Christmas Cruise Holidays: 5 Destinations
All I Want for Christmas is a Cruise with the Family
By Cynthia J. Drake | Published: December 01, 2021 | Updated: March 19, 2026
The growing to-do list for a parent around Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and other holidays can get a little overwhelming: gifts to buy, meals to plan, relatives to host, wrapping and decorating to do and holiday concerts and school programs to attend. The fact is that sometimes the holidays can start to feel a lot more like work and obligation than joy and togetherness.
Enter: a family vacation, cruise-ship style. Christmas cruise holidays allow you to spend your days focusing on the things that really matter (like being with family) and less on all the other stuff. And you can bring along as many — or as few — of your traditions as you'd like for the journey.
Key Takeaways: Best Christmas Cruises
- ● Christmas cruises offer festive activities at sea and a long list of exciting destinations to visit around the holiday season.
- ● Top places to visit on these cruises include The Bahamas, Jamaica, Puetro Rico and Mexico.
- ● A Christmas cruise with the family is a great alternative to traditional presents if you prefer experiences to physical things.
- ● You can book a holiday cruise at any time of the year and get excited about your upcoming journey.
Christmas Cruise Holidays: An Overview
After a hectic year of homework and school projects, carpooling to soccer games or dance recitals and feeling like you don't have time to just relax with your family, sometimes the best thing you can do is buck your holiday traditions, pack your bags and take the whole family on a cruise. Not having to worry about a turkey dinner or the perfect Christmas tree will give you more quality time to spend with each member of your family.
Christmas vacation cruises are available from Royal Caribbean, offering themed holiday activities and attractions alongside both traditional and contemporary holiday services. Special feasts, carols, tree lighting events and more make these voyages unique and festive. Destinations include many warm-weather ports in the Caribbean and beyond.
Want to bring along the grandparents, in-laws or extended family? No need to worry about stashing Uncle Earl on the basement couch this holiday season — everyone can be comfortable in the privacy of their own stateroom. Cruise ships have something for everyone, including multigenerational activities. From the kids' activities at Adventure Ocean to holiday movie nights and story time to competitive rounds of musical trivia, your family will truly be together.
5 Best Christmas Holiday Cruise Destinations
While a cruise vacation is very much about the journey as much as the destination, discovering a gorgeous new place is a wonderful way to spend your holiday vacation. The list of Christmas cruise destinations includes a variety of warm-weather ports that will draw a real contrast with the snowy weather farther north.
These are five of the most compelling destinations you can sample as you sail through your holidays. You can often reach more than one of these ports on a single cruise if you pick a fun multi-stop itinerary in the Western or Eastern Caribbean.
1. Nassau, The Bahamas
Nassau, capital of The Bahamas, is an outstanding destination any time of the year, combining world-class beach clubs with a bustling and fun downtown. It's especially exciting late in the holiday season; however, between Boxing Day and the New Year, the local Junkanoo Festival takes over the city and introduces a whole new party atmosphere.
2. Falmouth, Jamaica
Jamaica is renowned the world over for its laid-back atmosphere and peerless cultural exports like reggae, ska and dancehall music. Spending Christmas in Jamaica is a way to bring your family to a little slice of paradise for the holidays. Whether you like your holidays solemn or raucous, Jamaica's the perfect place to celebrate: The country is home to the most churches and rum bars per square mile.
There are so many fun ways to spend a day in Jamaica. You can ride horses down a secluded beach, explore the historic Good Hope Estate, tube down a river or simply enjoy dancing along to a local band. While you're doing all these things, you can imagine the chilly December weather farther north and know that you made a great choice.
3. San Juan, Puerto Rico
Seeing the 500-year-old streets of Old San Juan dressed up for Christmas can be a real thrill. The warmth and cheer of the Puerto Rican capital will stick with you long after the tinsel has come down for the year. You can spend your trip relaxing with a seaside beverage, marveling at the beauty of the colorful old town or exploring the local jungles on an adventurous shore expedition — it's up to you.
Puerto Rico has an added attraction for American travelers: It's a U.S. territory, so you don't need a passport to go there from the States. Your holidays in warm and sunny San Juan are easy to slot into your travel itinerary.
4. Ensenada, Mexico
Ensenada is a place that feels like a faraway dream destination, but is actually right down the West Coast. You can cruise there via Catalina Island and discover the beautiful city that's renowned for its dining scene — especially ceviche, tacos and artisanal cheeses.
Ringing in Christmas on a gorgeous beach in Mexico is certainly a unique way to celebrate the holiday, but it's one you'll remember as long as you live. Adventurous trips from Ensenada include a walk down the Canon de Doña Petra trail into vineyard country and an excursion to view La Bufadora, a majestic marine geyser.
5. Perfect Day at CocoCay, The Bahamas
If you're looking for one holiday destination that will make everyone back home feel truly envious, you can't beat the exclusive experience of Perfect Day® at CocoCay. This private island paradise nestled in The Bahamas offers seven beaches, five pools and 14 waterslides to splash around in, then seven restaurants and 20 bars where you can cool off afterwards.
If you're thinking of starting a new holiday tradition this year, what could be better than a trip to a private paradise? Spending time under the Bahamian sun is a way to let the old year's troubles melt away as you set yourself up for a great year ahead. Your family can open presents poolside or, if you prefer experiences to things, the trip can be the present.
Bring Your Family Traditions on Your Vacation
Cruises are all about enjoying the comforts of home while on board. So, if you can't imagine celebrating Hanukkah without a special family meal, or Christmas vacation without homemade cookies or that enchanting holiday theater production — you don't have to! All of those activities are already planned for you on board, and in some cases, it's even more fun than doing it all on your own. Kids can decorate gingerbread houses, go caroling, be wowed by the holiday parade and even meet Santa Claus himself. And parents will enjoy romantic holiday concerts, cozy movie nights and watching the kids make new memories.
As for getting into the holiday spirit, your cruise ship will be twinkling from bow to stern with grand Christmas trees, cheery decorations and sparkling lights. Every night of Hanukkah, you can gather your family in the lobby with your fellow cruisers to light the menorah. And Christmas dinner in the decked-out dining hall means you won't have to forego your traditional turkey, ham or buche de noel (yule log) — they're on the menu. The biggest difference is that you don't have to lift a finger cooking or cleaning up! There are also opportunities to attend religious services led by a priest or rabbi.
Want to amp up the holiday fun? You should bring along anything that will make the holidays a little merrier away from home. Pack a set of family holiday PJs and have an onboard photographer snap your picture, or decorate your stateroom door with a festive wreath. Or, load your tablet with your favorite holiday movies and books so you can snuggle up before bed for story time.
Start New Holiday Traditions From Your Family Traveling
Gazing at a palm tree wrapped with red and green lights while a steel pan version of your favorite seasonal tune plays and your kids build a "snowman" out of beach sand is a wonderful and unique way to experience the holidays. When cruising for the holidays, you and your family will discover new cultural traditions — from Caribbean foods to holiday folklore — that can enrich and enhance your celebrations to come in new and unexpected ways. You can even rethink your approach to gift-giving.
Spend Time on a Cruise Together as a Family
Some families prefer experiences over tangible gifts. For them, the cruise is the present, and the greatest gift is the time spent together. Rethinking the idea of gift giving is another way of creating your own traditions and memories, and it can also mean one less thing to stress over.
Of course, you don't have to give up gift-giving if that's something your family cherishes. If that's you, bring along a few special presents to unwrap. Cozy up with a mug of coffee on your stateroom balcony while watching your kids open their gifts — or head to the beach in your Santa hat for some fun photos. You can even save some presents to unwrap back home for something to look forward to.
You can find exciting souvenirs at each port of call, too (I like to collect a new ornament from each new place I visit), or you can collect all of your photographs from your wonderful vacation and turn them into beautiful mementos for your family members later.
Give Everyone A Little Peace While On Vacation
Holidays are one of the most stressful times of the year for many people. Above all the beauty of taking your family’s holiday celebrations on board a cruise ship is that everyone gets to enjoy some well-deserved relaxation. Kids can spend the day making new friends and playing holiday-themed games while the grandparents attend a holiday mass. Meanwhile, Mom or Dad can swap hours of house-cleaning, meal prep and last-minute shopping for a luxurious spa treatment followed by a glass of wine shared together during a much-needed silent night. So, if your heart wants you to be spontaneous and book a family cruise this holiday season, go for it.
Set Sail for a Holiday Adventure
New traditions and old can exist side by side when you're on a holiday cruise. In the Caribbean and beyond, a cruise vacation is the perfect cure for the holiday blahs and a great way to celebrate Christmas and other favorite holidays.
