Christmas and winter cruises can make great cold-weather getaways for families. This provides a chance to bond together on a cruise ship over the holidays.
It can also be a great way to gather several family members or friends together in one spot for Christmas, Hanukkah or New Year's Eve. You can even spend some together time with in-laws, parents, grandparents and siblings on board, while getting intimate time with your spouse and children in ports of call.
Schools and colleges have extended breaks at this time. The cruise industry has discovered that this is a great season to target families, and many are offering Christmas, winter, Hanukkah or New Year's Eve themed cruises. They include:
Norwegian Cruise Lines, which features 13 holiday and winter cruises to the Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexican Riviera and South America. They depart from diverse ports, including Houston, New York, New Orleans, Miami and Charleston. The holiday cruises include Christmas crafts for kids, Santa Claus handing out gifts and caroling from the crew.
Princess Cruise Line features various holiday itineraries sailing to spots like the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand or the South Pacific. The ships are decorated for the Christmas holidays, a Rabbi is on board for Hanukkah services and New Year's Eve festivities include midnight celebrations and televised college football bowl games.
Disney Cruise Line seems like a natural choice for a holiday family cruise, but they surprisingly have just one holiday itinerary. This is a 10-day Caribbean cruise departing Port Canaveral, Florida.
Holland America Cruise Line offers a guaranteed white Christmas with its Antarctica holida cruise. They also feature cruise itineraries over the holidays to the Caribbean, Australia and Mexico.
The copyright of the article Winter and Christmas Cruises in Family Adventures is owned by Kelby Carr. Permission to republish Winter and Christmas Cruises in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Comments
Sep 10, 2006 2:44 PM
Jennifer W. Miner :
This is a good idea - thanks, Kelby! ...Personally, I don't think I could handle a full week of a Disney cruise (just call me Grumpy), but the others sound very family-oriented and nice. Jen :)
Sep 10, 2006 6:41 PM
Kelby Carr :
Yes, that could very well be overkill! I kind of like the holiday cruise idea simply based on being safe from people dropping in on Christmas, or insisting you visit them! Talk about grumpy... heheh.
Sep 18, 2006 12:35 PM
Jill Florio :
i want to go on the Antarctica one!!!!
Sep 18, 2006 7:29 PM
Kelby Carr :
Me, too. How cool does THAT sound? I love the idea of a guaranteed white Christmas. Heheh!
Sep 18, 2006 9:28 PM
Jill Florio :
plus penguins. what more could one want?
Sep 19, 2006 5:11 AM
Kelby Carr :
Totally! I've always wanted to take an icebreaker cruise through an area like this. How fascinating!!!
Sep 19, 2006 10:40 AM
Jill Florio :
yes, and don't forget to bring your copy of Endurance....what an awesome tale....
