What's so special about a Christmas Cruise? Let me tell you...

[luv2sleep]

Thank you for your report! Can't wait!

 

[luv2sleep]

Can you have your gifts shipped to the ship?

 

[kapoof]

Christmas on the boat looks wonderful glad you had a great time.

 

[su_A_ve]

Looking forward to our quick post xmas on the Magic (3n 12/27) but even more to our xmas on the fantasy in 2014.

 

[JohnsPrincess]

We were on the Wonder cruise a number of years ago when my sister was 8 or 9. I believe Santa left presents at the house to be opened up on return, though he did leave us all stockings. And we exchanged small gifts with each other. We drove from Tampa to Orlando for that one, so didn't have to worry about not wrapping things beforehand.

I *think* you can send one box to the ship beforehand. Maybe the wrapped presents would be good for this?

Anyways, we LOVED sailing over Christmas!! It was the year that Disney's A Christmas Carol came out so we got to see that and it was just...really special. The whole thing.

 

[Grooovertoo]

Christmas Day:

We felt like the Christmas cruise was worth every last penny. It was great to have Christmas be JUST our family- no running around, no other relatives to entertain. I know that sounds bad, but it was nice to have it be just US. We enjoyed Christmas with the relatives when we returned home.

I'd be happy to answer any questions, and others can add their tips or special moments of the Christmas cruises! It was an amazing experience, and we have been on many DCL cruises. This one was just really special.

Great thread! We'll be on the Dream this Christmas and trying to garner as much info for the cruise as we can. This was very helpful.

 

[allbluezoo]

Thank you so very much for posting this. We will be on the Magic this Christmas. Reading your post and seeing your pics put a tear in my eye. I'm so excited but getting very stressed out. My kids are 18, 11 and 5. I am really stumped at what presents I should bring on board for them to open. It looks like you had a lot of big presents, did you take those or buy on board?

Thank you again for sharing you memories!

OMG I cried too!! I am SOexcited to spring this surprise on the kids. I think we will just do stockings as the cruise itself is supposed to be the gift

 

[jmarsh]

OMG I cried too!! I am SOexcited to spring this surprise on the kids. I think we will just do stockings as the cruise itself is supposed to be the gift

I cannot wait to be on the ship for Christmas. I'm only going to bring stockings too... I'm not even going to decorate the house either

 

[NeverSayNever]

Thank you for sharing!

We are going on the Nov 10 sailing of the Magic, which is an Xmas themed cruise. I realize you were on the ship for Christmas... But I wonder how many of the same things will be done on the holiday sailings.

I know the blurb I saw mentioned gingerbread houses...

Can you tell us more about that and any other special activities and events. What do we need to know?

Thanks again!


Never Say Never

 

[beachpal]

We did the gingerbread house decorating last Christmas aboard the Wonder. It was held in Studio Sea on deck 4. When we arrived we chose whichever table we wanted that had the materials set out. One of the chefs came out and demonstrated how to put the Gingerbread house together step by step. There were plenty of televisions so if you were in the back, you could still hear and see what he was doing. He also provided tips on how to make icicles dripping from the roof and creative things like that. All the materials were provided and we had plenty of time to create. Afterwards, the kids took theirs back to their cabin and picked at it all week. We threw away whatever was still left at the end of the cruise. It was a simple but fun holiday thing to do together. We are definitely doing it again this Christmas!

 

[ktb2002]

We did the gingerbread house decorating last Christmas aboard the Wonder. It was held in Studio Sea on deck 4. When we arrived we chose whichever table we wanted that had the materials set out. One of the chefs came out and demonstrated how to put the Gingerbread house together step by step. There were plenty of televisions so if you were in the back, you could still hear and see what he was doing. He also provided tips on how to make icicles dripping from the roof and creative things like that. All the materials were provided and we had plenty of time to create. Afterwards, the kids took theirs back to their cabin and picked at it all week. We threw away whatever was still left at the end of the cruise. It was a simple but fun holiday thing to do together. We are definitely doing it again this Christmas!

I know they have changed things up, but was the gingerbread house only offered on 1 day or multiple times? We are on the Magic Christmas cruise this year and just trying to get an idea.

 

[lilpooh108]

We're on the Dec 4 Magic.

I know it's now a Holiday on the Seas (or whatever it's called) cruise. Will they have the Gingerbread house thing?

Please please please say yes.

 

[beachpal]

I know they have changed things up, but was the gingerbread house only offered on 1 day or multiple times? We are on the Magic Christmas cruise this year and just trying to get an idea.

I know they offered two different times on the day we went and I think they offered two times on another at sea day. Just make sure you go to guest services the day you board to sign up if you want to be certain to do this.

 

[labdogs42]

This has got me thinking that I"ll book Christmas 2014 as my OBB this coming week on the Dream. We spent Christmas 2012 at Disney World and we loved it, but donn't want to do it again. I can see being ready for a different kind of Disney christmas by next year. This sounds amazing!

 

[ktb2002]

I know they offered two different times on the day we went and I think they offered two times on another at sea day. Just make sure you go to guest services the day you board to sign up if you want to be certain to do this.

Thank you! My plan is to head to guest services as soon as we board. Other than a couple of excursions, this is something my son and I definitely want to do.

 

[cleophus12]

Is it okay to do the gingerbread house decorating if your DD is 20? We do one at home every year and this would be great fun for both of us, but I don't want her to feel out of place with a lot of little kids. If other adults do it, we wouldn't feel uncomfortable.

 

[ktb2002]

Is it okay to do the gingerbread house decorating if your DD is 20? We do one at home every year and this would be great fun for both of us, but I don't want her to feel out of place with a lot of little kids. If other adults do it, we wouldn't feel uncomfortable.

I say go for it!! I haven't done it before but it sounds like everyone will be having too much fun to even pay attention to others. I think Christmas especially on Disney brings out the kid in all of us.

 

[luv2sleep]

What other activities, besides the gingerbread house decorating, that are special to the Christmas cruise should I sign up at Guest Services for when we board?

 

[PPink]

We had the good fortune to be able to spend Christmas 2011 on an 8-night Mexican Riviera cruise on the Wonder. It was everything we could have hoped for in a special holiday cruise! I know I would've liked to see some pictures/get information ahead of time about whether or not it was "worth it". So I thought I'd post some pictures of our cruise, hope it might help others plan or decide to take a Christmas cruise in 2013!

Gingerbread house making- sign up right away at Guest Services. My family had a blast and it made our cabin smell soooo good!

There are lots of pictures of the beautiful decorations, so I won't go into those. I will say there was milk and cookies on Christmas Eve in the MDR so we could leave it out for Santa. I brought magnetic hooks and hung our stockings inside the cabin. Santa had thoughtfully pre-wrapped everyone's stocking gifts in different wrapping papers. Just a tip.

Here is the cabin on Christmas Eve:

I had brought with us a fiberoptic Disney Christmas tree- bought at Disneyland for about $25 and it came in a box. I had some special ornaments for each of us that I hung on a ribbon and affixed to the walls with more magnetic hooks (no picture). My Secret Mickey on the cruise gave me the light up Minnie Mouse. We only plugged in the tree and Minnie when we were in the cabin. I saw lots of families had Christmas decorations up as you walked past the cabins or on the doors.

DCL gave us some gifts as well:

The lithograph was really nice!

What is the lithograph?

 

[tyarbrough]

Is it okay to do the gingerbread house decorating if your DD is 20? We do one at home every year and this would be great fun for both of us, but I don't want her to feel out of place with a lot of little kids. If other adults do it, we wouldn't feel uncomfortable.

We were on the Dream for Christmas 2011 - myself, DH, DS (11) and DD (10), plus my mother-in-law & father-in-law. We signed up for the Gingerbread House making event as a family. DH & FIL weren't interested, so it was a Grandma, Mom & Kids activity. LOVED IT! We did it in Animator's Palate with one family per table. A chef walked us through the construction of the gingerbread house with a microphone and I believe video on the wall screens. Definitely for all ages!

We prepared the kids that this years gifts were the experiences, not material gifts. They received CC para-sailing tickets for Christmas. They had special drinks at dinner. Movies, Aqua-Duck, $20 Arcade budget, and all sorts of great experiences. I also surprised them each with a small Disney stocking with Christmas Minnie & Mickey dolls and holiday M&M's at the foot of their beds on Christmas morning. They were shocked to have something "extra" in addition to the trip as a Christmas gift. (And I bought my Disney Christmas goodies from the clearance section of DisneyStore.com in the off season!)

We bought/brought FIL an Aloha shirt with a Surfing Santa as a surprise for Christmas Day. We wore Santa hats all day Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It was just a magical atmosphere.

And the gifts to each other? We did an on-board booking for the Fantasy Christmas 2013! This year, my parents will join us.