The best 2019 Christmas cruises

Year after year Christmas arrives faster than anticipated. The pure thought of all the holiday preparation stresses out many. Those who want to escape the Christmas hustle and bustle in 2019, should start thinking about booking a Christmas cruise. Many cruise companies offer cruises around the Christmas time and New Year’s. Both short trips for the holidays and longer trips, including Christmas eve and New Year’s Eve, are available.

Escaping all the hustle and bustle starts with boarding the ship. The ship is decorated Christmassy: festive Christmas trees in the foyer and atriums and garlands and Christmas decoration deck the halls. And the best part about it is you did not have to do a thing to enjoy the spirit. You also do not have to put all the ornaments and decorations away and store them for the next year. The crew do their best to make the experience as comfortable as possible and they get really creative in order to provide you with an excellence Christmas experience aboard, not only on a culinary level. This also includes an extensive Christmas Eve dinner with multiple courses. This way you can enjoy your Christmas dinner in a nice atmosphere with interesting people.

Cruises always make for great experiences, especially during the holidays. Christmas is different around the world, every country celebrates it differently. Additionally, various harbours provide a different feeling as their decorations vary.  Whether you are looking to unwrap presents at a beach or in the snow, you will find what you are looking for. We have picked out some great Christmas cruises 2019.

Christmas Cruises 2019 Overview

Stay close to home – explore Europe

Christmas in the Canaries

This cruise is ideal for those that want sun and a little bit warmer weather for their Christmas. The good point is that you do not have to travel far to get that. Starting in Southampton, you will call at places like Madeira, Lisbon, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria. 12 Days of pure relaxation and exploration before you get back home just in time to celebrate the New Year.

Cruise with Ventura by P&O Cruises, 17^th December 2019 for 12 Nights; Southampton to Southampton.

Ancient Kingdoms followed by Ancient Affair

As the name says, this cruise is filled with history. Cyprus, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Greece – these are countries that are included in this cruise. Granted, they are not all located in Europe, but still the majority of them are. They are so rich and filled with history, and most likely not a place that you have been to around that time of the year.

Cruise with Marella Dream by Marella Cruises, 18^th December 2019 for 14 nights; Limassol to Limassol.

Visit North America and the Caribbean

Britannia’s Caribbean Christmas Paradise

Are you ready to celebrate Christmas and the new year in some of the most amazing places? The 14 night cruise starts in Barbados and then continue on to other Caribbean countries. Aruba, Curacao, St. Maarten and Grenada are just a few of the many beautiful spots you will visit. Aruba on 24^th December and Antigua and St. Maarten on the 31^st December and 1^st January – could be worse.

Cruise with Britannia by P&O Cruises, 21^st December 2019 for 14 nights; Barbados to Barbados.

Bahamas and Florida from New York

With this cruise you get the best of both worlds. New York, being located in the North East of the United States of America, tends to be rather cold, mostly snowy during the holidays. On the other side you have Orlando, Nassau and great Stirrup Cay, which are rather sunny and warm. You can choose to have your flight included or not. You may decide to stay even after you get off the ship on 28^th December and spend New Years Eve in New York City. Anyway, you will have an amazing time, enjoying beautiful places.

Cruise with Norwegian Bliss by Norwegian Cruise Line, 20^th December 2019 for 8 nights; New York City to New York City.

Explore South America

Pride of Panama followed by Exotic Explorer

Your two week trip starts and ends in Montego Bay. From there you go to Santa Marta and then Cartagena. Colon and Puerto Limon are the next stops, before you go back to Montego Bay. Santo Tomas de Castilla, Roatan, Belize City, and Costa Maya are the other places that you will get to see. You can spend Christmas and New Years Eve both in Montego Bay and still see other parts of South America in-between.

Cruise with Marella Discovery 2 by Marella Cruises, 17^th December 2019 for 14 nights; Montego Bay to Montego Bay.

Argentina, Uruguay, Brasil – the full South America experience

This cruise lets you have it – the full South America experience. Starting in Buenos Aires the MSC Musica makes its way to all kinds of destinations, including Punta del Este, Ilhabela, Buzios, and Rio de Janeiro. That way you are perfectly back in Buenos Aires for New Years Eve, and you can decide what you want to do from there. Travel more? Stay there? Fly home? It’s up to you.

Cruise with MSC Musica by MSC Cruises, 18^th December 2019 for 8 nights; Buenos Aires to Buenos Aires.

Explore the Middle East

Luxury Dunes Abu Dhabi (with 4 night stay)

A sunny and warm Christmas is not for everybody. But those who enjoy the sun shining on their faces while celebrating Christmas will certainly love this cruise. Before embarking the MSC Bellissima in the beautiful harbour of Abu Dhabi, you will stay in a hotel for four nights. From Abu Dhabi, you will see Sir Bani Yas Is, as well as Muscat and Khasab. All of these places offer rich culture and history for you to experience. Before going back to Dubai you have two days to explore the city of Dubai with all of its sights.

Cruise with MSC Bellissima by MSC Cruises, 15^th December 2019 for 11 Nights (incl. 4 night hotel stay); Abu Dhabi to Abu Dhabi (incl. flight to Abu Dhabi).

United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar

If you want to make the most out of your time and see as much as possible this cruise is just right for you. Thanks to a well-planned route and short distances, the 7 night cruise only has 1 day at sea. That means you have the rest to go ashore and explore all the destinations of this cruise, namely Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas Is, Bahrain, Doha, and Dubai. Not only can you spend Christmas in warm weather, but you could be back home for New Year’s Eve – that is if you want to be. Of course you can continue your travels or stay in Abu Dhabi when you disembark the ship on 29^th December.

Cruise with MSC Bellissima by MSC Cruises, 22^nd December 2019 for 7 nights; Abu Dhabi to Abu Dhabi.

Australia – On the sunny side

Iconic Australia with Sydney New Year

Christmas in summer can only mean one thing – you are going to Australia. This fascinating 28 night trip starts 11^th December 2019 in Benoa, Bali. From there you will visit different destinations in Australia, like Melbourne, and from there head towards Sydney. Here you will experience the amazing extravaganza that is New Years Eve, hours before many others around the world. Getting impressions from Brisbane and the Great Barrier Reef are the last stop before you head to Townsville and then to Cairns, where your cruise ends 3 days later.

Cruise with Boudicca by Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, 11^th December 2019 for 28 nights, Benoa to Cairns.

Xmas Down Under – Australia & South Pacific Cruise

If you want to get an impression of the variety that Australia offers, but still want to spend New Years Eve at home – this cruise is perfect for you. You will fly to Sydney, where you have one night stay before embarking the Celebrity Solstice for a nine night cruise. You will experience destinations including the Mistery Islands and the Solomon Islands. Christmas Eve and Day you will spent in Sydney, before you fly home on 28^th December.

Cruise with Celebrity Solstice by Celebrity Cruises, 11^th December for 17 nights; Sydney to Sydney (incl. flights from/to UK).

As you can see, there is a variety of options for you to escape the hustle and bustle next year – whether means travelling far away or staying close to home. These are not all holiday cruises. If you want the Christmas cruise feeling, but you want to be home for Christmas, you can also go on your desired cruise at the beginning of December. It will not be the same, but it may come close, because you can already feel the Christmas spirit, anyway.

Now, all that is left for you to do is to find your perfect Christmas cruise. Give our cruise experts a call on 0808 2746 777 or search for your perfect Christmas cruise now.