Eight reasons to cruise at Christmas time

Let’s be honest, we all know that Christmas can get stressful at points, what with arranging family meet-ups, co-ordinating present buying and prepping the most important meal of the year. But spending Christmas onboard a cruise ship means no cooking, no wrapping hundreds of presents, no deciding where to spend the big day… You’re free to relax and soak up the holiday atmosphere – because you are on holiday!

Don’t worry about missing out on your favourite festive traditions, as you’ll find them all onboard. Expect to see your Princess ship decked out with wreaths, holly, mistletoe and numerous Christmas trees (including one on the mast), and listen out for the sound of carollers singing Yuletide classics as they stroll around the decks. There’s Christmas spirit everywhere you go on our ships.

One of the most important parts of Christmas Day is the food. We'll be serving roast turkey and goose (and options for veggies and vegans) along with all the trimmings, plus sweet treats like yule logs, mince pies and Christmas cookies for pudding. I think we can fairly say that all your festive food requirements will be more than met onboard – and all without any washing up.

Hoping for snow on Christmas morning in the UK is often a lost cause, but rest assured that whatever the weather in your destination, you will indeed have a white Christmas onboard a Princess Cruise ship. Simply make your way to the Atrium and prepare for the perfect flurry. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…

At Princess, we sail to a vast selection of incredible destinations across the globe during the festive period, including Mexico, around the Caribbean, Argentina, Panama, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Vietnam, the Antarctic Peninsula and many more.

Children will love spending their school holidays on a Christmas cruise, particularly when Santa Claus makes an appearance (with a present, perhaps!) on Christmas Day. There are kids’ clubs for both younger children and teenagers, with festive parties, seasonal performances and special activities, like gingerbread house-making and decorating Christmas trees (which, you'll be pleased to hear, can get involved in too!).

You’ve most likely spent many Decembers traipsing around shops, stockpiling cranberry sauce and filling every spare minute with festive get-togethers. This year opt for some different activities, like wandering through serene Japanese gardens or spying tropical fish as you snorkel in the warm waters of St. Kitts. And if you’ve still got an urge to shop at this time of year, why not haggle for souvenirs in one of Hong Kong’s bustling street markets?

Woolly hats, novelty jumpers and cold, frosty temperatures are all part of Christmas at home, but everyone needs to spend at least one Christmas on the beach. Bright sunshine and tropical heat might seem a little untraditional at first, but when you’re sat in a deckchair, sipping on a cocktail with your toes in golden sand, you’ll be bursting with festive cheer. Put it this way: you probably won’t need the woolly hat this year.