Holiday Activities Onboard Cruise Ships

By
Sue Lobo
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1468

Your perfect gift might be to go on a cruise. You don’t have to dread having to leave all of the holiday cheer behind, though, as many of the major cruise lines are going to be having holiday activities for their passengers. Here’s what some major cruise lines will be offering.

Holiday Activities Onboard Cruise Ships

Carnival Cruise Lines

  • Hanukkah: Guests can take part in a menorah lighting ceremony on each night of Hanukkah.
  • Christmas: The ship will be decked out in a variety of holiday decorations. Passengers can enjoy seasonal music, movies, and special performances. Kids will also get to see Santa. There will be a special Christmas dinner served that features turkey and pie.
  • New Year’s Eve: Quite the party will be happening on New Year’s Eve, featuring a complimentary champagne toast and party favors.

Celebrity Cruises

  • Hanukkah: Guests can enjoy menorah lightings daily with a rabbi.
  • Christmas: There will be a variety of pop-up performances including the “Winter Escape Elves.” There will also be a snow machine to provide snow, cookie decorating, a small parade, holiday carnival, and gingerbread houses.
  • New Year’s Eve: A DJ will be on hand to count down to 2019 and there will be a balloon drop at midnight.

Disney Cruise Line

  • Hanukkah: There will be a service held every day and storytellers will share the story of Hanukkah with the little ones.
  • Christmas: Passengers can enjoy the “Very Merrytime” activities which feature carolers, crafts, a deck party, Disney Characters lighting a tree, a snowfall, and winter wonderland ball. There will also be a midnight mass on Christmas Eve and church services on Christmas Day. Santa will visit and there will be a Christmas feast.
  • New Year’s Eve: There will be a huge party onboard and adults can indulge in sparkling wine.

Holland America

  • Hanukkah: Each night a rabbi will light the menorah and guests can enjoy dishes like latkes.
  • Christmas: There will be a tree lighting ceremony, special shows, and a variety of food offerings like milk and cookies with Santa, cider, eggnog, and high tea.
  • New Year’s Eve: Guests can enjoy a New Year’s Eve celebration and hours of college football on New Year’s Day.

Norwegian Cruise Line

  • Hanukkah: A menorah will be lit each day.
  • Christmas: The ship will be decorated with holiday decorations, lit trees, and poinsettias. There will be carolers, a visit from Santa, gingerbread houses, pumpkin pies, and a Champagne menu.
  • New Year’s Eve: There will be a grand celebration that features extravagant meals at the restaurants and noisemakers will be given out right before midnight as the captain counts down to 2019 from the bridge.

Royal Caribbean

  • Hanukkah: There will be lighting ceremonies, games, songs, and special food served.
  • Christmas: Guests can enjoy holiday music, festive decorations and a parade featuring Santa and his elves. There will also be Christmas cookies, caroling, and an ice skating party as well as snow.
  • New Year’s Eve: Both kids and adults will get to partake in New Year’s activities. For the kids, they will have their very own party at the children’s center. Adults will get to enjoy the festivities in each lounge and a balloon drop at midnight.

The concept of spending the holidays at sea may be foreign to some, but it is an incredible experience you will never forget.  To explore your options on these ships, itineraries are available at Atlas Cruises.

Holiday activities onboard cruise ships are a wonderful reason to sail during the festive season. For finding the right ship and cabin for holiday cruising, see our advisors’ How to Choose a Cruise Cabin guide.

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Sue Lobo
Sue Lobo
https://www.atlastravelweb.com
Sue Lobo is a four-time Condé Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialist (2023, 2024, 2025 & 2026) and Senior Travel Advisor at Atlas Travel Center, one of the most decorated travel agencies in the United States. With more than 35 years of experience in the travel industry, Sue has planned, booked, and personally accompanied trips for thousands of clients — from first-time cruisers to seasoned luxury travelers who have circled the globe multiple times. Sue's areas of deep expertise include ocean and river cruising, European tours, group travel coordination, luxury travel, honeymoon planning, and family vacation design. She is a CLIA-certified cruise specialist and works within an agency that holds IATA and ARC accreditation and maintains an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Over her career, Sue has been involved in more than 30,000 bookings and has personally coordinated over 200 travel groups — from faith-based group cruises and HBCU alumni trips to women's retreats, family reunions, and corporate incentive travel. What sets Sue apart is not just the credentials — it is the firsthand experience behind them. Sue has personally traveled to more than 20 countries across three continents, including Cuba, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and throughout Europe. She has sailed on dozens of cruise ships across nearly every major line, walked the river cruise routes she recommends, and eaten at the restaurants she suggests to clients. Her recommendations come from personal experience, not brochures. In addition to advising clients, Sue writes extensively about travel for The Traveler's Atlas blog — covering everything from cruise line comparisons and overtourism trends to destination guides and practical travel tips. Her writing is grounded in the same expertise she brings to every client conversation: honest, specific, and built on decades of real-world travel experience. Sue is based in the United States and available to help travelers plan cruises, European tours, group trips, river cruises, honeymoons, family vacations, and more. To work with Sue, contact Atlas Travel Center at atlastravelweb.com.

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