Merrytime Cruise if you don't celebrate xmas...

[NYCMommy]

We are trying to plan an extended family trip and the only time my sister's family can go is over the xmas break. She has never done a Disney Cruise and really wants to try one. The problem is, we are all Jewish and don't celebrate xmas. Our xmas tradition is usually a movie and Chinese food.

We do like the holiday season and love to help friends celebrate sometimes, but it isn't our holiday. Realizing it is the most expensive time of the year....and that is is a merry time Cruise.....just how merrytime is it? Will we feel out of place or are there many on the cruise who don't celebrate xmas? It kills me to pay a 7 day price for a 5 night cruise so want to make sure we won't also feel out of place...

Any help is appreciated!

 

[Dug720]

It is more secular Christmas - not the religious aspect. In that I mean Santa, gingerbread, etc. have zero to do with the religious aspect of Christmas. And I would think that they will be playing secular holiday songs and not hymns.

 

[DynamicDisneyDuo]

There were lots of non-Christmas activities, movies, etc... on the Merrytime cruises we've taken. The ship will be super-decorated and they will have Christmas music piped through the halls (or they did on ours). It's hard to say who is or isn't celebrating Christmas on a cruise when you are out and about.

Just my experience with 3 Merrytime cruises taken.

 

[undertheradar]

We are trying to plan an extended family trip and the only time my sister's family can go is over the xmas break. She has never done a Disney Cruise and really wants to try one. The problem is, we are all Jewish and don't celebrate xmas. Our xmas tradition is usually a movie and Chinese food.

We do like the holiday season and love to help friends celebrate sometimes, but it isn't our holiday. Realizing it is the most expensive time of the year....and that is is a merry time Cruise.....just how merrytime is it? Will we feel out of place or are there many on the cruise who don't celebrate xmas? It kills me to pay a 7 day price for a 5 night cruise so want to make sure we won't also feel out of place...

Any help is appreciated!

There will be holiday activities like gingerbread house making. Characters will be in holiday themed costumes. There will be holiday themed drinks available in the bars and coffee shops. Window clings will be holiday themed. There will be Christmas trees around the public areas. The shops will have holiday items to promote.

Not overkill, but you not be able to miss it.

 

[MsOnceUponATime]

As many have said above, the ship is decorated to the nines. With that being said, you can certainly pick and choose which activities you do. Yes, there are gingerbread house making events (and other things like signing Santa's naughty/nice list, etc.) and if that's too "Christmas" for your family you can opt out. Not all activities are geared towards the Christmas season. Bingo, meet and greets with characters, mixology, shows, dinners, breakfasts, pool time, Castaway Cay (it is decorated slightly), excursions- none of these are related to the Christmas season. There will be plenty to do!

 

[dcassetta]

The theming is secular, and with the exception of Christmas trees I would describe much of the decor as celebrate winter. Goofy and Stitch do have Santa costumes. Here is an example fo some of the other costumes from the DCL Blog.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Could you do the New Year's one instead? I think the Merry Times only go up to Christmas.

Does anyone know if there is any Hanukkah celebration with the Merry Time theme?

 

[phinz]

Does anyone know if there is any Hanukkah celebration with the Merry Time theme?

I've seen a Menorah on the Fantasy during Hanukkah, lit up correctly each day. It's about the least secular thing I've seen on a Merrytime cruise. Everything else is either winter or appropriated pagan symbols like Christmas trees.

I've been on four Merrytime cruises and I tend to forget that's even what they are doing because it's just so innocuous.

 

[MUN]

We are trying to plan an extended family trip and the only time my sister's family can go is over the xmas break. She has never done a Disney Cruise and really wants to try one. The problem is, we are all Jewish and don't celebrate xmas. Our xmas tradition is usually a movie and Chinese food.

We do like the holiday season and love to help friends celebrate sometimes, but it isn't our holiday. Realizing it is the most expensive time of the year....and that is is a merry time Cruise.....just how merrytime is it? Will we feel out of place or are there many on the cruise who don't celebrate xmas? It kills me to pay a 7 day price for a 5 night cruise so want to make sure we won't also feel out of place...

Any help is appreciated!

We went on a cruise at the tail end of festive season two years ago and they still had a lot of decorations up. We all enjoyed having our photos taken in front of the large holiday tree in the atrium.

Don't worry, you won't be exposed to any Christian religious hymns, or nativity scenes. However, I thought it would be cool to have a Disney themed nativity set, with Mickey and Minnie as Joseph and Mary, Chip and Dale and Donald as the 3 wise men, and of course Goofy as baby Jesus. That would be something!

MUN

 

[FigmentSpark]

We went on a cruise at the tail end of festive season two years ago and they still had a lot of decorations up. We all enjoyed having our photos taken in front of the large holiday tree in the atrium.

Don't worry, you won't be exposed to any Christian religious hymns, or nativity scenes. However, I thought it would be cool to have a Disney themed nativity set, with Mickey and Minnie as Joseph and Mary, Chip and Dale and Donald as the 3 wise men, and of course Goofy as baby Jesus. That would be something!

MUN

I know you mean well, but Goofy as the Baby Jesus would be very offensive.

 

[MUN]

I know you mean well, but Goofy as the Baby Jesus would be very offensive.

No, I didn't mean to offend anyone. I just think it would be kind of cute. Do you think another character would be less offensive?

I know some people are offended by the use of the term "xmas", although, I'm not one of them.

 

[Dug720]

No, I didn't mean to offend anyone. I just think it would be kind of cute. Do you think another character would be less offensive?

I know some people are offended by the use of the term "xmas", although, I'm not one of them.

The funny thing about the people who say xmas (or X-mas or Xmas) think they are being completely secular, but in reality X is the symbol for the Greek word for Christ. So they're actually still being AS religious.

 

[Amunet]

Thank you, OP for this thread! I also don't celebrate Christmas in any religious sense and we are looking at some Very Merrytime cruises too

 

[FigmentSpark]

No, I didn't mean to offend anyone. I just think it would be kind of cute. Do you think another character would be less offensive?

I know some people are offended by the use of the term "xmas", although, I'm not one of them.

X is for "Christos" (in Greek the X or Chi is a Ch-ish sound), so that shouldn't be offensive.

I don't think another character would suit. For Christians, Jesus is the saviour, not a replaceable character in a story. However, a nativity with Mary, Joseph and Jesus and Mickey, Minnie, et al visiting would be very cute, although Disney would never do it. But if they did, I'd like to think Uncle Walt would be there, too.

 

[wilkeliza]

We haven't done a Merrytime cruise but have done other Disney "Christmas" celebrations even as Jews. They keep it very secular and usually if you look you can find some Jewish things around especially if it is actually Hanukkah as well. I think Disneyland mixes it the best as World of Color and Disneyland fireworks both had a Hanukkah section there year we were there over the holidays. It lit up our faces to hear the dreidel song and a song that my fiance knew from childhood.

 

[Shanti]

Could you do the New Year's one instead? I think the Merry Times only go up to Christmas.

Does anyone know if there is any Hanukkah celebration with the Merry Time theme?

They have a holiday celebration show that includes a tribute to different winter holidays.

 

[Dug720]

The only thing I think that Disney does (other than I'm sure having a priest on board for Roman Catholics to have mass) super religious around Christmas is Candlelight Processional - that is the reading of the nativity story and sacred hymns and anthems.

But they would never have anything that you were required to attend.

 

[mmouse37]

We went on a cruise at the tail end of festive season two years ago and they still had a lot of decorations up. We all enjoyed having our photos taken in front of the large holiday tree in the atrium.

Don't worry, you won't be exposed to any Christian religious hymns, or nativity scenes. However, I thought it would be cool to have a Disney themed nativity set, with Mickey and Minnie as Joseph and Mary, Chip and Dale and Donald as the 3 wise men, and of course Goofy as baby Jesus. That would be something!

MUN

I have a Disney themed menorah!!!



MJ

 

[lklgoodman]

I have a Disney themed menorah!!!

View attachment 238057

MJ

Who are the 2 mice in green shorts? I know Donald has the 3 nephews, but are the 2 mice related to Mickey or Minnie?

 

[wilkeliza]

I have a Disney themed menorah!!!

View attachment 238057

MJ

I have one from Israel too! I'll have to take a photo.