A Festive Christmas Cruise!

December 12, 2007 by slcooper
Filed under Holiday Cruises

SO this is the first time you’ve decided to take a cruise around the holidays. Will they have turkey on Christmas day? Holiday music? Santa Claus?

For the most part, the answer to all of the above is…yes. The extent of the celebration depends solely on the individual cruise lines. Santa has been known to make a detour from the North Pole to visit sea-faring families. Music is plentiful. Christmas choirs entertain - Christmas carols pipe through the cabin’s in-house audio channels. Midnight Mass and Christmas Day services are popular. One cruise line, a particular favorite with children, supplies Santa with his own gingerbread village. Trees glisten throughout the decks as menorahs commemorate Hanukkah. Roast turkey with all the trimmings is a familiar entree on the Christmas day menu.

But just in case you’re concerned the ship’s Christmas decorations won’t pass muster, consider bringing a bit of the holidays with you. Here are a few ideas for cabin room and door decorations:

* strings of inexpensive battery powered mini-Christmas lights available at Target, Wal-Mart, etc. for your cabin door and/or balcony doors, windows

* silver and gold garland

* stockings (made of felt or other lightweight material)

* seasonal clip art, balloons, ornaments

* mp3 or cd player for your favorite holiday music

* power adaptor for extra chords (there’s usually only one outlet in a standard sized cabin)

* magnetic tape or small magnets to attach decorations to cabin door (regular clear tape may not stick well to metal doors but it usually works for windows or balcony doors)

* new or older Christmas cards or holiday pictures

* a favorite small, holiday item you display at home (for that extra, cozy touch)

Keep in mind it doesn’t take a lot to make your cabin look festive. As most of us know, we’re not dealing with a huge amount of space so a little can go a long way. You also might consider bringing along a few extra holiday decorations to give to your cabin steward. Being away from their families this time of year can be a bit lonely for the crew, so a little festive cheer would be a nice touch. If you think they’d like more decorations, consider giving them the rest of the Christmas goodies you’d rather not repack at the end of the cruise.

One other note of importance. Skip the candles. If it’s the fragrance you like, bring an air freshener (which by the way, is a good idea on any cruise, regardless of the season). Concerned about fires, you’ll get a warning from the steward to please not light any candles (or consider the plastic ones with the flickering flame that look real).

Also, have fun with your decorations but don’t bring anything of great value. They’ve been known to disappear from cabin doors!

So if you decide to stay home during Christmas, don’t forget, there’s always New Year’s Cruises! And remember, whether it’s sleigh bells jingling or free champagne flowing, enjoy a safe and festive holiday! For unique cruise tips, check out www.smartmoneycruises.com