It’s time to start filling those stockings with Christmas cheer!

As hard as it is for us all to comprehend, 2017 continues to fly by in the blink of an eye and once again Christmas is just around the corner.  By now we’ve all begun to discuss plans for the big day and put the wheels in motion to prepare for its arrival.  Discussions have taken place on the choice of menu for the day, who we’ll be spending it with, where we’ll be spending it, home or going out for the day and much more.

Despite all the planning, preparation and stress that comes with Christmas, it is still, nevertheless, a special time of year.

What if we could look forward to the day without having to consider any of the complications or stress that comes with it?  What if it was just all about having a good time and enjoying ourselves?  Is this even possible or is it just a mere pipe dream?  By now some of you may be thinking, well yes we could go out for the day, saves on the washing up but it can be expensive.  Well, I’m not talking about going out for the day, I’m talking about leaving the house for a while and stepping foot on board a cruise to enjoy the festivities at sea.

This is just what we did in 2010 after we had been going through a major family crisis and just want some quality time for ourselves away from it all. We were still living in South Africa at the time and flew out to Dubai for a Christmas cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas.

On board a Christmas cruise you will see more decorations and more festive themes than you can possibly imagine and do not have to worry one bit about missing out.  Cruise operators don’t just acknowledge Christmas as something they have to do to appease and attract passengers, they are part of it.  After all, the crew want to enjoy and celebrate this special time of year as well so from grand staircases awash with light, glamorous garlands combined with magnificent floral arrangements and of course a majestic Christmas tree at the center of it all; cruise lines love making the most of Christmas and they certainly do so in style. The Christmas tree’s feature throughout every vessel at Christmas but it is most common that the center piece attraction will be located at the heart of the ship in the atrium.  The focal point for a ship, it is only right that the atrium be synonymous with the biggest tree on board.

We all associate this time of year with wrapping up warmly, checking the weather forecast and perhaps lighting the fire to avoid the winter chill.  For some the sight of a drop of snow hitting the ground is an exciting time, especially for children as their first thought registered is “snowman!!” .  With a Christmas cruise, you don’t need to worry about any of this; in fact the only weather forecast you’ll be looking at is for where you’re heading not where you’re leaving behind.  From the year round warm climate of the Canary Islands or the United Arab Emirates to the glistening sun kissed waters of the Caribbean, escape it all and just relax!