No cooking, no cleanup: Why families cruise for Christmas

Between shopping, decorating and cooking, Christmas can be a lot of work. But cruise lines offer travelers a way to make the holiday feel more like a vacation.

Some cruises sail over Christmas and other winter holidays, allowing guests to celebrate the festivities while simplifying the logistics.

“They are extremely popular for the reasons you would expect,” Scott Campbell, Manager, Cruise Relations at AAA, told USA TODAY. “It's a no-hassle holiday for families, especially when you're talking the big lines, you get multi-generational families with grandmas and parents and kids and grandkids. And it is an easy (way) to have a holiday where no one's doing all the work, not all going to someone's house.”

Here’s what to know about taking a cruise during Christmas and New Year’s.

What are Christmas cruises like?

“Pretty much everyone decorates their ships for Christmas,” Campbell said. “And it could be subtle, or it could be over the top.”

Those typically include a large Christmas tree “in the middle of the ship somewhere,” and other smaller trees elsewhere – depending on the size of the vessel. Lights, wreaths and garlands are also common. 

Those often go up on the cruise after Thanksgiving and stay up through New Year’s, he added. Carnival Cruise Line even recently gave its private Bahamas destination, Celebration Key, a festive makeover.

It’s not just a ship’s crew that decorates, either. Passengers get particularly into decorating their stateroom doors during the holidays.

Santa Claus and his helpers at Celebration Key.

“Christmas explodes on your cabin door,” Campbell said. “And that's for the big ships, you know, the Royals, Princesses, Carnivals, that's where people really go (all) out.”

Cruise lines also offer a variety of special activities, from ugly sweater contests to Santa Claus appearances or Christmas movie screenings by the pool. On a Viking Mississippi cruise I took earlier this month, the ship offered gingerbread house decorating, a Christmas sing-along with crew and more.

But guests’ fantasies of spending Christmas at the beach may not come true: Campbell said many ships spend that day at sea since not much is open in port.

Christmas isn’t the only holiday cruise lines mark on board, though. Campbell said ships often have a menorah that is lit nightly during Hanukkah.

Do cruises have religious services?

While cruise ship chapels are not as common as they once were, passengers may still find other religious services in lounge areas onboard during holidays.

“They'll often have midnight services,” Campbell said. “Now, that may be led by another guest. … Not many ships actually have a religious (official) on board on a crew, but if there's a crew person who wants to lead an interdenominational, non-denominational Christmas Eve service, they'll do it.” 

Carnival Cruise Line, for instance, does not place clergy on its ships. However, clergy who are “traveling as guests onboard our ships are welcome to volunteer to conduct services while sailing,” the cruise line said on its website. “They should leave their name, cabin number, and services offered at the Guest Services Desk, and they will be contacted by a member of the Cruise Director's Staff.”

They must also share a “Letter of Good Standing” from their religious organization with the ship’s crew.

Royal Caribbean International, meanwhile, books priests for select sailings, including those over Christmas, and rabbis or cantors for Hanukkah, according to its website. “Bookings are subject to availability and are not guaranteed,” the cruise line said.

What are New Year’s cruises like?

“It's sort of what you’d expect on New Year's Eve,” Campbell said. “Especially on the big ships, you're going to have countdown parties, you're going to have Champagne toasts.” 

Onboard restaurants also usually have special “fancier” dinners, and kids' programming hours may be extended so parents can celebrate. Some of the activities may be complimentary while others come at a fee, Campbell noted.

On New Year’s Day, cruise lines will likely show bowl games such as the Rose Bowl on TVs around the ship. “You're not going to miss your bowl games if you're on there for New Year's,” Campbell said.

Are holiday cruises more expensive?

Generally, yes. Travelers will pay more to spend the holidays at sea. 

Those fares can still vary by factors like cruise line, destination and cabin type, though. For example, a four-day Carnival sailing to the Bahamas from Miami that runs over Christmas in 2026 currently starts at $616 per person based on double occupancy, according to its website.

“It's just like anything when you're traveling during Easter week or during other holidays, there is a price premium on those,” he said.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].