There’s a lot to like about spending the holidays on a cruise ship, which is why once again I’ll be onboard a few different ships all holiday season long while somebody else cooks the turkey, somebody else puts up the decorations, and I just sit back and enjoy.
Holland America Line has shared what it has planned for its 2026 holiday cruises, with everything from Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas Eve seafood to gingerbread villages and a champagne toast to welcome 2027. I’ll be getting a firsthand look at all of the line’s holiday festivities, since I’ll be aboard Nieuw Amsterdam for Thanksgiving and Volendam for Christmas and New Year’s, with plenty of reports coming along the way.
Deck the Ships with Boughs of Holly
Holland America will bring the holiday atmosphere aboard with seasonal decorations, tree-lighting ceremonies, carol singing, holiday movies and special performances by the crew. There will also be family activities, so passengers traveling with kids have something festive to do between eating, exploring ports and explaining that Santa can, in fact, find a cruise ship.
The celebrations extend across Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s sailings, although what you experience will depend on when you’re aboard. A Thanksgiving cruise obviously won’t have the same schedule as one sailing over Christmas Eve, so keep that in mind if there’s a particular tradition you’re hoping to catch.
For passengers ringing in 2027 at sea, Holland America says there will be New Year’s Eve parties throughout the ships and a champagne toast at midnight.
Turkey, Seven Fishes and a Visit From Santa
Food is a major part of any holiday and it’s part of Holland America’s holiday plans as well. Thanksgiving dinner will bring familiar favorites such as turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce, giving passengers the traditional meal without the traditional argument over how long the bird needs to stay in the oven.
Other seasonal offerings include latkes for Hanukkah, the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve, Christmas breakfast with Santa and Nutcracker Tea. Expect to find some destination-inspired dishes that will bring some regional holiday flavors into the mix, alongside the more familiar classics.
New for 2026 is a Magnolia Gingerbread Cake in the Dining Room, an addition to the cruise line’s partnership with Magnolia Bakery.
The holiday drink lineup includes Christmas Cocoamint Coffee, Vanilla Gingerbread Latte and Eggnog Latte, plus cocktails such as the De Lijn Ginger Mojito, Rudolph the Red Margarita and Minty Elf Martini.
Don’t Forget the Gingerbread Houses
Holland America’s culinary teams will once again build gingerbread villages, with each ship creating its own design. These displays involve hours of planning, baking and assembly, and are always a work of art.
They’re definitely worth slowing down to look at. It’s easy to walk past a holiday display on your way to dinner, but there’s a lot of work tucked into those little buildings, decorations and edible details, as you can see from the video below that I took last year on Rotterdam.
Where I’ll Be Spending the Holidays
My holiday season will include Thanksgiving aboard Nieuw Amsterdam, followed by Christmas and New Year’s aboard Volendam. That means I’ll have plenty of opportunities to take part in all the festivities, from the holiday dinners and decorations to the entertainment and whatever festive dessert ends up in front of me.
For Christmas and New Year’s, I’ll be on Volendam’s 14-day Southern Caribbean: ABC & Windward Islands Holiday cruise, departing Fort Lauderdale on December 22. The ABC islands are already one of my favorite Caribbean runs, so adding Christmas dinner and a New Year’s celebration makes that sailing especially appealing.
Expect reports here on Scott’s Cruises throughout the season, with photos, food, daily happenings and my usual observations about life onboard. Holland America has given us the holiday preview; once I’m aboard, I’ll show you what it’s actually like to spend the holidays at sea.
