In the evolution of cruising, the family has become one of its most important segments. Ship owners today pay a lot of attention to the design of areas and events for kids. That attention has led cruise lines to put an emphasis on holidays, especially Christmas.
On many ships at Christmas, you will find crew members leading the carolling, religious services, decorations from bow to stern and top to bottom, events especially for the kids, and dining menus that mirror the season. In short, merriment for all and that means crew, some of them a dozen time zones away from home.
The other big bonus: In most cases, you're sailing in tropical weather.
I have noticed a trend to booking closer to departure dates and that means most cruise lines have plenty of Christmas space. While space may be available, keep in mind there's an airline factor that goes with it.
Two things to remember about cruising at Christmas: (1) Don't wrap gifts until you're on board, or take a picture of the gift, which you can give when you return home; (2) Bring decorations for your cabin door as well as inside.
Your choices for cruises range from Australia and Europe to a four-day cruise from Port Canaveral (Orlando). Up and down the eastern seaboard and across the south, cities like New Orleans, Galveston, Los Angeles and San Diego likely still have space for Christmas.
Some examples:
? Celebrity Solstice departs Sydney on Dec. 23 and arrives in Auckland 12 days later. Fares start at $2,018 with the opportunity to visit Sydney and Auckland prior to and after the cruise.
Once you leave Sydney, the only Australian port is Melbourne - this cruise is all about New Zealand.
? Celebrity Infinity leaves Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 7 on a 20-day cruisetour to Valparaiso, Chile. It includes flying back to Lima for four days to visit Cusco, Urubamba and Lima. Price of $3,879 includes the land tour.
However, most families are looking for something shorter so they can have time at home during the holiday period.
? Carnival Sensation offers a four-day cruise from Port Canaveral (Orlando) on Dec. 23. You can combine it with a pre-Christmas Disney visit and still be home in time for New Year's. Starting price is $359.
An eight-day Bahamas cruise leaving New York on Carnival Miracle affords an opportunity to shop in the Big Apple before departure on Christmas Eve. Ports are Canaveral (Orlando), Nassau and Freeport and fares start at $899.
Holland America has what would be a favourite for me, because it finishes in Tenerife, Canary Islands. Embarkation is in Rotterdam on Dec. 22 on the ship named after the city. Casablanca and an overnight in Funchal (Madeira, Portugal) and Tenerife (Santa Cruz) are part of this nine-day, $920 cruise.
Before I sailed out of New Orleans last year, I had three days in the "laissez les bon temps rouler" (let the good times roll) city and that made it for me. The Norwegian Star departs on Dec. 23 for a seven-day Western Caribbean round trip. Starting price is $1,019. Royal Caribbean and Carnival also sail from the Big Easy.
Further west, Galveston is now a home port for Carnival, Disney, Royal Caribbean and Princess. For $1,196, Royal Caribbean offers a seven-day Christmas cruise leaving Dec. 23 for Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel.
You can also take in Hawaii from California, as there is lot of space still available aboard ships sailing from Los Angeles (Princess) and San Diego (Holland America).
Visit portsandbows.com for daily updates on the latest cruise news, best deals and behindthescenes stories from the industry. You can also sign up for an email newsletter on the site for even more cruise information. Phil can be contacted directly at [email protected].
