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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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?
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.
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!
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.
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 🤣🤣
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. ,
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. ❤
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 😊
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
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 have found that if you do your homework you will get on the right cruise for you. Give Mark a gold star as he deserves one. I don't like it when rude people take over the ships at any time or any price.
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
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.
This was very informative. I mostly cruise solo, and had thought about doing a Christmas cruise, but from what I am seeing it would not be for me. Thank you.
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!
You confirmed a fear of mine with my upcoming RC cruise and dining. We purchased the unlimited premium dining package. As such we are NOT allowed to book premium dining reservations until we are physically on board. Other passengers (and even dining package passengers) CAN make reservations prior to cruise if you pay retail OUTSIDE OF THE PACKAGE for it!🤯. The concern being what happened to you on this overbooked Christmas cruise and NOT being able to get into premium dining. Frankly, I think it sucks that RC does this. Your thoughts?
@@happycamper4ever873 yes I can. I’m going to reach out to RC to discuss the potential reality of my purchase. If I don’t like what I hear I can cancel it without penalty.
Great analysis of your experience! If I could afford to take the family at Christmas I would, but after seeing your video I don’t think my husband and I would go by ourselves, which I was considering!
We , a gay couple, love cruising the second week of December. Kids are in school and that is a slow week for cruise lines. And, the cruise ship is decorated for Christmas already.
I did Transatlantic into NYC from Europe during Christmas, so yes, I agree. Same as Easter.... definitely different cruises. There are way too many kids in these sailing.
I not only don't "do" the Xmas week, since I don't want to hear the constant Xmas gingles, I don't go from about Dec. 8 on. One time, I went for Newyear's, and they slipped and put a Xmas song on the load speacher which I promptly had it taken away.
If your cruise was this last Christmas the lack of educational programs can’t be blamed on it being a family heavy cruise. We only had the entertainment director doing presentations in August. In Alaska we had a bit more but neither had guest speakers like normal. Glacier Bay was the only exception.
Did an NCL NYE cruise and a Carnival Xmas/NYE cruise. The NCL cruise was strange, there were 800 Brazilians on the cruise with their kids--and their kids were not well behaved, running up/down the hallways pounding on room doors at 3am--that kind of stuff. The Carnival cruise was typically Carnival, kids all over, in the disco drinking adults drinks when they had gotten up to dance, or sitting playing the slots for hours. Both cruises I was with an old group called SIngleworld, there were plenty of singles there for us to mingle with, and Singleworld had it's own excursions to go on if we wanted to. Still had a good time. But the holiday cruises are very crowded and way too many kids.
Please don't give up on a Christmas cruise. we discovered the Queen Mary 2 holiday cruise about 10 years ago and have done it every year (minus 2020) since. We're only two and it's perfect for us. the ship is beautifully decorated for the holidays and there are events for those who celebrate the holiday. We don't but still enjoy the warm environment created on the ship. There are a lot of families (much more than the transatlantic cruises) but it's always well managed and you never feel crowded. we usually book the Princess Grill so getting a table is never an issue. you can go whenever you choose and always have the same waiter. This cruise includes New Year's Eve so the fun continues until Jan 3. We live in NY so the best part is they sail from NYC and return to NYC although the ship starts in Southampton and returns there for those who have the time and money for the full cruise. we also love HAL but once our kids were past the school holiday schedules we stopped sailing at that time. Happy sailing!
Different experiences on different lines as I expected. I also did the holidays on QM2. I enjoyed the special events and the overall experience. Personally I don’t think I’d do it again. Not due to any overall negative feelings but been there done that feeling.
My “second father” took his family … two daughters, their spouses and eventually their now-adult children on a cruise every year for 25 years. I wish he had been my actual father for many reasons, and one was that I wanted to go on one of these cruises. He and his wife recently passed away … both were in their 90s … but that family tradition seemed like such a great one. They stopped going once the grandkids started marrying, and both Sid and Jackie were in wheelchairs, but can you imagine how wonderful an experience that must have been, for grandpa to take the family on a cruise every Christmas? I always assumed a Christmas cruise would be nothing but families and I am sorry you paid more for less.
When I started watching your videos, you seemed very pro, Princess. That was some years ago, and since then, you have moved on to various different lines, covering numerous topics. However, of late, you seem to have taken a shine for Holland America. Is the line so much better than other lines and ships in a similar class? Also, as a veteran who is wheelchair-bound, I would be very grateful if you or Emma or La Lido Loca or all three throw in your two bobs worth on people with disabilities in general. When I travel, my partner she has to go ashore alone when the ship is at anchor, as I can not use a tender. Thank's for a job well done. Tony Australia.
I cruised solo this past Christmas on Celebrity Apex and these are things I worried about as well. However, it was amazing! I had a great time, got in to my dining reservations on time or early most nights. However, the weather was horrible most days and a lot of excursions were cancelled that had to do with water. I ended up not getting off the ship in Belize due to tenders being rough and excursion cancelled. But overall it was great. They did a special holiday show and replayed it on the tv the remaining days. Santa showed up Christmas morning to give gifts to all the kids and get pictures with him. Food was amazing, shows were great, casino was good, crowded a few nights and were tight but had fun and would do it again!
Hi Gary, Interesting to watch this one. My partner and I have booked a mid December transatlantic UK-US on QM2. The difference is we have invited two other family members to join us. We’re all travelling from Australia to do this from opposite sides of Australia and we’ll meet up in Southampton as we’re doing a quick tour of Europe by train before we meet the ship and they’re flying Perth-London direct. We anticipate we’re going to have a very enjoyable time as we’ll have a couple with us that have never travelled this way before. Thanks for your vlog, interesting to see, but ours ended up cheaper too…
That's interesting thanks Gary. Our HAL cruise that departed Auckland on 20 December couldn't have been more different. There were very few family groups and the average age of passengers must have been 90.
We were also on a Princess cruise to New Zealand from Brisbane . Will never do it again, it felt like Gods waiting room and not the least it like Christmas except for the Carols on rotation ad nauseum. Most were sea days with very little in the way of entertainment. Food was very mediocre and port stays with nothing open. All round a very disappointing holiday.😤
Well this is depressing for me. I recently booked a HAL Nieuw Amsterdam voyage over Christmas to the Caribbean. I’ll be in Neptune again as well. I guess I’ve been warned🤣. But it’s still better than being alone at home…and warmer!
I'm going to cancel my Christmas cruise on Azamara. Airport hassles, children and a party atmosphere are not my thing. I wish I'd seen this video before we booked. At a recent lunch a seasoned cruiser complained that his Christmas Celebrity cruise was ruined by children.
I was just on a Christmas cruise on the Queen Elizabeth two going from Southampton to the Canary Islands although that is not as warm as going to the Caribbean there was almost no families since it’s a little more expensive than some plus it’s a little bit more traditional than families might like that there was quite a number of older couples in a few younger couples. So there wasn’t the number of children taking over the place plus for solo travelers they had meetings every day and there is at least about 30 solo travelers and then tables for them through dinner, etc. Some of the solos traveling or because they might’ve lost a spouse or their family was busy for various reasons they couldn’t meet for Christmas so for me I was happy because I was supposed to meet with families, but something happened that I couldn’t, but I felt like at least I didn’t have to feel sad at home alone and I met a few people to have dinner with, etc.
I suggested a Christmas cruise one year. There’s only 7 of us (well, at that time) and I thought an experience would be better than all of us just buying more THINGS. The youngest were teens. THEY thought it would be fantastic. The idea of going to Mexico was an absolute no go for my parents. Let me just say, Orange County was their kind of place. 🤨 Not going ashore was not an option either. 😑 I do wish that had been a good idea. Now if I can just convince my sister that a cruise ship isn’t just a giant Petri dish, maybe we can do this…… But of course, now those teens are working adults and get minimal vacation time! My MIL is taking HER family, we will be 14, to Alaska this summer. It will be an adventure!
So funny, we were on the exact same cruise, and actually were just in front of you on embarkation. It was our first cruise, so maybe we were tainted. We where a couple and had a great time. Maybe because we live in a bigger city but didn’t feel it was that crowded or long of a wait for dinner. I think our longest wait was 15 minutes in the main dining room for a table for two. 400 kids really, that seems odd. But we didn’t use the pool much, but they must have been real well behaved. I must say I was disappointed with the Lido deck food and we’ll the spa was really crowded. We had fun on the excursions, and maybe my time in the Navy and doing ferries to shore didn’t bother me. My wife and I actually you and thought, hmmm he looks familiar. I thought generally it was fun, although we didn’t do the clubs too much. Well I guess we shall compare this to our Alaska this summer. Great watching your channel.
Tks Gary, great info! I had booked 2020 New Year Oceania cruise, though cancelled, almost 2021 on HAL yet canceled since airplanes had Way to many upset passengers, I did do early dec2022HAL enjoyed(saw they started decorating), I was home fror Christmas /new year. Now friend has Dec 2023 HAL Rotterdam booked 27th, I may same cruise for my Birthday 31st! 🎂 how u think that week be out of FL?
We had our first Christmas cruise on P&O Arcadia in 2023. We can only cruise during school holidays as my wife is a teacher. Whilst the cruise was more expensive than the week before it wasn't any more expensive than other cruises during school holidays. It still had enrichment lectures, more than planned due to missed ports. As the ship is adult only, there were no problems with families or overcrowding. Though there were staff level issues in the main dining room. They also had some issues with lack of heating and public toilets breaking down. She wasn't overly Christmassy, but enough to keep my wife, the Christmas fan happy. Santa's arrival was a little disappointing due to a cheap costume and him being played by one of the female entertainment team. Overall we enjoyed the trip.
There is absolutely no way I would go on a cruise over the holidays! I am not a fan of children and knowing that any cruise ship will be full of them guarantees I won't be on one. The best way to enjoy your cruise is to know what to expect, research is key
400 children, 30% higher cost, 120% capacity, trouble getting dinner tables (even in the private dining room!), every event packed, with no relevant enrichment lectures? No thank you!
We sailed on DCL for a "Merrytime" cruise, over Christmas, and we *absolutely loved it*! Our party were my DH & I, our young adult son & teen daughter. The ship was full of families, and that made it WONDERFUL and special. What, exactly, is ever so wrong with families? Families are people, equal to everyone else. Why the judgement and sneering? Our Christmas cruise was an amazing, fun, joyful cruise, but then, WE don't hate kids 🤷 and we didn't sulk that kids were *gasp* permitted on a cruise 🙄 Attitude makes a huge difference in experiences.
But still, a less than stellar trip at beats nasty cold weather at home. TBH, I'll take kids over drunks. If you are looking for a mostly child free experience, I can see why this trip is a let down.
Not sure what it is but you seem "hell bent" on cruising Holland America. They don't even seem to be in your catagory of cruising. Such a "mediocre" cruise line. Anyway time will tell going forward. Which cruise line will you be on this coming Christmas, as we all know that you book everything way ahead.
This Christmas I’ll be in Australia. Going to be in Sydney and then just after going on my other love: train! Doing the Indian Pacific from Sydney to Perth. But to your point I have booked Christmas 2024 (Regent Seven Seas Miami to LA for the Panama Canal - as also want Mark to experience them!)
@@tipsfortravellersI would love to see videos about your train trips! That is on my wish list- Switzerland not Australia although Australia does sound interesting too!
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.
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!
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 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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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!!!!!
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.
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.
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.
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 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.)
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.
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.
Sorry that you had a less than satisfactory Christmas Cruise on HAL. Perhaps you and Mark chose the wrong cruise line and the wrong cruise destination. My wife and I went on a Christmas/New year cruise to the Caribbean with SAGA (our first time with SAGA) and had a splendid time - of course SAGA has a 50plus policy so guaranteed no ankle biters or grumpy and noisy teenagers. For Christmas/New Year this year we will be cruising the Caribbean and the Amazon with Regent Seven Seas and expect we'll have a great time and likely few, if any, children/teenagers. Don't give up on Christmas cruises, just select the right cruise line!
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!
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...
Thank you Gary. Now I know to never book a Christmas cruise or a cruise on Holland America for that matter. Who wants to pay for a premium cruise and have to wait in line to get seated for dinner or not be able to use the ADULT pool because a bunch of kids have taken it over. I’m very surprised that HA cruise line doesn’t enforce rules or allows that rowdiness while making their passengers pay more. Sounds more like a Carnival cruise than a higher class cruise line. BTW, Mark is very handsome! You make a beautiful couple.
You are scaring me. I just booked a 16 day cruise on HAL SD to Hawaii return for Christmas and New Years. I don't mind a few kids but not hundreds. Leaving our families behind to enjoy the time with other adults. Want a good time but not mayhem.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
As I've been thrown out of my friend/family, Christmas cruising sounds like the way to go.
I would be livid about sll of this.
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!
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.
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 🤣🤣
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.
,
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 😀
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 🎉
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.
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.
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.
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 👍
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.
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. ❤
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 😊
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
I did a new years cruise in 2021 and actually enjoyed it
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 have found that if you do your homework you will get on the right cruise for you. Give Mark a gold star as he deserves one. I don't like it when rude people take over the ships at any time or any price.
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 😂
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
Disney does Christmas from November through January and they do it superbly. We did it in mid November for their lowest price.
Thank you Gary! for your insight. May have to re-think a Christmas cruise forr the future
Oh no! We’ve just booked a Christmas cruise as a couple. Now regretting 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.
This was very informative. I mostly cruise solo, and had thought about doing a Christmas cruise, but from what I am seeing it would not be for me. Thank you.
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!
You confirmed a fear of mine with my upcoming RC cruise and dining. We purchased the unlimited premium dining package. As such we are NOT allowed to book premium dining reservations until we are physically on board. Other passengers (and even dining package passengers) CAN make reservations prior to cruise if you pay retail OUTSIDE OF THE PACKAGE for it!🤯.
The concern being what happened to you on this overbooked Christmas cruise and NOT being able to get into premium dining. Frankly, I think it sucks that RC does this. Your thoughts?
How did they convince you to buy that package?
It sounds terrible!
Can you get your money back?
@@happycamper4ever873 yes I can. I’m going to reach out to RC to discuss the potential reality of my purchase. If I don’t like what I hear I can cancel it without penalty.
Great analysis of your experience! If I could afford to take the family at Christmas I would, but after seeing your video I don’t think my husband and I would go by ourselves, which I was considering!
We , a gay couple, love cruising the second week of December. Kids are in school and that is a slow week for cruise lines. And, the cruise ship is decorated for Christmas already.
I did Transatlantic into NYC from Europe during Christmas, so yes, I agree. Same as Easter.... definitely different cruises. There are way too many kids in these sailing.
I not only don't "do" the Xmas week, since I don't want to hear the constant Xmas gingles, I don't go from about Dec. 8 on. One time, I went for Newyear's, and they slipped and put a Xmas song on the load speacher which I promptly had it taken away.
If your cruise was this last Christmas the lack of educational programs can’t be blamed on it being a family heavy cruise. We only had the entertainment director doing presentations in August. In Alaska we had a bit more but neither had guest speakers like normal. Glacier Bay was the only exception.
Another great honest and informative review.
Oh dear god, NO!! NEVER!! What a nightmare, Gary!!
Did an NCL NYE cruise and a Carnival Xmas/NYE cruise. The NCL cruise was strange, there were 800 Brazilians on the cruise with their kids--and their kids were not well behaved, running up/down the hallways pounding on room doors at 3am--that kind of stuff. The Carnival cruise was typically Carnival, kids all over, in the disco drinking adults drinks when they had gotten up to dance, or sitting playing the slots for hours. Both cruises I was with an old group called SIngleworld, there were plenty of singles there for us to mingle with, and Singleworld had it's own excursions to go on if we wanted to. Still had a good time. But the holiday cruises are very crowded and way too many kids.
Please don't give up on a Christmas cruise. we discovered the Queen Mary 2 holiday cruise about 10 years ago and have done it every year (minus 2020) since. We're only two and it's perfect for us. the ship is beautifully decorated for the holidays and there are events for those who celebrate the holiday. We don't but still enjoy the warm environment created on the ship. There are a lot of families (much more than the transatlantic cruises) but it's always well managed and you never feel crowded. we usually book the Princess Grill so getting a table is never an issue. you can go whenever you choose and always have the same waiter. This cruise includes New Year's Eve so the fun continues until Jan 3. We live in NY so the best part is they sail from NYC and return to NYC although the ship starts in Southampton and returns there for those who have the time and money for the full cruise. we also love HAL but once our kids were past the school holiday schedules we stopped sailing at that time. Happy sailing!
Different experiences on different lines as I expected. I also did the holidays on QM2. I enjoyed the special events and the overall experience. Personally I don’t think I’d do it again. Not due to any overall negative feelings but been there done that feeling.
I enjoyed your info on Christmas Cruising. Do you have any suggestions for New Years?
My “second father” took his family … two daughters, their spouses and eventually their now-adult children on a cruise every year for 25 years. I wish he had been my actual father for many reasons, and one was that I wanted to go on one of these cruises. He and his wife recently passed away … both were in their 90s … but that family tradition seemed like such a great one. They stopped going once the grandkids started marrying, and both Sid and Jackie were in wheelchairs, but can you imagine how wonderful an experience that must have been, for grandpa to take the family on a cruise every Christmas?
I always assumed a Christmas cruise would be nothing but families and I am sorry you paid more for less.
Did one HAL and one Oceania over Christmas, almost no kids, not near sold out. Maybe your itinerary? Both of ours were Carribean.
When I started watching your videos, you seemed very pro, Princess. That was some years ago, and since then, you have moved on to various different lines, covering numerous topics. However, of late, you seem to have taken a shine for Holland America. Is the line so much better than other lines and ships in a similar class? Also, as a veteran who is wheelchair-bound, I would be very grateful if you or Emma or La Lido Loca or all three throw in your two bobs worth on people with disabilities in general. When I travel, my partner she has to go ashore alone when the ship is at anchor, as I can not use a tender. Thank's for a job well done. Tony Australia.
The same for New Years? We are thinking of a New Years Eve cruise.
I cruised solo this past Christmas on Celebrity Apex and these are things I worried about as well. However, it was amazing! I had a great time, got in to my dining reservations on time or early most nights. However, the weather was horrible most days and a lot of excursions were cancelled that had to do with water. I ended up not getting off the ship in Belize due to tenders being rough and excursion cancelled. But overall it was great. They did a special holiday show and replayed it on the tv the remaining days. Santa showed up Christmas morning to give gifts to all the kids and get pictures with him. Food was amazing, shows were great, casino was good, crowded a few nights and were tight but had fun and would do it again!
Hi Gary,
Interesting to watch this one. My partner and I have booked a mid December transatlantic UK-US on QM2. The difference is we have invited two other family members to join us. We’re all travelling from Australia to do this from opposite sides of Australia and we’ll meet up in Southampton as we’re doing a quick tour of Europe by train before we meet the ship and they’re flying Perth-London direct. We anticipate we’re going to have a very enjoyable time as we’ll have a couple with us that have never travelled this way before. Thanks for your vlog, interesting to see, but ours ended up cheaper too…
That's interesting thanks Gary. Our HAL cruise that departed Auckland on 20 December couldn't have been more different. There were very few family groups and the average age of passengers must have been 90.
We were also on a Princess cruise to New Zealand from Brisbane . Will never do it again, it felt like Gods waiting room and not the least it like Christmas except for the Carols on rotation ad nauseum. Most were sea days with very little in the way of entertainment. Food was very mediocre and port stays with nothing open. All round a very disappointing holiday.😤
Well this is depressing for me. I recently booked a HAL Nieuw Amsterdam voyage over Christmas to the Caribbean. I’ll be in Neptune again as well. I guess I’ve been warned🤣. But it’s still better than being alone at home…and warmer!
Agree! I think talking and seeing some comments that Florida departures tend to have less as there are more family line options !
@@tipsfortravellers I’ll let you know. It’s my second Christmas time cruise and all in all enjoyable!
I'm going to cancel my Christmas cruise on Azamara. Airport hassles, children and a party atmosphere are not my thing. I wish I'd seen this video before we booked. At a recent lunch a seasoned cruiser complained that his Christmas Celebrity cruise was ruined by children.
It is great if you want to get away from relatives that you don't like lol
I was just on a Christmas cruise on the Queen Elizabeth two going from Southampton to the Canary Islands although that is not as warm as going to the Caribbean there was almost no families since it’s a little more expensive than some plus it’s a little bit more traditional than families might like that there was quite a number of older couples in a few younger couples.
So there wasn’t the number of children taking over the place plus for solo travelers they had meetings every day and there is at least about 30 solo travelers and then tables for them through dinner, etc.
Some of the solos traveling or because they might’ve lost a spouse or their family was busy for various reasons they couldn’t meet for Christmas so for me I was happy because I was supposed to meet with families, but something happened that I couldn’t, but I felt like at least I didn’t have to feel sad at home alone and I met a few people to have dinner with, etc.
I suggested a Christmas cruise one year. There’s only 7 of us (well, at that time) and I thought an experience would be better than all of us just buying more THINGS. The youngest were teens. THEY thought it would be fantastic.
The idea of going to Mexico was an absolute no go for my parents. Let me just say, Orange County was their kind of place. 🤨 Not going ashore was not an option either. 😑
I do wish that had been a good idea.
Now if I can just convince my sister that a cruise ship isn’t just a giant Petri dish, maybe we can do this……
But of course, now those teens are working adults and get minimal vacation time!
My MIL is taking HER family, we will be 14, to Alaska this summer. It will be an adventure!
So funny, we were on the exact same cruise, and actually were just in front of you on embarkation. It was our first cruise, so maybe we were tainted. We where a couple and had a great time. Maybe because we live in a bigger city but didn’t feel it was that crowded or long of a wait for dinner. I think our longest wait was 15 minutes in the main dining room for a table for two. 400 kids really, that seems odd. But we didn’t use the pool much, but they must have been real well behaved. I must say I was disappointed with the Lido deck food and we’ll the spa was really crowded. We had fun on the excursions, and maybe my time in the Navy and doing ferries to shore didn’t bother me. My wife and I actually you and thought, hmmm he looks familiar. I thought generally it was fun, although we didn’t do the clubs too much. Well I guess we shall compare this to our Alaska this summer. Great watching your channel.
Tks Gary, great info! I had booked 2020 New Year Oceania cruise, though cancelled, almost 2021 on HAL yet canceled since airplanes had Way to many upset passengers, I did do early dec2022HAL enjoyed(saw they started decorating), I was home fror Christmas /new year. Now friend has Dec 2023 HAL Rotterdam booked 27th, I may same cruise for my Birthday 31st! 🎂 how u think that week be out of FL?
There is NOTHING that could convince me to take a cruise over Christmas with the crowds and the kids, with or without my family.
I have done that itinerary many times, and Cabo tendering is always a nightmare.
ok! good to know!!!!
We had our first Christmas cruise on P&O Arcadia in 2023. We can only cruise during school holidays as my wife is a teacher. Whilst the cruise was more expensive than the week before it wasn't any more expensive than other cruises during school holidays.
It still had enrichment lectures, more than planned due to missed ports.
As the ship is adult only, there were no problems with families or overcrowding. Though there were staff level issues in the main dining room.
They also had some issues with lack of heating and public toilets breaking down.
She wasn't overly Christmassy, but enough to keep my wife, the Christmas fan happy.
Santa's arrival was a little disappointing due to a cheap costume and him being played by one of the female entertainment team.
Overall we enjoyed the trip.
There is absolutely no way I would go on a cruise over the holidays! I am not a fan of children and knowing that any cruise ship will be full of them guarantees I won't be on one. The best way to enjoy your cruise is to know what to expect, research is key
400 children, 30% higher cost, 120% capacity, trouble getting dinner tables (even in the private dining room!), every event packed, with no relevant enrichment lectures? No thank you!
Welcome to rich people's travel in 2023 :-)
We sailed on DCL for a "Merrytime" cruise, over Christmas, and we *absolutely loved it*!
Our party were my DH & I, our young adult son & teen daughter.
The ship was full of families, and that made it WONDERFUL and special.
What, exactly, is ever so wrong with families?
Families are people, equal to everyone else.
Why the judgement and sneering?
Our Christmas cruise was an amazing, fun, joyful cruise, but then, WE don't hate kids 🤷 and we didn't sulk that kids were *gasp* permitted on a cruise 🙄
Attitude makes a huge difference in experiences.
I wouldn't cruise at anytime the kids are out of school. I go to relax, not hear screaming kids dang nabit. Now get off my lawn!
But still, a less than stellar trip at beats nasty cold weather at home.
TBH, I'll take kids over drunks.
If you are looking for a mostly child free experience, I can see why this trip is a let down.
Not sure what it is but you seem "hell bent" on cruising Holland America. They don't even seem to be in your catagory of cruising. Such a "mediocre" cruise line.
Anyway time will tell going forward.
Which cruise line will you be on this coming Christmas, as we all know that you book everything way ahead.
This Christmas I’ll be in Australia. Going to be in Sydney and then just after going on my other love: train! Doing the Indian Pacific from Sydney to Perth. But to your point I have booked Christmas 2024 (Regent Seven Seas Miami to LA for the Panama Canal - as also want Mark to experience them!)
@@tipsfortravellersI would love to see videos about your train trips! That is on my wish list- Switzerland not Australia although Australia does sound interesting too!
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.
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!
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!
Glad you laid it out as you did. Makes it easy for me to decide "No" on taking a Christmas cruise.
400 kids...thanks for the warning. I dont even like being in the same room with just one kid. LOL.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
I would have hated it. And I really hate when kids take over the adult pool and the parents and staff just let them.
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.
Excellent points. This is why your channel is heads and shoulders above the rest. Thank you.
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.
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.
You missed returning to cold wintery San Diego! :D
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.)
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.
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!!!
Sorry that you had a less than satisfactory Christmas Cruise on HAL. Perhaps you and Mark chose the wrong cruise line and the wrong cruise destination. My wife and I went on a Christmas/New year cruise to the Caribbean with SAGA (our first time with SAGA) and had a splendid time - of course SAGA has a 50plus policy so guaranteed no ankle biters or grumpy and noisy teenagers. For Christmas/New Year this year we will be cruising the Caribbean and the Amazon with Regent Seven Seas and expect we'll have a great time and likely few, if any, children/teenagers. Don't give up on Christmas cruises, just select the right cruise line!
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!
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...
Thank you Gary. Now I know to never book a Christmas cruise or a cruise on Holland America for that matter.
Who wants to pay for a premium cruise and have to wait in line to get seated for dinner or not be able to use the ADULT pool because a bunch of kids have taken it over.
I’m very surprised that HA cruise line doesn’t enforce rules or allows that rowdiness while making their passengers pay more. Sounds more like a Carnival cruise than a higher class cruise line.
BTW, Mark is very handsome! You make a beautiful couple.
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!
You are scaring me. I just booked a 16 day cruise on HAL SD to Hawaii return for Christmas and New Years. I don't mind a few kids but not hundreds. Leaving our families behind to enjoy the time with other adults. Want a good time but not mayhem.
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.
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!