If your friends at sea have been on their ship for a few days, the holiday decorations have probably blended in with their surroundings. They are no longer amazed at them. Still, there are plenty of other things for your friends at sea to do, or they could choose to do nothing at all – the other option after “you name it.”
Doing nothing is easy anywhere. At sea, crew members make an art out of enabling travelers to do nothing whatsoever. Ships equipped with enough spa treatments, pampering opportunities and free room service to make Cleopatra comfy, ply the waters of the world.
On the flip side, adventure travelers will find some unique opportunities for kayaking, trekking, hiking, climbing, cycling, horseback riding and more with updated off-ship shore explorations that are far from a ride around town in a tour bus.
Today, on Christmas Day, families around the world will get together to exchange gifts and have the biggest family dinner of the year. Friends and family may come from far away places to visit in an annual trek set for holiday merriment.
Today, on the high seas, cruise lines will have a special (perhaps keepsake) holiday menu, carolers will sing their traditional songs, inviting others to join in and children will delight in seeing Santa Claus. Holiday decorations were installed just before Thanksgiving and will run through the first of the year.
Many of those on board make sailing the way they do Christmas. We sailed for many years with our two daughters, often seeing other travelers we had sailed with over past holidays. On some sailings they would bring along a friend, others not.
All agreed after our first sailing that it “was the best vacation ever.” That’s something decision makers have to pay attention to when compared with other holiday options. Spending time with relatives that might not be as amiable as the total stranger just met on a cruise ship speaks volumes.
Parents like the idea because “we’re going on a cruise!” satisfies pretty much all the gift requests. In our family, the “family cruise” counted for birthday, anniversary and other special occasion gifts, making the premium price charged for a holiday sailing much more palatable.
Announced early, festive holiday cruise fans already know others before arriving on the ship via social media venues. After the sailing, those same venues will be used to keep in touch with friends they made on board for decades into the future.
I have often said in the past that if I could sail just one time of the year, over the December holidays would be that time.
No cooking.
No cleaning.
Some planning, but not much.
Fabulous destinations around the world visited via your cruise ship.
If there is such a thing as a holiday bargain, a cruise vacation for 2013 might be just what the family ordered. See how it goes today, then think about it.
[Photo Credit: Flickr user |vvaldzen|]