We boarded Symphony of the Seas on Christmas Eve, on our very first cruise. There was a big lit Christmas tree in the cruise terminal before we even got on, and once we were on board there were trees everywhere. If you’re wondering what Christmas at sea actually looks like with kids, here is what it looked like for us, including the question every parent asks first: yes, Santa comes, and yes, the kids get a gift.
If you want to see how the whole ship felt with a full Christmas crowd on board, our full ship tour video is further down.
The ship was dressed for Christmas from the minute we walked on
Royal Caribbean doesn’t do a token tree in the lobby. There were multiple trees and decorations as soon as we came on board, and the Royal Promenade, the indoor main street that runs through the middle of the ship, was lined with them.
We were in the Caribbean, it was hot, and you still definitely felt the holiday spirit. It was very festive on board.
The gingerbread village on the Royal Promenade
The gingerbread house is not a little house on a counter. It is a big table display set up on the Royal Promenade, a whole village of houses with a train running through it. It is for looking, not eating. When we walked by, there was a crowd around it.
Christmas Eve night on the Royal Promenade
On Christmas Eve night the Royal Promenade was packed. The big tree was lit, people were in Santa hats, and when we were there balloons came down over the crowd. I can’t tell you whether that happens on every Christmas sailing, but it is what we saw on ours.
The Santas walking to dinner
This one we didn’t see coming. A lot of people dressed up as Santa, walked to dinner together and stopped for group photos along the way. I don’t know if it has an official name. Either way, it was very festive, and people on board really get into it.
Christmas morning: Santa, and a gift for every kid
This is the part parents want to know about, so here it is plainly. On Christmas morning, Santa was in Studio B, the ice rink where the ice skating show happens. Every kid on board could go in. They got a ticket, and the ticket got them a gift. It was free for every kid on the ship. If you wanted a picture with Santa, you could get one, but you didn’t have to.
Our two kids each came out with a Royal Caribbean towel, and both of them loved them.
To be honest, we didn’t film this part, which is why there is no photo of it here.
How the rest of Christmas Day went
Christmas Day was a sea day, a day with no port stop, so the ship was the whole plan. We started with breakfast at the Windjammer, the main buffet, and as far as I remember the rest of the day was normal cruise stuff.
The ship kept the holiday going in other ways too. During the day they played holiday movies at the AquaTheater, the outdoor theater at the back of the ship where the water shows happen, and we heard announcements about more holiday activities coming up on board. We didn’t go to any of them, so I can’t tell you what they were like.
In the evening we dressed up, took a family photo on deck with the ocean behind us, and had dinner at Izumi, the ship’s sushi and hibachi restaurant. After dinner we watched HiRO at the AquaTheater, the outdoor pool theater at the back of the ship.
Is a Christmas cruise worth it with kids?
For us, yes. I would recommend it, simply because it’s fun. It’s not your regular holiday at home, and I think that’s the honest trade-off. But it’s a change of pace, and people definitely get into the holiday spirit on board.
If you go with kids, the one thing I’d make sure of is getting them to Studio B on Christmas morning for Santa and the gift. Check the ship’s daily schedule for the time.
See how the ship felt with everyone on board
We filmed our full ship tour on this same Christmas sailing, so it shows Symphony the way it felt that week, with a full ship. If you want the full family review of the ship itself, it is here: our Symphony of the Seas family review.
Christmas cruise FAQ
Does Santa come on a Royal Caribbean Christmas cruise?
On our Symphony of the Seas sailing, yes. Santa was in Studio B, the ice rink, on Christmas morning, and kids could get a photo with him if they wanted one.
Do kids get gifts on a Royal Caribbean Christmas cruise?
Ours did. Every kid on board got a ticket on Christmas morning and traded it for a gift, free of charge. Our two each got a Royal Caribbean towel.
Do kids get a gift if your family doesn’t celebrate Christmas?
Yes. Every kid on board gets a ticket, and everyone is welcome to a gift, whether or not your family celebrates Christmas.
Is the ship decorated for Christmas?
Very. There were trees as soon as we came on board, decorations all along the Royal Promenade, and a big gingerbread village display you can look at but not eat.
Is a Christmas cruise good for families?
We thought so. It isn’t Christmas at home, but it’s fun, it’s a change of pace, and the whole ship gets into the holiday spirit.
What did you do on Christmas Day on the ship?
Christmas Day was a sea day for us. Breakfast at the Windjammer, Santa and the gifts in the morning, then dinner at Izumi and the HiRO show at the AquaTheater that night.
This article is not sponsored. Nothing was comped by Royal Caribbean, and we didn’t tell them we were going to write about it.
