Best Christmas cruises for 2023 and 2024
It’s the most wonderful time of the year … to go on a cruise.
Trade the glow of a Christmas tree in your living room with the warmth of the sand and the sun on a holiday cruise. Skip the mulled wine on your stovetop for some of the world’s best at a European Christmas market.
Christmas cruises can level up your holiday celebrations — and are an ideal opportunity to escape the conventional holiday celebrations in place of an adventure.
On a holiday cruise, you can leave the cooking, cleaning and decorating to the pros and simply enjoy time with your family. Christmas and New Year’s cruises can also be good options for people trying to avoid the crush of relatives or who don’t have family but still want to spend the holiday surrounded by other people and festive cheer.
Winter cruises feature holiday-themed activities for all ages, special feasts that capture the magic of the holiday season and port calls at destinations that let you enjoy the holiday spirit without shivering from frigid temperatures.
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It’s never too early to plan your holiday getaway, especially as these cruises are among the quickest to sell out. Here are the best Christmas and New Year’s cruises still available in 2023 and holiday sailings in 2024 to book now.
Holiday cruise tips
Before you book, keep in mind a few key facts about Christmas cruises.
Rates will be high
Expect cruise fares to be among the highest of the year during the holiday weeks as demand increases.
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The best prices will be for early bookings; you likely won’t find any last-minute discounts. If you do, they might be on windowless inside cabins or guarantee cabins, where the cruise line picks your room location.
Sailings will sell out
Holiday sailings sell out earlier than other itineraries, as people plan their holiday vacations months in advance. Suites and special cabins (family, spa and solo rooms and so forth) book up the fastest.
Consider booking your holiday cruise as early as possible, as the December sailings often fill up a year in advance.
Consider your own decorations
The crew will decorate public areas on board, but passengers often go all-out decorating their doors and cabins for the holidays.
Magnetic doors on cabins are blank canvases for the imagination. You’ll find stateroom doors on Christmas cruises covered in wrapping paper, adorned with garlands or dotted with holiday-themed images.
It’s best to double-check with your cruise line before attaching anything to your door or in your cabin, as rules and regulations differ per line. If you’re not creative, check if your cruise line offers cabin decoration packages for preorder prior to your sailing.
Specialty dining is not advised on the actual holiday
Most of the specialty dining restaurants on major cruise lines have set menus that do not change for the holidays.
Your best bet for traditional holiday dinner options (think roast turkey, smoked ham, mashed potatoes and gravy) will come from the main, included dining options on board. It can’t hurt to ask if any extra-fee restaurants are doing a Christmas or New Year’s menu if you’re looking for a more intimate holiday meal.
Expect holiday hours in port
Most cruise ships will plan for Christmas to be a sea day, but if you’re in port on Dec. 25 (or on Boxing Day, as many islands celebrate the day after), expect shops, restaurants and attractions to have modified hours or be closed.
Onboard services won’t stop, so if all your top lunch spots in port are closed, you’re always guaranteed a hot meal on the ship.
Consider a holiday bonus for the crew
Cruise ship crew members go beyond the standard service on all lines for the holidays, whether it’s a kind note wishing you well, a Champagne toast for New Year’s or a fanciful towel creation.
They can’t be at home celebrating with their families because they’re working hard to make your holiday special. While gratuities are often included in your fare or added automatically to your final bill, consider tipping extra on a Christmas cruise. The hardworking staff will appreciate your extra generosity during the holiday season.
Best Christmas cruises for 2023
If you’re on the hunt for the ideal holiday getaway, consider these Christmas cruises for your 2023 holiday vacation. (Note: These sailings had availability at the time of writing, but prices may change or ships sell out at any time.)
5-night Western Caribbean Holiday cruise on Royal Caribbean
Sail dates: Dec. 23-28
Ship: Independence of the Seas
This Royal Caribbean holiday-week sailing includes stops at Perfect Day at CocoCay, the line’s private island in the Bahamas, and Falmouth, Jamaica (with two days at sea).
Holiday highlights on board may include Christmas Eve caroling, an ugly Christmas sweater crafting competition, Christmas ornament and gingerbread cookie decorating classes, and holiday games and trivia.
Rates for inside cabins start at $672 per person, not including $141.03 in taxes, fees and port expenses.
10-day Southern Caribbean Seafarer cruise on Holland America
Sail dates: Dec. 17-27
Ship: Nieuw Statendam
The 10-day Southern Caribbean Seafarer on Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam is a great way to retreat from the cold this December. The extended itinerary leaves from Fort Lauderdale and sails to Turks and Caicos, the Dominican Republic, Bonaire, Curacao and Aruba, as well as Half Moon Cay, HAL’s private island in the Bahamas.
Don’t forget your holiday best, as each ship hosts a Christmas Eve formal ball with dinner and dancing, as well as a midnight Mass, holiday-themed high tea service, holiday choir performances and Santa meet-and-greets.
Rates for inside cabins start from $999 per person, not including an estimated $245 per person in taxes, fees and port expenses.
4-night Very Merrytime Bahamian cruise on Disney Cruise Line
Sail dates: Dec. 22-26
Ship: Disney Wish
Hop on the new Disney Wish this Christmas for a four-night sailing from Port Canaveral to Nassau, Bahamas, and Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island. This sailing is one of Disney Cruise Line‘s Very Merrytime Cruises, so expect plenty of holiday-themed surprises and special moments.
Disney’s December sailings imbue the line’s signature magic into the joy of the holidays with snow flurries in the ship’s atrium, pop-up meet-and-greets with Disney characters dressed in special festive wear and a Christmas wonderland on the beach at Castaway Cay.
Rates start at $4,867 for two adults sharing an inside cabin, including all taxes and fees.
4-day Bahamas cruise on Carnival Cruise Line
Sail dates: Dec. 22-26
Ship: Carnival Conquest
Carnival’s four-day Bahamas sailing is the best way to experience all the joys of the holiday without breaking the bank or being gone for too long. Carnival Conquest sails round-trip from Miami with stops in Princess Cays and Nassau, Bahamas, for some much-needed beach time and warm weather.
The line understands its family-forward “fun” ships are built for cheery escapes, and its Christmas proceedings fit perfectly into that world. Seasonal holiday events include Christmas caroling, an ugly sweater competition and a live holiday show with appearances by Santa and the Grinch.
Rates for inside cabins start at $529 per person, not including an estimated $145.65 per person in fees.
13-night New Zealand holiday cruise on Celebrity Cruises
Sail dates: Dec. 21, 2023-Jan. 3, 2024
Ship: Celebrity Edge
The most appealing holiday itinerary on Celebrity Cruises takes you Down Under for a two-week celebration, sailing round-trip from Sydney.
You’ll cruise during the region’s summer season with an itinerary that traverses the picturesque Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound and Dusky Sound before making port stops in Dunedin, Napier, Auckland and Tauranga, plus a New Year’s Eve visit at the Bay of Islands, New Zealand.
If you’re feeling the holiday spirit, sign up to join a group of crew and passengers to go caroling around the ship. Cookie decorating, visits with Santa and Christmas games are part of the holiday fun. On New Year’s Eve, gather for a special party with a complimentary midnight Champagne toast, party favors and live music.
The lowest cabin fares start at $1,650 per person, plus $319.04 in taxes, fees and port expenses.
14-night South Africa Intensive Holiday voyage on Azamara
Sail dates: Dec. 21, 2023-Jan. 5, 2024
Ship: Azamara Pursuit
Azamara is known for its travels to less-frequented ports, often with longer stays providing more time for immersion. Go somewhere new with Azamara’s 14-night Christmas and New Year’s cruise around South Africa. Azamara Pursuit sails round-trip from Cape Town with stops along the east coast of South Africa, including Port Elizabeth, East London, Durban and Richards Bay, before heading up to Maputo, Mozambique.
Holiday events include caroling concerts, pop-ups with Christmas cookies and hot chocolate, and a special tree-trimming party on Dec. 24. Azamara Pursuit will time its popular White Night pool deck party to coincide with New Year’s Eve. The line has a cute tradition of seeking out the oldest person on board to ring the ship’s bell two minutes prior to midnight to literally “ring out the old.” Then the youngest passenger on board will “ring in the new” as the clock strikes 12 o’clock.
Rates start from $1,638 per person, not including $204 in taxes, fees and port expenses.
15-day Athens to Petra cruise on Silversea
Sail dates: Dec. 22, 2023-Jan. 6, 2024
Ship: Silver Moon
This winter’s best Silversea itinerary spans the holidays with an escape to the most exotic locations. On the 15-day Athens-to-Petra sailing, Silver Moon will alight at unique ports such as Heraklion and Rhodes, Greece; Safaga (for Luxor), Alexandria and Sharm El Keik, Egypt; Jeddah and Yanbu, Ras Al Abyadh, Saudia Arabia, before finishing the journey in Aqaba (for Petra), Jordan. The ship will overnight in Safaga and Jeddah, and spend a day transiting the Suez Canal.
Dress to impress for the ship’s New Year’s Eve gala, celebrated on this itinerary while cruising the Red Sea. Other special holiday events include a holiday music show by the ship’s performers, caroling around the ship and Christmas-themed movie screenings.
Rates for this sailing start from $8,450 per person, including port fees and taxes.
Best Christmas cruises for 2024
If you want to score the best prices on a holiday cruise, book far in advance. Here are a few cruises to consider for your 2024 Christmas vacation.
7-night Christmas Markets on the Danube cruise on AmaWaterways
Sail dates: Dec. 9-15, 2024
Ship: AmaBella
A river cruise through Europe is the most convenient way to visit many of the continent’s famous Christmas markets.
Your ship will dock in the heart of each city, usually just a few steps from the markets. Sailing with AmaWaterways during the holiday season, guests return from a day exploring the markets to events on board that include tree-trimming, caroling and a fun European tradition called “Shoes for St. Nick,” where passengers who leave their slippers outside their stateroom awake to find them filled with sweets.
Unlike most Christmas-related retail stores in the U.S. that stay open through the holiday season, many of Europe’s Christmas markets close up shop by Dec. 22, so you’ll need to take your vacation before Christmas itself. AmaWaterways’ seven-night Christmas Markets on the Danube cruise takes place aboard AmaBella. You’ll be immersed in the holiday spirit with port stops in Passau, Germany; Linz, Vienna and Weissenkirchen, Austria; and Budapest, Hungary.
Rates for the weeklong cruise start at $3,699 per person.
7-day Western Caribbean cruise on Princess Cruises
Sail date: Dec. 21-27, 2024
Ship: Sun Princess
Debuting in February 2024, Sun Princess is the first of Princess Cruises‘ brand-new Sphere-class series of ships.
Take the line’s newest flagship for a Christmastime spin on a round-trip Fort Lauderdale itinerary that features port calls at Cozumel, Mexico; Belize City, Belize; and Roatan, Honduras. Three sea days give guests plenty of time to explore all the attractions on board, from a dome-covered pool area to a top-deck family activity zone.
The 4,300-passenger vessel will be about 21% bigger than the current biggest ships in the Princess fleet. It will be the line’s first ship that features suites with exclusive access to a private restaurant, lounge and sun deck. Sun Princess will also boast an innovative new “cabana cabin” along the ship’s extra-wide 10th deck with access to a private deck area.
It will be easy to get into the holiday spirit while onboard Sun Princess, with festive decor throughout the ship and an occasional “snowfall” in the Atrium. If you’re traveling with kids, you can leave cookies for Santa and carrots for his reindeer. Christmas caroling, storytime and other holiday events will help you create special holiday memories.
Rates for the Eastern Caribbean cruise start at $701 per person for an inside cabin.
11-day Costa Rica and Panama Canal cruise on Windstar Cruises
Sail date: Dec. 28, 2024-Jan. 4, 2025
Ship: Wind Star
Give yourself a bucket list gift for Christmas and book a Panama Canal cruise for your winter vacation.
Windstar Cruises‘ Wind Star — a cruise ship that’s part yacht, part four-masted sailing ship — is sailing this holiday season through the Panama Canal and then up Central America’s Pacific coast to Costa Rica.
The ship sets sail from Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica, and first stops in Quepos and Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica. Then it’s on to ports in Isla Parida and Colon in Panama before sailing through the Panama Canal.
To sweeten the holiday, Windstar gifts each cabin with a basket of Christmas cookies, candy canes, mandarin oranges, roasted nuts and chocolate candies.
Rates for the 11-day Central American getaway start from $3,199 per person, not including port fees and taxes.
9-day Memphis to New Orleans Christmas cruise on American Queen Voyages
Sail date: Dec. 21-29, 2024
Ship: American Countess
Glide down the Lower Mississippi River and soak in the charms of historic towns decked out in their holiday finest. This American Queen Voyages itinerary includes special European-style Christmas markets in Natchez, Mississippi, created especially for the line.
The itinerary begins with a pre-cruise hotel stay in Memphis, where the National Civil Rights Museum and Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum await exploration. Other stops include Cleveland, Vicksburg and Natchez, Mississippi; and New Roads, Baton Rouge, Nottoway and New Orleans, Louisiana.
Guests can opt for a premium holiday shore excursion in Natchez. The Jeweled Christmas in Natchez tour features a visit to The Towers, one of the state’s most opulent privately owned antebellum homes. Guests will ooh and ahh over the festive decorations and displays that include over 100 Christmas trees.
While on board, passengers will enjoy festive holiday decorations, special holiday performances and seasonal cuisine and Christmas cocktails.
Rates for the nine-day Memphis to New Orleans Christmas cruise start from $3,249 per person, including taxes, port fees and gratuities.
12-night Antarctic Explorer cruise on Viking
Sail dates: Dec. 22, 2024-Jan. 3, 2025
Ship: Viking Polaris
While instinct might say to stop by the North Pole to check in on Santa’s operations, it’s just too cold, dark and icy for cruising. Instead, head toward the South Pole and Antarctica for a Christmas expedition.
Spend 13 days exploring the farthest reaches of the earth on the Antarctic Explorer itinerary aboard Viking‘s Polaris. The route sails round-trip from Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a stop in Ushuaia before traversing the Drake Passage and cruising Antarctica for seven days.
You’ll explore the icebergs and cliffs of Antarctica on Christmas, presumably followed by a hot cocoa or a warm cocktail on deck. Afterward, treat yourself to Nordic-inspired dishes like smoked salmon and caviar, along with holiday treats like krumkake (a Nordic take on the cannoli) and sandkaker (Norwegian sugar cookies).
As with all Antarctica itineraries, ports and destinations on the continent change by the day, depending on weather and climate conditions. Rates for the cruise start from $12,995, including airfare, port taxes and fees.
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