic Explorer program, spend 13 days exploring the planet’s farthest reaches onboard Viking’s Polaris. The voyage departs from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and includes a stop in Ushuaia before crossing the Drake Passage and cruising Antarctica for seven days.
On Christmas, you’ll explore the icebergs and cliffs of Antarctica before enjoying a hot cocoa or a nice cocktail on deck. After that, indulge in Nordic-inspired delicacies such as smoked salmon and caviar, as well as holiday desserts such as krumkake (a Nordic take on cannoli) and sandpaper (Norwegian sugar cookies).
Ports and destinations on the Antarctic continent fluctuate by the day, as with other Antarctic itineraries, depending on weather and climate conditions. So, the cruise starts at $12,995, which includes airfare, port taxes, and fees.
Christmas Holiday Cruises: Tips for the Season
Before you book, there are a few things you should know about Christmas holiday cruises.
#1. Rates will be very high.
As demand soars, expect cruise fares to be among the highest of the year over the holiday weeks.
The best prices will be for early bookings; no last-minute discounts are possible. If you do, they may be in windowless inside cabins or guarantee cabins, in which the cruise line chooses your room location.
#2. Sailings will be sold out.
Because customers plan their holidays months in advance, holiday sailings sell out faster than other itineraries. Suites and special cabins (family, spa, and solo rooms, for example) are the most popular.
Consider scheduling your holiday trip as soon as possible, as December sailings are frequently sold out a year in advance.
#3. Consider your personal decorations.
The personnel will decorate the public areas on board, but passengers frequently go above and beyond to adorn individual doors and cabins for the holidays.
Cabin magnetic doors are blank canvases for the imagination. On Christmas holiday cruises, stateroom doors are wrapped in wrapping paper, ornamented with garlands, or peppered with holiday-themed graphics.
Before fastening anything to your door or in your cabin, it’s best to double-check with your cruise line, as rules and restrictions vary per line. If you’re not artistic, see whether your cruise line has cabin decoration packages available for pre-order prior to your trip.
#4. On the actual holiday, specialty dining is not encouraged.
The majority of specialty dining restaurants on major cruise lines have fixed menus that do not vary for holidays.
The major dining options included on board are your best bet for traditional holiday meal alternatives (think roast turkey, smoked ham, mashed potatoes, and gravy). If you want a more personal holiday lunch, it doesn’t hurt to ask if any extra-fee restaurants are offering a Christmas or New Year’s menu.
#5. In port, expect holiday hours.
Most cruise lines will plan for Christmas to be a sea day, but if you’re in port on December 25 (or Boxing Day, as several islands celebrate the day after), anticipate shops, restaurants, and attractions to have altered hours or be closed.
Onboard services will not be interrupted, so even if all of your favorite lunch restaurants in port are closed, you’ll always have a delicious meal on the ship.
#6. Consider giving the employees a holiday bonus.
For the holidays, cruise ship crew members go above and beyond the regular service on all lines, whether it’s a sweet note wishing you well, a Champagne toast for New Year’s, or a whimsical towel creation.
They can’t be with their family because they’re working so hard to make your holiday wonderful. While gratuities are sometimes included in your fare or automatically added to your final bill, consider tipping more on a Christmas cruise. During the holiday season, the hardworking staff will appreciate your extra generosity.
- BRAZIL HOLIDAYS TO LOOK OUT FOR
- 33+ BEST CHRISTMAS VACATION IDEAS FOR FAMILIES
- COSTA RICA IN DECEMBER: Weather & Best Places To Visit
- SAILING THE CARIBBEAN: Perfect Routes For Exploration
- NEW YORK IN WINTER: What To Wear & Places To Visit
References
