The 10 Best Christmas Destinations to Visit on a Royal Caribbean Cruise

When you think "holiday season," what do you picture? Do you see your family gathered around a dining room table, enjoying a hearty meal, opening presents, exchanging stories and falling asleep by the fire?

How about you and your loved ones on a white sand beach in the Caribbean or glacier trekking through Alaska? Christmas cruise vacations may be just what you need to shake up your holidays.

Experiencing Christmas on vacation not only gives you an excuse to get away from the stress of cooking and playing Santa, but also allows you to experience the holidays against a whole new and exciting backdrop. That might be a tropical paradise where the mere thought of a sweater is ludicrous, or it may be a European city famous for its magical Christmas market.

Want to switch up your Christmas plans this year? This blog will cover the 10 best destinations to visit at Christmas.

Key Takeaways: Where’s the Best Place To Vacation Over Christmas?

● St. Thomas offers one of the best holiday destinations for couples, with romantic beaches and sunsets galore.

● The Bahamas works well for families with children, providing tons of activities everyone can enjoy.

● Join in the Three Kings Day celebration in Puerto Rico with live music and alcoholic coquito beverages.

● Germany is home to cozy Christmas markets where you can get your shopping done.

● Visit Greece for Christmas Day and kick back in the warm weather.

● Alaska is as cozy as it gets for the holidays, as it’s home to the perfect winter wonderland experience.

● A cruise from New York City gives you the best of both worlds: wintery bliss and warm sun from start to end of your trip.

● Mexico has sunny beaches, delicious food and the right amount of holiday spirit, making it ideal for Christmas travel.

● There are also countless cruises from Galveston, Texas, where you can enjoy the port city before taking off to your Christmas destination.

● Miami calls all warm-weather lovers to melt in the year-round sun.

● Explore Royal Caribbean’s holiday cruises to visit one of these destinations over Christmas.

Why Go on Christmas Vacations?

Family time is what the holidays are all about. It's undeniable, however, that too much family time can be quite overwhelming. That's especially true if you're hosting people at your house, and the duties of preparing food, decorating and making sure your little cousins don't sneak into your bedroom all fall on your shoulders.

Christmas getaways are the best of both worlds. They allow you to forego the many stresses of holiday hosting while also allowing you to spend quality time with those you love the most.

Cruises during Christmas also mean experiencing the holiday traditions of other cultures. Puerto Rico, for example, is one of the best holiday vacation places for those looking for a tropical getaway. From the Christmas markets of Europe to the colorful costumed festivals of the Caribbean, the holiday season abroad will open your eyes to new traditions beyond the relatively limited scope of what you grew up with. That goes for food and drink, too, including European mulled wine, Germany's stollen Christmas cake, the UK's mince pies and the rum cake, curry goat and coquitos of Latin America.

Experiencing different holiday traditions can go a long way toward influencing your own family traditions. There's nothing wrong with the classic red stockings, Christmas cookies or Menorah lighting, but going on vacation for the holidays could be the start of a brand-new family tradition. Instead of shoveling your driveway and adding another log to the fire, escape the cold entirely by heading somewhere tropical.

If you're still not convinced, traveling for Christmas can also be a great way to save money. If you're flexible and don't mind traveling on a major holiday, airfare is often cheaper. In addition, many hotels, cruises and travel companies offer holiday discounts.

10 Best Destinations To Visit At Christmas

Need some Christmas cruise inspiration? Here’s a list of the best places to travel during Christmas:

1. St. Thomas

If you're looking for one of the best holiday destinations for couples, it doesn't get any better than St. Thomas, with its pristine beaches, romantic crescent-shaped bay — perfect for enjoying sunsets — and vibrant restaurant and shopping scene.

Couples can explore historic Charlotte Amalie, sail on a private catamaran or snorkel in the crystal-clear waters filled with colorful marine life. For a more secluded experience, visit Magens Bay or escape to nearby Water Island for a quiet picnic.

2. The Bahamas

For families with children, consider The Bahamas, which offers everything from spacious beaches to scuba diving, horseback riding and water parks. There's an abundance of resorts with kid-friendly activities and services.

If you find yourself in The Bahamas during the holiday season, you're in luck. Junkanoo is celebrated in Nassau on December 26 and New Year's Day. The event assumes a Mardi Gras-esque atmosphere, with locals dressing up in masks and traditional costumes and parading through the streets. It's not the Christmas parade you're probably used to — but that's part of the beauty.

3. Puerto Rico

4. Germany

If you're looking for a cozier Christmas trip, Europe is one of the best holiday getaway ideas. You might not be escaping the cold, but you will be immersing yourself in a centuries-old tradition that simply can't be matched anywhere else in the world. For a traditional Christmas market experience, head to Rostock or Warnemünde, which hosts some of the best Christmas markets in Germany.

Whether you're taking advantage of the carnival-like atmosphere and riding a Ferris wheel or merry-go-round or indulging in currywurst and hot chocolate, you can't go wrong spending your holiday in Germany.

5. Greece

Spending the holidays in Europe doesn't have to mean a cold-weather holiday, however. Greece, for example, enjoys comfortable 60-degree weather in December, making Athens the perfect Christmas destination for seekers of warm weather and Mediterranean culture.

One of the staples of the Greek Christmas tradition is boats decorated in places you'd usually find a Christmas tree — like public squares and plazas. The boats — in honor of Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors — are decorated with Christmas lights and serve as the centerpiece of community celebrations.

Greece is also known for its holiday food and drinks, including mulled wine, raki with honey, vasilopita (New Year's bread) and melomakarona (syrupy Christmas cookies topped with walnuts).

6. Alaska

For the solo traveler looking for an epic adventure getaway, spending the holiday in Alaska is about as rugged as it gets. Sure, you'll be contending with ice and snow, but since Alaska feels like the land where Christmas was invented, you probably won't mind.

What better way to embrace the holiday season — and start a new, unique holiday tradition — than by snowmobiling through corridors of snow-laden spruce trees or hiking a glacier? There's even a town just 12 miles from Fairbanks called the North Pole, complete with year-round candy-cane decor and a Santa Claus-themed post office. No, it's not the actual North Pole, but Alaska might be the closest you can get to the real thing. And what's more Christmassy than that?

7. New York City

One of the best Christmas vacations for holiday travelers looking to escape a New England winter is a cruise from New York. In just a matter of a few days, you'll find yourself transported from a frigid environment to one of warmth and relaxation.

There are several great holiday destinations easily reachable via a cruise from New York and New Jersey, including The Bahamas, Bermuda and Puerto Rico. If you have the time, you could even take an extended vacation of two weeks to the western Caribbean.

8. Mexico

9. Galveston

Cruises from Galveston, Texas, will also take you to Mexico. Galveston has the added benefit of being a great holiday destination in its own right, with the perfect mix of southern hospitality, history and natural beauty to explore. From the historic Strand District to the antique shops, restaurants and bars and the historic Pleasure Pier, there's no shortage of things to do in Galveston.

Cruises from Galveston will bring you to destinations in Mexico like Cozumel and Puerto Costa Maya, as well as other Latin American ports like Roatán, a Honduran island off the coast of the mainland. If you're lucky, you might even catch a classic Cozumel Christmas Day tradition, where children decorate tree branches and bring them house to house singing Christmas songs.

10. Miami

Booking the Best Christmas Cruises

Cruises can be the perfect vacation getaway for the holidays. They remove all the stress of planning, hosting, food preparation and familial obligation, and they let you focus on what really matters: quality time with your loved ones.

Whether you've decided to bring the whole family on a tropical Christmas cruise getaway for the holidays or you're looking for a peaceful escape with your special someone, you'll be able to choose from dozens of islands to help you uniquely celebrate the holidays.

Explore Royal Caribbean’s Christmas cruise options to start planning your picture-perfect holiday vacation.