Cruises: Family Cruise Vacation - Stress-free, No-Work Family Celebrations in Every Part of the World.There are certainly more than ten reasons to pack up the family and take a Hanukkah, Christmas or New Year’s cruise this holiday season but the short list covers the heart of the idea. It’s not too late to find a ship and sail away.

We are passing on the ten most obvious reasons to share a family cruise with your kids. The members of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) celebrate the winter holidays all over the world with style and festive spirit. Because family cruise vacations are often planned by all family members including nana, papa, parents, teens, and tweens we are sharing CLIA’s list (edited for families) for those who need more convincing:

1. CLIA member cruise lines offer holiday cruises of all lengths on all types of ships, including the world’s newest and largest, in all parts of the world, from Africa to the Caribbean to the Mediterranean to Antarctica.
2. When quality family time counts the most, a holiday cruise offers flexibility and choice in recreational activities, entertainment, relaxed dining and fun for travelers of all ages.
3. With special pricing, an abundance of diverse activities and plenty of entertainment, cruising for the holidays is the ideal choice for multigenerational groups or groups of families and friends.
4. Holiday cruisers do not need to worry about planning and preparing menus, doing the dishes or cleaning the house. On a cruise, you can leave holiday chores behind and concentrate on enjoying time spent with loved ones.
5. In times of stress, the chance to totally escape is just what the doctor ordered. Vacationing has been proven to be healthy and good for one’s well-being.
6. With a caring ship’s staff doing all the work, including the entertaining, a holiday cruise means more time to celebrate and enjoy the festivities.
7. With so many different cruises and cruise ships to choose from, there is a holiday cruise for every budget.
8. Featuring inclusive pricing, incomparable comfort and convenience, and travel to some of the most popular vacation destinations in the world, no holiday celebration offers more value for money spent than a cruise.
9. What better or more-appreciated gift could there be than the lifetime memories of a holiday cruise with family or friends?
10. It’s not too late; many CLIA member lines are waiting to welcome last-minute cruise shoppers for the holidays.

Here is a sampling of what CLIA member cruise lines are offering this year during the holidays:

AMA Waterways. The festive, traditional Christmas Markets of Vienna, Regensburg, Cologne, Prague and Paris are among the highlights of AMAWATERWAYS’ winter holiday voyages on the great rivers of Europe. In addition to such special touches as a formal Christmas Dinner and New Year's Eve Gala Dinner, the company is offering “wonderful winter savings” with “Companion Cruises Free!” pricing. The Family Thing: Strolling through bustling village squares decorated with lights and Christmas trees, passengers can shop for everything from home-made gingerbread to hand-carved wooden toys, returning at the end of the day to a ship festooned with a holiday décor.

Carnival Cruise Lines. Throughout the Carnival fleet, the winter holidays are celebrated with Christmas trees, wreaths and mistletoe, seasonal music, holiday entertainment, Christmas-themed movies and more. Holiday menus feature such traditional favorites as oven-roasted turkey and pecan pie. On New Year's Eve, guests are provided with party favors, noise makers and Champagne. The Family Thing: Santa Claus always makes an appearance toting a bag of gifts and an elaborate production show enables children to participate onstage, showcasing decorations they have made in Camp Carnival.

Costa Cruises. With Costa Fortuna and Costa Atlantica sailing the Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale, Costa offers a warm and festive Italian style winter holiday experience. A special New Year’s Eve “gala” night provides the opportunity to dress up for the holidays. Both ships feature holiday sailings from $599, complete with an up-to four category upgrade while kids sail for just $199 on all Caribbean holiday voyages. Deposits have been reduced to $150 on all Caribbean sailings as well. The Family Thing: The ships are completely decorated with Christmas trees, twinkling lights and beautiful ornaments and, on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Santa Claus makes special visits with keepsake gifts. Special holiday dinner and lunch menus offer a mix of the Italian cuisine and traditional favorites.

Crystal Cruises: This Christmas and New Year, Crystal Symphony will be cruising Antarctica and South America, allowing guests to experience both the South American spring and a white Christmas in Antarctica and Cape Horn. For a warm-weather Christmas, Crystal Serenity will be in the Caribbean for the holidays, sailing roundtrip from Miami on December 21. Ports include Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Barts, Turks & Caicos, Bonaire and Miami. All Crystal Holiday voyages feature more than $100,000 in seasonal décor, handcrafted decorations, lavish feasts and parties and a black tie New Year’s Eve gala. The Family Thing: They also offer the Crystal Family Memories program, with special savings, shipboard credits, free fares for children and more for groups.

Cunard Line. Imagine the winter holidays in picture-perfect Copenhagen and other Scandinavian capitals filled with antiquity and charm. Cunard Line is offering a special "complimentary double upgrade" promotion on Queen Victoria’s December 9, 2009 “Winter Wonderland” voyage. Roundtrip from Southampton, this Scandinavian itinerary includes overnight stays in Hamburg, Germany and Copenhagen, Denmark. Both Queen Victoria and Queen Mary 2 will hold Hanukkah services December 21 - 29 and will have kosher culinary offerings available to guests. The Family Thing: The ships will also be festooned with greenery, including trees and wreaths, ornaments, nutcrackers, gingerbread cottages and twinkling lights for Christmas, and kids will be delighted to find Father Christmas handing out gifts.

Disney Cruise Lines. The spirit of the season surrounds guests of Disney Cruise Line during the winter holidays. The Family Thing: Starting with Disney characters in their finest holiday attire welcoming guests at the decorated cruise terminal in Port Canaveral, the festivities include: “King Triton’s Tree Lighting” ceremony; family crafts such as stocking decorating and building gingerbread houses; holiday storytellers sharing tales of Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwaanza; traditional holiday feasts in three themed dining rooms and “Til We Meet Again,” a special holiday edition of the line’s cheerful farewell on the final night of the voyage. Disney Magic sails on seven-night eastern and western Caribbean holiday cruises; Disney Wonder offers three- and four-night Bahamian holiday cruises.

Hurtigruten. Hurtigruten is offering an all-inclusive package with all of the trimmings for the Christmas season. The penguins won't be the only creature wearing a tux as Hurtigruten’s festive 21-Day Christmas and New Years. The Family Thing: Antarctica cruise-tour, departing December 19, 2009 celebrates the holiday season with traditional Norwegian Christmas breakfasts and dinners, onboard musicians, Christmas carols, a Santa Claus laden with gifts and a New Year's Eve dinner and midnight party -- all against a backdrop of stunning Antarctic landscapes. This offer can be booked using Hurtigruten's interest-free "Layaway Getaway" monthly payment plan.

MSC Cruises. MSC celebrates the winter holidays with an international flair, with festivities and traditions practiced around the world. In the Caribbean, MSC Poesia will offer a seven-night “Happy Holidays, Caribbean-Style” Eastern Caribbean voyage from Fort Lauderdale departing on December 20, and a seven-night “Caribbean & Confetti NewYear’s” Western Caribbean cruise departing December 27. In the Mediterranean, from Genoa to Egypt, guests can celebrate on MSC’s two newest ships, the MSC Splendida and the MSC Fantasia, on Eastern Mediterranean and Western Mediterranean holiday itineraries. The Family Thing: Children 17 and under sail free with MSC when sharing a stateroom with two adults paying full fare.

Norwegian Cruise Lines. Norwegian makes Christmas at sea an unforgettable experience. All ships are festively decorated, crew members stage an interactive holiday show in the ship's theater, cruise directors and staff sing carols and Santa takes time out of his busy schedule to hand out gifts on Christmas Day. Holiday-themed menus feature dishes such as honey-glazed black forest ham with sweet potato mash, roasted turkey with apple and apricot stuffing, pumpkin soufflé and a pear and chestnut torte. Hanukkah is celebrated with kosher menus and the lighting of a menorah each day to commemorate the eight-day celebration. The Family Thing: While kids enjoy Norwegian's youth program, parents enjoy the high-energy, festive White Hot New Year's Eve party.

Princess Cruise Lines. Princess’ 17-ship fleet offer a wide range of sailings in the Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Panama Canal, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, South America, Hawaii and South Pacific for Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s. Whatever the destination, guests will find Yuletide carolers, waiters wearing Santa hats, festive décor, live seasonal music and films, and special holiday feasts featuring all the traditional favorites. The Family Thing: Popular with families, the holiday voyages offer young travelers parties, sing-a-longs, arts and crafts, and the chance to help decorate the ship’s Christmas tree. They also may participate in a holiday theatrical production and, on Christmas Day, Santa Claus makes a surprise appearance, bringing gifts and joy for all.

Royal Caribbean International. Families will have the opportunity to sail the newest, biggest ship in the world this holiday season when the 5,400-passenger Oasis of the Seas departs December 19 from Fort Lauderdale to the Caribbean. The Family Thing: In addition to seasonal decorations, the entire RCI fleet will offer such holiday favorites as classic movie screenings, caroling, cookie decorating, festive music and readings of classic Christmas stories. The December 12 sailing of Independence of the Seas, also from Fort Lauderdale, will combine the Jewish Festival of Lights, or Hanukkah, with an eight-night Eastern Caribbean cruise. RCI offers holiday sailings from 10 domestic ports, including Bayonne, Baltimore, Port Canaveral, Miami, Port Everglades, Tampa, Galveston, San Diego, Los Angeles and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

For more information on holiday cruises, please visit CLIA’s Website at www.cruising.org.

 

About CLIA
The nonprofit Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is North America's largest cruise industry organization. CLIA represents the interests of 24 member lines and participates in the regulatory and policy development process while supporting measures that foster a safe, secure and healthy cruise ship environment. CLIA is also engaged in travel agent training, research and marketing communications to promote the value and desirability of cruise vacations and counts as members 16,000 travel agencies. For more information of CLIA, the cruise industry, and CLIA-member lines and travel agencies, visit www.cruising.org.

 

Information provided by CLIA. Photos courtesy of Cunard Line & Norwegian Cruise Line. Copyright 2009.