Should you Cruise During the Holidays? The Pros and  the Cons

Cruising during holidays can present itself as a wonderful idea as you research and start discovering the many benefits of celebrating in such a festive environment. However, there are things to be considered in order to avoid disappointment.

Of course, cruises during the holidays solve and facilitate a good few aspects of the planning, organizing and especially cleaning parts of hosting friends and relatives. After all, we all expect things to go flawlessly, and the pressure is on. With so many things to be in charge of, a cruise vacation can be the perfect alternative.

Yes, pricing can be completely different from a stay-at-home event, aside from the transportation to reach the cruise of your choice. But several things once on board can certainly offset part of that increased expense, thanks to the nature of cruising.

Some of the things you will no longer have to worry about are:

• Food availability, and the fact that it’ll be cooked to perfection. Cruise Lines are known for how plentiful meals can be (ever heard of anyone going hungry on board??). Added to this is the extra mile Cruise Lines go to accommodate special dietary needs (which at home, let’s face it, can be just annoying!) as well as a variety of alternatives for those with a less Christmassy taste, for instance.
• When it comes to decorations, you’ll find Cruise Lines go ALL OUT! Many including huge ginger bread houses and cute little trains. Regardless of where in the world the Cruise Ship will take you, you’ll find the holiday spirit is everywhere.
• Cleaning up. Nothing better than having others take care of the biggest chore of all, and the most boring one too. Forget about loading the dishwasher or segregating trash. It’ll all be done for you.
• One of the most important ones: Drinking and driving. Of course you want to be able to toast once… or sixteen times, that doesn’t mean the hosting family has a bed all made up for you. Cruising during the Holidays allows you to not have to worry about how you’ll get home, beyond pressing an elevator button and keeping your best behavior.

Now, some of the things you WILL have to be in charge of, if you want the celebrations to go as smoothly and enjoyable as possible:

• Ensuring reservations are made at the dining venues. Don’t for a second assume the Ship will accommodate your party of 9 last minute. Make arrangements. The more the Cruise Line knows about your party (size, needs, preferences, restrictions, …) the easier everything will be.
• Avoiding over-committing to activities. One of the things most people look forward to during the Holidays is a well-deserved rest. After all, having a relative sign me up for a hiking excursion on December 25th with a 7am departure time is a safe way to get me to stop talking to them until at least March! You get my point.

Bottom line is there are many positives for choosing to cruise during a holiday even though prices for cruises may be higher that time of year and you can expect the ship to be full compared to other sailings. – ThatGuy (onboard)