Despite a recent upset guest who thinks cruise ships are decorated too long for the holiday season, Carnival Cruise Line is sailing full steam ahead into the merriment with the 2024 fleet decorating schedule.
The first vessels will be sporting their seasonal décor as early as November 24, 2024, while the last ships in the Carnival Cruise Line fleet to showcase holiday cheer will be adorned by December 8.
“Yep, Christmas will be coming to our ships and the trees will be decorated and the holly and a massive dollop of ivy will adorn the Promenade Deck,” said John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador.
The first ship to enjoy holiday accessories will be Carnival Luminosa on her November 24, 2024 departure, an 11-night roundtrip sailing from Brisbane, Australia that will visit multiple destinations in Papua New Guinea.
The full decorating schedule for every Carnival ship is as follows, noting the first sailing date when each ship will be decking its floating halls:
- November 24: Carnival Luminosa
- November 25: Carnival Splendor
- November 29: Carnival Conquest, Carnival Firenze
- November 30: Carnival Magic, Carnival Panorama, Carnival Paradise, Carnival Valor
- December 1: Carnival Horizon, Carnival Liberty, Carnival Legend, Carnival Radiance
- December 2: Carnival Breeze, Carnival Freedom, Carnival Sunshine
- December 5: Carnival Elation, Carnival Sunrise
- December 6: Carnival Glory, Carnival Miracle, Carnival Venezia
- December 7: Carnival Jubilee, Mardi Gras, Carnival Spirit
- December 8: Carnival Celebration, Carnival Dream, Carnival Pride, Carnival Vista
While decorations onboard each ship will slightly vary, they will include Christmas trees in the main atrium and similar public spaces, along with garlands, wreaths, ribbons, and baubles in suitable seasonal colors. Some ships will feature an amazing gingerbread village display or other great decorations as well.
“And the moment our decorations go up, the ship’s music system will start blending in Christmas music,” Heald also reminds guests.
Activities onboard will also reflect the seasonal spirit, with holiday-themed trivias, scavenger hunts, games, photo backdrops, and more. Special story times and visits from Santa are popular family events, and even dining room menus will feature seasonal favorites and special treats.
Many cruise travelers also add their own festive spirit to each sailing, with holiday-themed cabin door decorations or enjoying wearing matching family pajamas or fun accessories (can you count the Santa hats?) to get in the seasonal spirit.
While not every activity onboard will be seasonally-oriented, guests who prefer to avoid holiday themes may want to reconsider cruising at this time of year if a Christmas cruise may not be for them.
Read Also: Christmas on a Cruise Ship – What to Expect
It should also be noted that Carnival Cruise Line also honors the holiday traditions of other faiths and will have menorahs onboard with appropriate lighting ceremonies during Hanukkah, which this year begins December 25 and runs through January 2.
How Cruise Ships Are Decorated for the Holidays
Every cruise traveler understands just how hectic embarkation day can be for any sailing, with one group of guests debarking from a successful vacation and another group of travelers eager to get onboard to begin their fun.
It is during that crazy time that Carnival’s ships are decorated, but it isn’t the onboard crew who takes on that extra duty.
“The fleet’s decorations will not be done by the crew but by brilliant ‘Professional Christmas Decorators’,” Heald confirmed.
These decorators will board the ships with teams of stylists to ensure all decorations are in place and firmly affixed to withstand any ship motion and the festive attentions of excited cruise guests.
Decorations are typically non-breakable, even if the ship does encounter some rough sailing, and while the holiday trees can become focal points for guest photos, decorations don’t usually take up too much space onboard.
It should be noted that while cabin attendants might write festive messages on mirrors or create seasonal towel animals, no stateroom decorations are added to individual guest cabins.
Travelers are more than welcome to bring their own decorations, however, but should check Carnival Cruise Line’s prohibited items list to ensure anything they bring is acceptable and will not be confiscated.
