12 greatest Christmas cruises for 2024 and 2025

It is probably the most fantastic time of the 12 months … to go on a cruise.

Commerce the glow of a Christmas tree in your lounge with the heat of the sand and the solar on a vacation cruise. Skip the mulled wine in your stovetop for a number of the world’s greatest at a European Christmas market.

Christmas cruises can degree up your vacation celebrations — and are a great alternative to flee the traditional vacation celebrations rather than an journey.

On a vacation cruise, you possibly can go away the cooking, cleansing and adorning to the professionals and easily get pleasure from time with your loved ones. Christmas and New 12 months’s cruises can be good choices for folks making an attempt to keep away from the crush of kin or who do not have household however nonetheless need to spend the vacation surrounded by different folks and festive cheer.

Winter cruises characteristic holiday-themed actions for all ages, particular feasts that seize the magic of the vacation season and port calls at locations that allow you to benefit from the vacation spirit with out shivering from frigid temperatures.

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It is by no means too early to plan your vacation getaway, particularly as these cruises are among the many quickest to promote out. Listed below are one of the best Christmas and New 12 months’s cruises nonetheless obtainable in 2024 and vacation sailings in 2025 to e-book now, in addition to some helpful tips on vacation cruise journey.

Vacation cruise suggestions

Earlier than you e-book, take into account a couple of key info about Christmas cruises.

Charges can be excessive

Anticipate cruise fares to be among the many highest of the 12 months in the course of the vacation weeks as demand will increase.

The perfect costs can be for early bookings; you probably will not discover any last-minute reductions. When you do, they is perhaps on windowless inside cabins or assure cabins, the place the cruise line picks your room location.

Sailings will promote out

Vacation sailings promote out sooner than different itineraries, as folks plan their vacation holidays months prematurely. Suites and particular cabins (household, spa and solo rooms and so forth) e-book up the quickest.

Take into account reserving your vacation cruise as early as potential, because the December sailings usually replenish a 12 months prematurely.

Take into account your individual decorations

The crew will adorn public areas on board, however passengers usually go all-out adorning their doorways and cabins for the vacations.

Magnetic doorways on cabins are clean canvases for the creativeness. You may discover stateroom doorways on Christmas cruises coated in wrapping paper, adorned with garlands or dotted with holiday-themed photographs.

It is best to double-check along with your cruise line earlier than attaching something to your door or in your cabin, as guidelines and rules differ per line. When you’re not artistic, examine in case your cruise line presents cabin ornament packages for preorder previous to your crusing.

Specialty eating is just not suggested on the precise vacation

Many of the specialty eating eating places on main cruise traces have set menus that don’t change for the vacations.

Your greatest wager for conventional vacation dinner choices (assume roast turkey, smoked ham, mashed potatoes and gravy) will come from the primary, included eating choices on board. It may possibly’t harm to ask if any extra-fee eating places are doing a Christmas or New 12 months’s menu in case you’re on the lookout for a extra intimate vacation meal.

Anticipate vacation hours in port

Most cruise ships will plan for Christmas to be a sea day, however in case you’re in port on Dec. 25 (or on Boxing Day, as many islands have a good time the day after), count on retailers, eating places and sights to have modified hours or be closed.

Onboard providers will not cease, so if all of your prime lunch spots in port are closed, you are at all times assured a scorching meal on the ship.

Take into account a vacation bonus for the crew

Cruise ship crew members transcend the usual service on all traces for the vacations, whether or not it is a sort word wishing you effectively, a Champagne toast for New 12 months’s or a whimsical towel creation.

They cannot be at residence celebrating with their households as a result of they’re working exhausting to make your vacation particular. Whereas gratuities are sometimes included in your fare or added mechanically to your last invoice, think about tipping additional on a Christmas cruise. The hardworking employees will admire your additional generosity in the course of the vacation season.

Greatest Christmas cruises for 2024

When you’re on the hunt for the perfect vacation getaway, think about these Christmas cruises for this 12 months’s vacation trip. (Be aware: These sailings had availability on the time of writing, however costs might change or ships promote out at any time.)

4-night Very Merrytime Bahamian cruise on Disney Cruise Line

Sail dates: Dec. 22-26, 2024

Ship: Disney Fantasy

Entry Disney Cruise Line’s latest non-public island if you sail Disney Fantasy this Christmas. This four-night Very Merrytime Bahamian cruise sails from Port Canaveral, Florida (close to Orlando) to Disney’s Castaway Cay, adopted by a day on the new Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Level. The brand new island vacation spot will spotlight island tradition with work by native artists and Bahamian music all through the colourful beachside resort.

This crusing is one among Disney Cruise Line’s Very Merrytime Cruises, so count on loads of holiday-themed surprises and particular moments. Disney’s December sailings characteristic snow flurries within the ship’s atrium, pop-up meet-and-greets with Disney characters dressed of their vacation greatest and a Christmas wonderland on the seaside at Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay.

Charges begin at $4,862 for 2 adults sharing an inside cabin, together with all taxes and costs.

16-night Circle Hawaii Vacation cruise on Holland America

Sail dates: Dec. 18, 2024-Jan. 3, 2025

Ship: Zaandam

The 16-night Circle Hawaii Vacation on Holland America’s Zaandam is an effective way to retreat from the chilly this December. The prolonged itinerary will whisk you away for each Christmas and the New 12 months.

The ship sails round-trip from San Diego with stops in Honolulu; Kahului, Maui; and Hilo and Kona, Hawaii. You may spend 5 days traversing the Pacific Ocean in your technique to Hawaii and 5 days at sea returning to the west coast for yet another cease in Ensenada, Mexico, earlier than returning to San Diego. You may also get pleasure from scenic cruising by the Kilauea Volcano.

Do not forget your vacation greatest, as Zaandam will host a Christmas Eve formal ball with dinner and dancing, in addition to a midnight Mass. Different seasonal occasions embrace a holiday-themed excessive tea service, vacation choir performances and Santa meet-and-greets.

Charges for inside cabins begin from $1,739 per particular person, not together with an estimated $282 per particular person in taxes, charges and port bills.

13-night New Zealand vacation cruise on Superstar Cruises

Sail dates: Dec. 20, 2024-Jan. 2, 2025

Ship: Superstar Edge

Probably the most interesting vacation itinerary on Superstar Cruises takes you Down Below for a two-week celebration, crusing round-trip from Sydney.

You may cruise in the course of the area’s summer time season with an itinerary that traverses the picturesque Milford Sound, Uncertain Sound and Dusky Sound earlier than making port stops in Dunedin, Napier, Auckland, Tauranga and Bay of Islands, New Zealand.

The cruise would not name on Australian ports, however you possibly can simply tack on a land-based pre- or post-cruise keep because the ship sails from Sydney.

When you’re feeling the vacation spirit, signal as much as be part of a gaggle of crew and passengers to go caroling across the ship. Cookie adorning, visits with Santa and Christmas video games are a part of the vacation enjoyable. On New 12 months’s Eve, collect for a particular occasion with a complimentary midnight Champagne toast, occasion favors and dwell music.

The bottom cabin fares begin at $1,664 per particular person, plus $444.55 in taxes, charges and port bills.

15-night South Africa Intensive Voyage on Azamara

Sail dates: Dec. 20, 2024-Jan. 4, 2025

Ship: Azamara Pursuit

Azamara is thought for its travels to less-frequented ports, usually with longer stays offering extra time for immersion. Go someplace new with Azamara’s 15-night Christmas and New 12 months’s cruise round South Africa. Azamara Quest sails round-trip from Cape City with stops alongside the east coast of South Africa, together with Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Durban and Mossel Bay.

Vacation occasions embrace caroling live shows, pop-ups with Christmas cookies and scorching chocolate, and a particular tree-trimming occasion on Dec. 24. Azamara Quest will time its well-liked White Night time pool deck occasion to coincide with New 12 months’s Eve. The road has a practice of searching for out the oldest particular person on board to ring the ship’s bell two minutes previous to midnight to actually “ring out the previous.” Then the youngest passenger on board will “ring within the new” because the clock strikes 12 o’clock.

Charges begin from $2,784 per particular person, not together with $196 in taxes, charges and port bills.

7-night Christmas Markets on the Danube cruise on AmaWaterways

Sail dates: Dec. 9-15, 2024

Ship: AmaBella

A river cruise by means of Europe is probably the most handy technique to go to lots of the continent’s well-known Christmas markets.

Your ship will dock within the coronary heart of every metropolis, often only a few steps from the markets. Crusing with AmaWaterways in the course of the vacation season, friends return from a day exploring the markets to occasions on board that embrace tree-trimming, caroling and a enjoyable European custom referred to as “Footwear for St. Nick,” the place passengers who go away their slippers exterior their stateroom awake to search out them stuffed with sweets.

Not like most Christmas-related retail shops within the U.S. that keep open by means of the vacation season, a lot of Europe’s Christmas markets shut up store by Dec. 22, so you will must take your trip earlier than Christmas itself. AmaWaterways’ seven-night Christmas Markets on the Danube cruise takes place aboard AmaBella. You may be immersed within the vacation spirit with port stops in Passau, Germany; Linz, Vienna and Weissenkirchen, Austria; and Budapest.

Charges for the weeklong cruise begin at $3,699 per particular person, not together with $224 in port prices and taxes.

7-night Western Caribbean cruise on Princess Cruises

Sail dates: Dec. 21-28, 2024

Ship: Solar Princess

Debuting in February 2024, Solar Princess is the primary of Princess Cruises’ brand-new Sphere-class collection of ships.

Take the road’s latest flagship for a Christmastime spin on a round-trip Fort Lauderdale itinerary that options port calls at Cozumel, Mexico; Belize Metropolis, Belize; and Roatan, Honduras. Three sea days give friends loads of time to discover all of the sights on board, from a dome-covered pool space to a top-deck household exercise zone.

The 4,300-passenger vessel can be about 21% greater than the present greatest ships within the Princess fleet. Will probably be the road’s first ship that options suites with unique entry to a personal restaurant, lounge and solar deck. Solar Princess can even boast an modern new “cabana cabin” alongside the ship’s extra-wide tenth deck with entry to a personal deck space.

Will probably be simple to get into the vacation spirit whereas on board Solar Princess, with festive decor all through the ship and an occasional “snowfall” within the Atrium. When you’re touring with children, you possibly can go away cookies for Santa and carrots for his reindeer. Christmas caroling, storytime and different vacation occasions will make it easier to create particular vacation reminiscences.

Charges for the Western Caribbean cruise begin at $957 per particular person for an inside cabin, not together with $153 in taxes, charges and port bills.

12-night Antarctic Explorer cruise on Viking

Sail dates: Dec. 22, 2024-Jan. 3, 2025

Ship: Viking Polaris

Whereas intuition may say to cease by the North Pole to examine in on Santa’s operations, it is simply too chilly, darkish and icy for cruising. As an alternative, head towards the South Pole and Antarctica for a Christmas expedition.

Spend shut to 2 weeks exploring the farthest reaches of the earth on the Antarctic Explorer itinerary aboard Viking’s Polaris. The route sails round-trip from Ushuaia, Argentina, earlier than traversing the Drake Passage and cruising Antarctica for seven days. You may have a cruise line-provided pre-cruise keep in Buenos Aires the night time earlier than you fly all the way down to Ushuaia to fulfill your ship.

You may discover the icebergs and cliffs of Antarctica on Christmas, presumably adopted by a scorching cocoa or a heat cocktail on deck. Afterward, deal with your self to Nordic-inspired dishes like smoked salmon and caviar, together with vacation treats like krumkake (a Nordic tackle the cannoli) and sandkaker (Norwegian sugar cookies).

As with all Antarctica itineraries, ports and locations on the continent change by the day, relying on climate and local weather circumstances. Charges for obtainable staterooms on the cruise begin from $15,495, together with airfare, port taxes and costs.

Greatest Christmas cruises for 2025

If you wish to rating one of the best costs on a vacation cruise, e-book far prematurely. Listed below are a couple of cruises to contemplate in your 2025 Christmas trip.

Royal Caribbean: 7-night Japanese Caribbean & Excellent Day cruise

Sail dates: Dec. 20-27, 2025

Ship: Icon of the Seas

Catch a journey on the world’s largest cruise ship in the course of the 2025 vacation season. Highlights of Royal Caribbean’s new Icon of the Seas embrace a reconfigured Aqua Theater, now set on the bow of the ship inside a large glass dome and that includes a stunning 50-foot waterfall and dancing robotic arms, and Class 6, the biggest waterpark at sea with six waterslides, together with the tallest drop slide at sea.

This holiday-week crusing departs round-trip from Miami with stops in Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; and Excellent Day at CocoCay (Royal Caribbean’s non-public island within the Bahamas). Three days at sea won’t be sufficient time to attempt every thing on board!

Vacation highlights usually embrace Christmas Eve caroling, an unsightly Christmas sweater crafting competitors, Christmas decoration and gingerbread cookie adorning courses, and vacation video games and trivia.

The bottom obtainable cabin class for this crusing is an ocean-view cabin, beginning at $3,266 per particular person, not together with $182.51 in taxes, charges and port bills per particular person.

7-night Japanese Caribbean cruise on Carnival Cruise Line

Sail dates: Dec. 21-Dec. 28, 2025

Ship: Carnival Celebration

Carnival’s seven-night Japanese Caribbean crusing is a wonderful technique to expertise Carnival’s Celebration Key, the road’s new non-public vacation spot on the south facet of Grand Bahama Island. Carnival Celebration sails round-trip from Miami with stops in Celebration Key; Nassau, Bahamas; Amber Cove, Dominican Republic and Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos, so you will get some much-needed seaside time and heat climate.

The road understands its family-forward “enjoyable” ships are constructed for cheery escapes, and its Christmas celebrations match completely into that world. Seasonal vacation occasions embrace Christmas caroling, an unsightly sweater competitors and a dwell vacation present with appearances by Santa and the Grinch.

Charges for inside cabins begin at $1,049 per particular person, not together with an estimated $215.65 per particular person in charges.

14-night Galapagos cruise on Silversea

Sail dates: Dec. 13-27, 2025

Ship: Silver Origin

Escape to the unique Galapagos Islands for the vacations with a Silversea cruise. On the 14-night crusing round-trip from San Cristóbal, Silver Origin will alight at a outstanding 27 ports all through the archipelago.

The Silver Origin’s Christmas crusing will embrace many festive enhancements, starting with an intensive overlay of greenery and ornaments all through the interiors of the ship. The ship’s culinary workforce will put together a particular Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinner menu, together with mulled wine, eggnog and scorching chocolate.

Including to the cheer, friends and the ship’s crew can take part in caroling, and regardless of no chimney in sight, a particular customer from the North Pole is scheduled to make an look.

The “door-to-door” charge for this crusing begins from $24,400 per particular person, together with port charges and taxes. It features a switch service to the airport, airfare, shore excursions, premium alcoholic drinks, all gratuities, butler service and a return switch again residence on the finish of your journey.

11-night Monteverde Cloud Forest & Arenal Volcano cruise tour on Windstar Cruises

Sail dates: Dec. 16-27, 2025

Ship: Wind Spirit

Give your self a bucket listing present for Christmas and e-book a Panama Canal cruise in your winter trip.

Windstar Cruises’ Wind Spirit — a cruise ship that is half yacht, half four-masted crusing ship — is crusing down Costa Rica’s Pacific coast and thru the Panama Canal in the course of the 2025 vacation season.

The journey begins with a five-day land tour of Costa Rica, taking friends to the Arenal volcano and Monteverde Cloud Forest Organic Reserve. You may then head to Puerto Caldera to board Wind Spirit. The ship will sail south to Quepos and Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica. Then it is on to ports in Isla Parida and Balboa (for Panama Metropolis) in Panama earlier than crusing by means of the Panama Canal.

To sweeten the vacation, Windstar presents every cabin with a basket of Christmas cookies, sweet canes, mandarin oranges, roasted nuts and chocolate candies.

Charges for the 11-night Central American getaway begin from $5,599 per particular person, not together with $474 in port charges and taxes.

7-night Roundtrip New Orleans Christmas cruise on American Queen Voyages

Sail dates: Dec. 22-29, 2025

Ship: American Countess

Glide up the Decrease Mississippi River and soak within the charms of historic cities decked out of their vacation best. This American Queen Voyages itinerary can even go to the particular European-style Christmas market in Natchez, Mississippi, created particularly for the road.

The itinerary begins with a pre-cruise lodge keep in New Orleans, the place the bustling Bourbon Avenue awaits exploration. The Mississippi river crusing contains stops alongside the river at Nottoway, Louisiana; Natchez, Mississippi; St. Francisville, Louisiana and an in a single day in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Friends can go for a premium vacation shore tour in Natchez. The Jeweled Christmas in Natchez tour incorporates a go to to The Towers, one of many state’s most opulent privately owned antebellum houses. Friends will ooh and ahh over the festive decorations and shows that embrace over 100 Christmas bushes.

Whereas on board, passengers will get pleasure from festive vacation decorations, particular vacation performances, seasonal delicacies and Christmas cocktails.

Charges for the seven-night Roundtrip New Orleans Christmas cruise begin from $3,819 per particular person, together with taxes, port charges and gratuities.

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