Spending the holidays on a cruise means somebody else cooks the turkey, puts up the decorations and deals with the dishes afterward. You still get the Christmas trees, holiday music and enough food to require pants with a stretchy waistband, but you can follow dinner with a cocktail overlooking the ocean instead of figuring out how to fit the leftovers in the fridge.
For 2026, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Holland America, Norwegian, MSC and Disney have holiday celebrations ranging from traditional dinners and religious observances to visits from Santa and New Year’s Eve parties. Exactly what’s offered depends on your ship and sailing, but if you’re considering taking Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas or New Year’s offshore, here’s what to expect.
Thanksgiving at Sea: All the Turkey, None of the Cleanup
Thanksgiving falls on November 26, 2026, and all seven lines serve a traditional holiday dinner. Expect turkey, the usual sides and pumpkin pie, without having to get up early to put a bird in the oven or listen to someone explain why their stuffing recipe is the best.
The main dining room is usually the place that serves the full sit-down holiday meal, along with a regular menu for those who aren’t a fan of the once-a-year bird. Speciality restaurants don’t always serve a modified menu for a holiday, so be sure to check before making a reservation, since paying extra for a holiday dinner that doesn’t include anything special is a bit of a waste.
Besides dinner, some lines have some holiday-themed activities beyond the usual bingo or trivia. Royal Caribbean has a Turkey Tailgate festival, Turkey Trot walk and run, and Thanksgiving-themed basketball and mini golf events. Disney includes football on the big Funnel Vision screen on select November sailings, allowing you to keep the tradition of watching the game and falling asleep before halftime.
Hanukkah Festivities
Hanukkah begins the evening of December 4, 2026, so it falls well before Christmas this year. If you want to celebrate onboard, make sure your sailing covers the dates rather than assuming everything happens during Christmas week.
Carnival offers Hanukkah services with nightly menorah lighting at sunset, while Holland America has nightly candle lighting and latkes at lunch in the Lido Market. Royal Caribbean adds themed dinner menus and children’s activities such as storytelling, crafts and Hanukkah slime making, yes, slime! (Can adults join in? Asking for a friend, of course.)
Princess includes religious observances in its holiday programming, and Norwegian lists Hanukkah services in its daily program. Check your ship’s schedule for times and locations, since arrangements vary by sailing.
Christmas at Sea
Cruise ships are known for excess, and Christmas gives them permission to take that excess even further with tons of holiday decorations. Trees, wreaths, garlands, lights and gingerbread displays fill the public spaces, while holiday music makes sure you don’t forget it’s December just because you’re wearing shorts.
Many holiday activities begin before Christmas week, so you don’t necessarily have to sail on December 25th to get festive. You do, however, need to check when your particular ship starts its holiday programming.
Tree Lightings, Snow and Ugly Sweaters
Tree lighting ceremonies, caroling and ugly sweater events appear across the cruise lines, so there’s no shortage of opportunities to stand around a Christmas tree wearing something you’d normally refuse to leave the house in. Pack accordingly!
Princess holds its tree lighting in the Piazza, with full cast performances on Sphere Class and Royal Class ships and smaller celebrations with vocalists on other ships. Its lineup also includes Holly Jolly Sweater Parties with a holiday silent disco, candlelight concerts, singalongs and snowfall in the Piazza on select ships.
Disney pairs its Merrytime Tree Lighting with hot cocoa and cookies, while MSC adds caroling and artificial snow to its ceremony. Carnival gathers guests for caroling around the tree and an ugly sweater competition, and Royal Caribbean adds its RED holiday party and holiday skating sessions on ships with ice rinks.
Norwegian crew members typically join in with caroling in the atrium or piano bar. Participation is optional, which is good news for those of us who enjoy Christmas music but shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near a microphone. You know who you are.
Santa, Mickey and One Very Green Christmas Guest
Disney’s Very Merrytime cruises bring Mickey and friends out in their holiday outfits, along with Santa, a giant gingerbread house and a towering Christmas tree. For families who want their Christmas celebration with a generous helping of Disney characters, there’s plenty to keep the camera busy.
Carnival takes a slightly different approach with Grinchmas, featuring surprise appearances by the Grinch, a holiday show and a character breakfast. There’s also a mailbox for letters to Santa, giving the kids somewhere to submit their requests.
Royal Caribbean brings Santa aboard with gifts for kids and teens, while MSC includes presents for children, a Christmas parade and a Winter Wonderland in its kids’ area. Holland America offers an upcharge Breakfast with Santa on Signature and Pinnacle class ships, so check the schedule if meeting the man in red is a priority.
Christmas Dinner
Special Christmas Eve and Christmas Day menus are part of the holiday experience across the lines, with traditional favorites and a few touches reflecting each brand. Turkey, ham and festive desserts are common, but the exact spread depends on where you’re sailing.
Norwegian typically includes a chocolate Yule log, MSC brings Italian traditions to the table with panettone, and Holland America offers a Feast of the Seven Fishes inspired risotto. Holland America’s culinary team also creates holiday village displays around the ship.
Princess adds turkey carving demonstrations, cookie decorating, festive cocktails and hot chocolate stations. Royal Caribbean puts out milk and cookies in the Windjammer each evening, although there’s no requirement to prove you’re leaving them for Santa.
Once again, check the main dining room menu before paying for a specialty restaurant. Specialty venues often keep their regular menus during the holidays, so the included dinner may be the better choice if you want a traditional Christmas meal. If your personal tradition involves a steak and a martini, carry on.
Things to Do Between Meals
Holiday crafts, ornament decorating, seasonal movies and family activities help fill the schedule between eating something festive and deciding you could probably eat something else. Depending on the ship, you may also find gingerbread house making and holiday movies on the outdoor screen.
Princess adds Storytime with Stanley and encourages families to bring festive pajamas for its family flair night. Those matching Christmas pajamas can finally get some use beyond the five minutes everyone begrudgingly wears them for a photo.
New Year’s Eve: Your Cabin Is Your DD
New Year’s Eve generally brings countdown parties, music, dancing and a Champagne toast. The big advantage is that nobody needs to drive home, although finding your stateroom can become its own little adventure at the end of the night.
Carnival celebrates with a big party followed by an after-party, while Royal Caribbean has countdown celebrations and balloon drops. MSC brings out confetti cannons and countdowns on its LED screens, and Norwegian offers celebrations around the ship.
Holland America hosts a New Year’s Eve Ball with dancing and party favors, and it’s a dressy night, so leave some room in the suitcase for something other than pool clothes. Disney offers New Year’s Eve celebrations with fireworks, music, dancing and food.
The atmosphere varies by ship, venue, and sailing, so check the schedule before committing to a spot for midnight. You may want the biggest party onboard, or you may prefer a drink somewhere you can still hear the person sitting next to you.
A Few Things to Know Before You Book a Holiday Cruise
If you’re considering booking a Christmas or New Year’s cruise this year, or next, there are a few very important things you need to know about before you commit:
- Expect holiday pricing. Christmas and New Year’s weeks are popular, and the fares tend to reflect that demand. If your dates are flexible, compare an earlier December cruise with holiday programming against one that actually includes Christmas Day.
- Expect more families and kids, too. School breaks make holiday cruises an obvious choice for parents, so the onboard atmosphere can be different from a quieter sailing earlier in the month. Keep that in mind when choosing your ship and dates.
- Check your Christmas Day port plans. Shops, restaurants and attractions ashore may be closed or operating on reduced hours. Confirm anything you’re planning independently, rather than arriving to discover your Christmas lunch destination has given its staff the day off.
- Pack for the activities you want to join. An ugly sweater, festive pajamas and something dressy for New Year’s Eve may deserve a little space alongside the sunscreen. You don’t need an entire Christmas wardrobe, but it helps to know what’s on the schedule before the suitcase is zipped.
- Use the daily program. Holiday events vary by line, ship and itinerary, and not every activity advertised by a cruise line happens on every departure. Check with your cruise line ahead of time, or the daily schedule for the details once you’re onboard.
Where I’ll Be Spending the Holidays
I’m taking my own advice and letting the cruise lines handle the holidays this year, starting with Halloween aboard Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth. After that, I’ll be spending Thanksgiving on Holland America’s Rotterdam, followed by Christmas and New Year’s on Holland America’s Volendam.
I’ll be sharing what those celebrations are actually like, from the food and decorations to the onboard events and whatever festive nonsense I find myself talked into. Whether an ugly sweater makes it into my suitcase remains to be seen, but showing up for dinner is a commitment I’m more than comfortable making.
