AAA Home & Away....

HOLIDAYS ON THE HIGH SEAS

Cruise lines offer a bevy of getaways to keep
travelers busy from Thanksgiving to the New Year

A perfect cruise vacation is likely anÅjcruise to anÅiport anÅhtime of thejÅear, but there's something even more special about a holiday-season venture. We should know--over the years, we've taken cruises during each of the major late-year holidays and can highly recommend the concept.

From Thanksgiving turkey in Turkey to Christmas Day transiting the Panama Canal to the first New Year celebration somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, the holidays on the high seas means dozens of possibilities--including a wide range of special itineraries and onboard offerings from an array of cruise lines that take seasonal merriment to new levels. Whether with big ships and thousands of celebrants or yacht-like options with more intimate offerings, holiday cruises can suit every taste and budget.

Their advantages are numerous, too: the lack of seasonal stress and logistical headaches on the home front; the ability to easily arrange extended-family gatherings (or a quiet getaway for one or two); the likelihood of escaping the winter chill for warmer weather; the luxury of letting someone else do the cooking; and the post-celebration "driving" that's left to the captain.

A review of 2011-12 holiday-season options provides a preview of what will also be available in years to come.

Thanksgiving Away

Those who really want to get away for the holidays can often find a cruise--or several combined cruises--that will keep them at sea from Thanksgiving until the New Year. This year, for instance, Holland America Line is offering a 44-day Incan Empires and Hawaii Holiday Collectors' Cruise aboard the Rotterdam which embarks in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Nov. 21st and disembarks in San Diego on Jan. 4th.

Thanksgiving is at sea, Christmas week is enroute to Hawaii, and New Year's Eve is back at sea on the way to San Diego--with other highlights that include the Panama Canal and stops in South America, Central America, and Mexico.

"A lot of people like to get away for the holidays so they can completely relax and celebrate stress-free," says Richard D. Meadows, executive vice president, marketing, sales, and guest programs for Holland America. "The holidays are a special time and we want all of our guests to feel like they are celebrating with extended family, so we plan activities and events that ensure everyone gets into the holiday spirit."

For those with less time to spare, Thanksgiving at sea is particularly popular with Holland America and other lines. Most lines with a majority of U.S. passengers onboard choose to situate their ships at sea on Thanksgiving Day, giving their passengers ample opportunity for a traditional meal (or two) and more. However, there are some exceptions around the world every year. This year includes the Celebrity Equinox in Ephesus, Turkey; the Seabourn Legend in Trapani, Italy; and two Holland America ships in Phillipsburg, St. Maarten for a Caribbean Thanksgiving.

All three Disney ships are in the warm Caribbean and feature a bountiful Thanksgiving feast, as well as activities such as holiday crafts for youngsters and live football broadcasts on the ships' outdoor jumbo LED screens.

And as for the Thanksgiving spread, highlights have to include the notable all pumpkin menu on Princess ships (pumpkin gnocchi gratin, pumpkin pie) and tropically tinged Thanksgiving menus with Royal Caribbean.

Christmas to New Year's

Come Christmas--and Kwanzaa and Hanukkah--all the way through New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, the festivities really heat up on cruise ships. We were lucky enough to be on board the Seabourn Sojourn a year ago for a Panama Canal transit from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles for the holidays through early January--and we were completely sold.

Like all lines, Seabourn really tries to make things special for both the passengers and the crew. Some of the highlights we enjoyed included lots of trees and other decorations; a dazzling gingerbread village display; special holidays foods, such as cookies and chocolates, gingerbread, candy canes, and dried fruits; special Christmas Eve turndown goodies; caroling; a traditional Christmas Eve dinner, highlighted by duck; a special Christmas Eve show; Christmas Day brunch buffet and later, dinner with roast turkey, English pudding, and Christmas crackers; and a formal-optional New Year's Eve dinner followed by a gala ball and midnight celebration. Seabourn continues to offer a similar cruise for the 2011-2012 season and beyond, including Christmas Day transiting the Panama Canal and New Year's Eve at sea.

Along with having ships in St. John's, Newfoundland; Marseille, France; and Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, on Thanksgiving Day, destination- and food-focused Oceania Cruises has 2011-2012 options including Christmas Day in Hawaii and New Year's Day in Bora Bora.

Part of Prestige Cruise Holidays, upscale Regent Seven Seas Cruises offers less-common ports of call throughout the year--such as Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for Christmas Day this year.

Of course, the Fun Ships of Carnival Cruise Lines are fun for all during the holidays, with lots of colorful decorations, special shows and activities for kids and kids at heart, one-of-a-kind menus, and much more. This season, the 23-ship fleet had three ships setting sail on Caribbean and Mexican cruises overlapping Christmas, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

Future Options

Interesting holiday options for the future include characters in holiday attire, storytellers and Castaway Cay private-island celebrations with Disney Cruise Line; the holidays with a British flair aboard Cunard's three classic ocean liners; a golf-themed cruise from Los Angeles to Hawaii with Billy Casper and Crystal Cruises; Christmas-market river cruises in Europe (mainly Germany) with Uniworld; and a New Year's Day game day with football in lounges or on the giant screen, along with a full buffet of munchies, with Princess.

Those who like firsts might consider a cruise past the international date line in the western Pacific Ocean, which leads to first celebrations of the New Year. For instance, this New Year's Eve will see Celebrity Century off Dunedin, New Zealand, for New Year's Eve (after cruising Christchurch on Christmas Day). Celebrity serves up delicious holidays cruises, with tasty New Year's offerings that include champagne oysters, sparkling wine-infused strawberry soup, Chateaubriand and, of course, a champagne toast at midnight to mark the new year.

From Thanksgiving to New Year's Day, celebrating the holidays on the high seas is easy with accommodation cruise lines.

Planning Your Trip

For more information and trip-planning assistance, contact a local AAA Travel agent or visit AAA.com/travel.