My wife and I chose to take the Viking River Christmas Markets cruise. The price was for great for a Viking river cruise. Every stop in a town led us to a new Christmas Market. It truly was magical with the Christmas spirit everywhere. We fully enjoyed the experience and felt that it was a great way to cruise and experience the Christmas spirit where the people truly celebrate Christmas.
@@Katy32344 I’m single, & I’m still going to go. Maybe friends will come, maybe not, but there are a lot of options for single cruisers & I think a small boat cruise will make it easier to make friends on board.
We went on a Viking Christmas Market Cruise two months ago. We saw some markets, but not at every port. The biggest problem was the high water levels which caused us to miss the Strasbourg markets. I just assumed we would see Christmas Markets at every port. Nope.
I took a Viking River Christmas Market cruise on the Danube this December which began with a 2 night pre cruise stay in Nuremberg. The Christmas markets were so beautiful and were filled with families enjoying this festive season. On out river ship Viking made the experience so wonderful. One night early in the cruise each guest was given an ornament and a marker pen to write a special message. Then we put our ornament on the Christmas tree. The last night of the cruise we undecorated the tree and we’re given a box to pack our special ornament safely to take home. One night the crew, made up of the waitstaff and cabin attendants, donned reindeer ears and sang Christmas carols in the lounge. Everything about the trip was made to be a traditional Christmas experience.
Overcrowded, packed with kids, little to no enrichment and everything made family friendly sounds like a cruise that I would not enjoy. I was thinking about booking a Christmas cruise but I will look into other times of year after hearing this!
We had our honeymoon on the week before Christmas, over 30 years ago on Holland America. We loved it. It was the least expensive cruise of the year, seeing as many people did a back-to-back cruise over Christmas. The ship was decked out in Christmas decorations, so we were able to experience the Christmas feel without paying the extra cost.
We took a Carnival cruise over Christmas with our child, who was 11 at the time. We experienced everything you talked about in your video. But we were expecting it, embraced it, and had a good time. What turned out to be a smart move was to do the fixed seating dining. They put us at a table with a family with a child the same age and there was no waiting in line with a hangry child.
We did a back to back cruise in the Middle East and South Africa. The two cruises were night and day different and highlighted all the things that you mentioned. My husband and I will NEVER take another cruise at Christmas again. We couldn’t believe the unruly, entitled children running around in the dining area and even laying down in the middle of the floor where people were trying to get around them to find a seat! Unbelievable. The parents were oblivious. Wow. I’m glad that I’m not the only experienced cruiser that found this out the hard way!
We are taking our 5 kids plus a sinificant other on a cruise next Christmas. I think you point that it is a good opportunity to get them all together in a low hassle method is spot on. As they spread out in life it will be a great way to spend time together.
I have two children and three grandchildren, and the idea that parents just let their children run wild like that really bothers me. I shouldn`t be surprised though; I worked in a toy shop for many years and really enjoyed interacting with the kids, but there were always some parents who just stood in a corner on their phone while the kids pulled toys out of packaging and ran rampant! Mind-blowing!
Last December we took an Aida cruise that ended right before Christmas, with disembarkation on the morning of 24th. It was incredible value and much, much cheaper than if we had embarked on the 24th.
Haven't done Christmas on a cruise ship, but our group has gone right before Easter, where there were a lot of families with kids, spring breakers, and high school trips. Out of all the young people, the only group that I would willingly throw overboard are the age 12-15 boys. Loud, obnoxious, show-offy, and the group that the adults most often left unsupervised. The little kids were fun to have around, the little older kids (say 10 and under) were fine, and the older (age 16 through college) ones just wanted to be left alone and hang out together. And the tween and young teen girls weren't bad, either...maybe a little squeally, but they were basically pursuing the boys. On our cruise, the 12-15's were doing stuff like congregating near the end of the pool-deck pizza counter and seeing how many people they could get to drop their pizza by "accidentally/on purpose" jostling them. They somehow had it in their minds that constantly hitting on the 17-20 year old women was a good idea. (We did see one of these Romeos get his nose busted at the pool by a college age women after his buddies talked him into grabbing her ass as she walked by in her almost-bikini. Good for her. After she decked him, she stood over him, stuck her finger right in his face, and said loud enough for everyone to hear, "Don't you EVER f-cking grab another woman like that. Do you understand?"). There was a daily battle between them and the staff because they would try to take over the "adults only" hot tubs at the back of the ship by invading in groups of a dozen or so. And all 12-15 of them would try to crowd into a tub that already had 3 or 4 (or more) adults in it. (We saw a male passenger get into a heated exchange with a "Karen" parent because he admonished her little angel by starting out, "Listen, you little bastard......") The area where the elevators and stairwells were often became the site of their impromptu indoor soccer matches. We could lose that group.
My wife and I spent the last two Hanukkahs on a HAL ship and enjoy ourselves greatly. We celebrated with other Jews a wonderful eight nights. The ship provided wine, bread, potatoes pancakes complimentary each night. It made this trip memorable.
My wife and I did QM2 Christmas Caribbean round trip, while you could consider 3 trips in 1 with the 2 transatlantic legs to NY sandwiching the Caribbean. Was a great blend of festive events and the excellent Cunard insights etc. While more children over the Christmas period their excitment brought a smile and were very well behaved. Would love to do again, that will have to be on a few years though.
We would very much like to do a Christmas cruise across the Atlantic. We have been told the only cruise line to consider is Cunard, but the weather can be impossible at times. Does anyone have an opinion that isn’t second hand?
I have a cruise planned this coming Christmas and through past New Years for 2023. Its on Clelebrity and is a 14 day cruise to Patagonia. Know it’s going to be crazy but really excited! By the way; love your videos. Both my mother and I love watching your channel and want to tell you the videos are extremely helpful not to mention entertaining. Thanks.
I did this very cruise about 5 years ago on celebrity. From Santiago to Buenos Aires. I really enjoyed it. Interestingly, about half of the ship was from Mexico. Not sure why
YES! and YES! again. We took a back-to-back Christmas/ New Years cruise last year. Should have been a back-to-back New Year's and the week after. Too many kids! This was because everyone was on vacation, plus they hadn't traveled in two years. Never again! Thanks for the great video!
Whilst I've never cruised over the actual Christmas week, I have cruised at both the start of December and also New Year. I'd say that both were generally a lot older age-wise, especially P&O early December. I put it down to the fact that the kids would all be in school, therefore difficult to take holidays, but a lot older generally than what I had expected! Really enjoyed this video as always, Gary!
Glad to see this. We only cruise with HAL and as adults, there is no way we would want to be overrun with kids and families, no matter the time of year. We have never done a holiday cruise and have no plans to. Yes, nice for families, but adult couples should explore other options.
We did the Christmas and New Years cruise on Regent through the Panama canal this year. We really enjoyed it. It was a little sad not being home for Christmas, the entertainers put on a special show they did themselves for us. Spent Christmas day in the observation lounge going through the canal. Would do it again. Definitely the best New Years I have ever had. ,
My family travels for Christmas, and we are looking at a cruise for next year . But we travel because we lost family members and it’s just to hard to stay home , we have tried but it’s easier for us to leave and travel .
We were onboard Queen Elizabeth on a New Zealand cruise last Christmas and we had a great time. Not overly packed at all. Lots a lovely Christmas decorations too....
I will never cruise the week of Christmas ever again. I did a cruise Christmas 2021, omg. Children running up and down the halls all day and night, running through the casino, cutting the line at the buffet and ice cream station, hands going under the sneeze guard. People just let their children run amuk. 2022, I was getting off the ship as the Christmas folks were coming on, a much better experience, and you still get to see the decorations.
Try the first week of December. It's more affordable, less chaotic, but with all of the Christmas decorations and special events (at least on Royal Caribbean.)
My adult daughter and I cruised on HAL Rotterdam over Christmas and had a very different experience. We went out of Fort Lauderdale to the Caribbean. Like your cruise, there were more children on board than on a typical HAL cruise, but neither the pool nor the music venues were taken over by young people. I had booked dinners in two of the specialty restaurants a couple of months before the cruise so that was not a problem and, as soon as we got on board, we made reservations in the main dining room for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners. Other nights, we just showed up at the main dining room, always got a table for two, and never waited more than a few minutes. The Crow's Nest was a little more crowded than usual, with many families playing games, but that didn't bother us at all. The only stage show we saw was on Christmas Eve when the crew put on an absolutely fantastic show. Other nights, it was BB Kings or Billboard On Board. I had expected more Christmas decorations on the ship, but what was there was okay. Overall, we enjoyed the cruise and it gave us something to do over Christmas, but I probably wouldn't bother cruising for Christmas again. And thank you for your videos. I find them very informative.
I've cruised a bunch in my life thanks to my grandparents who liked to gift it to the family--they were almost always at Christmas. And that's the key here, Christmas cruising is for a very specific audience. We were a family of about 18 (cousins, siblings, parents, aunts/uncles) all on the trip and thanks to the 9 children in the group, and the fact that four family members are school teachers, Christmas was the only really practical time that a big gift like this made sense. The Christmas activities like Santa were great for the kids, while the normal itinerary was special to the adults. I can absolutely understand why a cruise regular would not find Christmas compelling, but I don't think that group is actually the audience for this kind of seasonal cruise. Likewise, now that my wife and I are cruising for ourselves with no family but us, we also would not go at Christmas.
Not surprised by all the kids. Schools out and it's Christmas. That's why we chose to book on Viking for 2023 Christmas markets on the Danube. Thanks for all your advice!
I went on a Royal Caribbean cruise one week before Christmas. They still had the big gingerbread house display, the huge Christmas tree lighting every night in the Promenade, and caroling - for about 1/3 the price of the very same cruise the following week.
When you first said you were going on a Christmas cruise while also trying to sell Mark on going back to Holland America I was quite surprised. Seems like it turned out about like I would expect! Cruising while school is in session is definitely for me.
Thanks for sharing this. I think I will stay away from cruising over Christmas, as the cost would be too high to pay for an overpacked ship with the same service as at other times. Good to know.
Thank You For Sharing Your Experience. We Have Only Cruised With Princess. We Are Trying HAL To Alaska This Year. We Definitely Would Not Cruise On Short Cruises During Christmas Or Spring Break.
This is probably one of the best videos that I’ve ever seen about cruising. I usually go on many cruises throughout the year and I’ve been on a few Christmas cruises as well. I think Gary you hit the nail on the head with this video. When I was very young, my grandparents used to take us on Christmas or New Year’s cruises and we always had a great time. At the time I was too young to really understand the dynamics but all we knew is that we all wanted to be together, and it was a great experience. Fast forward to now I’m an adult and as an example I went on a princess cruise through the panama canal from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles in early December, the cruise ended in Los Angeles on December 18. I had an amazing time and there were only eight kids on board the ship. The ship was about 80% full. Really no lines or anything as far as waiting and they were rarely venues that did not have seats available. My friend got on the princess cruise ship when I got off. She sailed from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale for Christmas and New Year’s. Her experience was totally different, and she actually said it was one of the worst cruises that she had ever been on. She said the ship was totally full, there were over 200 kids on board. It was rowdy. It was everything she did not want. And to top it off, she paid 40% more than I did for the same cruise in a similar type cabin. Also, liked seeing so many photos of Mark in this video!
Wow! I hope you maybe spent time in San Diego before your cruise. It's my hometown and I love watching the cruise ships come and go from my dad's porch. Thanks for this info about a Christmas cruise!
Our first cruise was with extended family over Christmas of 2012. We were on Royal's Allure and loved it. Aside from some Christmas decorations and singing, we didn't think it was too different from the other cruises we've taken.
Brave man. The Christmas Cruise sounds like everything I loathe. Thank you for the heads up! I will check out Holland America for my retirement celebration cruise later this year.
Hi Gary. This cruise looked like my worst cruise nightmare. All those kids and the ship being overcrowded, too! We cruised with Cunard just before Christmas. We experienced all the Christmas decorations and feeling but it was quiet and relaxing.
Too many children! We always left our children at home (with proper supervision of course!) so we do prefer our cruises with minimal children. Halloween seems to be a stay at home to celebrate holiday though!
Joan, we also cruised Cunard for Christmas/NewYear, Australia around New Zealand. Fabulous, decorations a very happy feeling around the ship. A few young folk, but they were very well behaved. Cunard has really spoiled us, non Christians in our later part of life, but still young at heart. Gary you have my sympathy, some cruise lines have become Greyhound bus service to people.
Gary, Thank you so much for this informative video. I"ve wonder about the things you discussed many times. I'll save the approx. 30% cost increase bc of you! Best regards, always.
I'm a teacher so I don't have a choice of non family vacation times. Did bring my mom and husband on a Celebrity Southern Caribbean cruise for Christmas a few years back and we loved it. It was not overbooked. Maybe because it started in Puerto Rico? We are going again this Christmas to Western Caribbean (Celebrity). Hoping our experience is not like yours!! I love the idea of a Christmas market cruise in Europe. Thanks to the other viewers who posted their comments about it. Love your channel Gary!
Fascinating. We’ve done 4 Christmas cruises from Southampton: 2 with Cunard, the others with P&O and Fred Olsen. Hardly any children or families but great cruises. Shame about the cost premium. Our next cruise? Yes, Christmas; again with P&O but this one on an adult only ship. It’s always great fun to laugh at the casinos on American ships 🤣🤣
Very insightful Gary. Thanks, as always, for your candor. I myself would not go on a cruise over Christmas, New Years, spring break, and a couple other times because of the different crowds and the price increase. Keep up the great work.
You can get some of the pleasure of Christmas cruising without the overcrowding and hassle by going in early December instead. On Cunard, anyway. The ships are beautifully decorated, the gingerbread village goes up, and there's caroling in the Grand Lobby, if you want it.
Jesus! That is my idea of Holiday Hell! I've never been on a cruise, and never really fancied it, and this has pretty much put me off the idea for life! Thanks for sharing this!!!!
I think the key here is the precise point Gary was making, that this was NOT a typical Holland America cruise in any way. If you can make time to get on a cruise with the right line and outside of peak holiday periods, it can be very much more relaxing.
Great video Gary, really interesting to hear yours and Marks experience. I must admit I have thought about doing one but that is definitely not for us! Thanks.
Hubby and I have done 2 Christmas cruises & loved both of them! We're Australian and already have a sunny Summer Christmas but our reasons were - convenience and also celebrating without having to do all of that work or organise all the family or go to/host multiple events! The first was on RC pre pandemic to the South Pacific islands and the second on Princess aroundNew Zealand in 2022. We had great prices both times and enjoyed the experience. Singing in the New Year for 2023 in the Bay of Islands was fabulous! RC did have a lot of families, Princess not so many. It really depends on the ship and its facilities...
Parts of this are true also on a guided tour on land as well. When you are a big group you are not as available to meet or spend time with new friends. I think this is really a specific group time at the holidays or maybe some summer months when kids are out of school.
I was on Holland Rotterdam on a 10 day cruise which ended 12/21. We had the cute Christmas decorations but not near the hassle you had. Only had to wait once for MDR and no problems with specialty restaurants
Thank you so much for this great informative video. I would miss my family if I was not with them at Christmas. But I do think the Christmas together with family and cruise ship would be a lot of fun. Especially if you had a large family. ❤
Thanks for this episode Gary. I personally would potentially consider a cruise at Christmas on an adult only line like SAGA, however the 30% premium for me would be an issue. Also I learned this year that weather uncertainty (impacting flights) and massive crowds just isnt something I want to work around anymore.
@@tipsfortravellers Even slow seasons can be hard to consider when the weather is a huge factor. I once tried to book a vacation to Orlando, FL around September. Rates on everything were at the bottom of the barrel. I couldn't believe how cheap it all was. Then after booking everything, a shocking pop-up window on Universal's website: consider that "hurricane season" might start at this time, do you wish to purchase cancellation insurance. Everything is protected and all you pay is the one time fee. I decided to get the insurance and roll the dice. Lost out, the hurricane hit so close to Orlando that even if by some miracle I had been able to get on a plane, the destination airport would be closed and my flight would likely be diverted to a smaller airport like Tampa. Wound up having to use my cancellation insurance and wait 4 months to try again. I learned my lesson the hard way: a slow season is probably slow because of the weather! I thought it was slow because it was just right between the time almost everyone has to go back to school and Halloween. The ONLY advantage is the parks and hotels' accountants know they will be financially struggling during those two months and will cut deals that are irresistible.
We did an Antarctica Expedition cruise with Ponant over the Christmas, the cruise fare was actually cheaper than those in January, so it was perfect, as I wouldn't have enough time off otherwise to do it. And with an Antarctica cruise, the capacity was still capped at 200, so none of the problems mentioned in the video.
Thank you for this! I was wondering about Christmas cruises… Sounds like I would enjoy doing it the same way we did Disneyland…go after thanksgiving and before Christmas break. Sweet Spot
A Christmas cruise falls into the same category as any traditional family/school holiday period for me. Simply do not go on a ship at that time. For many of the reasons you have mentioned in the video, and also as a solo traveller, on a lot of lines you already pay above the odds to be there in the first place, so add on to that dynamic pricing and availability, and that 150% you are already paying as a solo is more like 200-225% of a non-holiday time cruise. My mind still sticks sometimes as to the value I get as a solo traveller, so to increase that even more would just make me resent the trip, so best to just avoid it. And, with that, you then avoid all of the stress from all the other things like you mentioned such as crowding, noise, queues etc which is what I enjoy not having to deal with at quieter times.
I did a Princess cruise to the Panama Canal early December, about halfway through the cruise, Christmas trees went up everywhere, holiday decorations of all denominations, and a gingerbread house contest happened. Was a really nice surprise. But I can see how cruising during Christmas could be a mess!
good info, I shall avoid those big ships. In contrast I went on a Christmas river cruise with Ama, as a solo, and had a great time. The intimate nature of a river cruise makes it a much better experience. There were no kids, the boats are decorated much nicer and having many Christmas Market stops, in centuries old quaint towns made for a wonderful cruise and Holiday experience. With fewer then 150 people on board, you still had the normal great cruise experience you expect AND its not much more then a normal cruise. We solo travelers are able to make friends with people here quickly and fit right in. Thanks Gary
We always go away over Xmas and new year,leave on the 23rd and home on the 6th or 7th and we LOVE it,no,you don't really get much more but maybe the cruise line have to pay ports more? Or staff? I don't know but the good thing about Cunard is,they aren't overrun by kids,even at Xmas 😊
Christmas cruising in Australia is very busy as it’s school holidays but I didn’t find it more expensive than any other time of the year. Maybe it’s a Northern hemisphere thing - escaping the snow and cold to warm weather. We constantly have warm weather. I took a cruise the week before Xmas .It was a 4 day comedy cruise with P&O. The cruise was full from Brisbane( strangely it was too cold out to sea that hardly anyone got into the pool but stinking hot and humid in Brisbane ) . It only cost me $280 per person for a balcony cabin. The comedy shows were packed and if you didn’t turn up 45 mins before you missed out on a seat.
Our very large family is spread across the US and we gather at Thanksgiving (25 in 2022). My wife and I are the grandparents/great grandparents of this mob, so we have found Christmas cruises to be a way to be intentionally by ourselves.
@@tipsfortravellers no just my Mom and I. Both were smaller ships as well. But on HAL the ship held 1000 but had 700 and this Christmas Oceania had 400. Preferred the HAL but am a repeat customer with them and think they are better for me (60 yrs) and Mom ( 84) This Christmas we are doing Antarctica on Viking expedition. Saw your #1 bucket list was Antarctica! Love your channel!
Took a southern Caribbean cruise week of Christmas in 1994 on NCL, departure from Puerto Rico. There weren't many children on that ship. It was an expensive cruise. On Christmas morning my spouse and I were the ONLY people on a beach.
We did Holland American also, but out of Florida. We saw the difference, but we still enjoyed it. We were responsible with 8 grandkids there. We were able to have the same 3 tables for the main dinning & made reservations early for fine dinning. We might do it again with family.
We did a Christmas cruise in 2019 on HAL which was part of a 30 day Amazon River voyage. That length of cruise tended to decrease the number of children on the cruise and we rather enjoyed it as a mid 70's couple. (Not to mention the adventure of getting stuck on a sandbar in the Amazon for many hours).
Great video, Gary! Connie & I sailed on the Volendam on Holland America from Dec 17th thru Jan 3rd 2022. This is a much smaller ship (1300 passengers roughly) but we did notice a LOT more families and children for the first part of the cruise. After 10 days, the ship came back to Ft Lauderdale and most of the families left and for the final 7 days and New Years it was closer to a normal Holland America cruise. We loved the miniature Christmas village they had set up in their atrium, and some of the Christmas-themed activities they had. Was it worth the extra price? Probably not, and like you we are unlikely to cruise over Christmas again. We are a couple with no children. But I'm glad we did it once.
My husband and I had a Neptune Suite for our Christmas 2019 cruise. The atmosphere was totally different from what you experienced. It was much more like what we had expected a Holland American cruise to be. I wonder if your experience was due to their 3rd and 4th guests sail free promo they had going on or maybe a post pandemic situation. Unfortunately our Discovery Princess Christmas 2022 cruise was super similar to your experience. Hopefully the atmosphere will go back to pre-pandemic levels soon!
So interesting! I was expecting all the down-points you experienced. But I was thrilled by your insights about families going on a christmas-cruise together! What a great idea! And I never thought of the bigger isolation for solo-travelers... I guess here you would need an adults-only ship. What does Mark think about Viking? You liked it and it's posh...
Thank you for sharing this perspective. I took a Christmas cruise a few years ago on a smaller clipper ship (118 people) and had a great experience, but I think the small size of the ship eliminated several of the overcrowding issues that you raised. There were several families, but there were a lot of singles and couples as well. We all shared one dining hall and there weren't theaters or casinos; the only time I really felt like I needed more space was when the lounge chairs on the deck were full. I'm glad to learn more about how the cruising experience translates to a larger ship because Christmas is one of the best times of year for me to take a vacation, and I'd thought about looking into a larger ship as a more economical option. After seeing this video, I think I might avoid it.
Thank you for this! With the charm a Christmas cruise evokes for a couple, I thought this might be an option in a couple of years. What you’ve described is a nightmare for us - as we don’t book the suites (for the separate dining) or private sunning areas. Yikes!! Thank you SO much Gary, for opening my eyes.
New Years cruises are much the same, we've done five and counting it tends to be when we can go as my wife's a teacher. Want quiet cruise Sept to late November or late April to June. I'd like to comment on the extra cost , no matter if you take a cruise , go to an all inclusive or just a local hotel there's a premium to be paid.
Sailed over Christmas a few months ago and while the ship was quite full it was still enjoyable for our group! We got an incredible deal on a lovely balcony sailing out of port Canaveral and I would certainly sail over the holiday again IF we got a similar deal!
Emmy C Agree with Chris Nichols below. Right after Thanksgiving we took our first Christmas market river cruise in 2019 on AmaWaterways with my husband and adult daughter and had the best time ever! There were Christmas decorations all over the ship and Ama really made us feel welcome. The food, accommodations, excursions and crew were all excellent. The European Christmas markets along the Rhine were very charming. The many castles we passed on the river were magnificent, as well as the scenery. There were no children aboard. And we still had several weeks to get ready for Christmas when we got home. Would definitely try a Danube Christmas market cruise next time on AmaWaterways. Try it - you’ll like it! 😁
hmmm--now I'm rethinking the Holland America cruise we're taking during spring break--chose Holland because I thought less children--but maybe that won't be the case...
My mom's 75th birthday is December 23 and we're going on a cruise that ends on Dec. 24. It was so much cheaper than the ones that left on the 23rd or 24th, it was shocking!
In 2019 I took a Christmas & new years cruise to the Canaries & Madeira solo and for me, it was the best cruise I ever took of the 10 cruises. I loved the Christmas games, shows, and decorations. It was stress-free no gifts to buy and parties to attend. No children so that would make difference. I loved it. The fireworks on New Year's and the party atmosphere was great. I enjoyed every minute. It was a small ship so that may have made the difference.
I went just on the 2022 to 2023 on the cruise to the Canaries which included Madera solo and it was a great cruise. It was on the Queen Elizabeth two, which did not have any children.
My favorite cruise holiday is Halloween. Fun onboard decorations and events. Most kids are in school and want to stay home to trick or treat. No travel nightmares. Shoulder season Cheaper rates etc...
In 2017 we booked a Christmas Markets cruise which we could not get to as the whole country was covered in snow that day. Last year we booked a Christmas Markets cruise to Bruges with Ambassador which did not sail because of a fault in one of the lifeboats. I have moved our 2024 Christmas cruise to November to stop it being jinxed.
Before I retired from teaching, cruising over Christmas was my only chance to cruise the Caribbean. So we have taken a few - three on Princess and one on Viking. And they have all been different experiences. The cruise around South America had a large population of Chinese speakers and that made the atmosphere very different because of the different societal norms. The two Caribbean cruises were much like any of the other 20 Princess cruises we've taken. Maybe a few more children than typical, but nothing like you're describing here. And Viking was just Viking. Not vastly different than the other Viking cruises we've taken. So I think there are a number of variables here and you might need to do another Christmas itinerary with a different line to compare!
I’m a retired teacher too and the last thing I want is to be with hundreds of children!!!! I don’t want to be with crowds of people and I definitely do not want to have to queue for anything!! It depends on what sort of Christmas you are looking for…..and who you want to be with. I always cruise at Christmas with Seabourn Cruises to the Caribbean. Totally fantastic!!!! As with other things in life, you get what you pay for!!!!!
I’ve been on a Christmas cruise both with celebrity and Holland America. I got to give it to celebrity. Definitely felt more festive for Christmas and new years. Celebrity was also very strategic about having a sea day on Christmas Day. It made for a much more enjoyable time
This has nothing to do with video, but I’m going n a Mekong River cruise with CroisiEurope on the Indonchine II because of your videos. Thank you so much!
Hello, great video. I have been on a few Christmas cruises, some of what you said I've seen, some not. I went on a holiday (Christmas and New Years) cruise on HAL in 2007; there were more kids on board, but enough adult activities too. The comedian gave a PG show in the theater, but on New Years Eve he gave an adult only show. I wonder what the Virgin ships will be like during the holidays; plenty of single people want to be away during the holidays. Virgin may be pretty cool...I just wish they'd come to NYC. I went on holiday cruises on QM2 in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Yes, more kids, but it was also very nice. New Years Eve was a lot of fun, the British New Year in the Golden Lion Pub and then US New Year in the Queens Room. Great video!
Thanks for creating the video. You convinced us to never ever go on a Christmas caa-ruze. We usually go a few weeks prior to that. When the prices are substantially lower.
I tend to agree with your assessment. My wife and I traveled to a tourist location at Christmas one time. I felt isolated, and almost like I was intruding on others Christmas dinner, even though I was in a restaurant.
I have done an Xmas cruise, well, left LA on Xmas day on a cruise to Mexico. Done 2 NYE cruises. They are more expensive, but ANY travel during the Xmas/NYE holidays is more expensive and you have to book very early to make sure you get a flight or hotel room
My wife and I chose to take the Viking River Christmas Markets cruise. The price was for great for a Viking river cruise. Every stop in a town led us to a new Christmas Market. It truly was magical with the Christmas spirit everywhere. We fully enjoyed the experience and felt that it was a great way to cruise and experience the Christmas spirit where the people truly celebrate Christmas.
YES, AND THERE ARE NO ANNOYING UNDERAGE KIDS TO BOOT. THAT IS WHY VIKING IS GREAT!
That sounds wonderful compared to this one. If I had a husband, I would be THRILLED to do the market River cruise
I’m looking forward to doing that one myself. Not over Christmas Day tho.
@@Katy32344 I’m single, & I’m still going to go. Maybe friends will come, maybe not, but there are a lot of options for single cruisers & I think a small boat cruise will make it easier to make friends on board.
We went on a Viking Christmas Market Cruise two months ago. We saw some markets, but not at every port. The biggest problem was the high water levels which caused us to miss the Strasbourg markets. I just assumed we would see Christmas Markets at every port. Nope.
I took a Viking River Christmas Market cruise on the Danube this December which began with a 2 night pre cruise stay in Nuremberg. The Christmas markets were so beautiful and were filled with families enjoying this festive season. On out river ship Viking made the experience so wonderful. One night early in the cruise each guest was given an ornament and a marker pen to write a special message. Then we put our ornament on the Christmas tree. The last night of the cruise we undecorated the tree and we’re given a box to pack our special ornament safely to take home. One night the crew, made up of the waitstaff and cabin attendants, donned reindeer ears and sang Christmas carols in the lounge. Everything about the trip was made to be a traditional Christmas experience.
That sounds nice. I think my next Christmas if my family is busy. I will take a river cruise during Christmas instead of an ocean cruise.
I’m looking into for next Christmas. Thank you 🎉
Overcrowded, packed with kids, little to no enrichment and everything made family friendly sounds like a cruise that I would not enjoy. I was thinking about booking a Christmas cruise but I will look into other times of year after hearing this!
We had our honeymoon on the week before Christmas, over 30 years ago on Holland America. We loved it. It was the least expensive cruise of the year, seeing as many people did a back-to-back cruise over Christmas. The ship was decked out in Christmas decorations, so we were able to experience the Christmas feel without paying the extra cost.
Glad you laid it out as you did. Makes it easy for me to decide "No" on taking a Christmas cruise.
We took a Carnival cruise over Christmas with our child, who was 11 at the time. We experienced everything you talked about in your video. But we were expecting it, embraced it, and had a good time. What turned out to be a smart move was to do the fixed seating dining. They put us at a table with a family with a child the same age and there was no waiting in line with a hangry child.
We did a back to back cruise in the Middle East and South Africa. The two cruises were night and day different and highlighted all the things that you mentioned. My husband and I will NEVER take another cruise at Christmas again. We couldn’t believe the unruly, entitled children running around in the dining area and even laying down in the middle of the floor where people were trying to get around them to find a seat! Unbelievable. The parents were oblivious. Wow. I’m glad that I’m not the only experienced cruiser that found this out the hard way!
Excellent points. This is why your channel is heads and shoulders above the rest. Thank you.
We are taking our 5 kids plus a sinificant other on a cruise next Christmas. I think you point that it is a good opportunity to get them all together in a low hassle method is spot on. As they spread out in life it will be a great way to spend time together.
I have two children and three grandchildren, and the idea that parents just let their children run wild like that really bothers me. I shouldn`t be surprised though; I worked in a toy shop for many years and really enjoyed interacting with the kids, but there were always some parents who just stood in a corner on their phone while the kids pulled toys out of packaging and ran rampant! Mind-blowing!
Last December we took an Aida cruise that ended right before Christmas, with disembarkation on the morning of 24th. It was incredible value and much, much cheaper than if we had embarked on the 24th.
Haven't done Christmas on a cruise ship, but our group has gone right before Easter, where there were a lot of families with kids, spring breakers, and high school trips. Out of all the young people, the only group that I would willingly throw overboard are the age 12-15 boys. Loud, obnoxious, show-offy, and the group that the adults most often left unsupervised. The little kids were fun to have around, the little older kids (say 10 and under) were fine, and the older (age 16 through college) ones just wanted to be left alone and hang out together. And the tween and young teen girls weren't bad, either...maybe a little squeally, but they were basically pursuing the boys.
On our cruise, the 12-15's were doing stuff like congregating near the end of the pool-deck pizza counter and seeing how many people they could get to drop their pizza by "accidentally/on purpose" jostling them.
They somehow had it in their minds that constantly hitting on the 17-20 year old women was a good idea. (We did see one of these Romeos get his nose busted at the pool by a college age women after his buddies talked him into grabbing her ass as she walked by in her almost-bikini. Good for her. After she decked him, she stood over him, stuck her finger right in his face, and said loud enough for everyone to hear, "Don't you EVER f-cking grab another woman like that. Do you understand?").
There was a daily battle between them and the staff because they would try to take over the "adults only" hot tubs at the back of the ship by invading in groups of a dozen or so. And all 12-15 of them would try to crowd into a tub that already had 3 or 4 (or more) adults in it. (We saw a male passenger get into a heated exchange with a "Karen" parent because he admonished her little angel by starting out, "Listen, you little bastard......")
The area where the elevators and stairwells were often became the site of their impromptu indoor soccer matches.
We could lose that group.
Ugh, middle schoolers are definitely the worst. It's the raging hormones. I'm sorry.
Wow! I'm so proud of the woman who taught the young man a lesson about groping. It's not funny and I'm glad she took him to task for it!
My wife and I spent the last two Hanukkahs on a HAL ship and enjoy ourselves greatly. We celebrated with other Jews a wonderful eight nights. The ship provided wine, bread, potatoes pancakes complimentary each night. It made this trip memorable.
My wife and I did QM2 Christmas Caribbean round trip, while you could consider 3 trips in 1 with the 2 transatlantic legs to NY sandwiching the Caribbean. Was a great blend of festive events and the excellent Cunard insights etc. While more children over the Christmas period their excitment brought a smile and were very well behaved. Would love to do again, that will have to be on a few years though.
We would very much like to do a Christmas cruise across the Atlantic. We have been told the only cruise line to consider is Cunard, but the weather can be impossible at times. Does anyone have an opinion that isn’t second hand?
Doing a European river cruise and visiting the historic Christmas markets might have been a more enjoyable Christmas cruise for you and non-families.
I think that European river cruises would not have as many children as ocean cruises, but I have not compared them.
I have a cruise planned this coming Christmas and through past New Years for 2023. Its on Clelebrity and is a 14 day cruise to Patagonia. Know it’s going to be crazy but really excited! By the way; love your videos. Both my mother and I love watching your channel and want to tell you the videos are extremely helpful not to mention entertaining. Thanks.
I did this very cruise about 5 years ago on celebrity. From Santiago to Buenos Aires. I really enjoyed it. Interestingly, about half of the ship was from Mexico. Not sure why
YES! and YES! again. We took a back-to-back Christmas/ New Years cruise last year. Should have been a back-to-back New Year's and the week after. Too many kids! This was because everyone was on vacation, plus they hadn't traveled in two years. Never again! Thanks for the great video!
Whilst I've never cruised over the actual Christmas week, I have cruised at both the start of December and also New Year. I'd say that both were generally a lot older age-wise, especially P&O early December. I put it down to the fact that the kids would all be in school, therefore difficult to take holidays, but a lot older generally than what I had expected!
Really enjoyed this video as always, Gary!
Glad to see this. We only cruise with HAL and as adults, there is no way we would want to be overrun with kids and families, no matter the time of year. We have never done a holiday cruise and have no plans to. Yes, nice for families, but adult couples should explore other options.
It was a very very different to usual HAL experience so definitely choosing is key
We did the Christmas and New Years cruise on Regent through the Panama canal this year. We really enjoyed it. It was a little sad not being home for Christmas, the entertainers put on a special show they did themselves for us. Spent Christmas day in the observation lounge going through the canal. Would do it again. Definitely the best New Years I have ever had.
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I would be livid about sll of this.
My family travels for Christmas, and we are looking at a cruise for next year . But we travel because we lost family members and it’s just to hard to stay home , we have tried but it’s easier for us to leave and travel .
We were onboard Queen Elizabeth on a New Zealand cruise last Christmas and we had a great time. Not overly packed at all. Lots a lovely Christmas decorations too....
We sailed the same ship and itinerary Thanksgiving 2023 as a couple and had a very similar assessment. We were also very glad we booked a cabana.
We love the Viking river Christmas Market cruises in Europe. It’s an amazing time to visit and a wonderful way to celebrate the season.
I think there’s nothing better then traveling the world and growing as a person.🌍
I will never cruise the week of Christmas ever again. I did a cruise Christmas 2021, omg. Children running up and down the halls all day and night, running through the casino, cutting the line at the buffet and ice cream station, hands going under the sneeze guard. People just let their children run amuk. 2022, I was getting off the ship as the Christmas folks were coming on, a much better experience, and you still get to see the decorations.
I’m in your camp 😂😂😂
Try the first week of December. It's more affordable, less chaotic, but with all of the Christmas decorations and special events (at least on Royal Caribbean.)
My adult daughter and I cruised on HAL Rotterdam over Christmas and had a very different experience. We went out of Fort Lauderdale to the Caribbean. Like your cruise, there were more children on board than on a typical HAL cruise, but neither the pool nor the music venues were taken over by young people. I had booked dinners in two of the specialty restaurants a couple of months before the cruise so that was not a problem and, as soon as we got on board, we made reservations in the main dining room for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners. Other nights, we just showed up at the main dining room, always got a table for two, and never waited more than a few minutes. The Crow's Nest was a little more crowded than usual, with many families playing games, but that didn't bother us at all. The only stage show we saw was on Christmas Eve when the crew put on an absolutely fantastic show. Other nights, it was BB Kings or Billboard On Board. I had expected more Christmas decorations on the ship, but what was there was okay. Overall, we enjoyed the cruise and it gave us something to do over Christmas, but I probably wouldn't bother cruising for Christmas again. And thank you for your videos. I find them very informative.
I've cruised a bunch in my life thanks to my grandparents who liked to gift it to the family--they were almost always at Christmas. And that's the key here, Christmas cruising is for a very specific audience. We were a family of about 18 (cousins, siblings, parents, aunts/uncles) all on the trip and thanks to the 9 children in the group, and the fact that four family members are school teachers, Christmas was the only really practical time that a big gift like this made sense. The Christmas activities like Santa were great for the kids, while the normal itinerary was special to the adults. I can absolutely understand why a cruise regular would not find Christmas compelling, but I don't think that group is actually the audience for this kind of seasonal cruise. Likewise, now that my wife and I are cruising for ourselves with no family but us, we also would not go at Christmas.
Not surprised by all the kids. Schools out and it's Christmas. That's why we chose to book on Viking for 2023 Christmas markets on the Danube. Thanks for all your advice!
As I've been thrown out of my friend/family, Christmas cruising sounds like the way to go.
I went on a Royal Caribbean cruise one week before Christmas. They still had the big gingerbread house display, the huge Christmas tree lighting every night in the Promenade, and caroling - for about 1/3 the price of the very same cruise the following week.
When you first said you were going on a Christmas cruise while also trying to sell Mark on going back to Holland America I was quite surprised. Seems like it turned out about like I would expect! Cruising while school is in session is definitely for me.
Thanks for sharing this. I think I will stay away from cruising over Christmas, as the cost would be too high to pay for an overpacked ship with the same service as at other times. Good to know.
We sail every Xmas. For our family it’s the only week we have off. Love it.
Thank You For Sharing Your Experience. We Have Only Cruised With Princess. We Are Trying HAL To Alaska This Year. We Definitely Would Not Cruise On Short Cruises During Christmas Or Spring Break.
This is probably one of the best videos that I’ve ever seen about cruising. I usually go on many cruises throughout the year and I’ve been on a few Christmas cruises as well. I think Gary you hit the nail on the head with this video. When I was very young, my grandparents used to take us on Christmas or New Year’s cruises and we always had a great time. At the time I was too young to really understand the dynamics but all we knew is that we all wanted to be together, and it was a great experience. Fast forward to now I’m an adult and as an example I went on a princess cruise through the panama canal from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles in early December, the cruise ended in Los Angeles on December 18. I had an amazing time and there were only eight kids on board the ship. The ship was about 80% full. Really no lines or anything as far as waiting and they were rarely venues that did not have seats available. My friend got on the princess cruise ship when I got off. She sailed from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale for Christmas and New Year’s. Her experience was totally different, and she actually said it was one of the worst cruises that she had ever been on. She said the ship was totally full, there were over 200 kids on board. It was rowdy. It was everything she did not want. And to top it off, she paid 40% more than I did for the same cruise in a similar type cabin. Also, liked seeing so many photos of Mark in this video!
Wow! I hope you maybe spent time in San Diego before your cruise. It's my hometown and I love watching the cruise ships come and go from my dad's porch. Thanks for this info about a Christmas cruise!
Our first cruise was with extended family over Christmas of 2012. We were on Royal's Allure and loved it. Aside from some Christmas decorations and singing, we didn't think it was too different from the other cruises we've taken.
Brave man. The Christmas Cruise sounds like everything I loathe. Thank you for the heads up! I will check out Holland America for my retirement celebration cruise later this year.
Hi Gary. This cruise looked like my worst cruise nightmare. All those kids and the ship being overcrowded, too! We cruised with Cunard just before Christmas. We experienced all the Christmas decorations and feeling but it was quiet and relaxing.
Too many children! We always left our children at home (with proper supervision of course!) so we do prefer our cruises with minimal children.
Halloween seems to be a stay at home to celebrate holiday though!
Joan, we also cruised Cunard for Christmas/NewYear, Australia around New Zealand. Fabulous, decorations a very happy feeling around the ship. A few young folk, but they were very well behaved. Cunard has really spoiled us, non Christians in our later part of life, but still young at heart. Gary you have my sympathy, some cruise lines have become Greyhound bus service to people.
Gary, Thank you so much for this informative video. I"ve wonder about the things you discussed many times. I'll save the approx. 30% cost increase bc of you! Best regards, always.
I'm a teacher so I don't have a choice of non family vacation times. Did bring my mom and husband on a Celebrity Southern Caribbean cruise for Christmas a few years back and we loved it. It was not overbooked. Maybe because it started in Puerto Rico? We are going again this Christmas to Western Caribbean (Celebrity). Hoping our experience is not like yours!! I love the idea of a Christmas market cruise in Europe. Thanks to the other viewers who posted their comments about it. Love your channel Gary!
Thanks Mark. We are doing Christmas Cruise on the Danube. Looks way more like our cup of tea.
Fascinating. We’ve done 4 Christmas cruises from Southampton: 2 with Cunard, the others with P&O and Fred Olsen. Hardly any children or families but great cruises. Shame about the cost premium. Our next cruise? Yes, Christmas; again with P&O but this one on an adult only ship. It’s always great fun to laugh at the casinos on American ships 🤣🤣
Very insightful Gary. Thanks, as always, for your candor. I myself would not go on a cruise over Christmas, New Years, spring break, and a couple other times because of the different crowds and the price increase. Keep up the great work.
Spring break, which seems to last a couple of months now, is the absolute worst.
You can get some of the pleasure of Christmas cruising without the overcrowding and hassle by going in early December instead. On Cunard, anyway. The ships are beautifully decorated, the gingerbread village goes up, and there's caroling in the Grand Lobby, if you want it.
Thanks Kathy. We wanted to see a few more reviews of when and who to travel with.
Jesus! That is my idea of Holiday Hell! I've never been on a cruise, and never really fancied it, and this has pretty much put me off the idea for life! Thanks for sharing this!!!!
You have to choose your cruise line very carefully to get the experience that suits you. You might enjoy a different line.
I think the key here is the precise point Gary was making, that this was NOT a typical Holland America cruise in any way. If you can make time to get on a cruise with the right line and outside of peak holiday periods, it can be very much more relaxing.
Great video Gary, really interesting to hear yours and Marks experience. I must admit I have thought about doing one but that is definitely not for us! Thanks.
Hubby and I have done 2 Christmas cruises & loved both of them! We're Australian and already have a sunny Summer Christmas but our reasons were - convenience and also celebrating without having to do all of that work or organise all the family or go to/host multiple events! The first was on RC pre pandemic to the South Pacific islands and the second on Princess aroundNew Zealand in 2022. We had great prices both times and enjoyed the experience. Singing in the New Year for 2023 in the Bay of Islands was fabulous! RC did have a lot of families, Princess not so many. It really depends on the ship and its facilities...
Parts of this are true also on a guided tour on land as well. When you are a big group you are not as available to meet or spend time with new friends. I think this is really a specific group time at the holidays or maybe some summer months when kids are out of school.
It's incredible how many people wish to cruise in the best and new cruises but without kids around and in top of that during high season. Good luck 👍
I was on Holland Rotterdam on a 10 day cruise which ended 12/21. We had the cute Christmas decorations but not near the hassle you had. Only had to wait once for MDR and no problems with specialty restaurants
You got off as I got on the Kdam!! I heard it was a tad crazy!! 🙂
It was! You had right idea doing the one before 😀
Thank you so much for this great informative video. I would miss my family if I was not with them at Christmas. But I do think the Christmas together with family and cruise ship would be a lot of fun. Especially if you had a large family. ❤
Thanks for this episode Gary. I personally would potentially consider a cruise at Christmas on an adult only line like SAGA, however the 30% premium for me would be an issue. Also I learned this year that weather uncertainty (impacting flights) and massive crowds just isnt something I want to work around anymore.
Yes, this showed how key the line and/ or the itinerary and length of cruise is - plus departure port too!
@@tipsfortravellers Even slow seasons can be hard to consider when the weather is a huge factor. I once tried to book a vacation to Orlando, FL around September. Rates on everything were at the bottom of the barrel. I couldn't believe how cheap it all was. Then after booking everything, a shocking pop-up window on Universal's website: consider that "hurricane season" might start at this time, do you wish to purchase cancellation insurance. Everything is protected and all you pay is the one time fee.
I decided to get the insurance and roll the dice. Lost out, the hurricane hit so close to Orlando that even if by some miracle I had been able to get on a plane, the destination airport would be closed and my flight would likely be diverted to a smaller airport like Tampa. Wound up having to use my cancellation insurance and wait 4 months to try again. I learned my lesson the hard way: a slow season is probably slow because of the weather! I thought it was slow because it was just right between the time almost everyone has to go back to school and Halloween. The ONLY advantage is the parks and hotels' accountants know they will be financially struggling during those two months and will cut deals that are irresistible.
We did an Antarctica Expedition cruise with Ponant over the Christmas, the cruise fare was actually cheaper than those in January, so it was perfect, as I wouldn't have enough time off otherwise to do it. And with an Antarctica cruise, the capacity was still capped at 200, so none of the problems mentioned in the video.
Thank you for this! I was wondering about Christmas cruises…
Sounds like I would enjoy doing it the same way we did Disneyland…go after thanksgiving and before Christmas break. Sweet Spot
I found that cruising in the first week of December includes all of the Christmas decorations and such, but the prices have not yet gone up.
Yes! A great tip !!!!
That tip also works for Disneyland Paris too!
We went on the same cruise in January. Am glad we chose the one we did. Great cruise.
Thank you Gary! for your insight. May have to re-think a Christmas cruise forr the future
A Christmas cruise falls into the same category as any traditional family/school holiday period for me. Simply do not go on a ship at that time. For many of the reasons you have mentioned in the video, and also as a solo traveller, on a lot of lines you already pay above the odds to be there in the first place, so add on to that dynamic pricing and availability, and that 150% you are already paying as a solo is more like 200-225% of a non-holiday time cruise. My mind still sticks sometimes as to the value I get as a solo traveller, so to increase that even more would just make me resent the trip, so best to just avoid it. And, with that, you then avoid all of the stress from all the other things like you mentioned such as crowding, noise, queues etc which is what I enjoy not having to deal with at quieter times.
I did a Princess cruise to the Panama Canal early December, about halfway through the cruise, Christmas trees went up everywhere, holiday decorations of all denominations, and a gingerbread house contest happened. Was a really nice surprise. But I can see how cruising during Christmas could be a mess!
good info, I shall avoid those big ships. In contrast I went on a Christmas river cruise with Ama, as a solo, and had a great time. The intimate nature of a river cruise makes it a much better experience. There were no kids, the boats are decorated much nicer and having many Christmas Market stops, in centuries old quaint towns made for a wonderful cruise and Holiday experience. With fewer then 150 people on board, you still had the normal great cruise experience you expect AND its not much more then a normal cruise. We solo travelers are able to make friends with people here quickly and fit right in. Thanks Gary
Definitely I need to do a Christmas river cruise!!!!
We always go away over Xmas and new year,leave on the 23rd and home on the 6th or 7th and we LOVE it,no,you don't really get much more but maybe the cruise line have to pay ports more? Or staff? I don't know but the good thing about Cunard is,they aren't overrun by kids,even at Xmas 😊
We were on MSC Virtuosa this past Christmas and had an amazing time. Didn’t enjoy the ports but loved the ship and the staff.
‘We’ being the wife and myself. We left our (grown up) children home 🥳🥳🥳
Christmas cruising in Australia is very busy as it’s school holidays but I didn’t find it more expensive than any other time of the year. Maybe it’s a Northern hemisphere thing - escaping the snow and cold to warm weather. We constantly have warm weather. I took a cruise the week before Xmas .It was a 4 day comedy cruise with P&O. The cruise was full from Brisbane( strangely it was too cold out to sea that hardly anyone got into the pool but stinking hot and humid in Brisbane ) . It only cost me $280 per person for a balcony cabin. The comedy shows were packed and if you didn’t turn up 45 mins before you missed out on a seat.
Our very large family is spread across the US and we gather at Thanksgiving (25 in 2022). My wife and I are the grandparents/great grandparents of this mob, so we have found Christmas cruises to be a way to be intentionally by ourselves.
Done two Christmas cruises and loved it all.
Fab! You travel in them with a group ?
@@tipsfortravellers no just my Mom and I. Both were smaller ships as well. But on HAL the ship held 1000 but had 700 and this Christmas Oceania had 400. Preferred the HAL but am a repeat customer with them and think they are better for me (60 yrs) and Mom ( 84) This Christmas we are doing Antarctica on Viking expedition. Saw your #1 bucket list was Antarctica! Love your channel!
Took a southern Caribbean cruise week of Christmas in 1994 on NCL, departure from Puerto Rico. There weren't many children on that ship. It was an expensive cruise. On Christmas morning my spouse and I were the ONLY people on a beach.
We did Holland American also, but out of Florida. We saw the difference, but we still enjoyed it. We were responsible with 8 grandkids there. We were able to have the same 3 tables for the main dinning & made reservations early for fine dinning. We might do it again with family.
I did this same cruise pre-covid. Christmas, Mexico, 7 days out of San Diego. It wasn't as crowded as you experienced.
We did a Christmas cruise in 2019 on HAL which was part of a 30 day Amazon River voyage. That length of cruise tended to decrease the number of children on the cruise and we rather enjoyed it as a mid 70's couple. (Not to mention the adventure of getting stuck on a sandbar in the Amazon for many hours).
Great video, Gary! Connie & I sailed on the Volendam on Holland America from Dec 17th thru Jan 3rd 2022. This is a much smaller ship (1300 passengers roughly) but we did notice a LOT more families and children for the first part of the cruise. After 10 days, the ship came back to Ft Lauderdale and most of the families left and for the final 7 days and New Years it was closer to a normal Holland America cruise. We loved the miniature Christmas village they had set up in their atrium, and some of the Christmas-themed activities they had. Was it worth the extra price? Probably not, and like you we are unlikely to cruise over Christmas again. We are a couple with no children. But I'm glad we did it once.
Thanks for watching! yes, once maybe enough!!!
My husband and I had a Neptune Suite for our Christmas 2019 cruise. The atmosphere was totally different from what you experienced. It was much more like what we had expected a Holland American cruise to be. I wonder if your experience was due to their 3rd and 4th guests sail free promo they had going on or maybe a post pandemic situation. Unfortunately our Discovery Princess Christmas 2022 cruise was super similar to your experience. Hopefully the atmosphere will go back to pre-pandemic levels soon!
So interesting! I was expecting all the down-points you experienced. But I was thrilled by your insights about families going on a christmas-cruise together! What a great idea! And I never thought of the bigger isolation for solo-travelers... I guess here you would need an adults-only ship. What does Mark think about Viking? You liked it and it's posh...
Thank you for sharing this perspective. I took a Christmas cruise a few years ago on a smaller clipper ship (118 people) and had a great experience, but I think the small size of the ship eliminated several of the overcrowding issues that you raised. There were several families, but there were a lot of singles and couples as well. We all shared one dining hall and there weren't theaters or casinos; the only time I really felt like I needed more space was when the lounge chairs on the deck were full. I'm glad to learn more about how the cruising experience translates to a larger ship because Christmas is one of the best times of year for me to take a vacation, and I'd thought about looking into a larger ship as a more economical option. After seeing this video, I think I might avoid it.
You missed returning to cold wintery San Diego! :D
Thank you for this!
With the charm a Christmas cruise evokes for a couple, I thought this might be an option in a couple of years. What you’ve described is a nightmare for us - as we don’t book the suites (for the separate dining) or private sunning areas. Yikes!! Thank you SO much Gary, for opening my eyes.
Thank you Gary and Mark for taking this cruise so we don’t have to. ❤
New Years cruises are much the same, we've done five and counting it tends to be when we can go as my wife's a teacher. Want quiet cruise Sept to late November or late April to June. I'd like to comment on the extra cost , no matter if you take a cruise , go to an all inclusive or just a local hotel there's a premium to be paid.
Sailed over Christmas a few months ago and while the ship was quite full it was still enjoyable for our group! We got an incredible deal on a lovely balcony sailing out of port Canaveral and I would certainly sail over the holiday again IF we got a similar deal!
Emmy C
Agree with Chris Nichols below. Right after Thanksgiving we took our first Christmas market river cruise in 2019 on AmaWaterways with my husband and adult daughter and had the best time ever! There were Christmas decorations all over the ship and Ama really made us feel welcome. The food, accommodations, excursions and crew were all excellent. The European Christmas markets along the Rhine were very charming. The many castles we passed on the river were magnificent, as well as the scenery. There were no children aboard. And we still had several weeks to get ready for Christmas when we got home. Would definitely try a Danube Christmas market cruise next time on AmaWaterways. Try it - you’ll like it! 😁
hmmm--now I'm rethinking the Holland America cruise we're taking during spring break--chose Holland because I thought less children--but maybe that won't be the case...
My mom's 75th birthday is December 23 and we're going on a cruise that ends on Dec. 24. It was so much cheaper than the ones that left on the 23rd or 24th, it was shocking!
It is incredible isn't it!!!!!!
In 2019 I took a Christmas & new years cruise to the Canaries & Madeira solo and for me, it was the best cruise I ever took of the 10 cruises. I loved the Christmas games, shows, and decorations. It was stress-free no gifts to buy and parties to attend. No children so that would make difference. I loved it. The fireworks on New Year's and the party atmosphere was great. I enjoyed every minute. It was a small ship so that may have made the difference.
I went just on the 2022 to 2023 on the cruise to the Canaries which included Madera solo and it was a great cruise. It was on the Queen Elizabeth two, which did not have any children.
I think it had a few children. They were children of the performers, mostly or the captain and behaved. For the most part.
We did a Christmas cruise on Crystal Symphony. We were in Sydney for New Year’s Eve. 2012/3. Great time did the bridge climb the next day
Nice 👍🏻
@@tipsfortravellers of course I was 10 years younger😀
My favorite cruise holiday is Halloween.
Fun onboard decorations and events.
Most kids are in school and want to stay home to trick or treat.
No travel nightmares.
Shoulder season Cheaper rates etc...
In 2017 we booked a Christmas Markets cruise which we could not get to as the whole country was covered in snow that day. Last year we booked a Christmas Markets cruise to Bruges with Ambassador which did not sail because of a fault in one of the lifeboats. I have moved our 2024 Christmas cruise to November to stop it being jinxed.
Before I retired from teaching, cruising over Christmas was my only chance to cruise the Caribbean. So we have taken a few - three on Princess and one on Viking. And they have all been different experiences. The cruise around South America had a large population of Chinese speakers and that made the atmosphere very different because of the different societal norms. The two Caribbean cruises were much like any of the other 20 Princess cruises we've taken. Maybe a few more children than typical, but nothing like you're describing here. And Viking was just Viking. Not vastly different than the other Viking cruises we've taken. So I think there are a number of variables here and you might need to do another Christmas itinerary with a different line to compare!
I am a teacher too and go almost every Christmas with my Mom.
I’m a retired teacher too and the last thing I want is to be with hundreds of children!!!!
I don’t want to be with crowds of people and I definitely do not want to have to queue for anything!!
It depends on what sort of Christmas you are looking for…..and who you want to be with.
I always cruise at Christmas with Seabourn Cruises to the Caribbean.
Totally fantastic!!!!
As with other things in life, you get what you pay for!!!!!
@@angelawilson4190 True. Now that we're retired, we can choose when to go since we're not bound to the school calendar.
Exactly confirms one’s expectations of a Christmas holiday time cruise…best stick to Seaborn or SeaDream etc!
I’ve been on a Christmas cruise both with celebrity and Holland America. I got to give it to celebrity. Definitely felt more festive for Christmas and new years. Celebrity was also very strategic about having a sea day on Christmas Day. It made for a much more enjoyable time
Very good review, and advice. Thank you
This has nothing to do with video, but I’m going n a Mekong River cruise with CroisiEurope on the Indonchine II because of your videos. Thank you so much!
Hello, great video. I have been on a few Christmas cruises, some of what you said I've seen, some not. I went on a holiday (Christmas and New Years) cruise on HAL in 2007; there were more kids on board, but enough adult activities too. The comedian gave a PG show in the theater, but on New Years Eve he gave an adult only show.
I wonder what the Virgin ships will be like during the holidays; plenty of single people want to be away during the holidays. Virgin may be pretty cool...I just wish they'd come to NYC.
I went on holiday cruises on QM2 in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Yes, more kids, but it was also very nice. New Years Eve was a lot of fun, the British New Year in the Golden Lion Pub and then US New Year in the Queens Room. Great video!
Thanks for creating the video. You convinced us to never ever go on a Christmas caa-ruze. We usually go a few weeks prior to that. When the prices are substantially lower.
My first cruise (and only) was with carnival during Christmas and I loveddddd it ❤ I would do it again if I didn’t work retail haha 😂
Disney does Christmas from November through January and they do it superbly. We did it in mid November for their lowest price.
I tend to agree with your assessment. My wife and I traveled to a tourist location at Christmas one time. I felt isolated, and almost like I was intruding on others Christmas dinner, even though I was in a restaurant.
I have done an Xmas cruise, well, left LA on Xmas day on a cruise to Mexico. Done 2 NYE cruises. They are more expensive, but ANY travel during the Xmas/NYE holidays is more expensive and you have to book very early to make sure you get a flight or hotel room