Trading the oven for the ocean is getting easier: Princess Cruises has opened sales on its 2026-27 holiday season, with festive departures across Hawaii, the Caribbean, Mexico and the Panama Canal.
The line-up includes some genuinely tempting itineraries. Discovery Princess runs a seven-day Mexican Riviera loop from Los Angeles over Thanksgiving week, departing 21 November 2026. Caribbean Princess sails a 12-day Panama Canal voyage with Costa Rica and the Caribbean over Christmas, leaving Fort Lauderdale on 17 December. Regal Princess offers a shorter six-day Eastern Caribbean option that also calls at Celebration Key, Princess's purpose-built private destination in the Bahamas, departing 20 December. And for those who want to fully disappear into the holidays, Ruby Princess kicks off a 16-day Hawaiian Islands sailing from San Francisco on 26 December, wrapping up on 11 January 2027.
On board, Princess is leaning hard into the festive theme. Expect tree lighting ceremonies in the ships' central Piazza, ugly-sweater parties with silent discos and sing-alongs, gingerbread house sessions, a family arts-and-crafts faire, holiday films screened under the stars, and special seasonal menus. Select ships get snow-themed "Let It Snow" experiences, while the newer Star Princess and Sun Princess add their own Piazza Magical Moments. The line is also making room for religious observances across the fleet, which matters for families who want to keep traditions going mid-ocean.
Why consider it? Christmas at sea solves a few classic holiday headaches at once: no cooking, no hosting, no argument about whose family gets which day. Multi-generational groups get built-in entertainment for kids and grandparents alike, and the warm-water itineraries mean you can swap grey December skies for snorkelling in Costa Rica or a beach day in Maui. The trade-off, as always with holiday sailings, is that cabins sell early and pricing tends to peak — booking well ahead of the 2026 season is wise, especially for the longer Hawaii and Panama Canal voyages where mid-ship and balcony categories go first.
One practical note: the Hawaii sailing is a round trip from San Francisco, which is handy for West Coast travellers who'd rather skip a flight to a homeport. The Fort Lauderdale departures pair well with a pre-cruise night or two in South Florida.
Story via Cruise Industry News.
