Have you cruised at Christmas before

[Lizardbeth61]

We're booked for the Disney 10-day Christmas cruise and I wonder what to expect. Someone directed me to the Meet board, which was great, but I'm looking for input about what it's like to be on board at Christmas. This trip is an experiment in that we've never been away from home at Christmas.

What special activities are there? Is there any kind of church service offered? I'll miss the candlelight "Silent Night" routine. How do you combat the guilt that it's because of us travelers, these people are working on a big holiday? Does it feel like Christmas? Do people keep to themselves on Christmas or do they keep on doing all of the activities and stuff?

Maybe these are weird questions, but I'm just trying to get a feel for what it might be like. We'll celebrate at home after the trip, but I want to prepare myself for during it.

Input welcomed.

 

[dencord7]

We cruise last Christmas and fell in love with cruising. We had a great time. We rebooked on board for another Cruise. With that said it still did not feel like Christmas even though the ship was deck out .I thought the mickey gifts for the kids was not personal enough. What they did was have Santa in the lobby and the kids took turns to get thier little mickey. I really felt they knew the age sex and room of each child they could of had the room attendant put a gift in the room for them on Christmas Eve.( all though we got a nice little Chocolate tray) They had a special christmas menu that I got the waiter to save for me and on the last night Captin Henry signed it for me. We had one suitcase with DD gifts in it so santa dident forget her. On 12/30/03 got home we open all of our christmas gifts but we should of done it before the cruise because so many of our family and friends bought us stuff for the cruise that we could of used. I just missed be with the whole family and sort of felt nice to do once but i would rather go over new years or another time of the year. I have heard on these boards peopel going at Christmas year after year

 

[Lizardbeth61]

We don't have a lot of extended family so that's one of the reasons we thought we'd try this. I tend to get a little down at the holidays despite all the stuff going on. It's really only Christmas Day that gets me and I love the time between Christmas and New Years. So, we thought maybe it would be good to see what it's like being away on "the day," and home afterwards. We'll try it and if we don't like it, we'll not do it again. Don't they say, you don't know until you try it?

Yes, the cruise is wonderful. Disney, as far as we're concerned, is the best line!

Thanks for the information.

Anybody else?

 

[maboots]

We too are going on the Magic 12/18/04. Have never been away over Christmas, but have heard wonderful things about crusing Disney over Christmas. All is decorated, including the characters. They also say there is a special christmas menu, and I believe I read in a travel brochure about a Christmas church service, but would have to confirm that the closer we get. Traveling with husband and two DD ages 13 and 16.