Best Christmas Cruises to see out the end of the year
Don’t want to cook this year for Christmas or even spend it at home? Then head out to sea – and on to the pool deck – of these festive voyages.
1. Seabourn
The 600-passenger Seabourn Encore will visit five countries in two weeks on its Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam holiday itinerary. Witness the spectacle of an evening sail-away from Hong Kong’s harbour on December 22. The first stop is Halong Bay, with Christmas at sea, followed by a day in Da Nang and an overnight stay in Ho Chi Minh City. New Year’s Eve is in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, before arriving in Ko Kood, Thailand, and Laem Chabang (Bangkok). Ending in Singapore, this luxurious cruise is priced from $13,411 a person twin-share. For the ultimate white Christmas, the 264-passenger Seabourn Pursuit has an epic 21-night Antarctica, South Georgia and Falkland expedition departing Buenos Aires on December 15. All-inclusive fares start at $30,514 a person twin-share, including fine dining, drinks, excursions and signature events such as Caviar on the Ice.
2. Tauck
Designed for all ages, Holiday Magic is a family-friendly river cruise on the Danube. Tauck has limited availability on the seven-night westbound itinerary aboard the 130-passenger Savor from Vienna on December 20. Enjoy an evening at a Viennese palace for dinner and a waltzing lesson. Join a guided walk of Budapest and a scavenger hunt in Slovakia’s capital, Bratislava. Visit the Austrian town of Oberndorf, where the carol Silent Night was first performed, and spot settings from The Sound of Music in Salzburg. In the Wachau Valley, there’s wine-tasting or trekking to Kuenringer Castle. In Passau, choose from a geocaching game in the Old Town or a storytelling hike with a local guide. From $6510 a person twin-share, inclusive of on-board meals and drinks, shore excursions, airport transfers and gratuities.
3. Windstar Cruises
This year, Windstar’s Christmas cruise in Tahiti will be aboard the revamped 312-passenger Star Breeze, which has a watersports platform for kayaking, snorkelling and swimming off the back of the ship. An overnight stay in Bora Bora peaks with a beach party lit up by fire dancers, before Christmas Day in the tropical paradise of Huahine. The seven-night Dreams of Tahiti sails round trip from Papeete on December 19. Alternatively, experience the Mediterranean without crowds on Star Legend’s seven-night Europe Winter Riviera from Rome to Barcelona, departing December 23. With two days in Livorno from Christmas Eve, guests can head out of town to Florence or relax in the Tuscan countryside with lunch at a farmhouse and vineyard. From Nice, pop over the French border to Monaco, or book a foodie tour from Genoa to Rapallo, a seaside resort on the Italian Riviera.
4. Ponant
Le Soleal embarks on a round-trip expedition to NZ’s Subantarctic Islands from Dunedin on December 17. Expect sightings of fur seals, sea lions and an incredible array of nesting seabirds in remote wilderness areas. On Christmas Eve, an extended stop at Macquarie Island allows a greater chance to go ashore, if weather permits, to see Southern elephant seals and four species of penguins. The 14-night voyage also explores Milford Sound, Dusky Sound and Doubtful Sound, with Zodiac rides through this breathtaking waterway to spot the Fiordland’s wildlife. From $15,880 a person; no single supplement for solo travellers. Departing December 23, Ponant’s Le Jacques-Cartier sails a round trip from Hobart via Maria Island and King Island. On Christmas Day, swim in pristine Fortescue Bay or hike to Cape Huay on the Tasman Peninsula. The ship then follows the course of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, arriving for New Year festivities and the Taste of Tasmania festival. From $18,380 a person twin-share.
5. Regent Seven Seas Cruises
The 15-night Celebration in South Africa round-trip cruise from Cape Town offers a rare opportunity to disembark overnight for a safari. The two-day tour from Richards Bay to Thanda Private Game Reserve includes luxury lodge accommodation and an early morning game drive before returning to Seven Seas Splendor. Christmas Day is spent afloat on the Atlantic Ocean and New Year’s Eve is in Maputo, Mozambique. Departing December 21, this voyage is priced from $19,560 a person twin-share ($1593 surcharge for the optional safari). On the same date, Seven Seas Voyager sets sail from Dubai to Singapore on the 21-night Glimmering Towers of Asia itinerary; celebrate Christmas in Mumbai and New Year’s Eve cruising the Laccadive Sea between port calls in Colombo and Phuket. Suites from $23,430 a person, including drinks, wi-fi, shore excursions and valet laundry service.
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