Much like all addictions, ours started innocently enough. Wouldn’t it be lovely, I thought, to get away over Christmas and, rather than buying presents, trees and turkey, give the family a river cruise instead? Readers, that was in 2012.
We’re now counting down to Christmas river cruise number 11 (one every year, bar the two we were banned from travelling when we had BBQs in the garden on the 25th instead), and frankly, we can’t think of a better way to spend the festive season.
Whether on the oceans or rivers, a cruise is a brilliant way to take the stresses and strains out of the big day. Instead of worrying if the turkey is big enough or what to do with all those leftovers, you can relax and let the crew take care of everything.
Not just the cooking, cleaning, making beds and pouring drinks they always do, but dressing trees and hanging decorations. On the rivers, they even sing a few carols the night before Christmas while the captain sends a note to Santa so he knows where to park his sleigh when he visits (chimneys not being among the many attributes of river ships!)
Christmas river cruises are mostly on the Rhine, Main and Danube, or combine all three over Christmas and the New Year, and include port calls every day, even on the 25th (not Scenic River Cruises, which sets that aside as a sailing day). There will be tours as well, or you can explore alone. Most Christmas markets close on the 23rd of December, but you can always find a café or stall doing a roaring trade in Gluhwein.
Travelmarvel, which makes its Christmas debut in 2025 with a one-week voyage on the Danube from Budapest to Nuremberg, has tours to Melk’s famous Benedictine Abbey on the 25th, while Christmas Day in Ghent and New Year’s Eve in Amsterdam await on a new festive cruise on the Dutch and Belgian waterways from Uniworld River Cruises next year.
Ocean cruises, which conversely mostly spend Christmas Day at sea, have a wider choice of itineraries. Coming up in 2025, you can have guaranteed sun or snow, sail on British or American ships, and even go wild in the Galápagos.
That last one is with HX, the expedition cruise line, which starts its 2025 Christmas cruise with a couple of nights in Quito, Ecuador, and arrives in the islands on the 25th, where you are immediately whisked off for your first amazing encounter with wildlife that has no fear of humans.
For guaranteed snow, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is off in search of the Northern Lights on a festive voyage to Arctic Norway from Southampton in December 2025 that is at sea for Christmas and includes an overnight in Tromsø on New Year’s Eve so passengers can join the local celebrations welcoming in 2026.
If Christmas in the sun appeals, consider Ambassador Cruise Line’s voyage to the Canary Islands from Tilbury. There’s turkey on the big day, volcanoes, penguins and sand dunes in the islands and a late stay in Madeira on New Year’s Eve to watch the famous Funchal fireworks.
Or, how about a Caribbean Christmas with Princess Cruises or P&O Cruises? There’ll be lots of sun, plenty of rum and beaches galore. Go with Oceania Cruises, and you’ll have Christmas Day in St. Maarten, the Dutch side of the island shared with the French (their half is St. Martin). Tours take you around both.
You can celebrate Christmas with a traditional luau complete with hula and fire dancing on the island of Kaua’i on Norwegian Cruise Line’s voyage around Hawaii from Honolulu or go full festive Down Under on an epic 28-day cruise in New Zealand and Australia with Holland America Line that promises everything from kiwis and koalas to convicts.
But that’s all to plan for in 2025. For now, whether you’re afloat or on land this Christmas and New Year, have a very merry time. 
