Cruises are a great way to ring in the New Year. Whether 2015 was a great year, or one you would rather forget a cruise is an amazing way to start a whole new year off on the right foot. With their combination of dining venues, night spots, and rooms that are a convenient walking distance from the party cruise ships have everything you need to ring in the New Year. The fact that you’ll have a selection of tropical beaches and sites to see is really just a cherry on top.
There are two types of cruises sailing out of Port Canaveral in 2015. Short four day cruises that call upon the cruise line’s private islands, and either Freeport or Nassau in The Bahamas, and seven night cruises in the Southern, Eastern, or Western Caribbean. There are more of the longer cruises to choose from than there are of the shorter.
Your New Years Cruise
If a New Year’s Eve cruise is something you want to do over only the holiday weekend, then you’re limited to a single destination: The Bahamas. This has to do with geography. There aren’t all that many destinations that can be sailed to, a day spent at, and then returned from on a cruise ship in a 3 to 4-day span. In fact, Port Canaveral—and Florida—cruisers are especially lucky. There are some homeports where a holiday cruise means taking a cruise ship out to sea on a loop and then returning to port. The Bahamas as a destination packs in a lot for cruisers to see and do. Private islands like Coco Cay and Castaway Cay have everything cruisers come to the Caribbean to do on an island where it only takes a half-hour to walk across.
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Bahama cruise also have the advantage of being short enough that you can take a New Year cruise over the holiday weekend and return in time to work on Monday. This is also the chief disadvantage. By the time you’ve really gotten into the spirit of things—the holiday or cruising—it is time to return home.
A longer cruise offers more time to relax as well as more to see and do. A Western Caribbean cruise almost always swings by Cozumel or Costa de Maya. Allowing cruisers a chance to see Mayan pyramids as well as the ocean. A ship that goes through the east and the south will call on many ports, each offering a different history and atmosphere. If you’re hoping to start 2016 off with an adventure, then one of these longer cruises is for you.
Carnival New Years Cruises
The Carnival Sensation is the ship that cruisers looking to book a last-minute New Year’s Eve cruise to The Bahamas should look into. As of this writing there are still interior, ocean view, and balcony staterooms available. It is a direct cruise to Nassau, and back.
Carnival’s other ships in Port Canaveral, the Sunshine, and the Valor are scheduled for 7 night cruises to the Caribbean and Mexico respectively. The New Year’s Eve festivities on both ships see guests provided with hats, noisemakers, and party favors as well as served with complimentary champagne.
A Royal Caribbean New Years
Royal has two ships sailing out of Port Canaveral over the New Year. The Freedom of the Seas departs on a 7 day Mexican cruise on December 27. The Enchantment of the Seas sails to the Bahamas on the 31st. The biggest difference from the other cruise lines is that the Enchantment of the seas will be visiting Coco Cay on January 1 making for a New Year’s Day filled with beach activities. Now, whether or not cruisers will be able to appreciate a day in the sun after the New Year’s Eve’s celebration will vary.
To make it easier to enjoy the festivities Royal Caribbean offers extended child care hours. Teens and kids will have their own way to countdown to midnight, teens in their own lounges where available. Adults will be able to have their pick of lounges to celebrate in as the captain leads the countdown to midnight.
Norwegian Cruise Lines
Norwegian isn’t offering Port Canaveral cruisers a short cruise over the New Year. What is available is a 7 day Caribbean cruise on the Norwegian Spirit. A smaller ship, but one that has styling cues from the upper end of the market. The Spirit departs on December 26, and heads to Costa de Maya, Mexico before heading back east via Jamaica and The Bahamas. It will be stopping at Norwegian’s private island before returning to Port Canaveral.
The on-board festivities will include special meals in the Spirit’s restaurants, noise makers, and the captain’s countdown. We suggest that cruisers on the Spirit take advantage of the alcohol policy to bring along their choice of champagne or wine. There is a $15 dollar per bottle corkage fee.
Disney New Years Cruise Lines
Two of Disney’s four ships will be making New Year’s cruises out of Port Canaveral. The Dream is on a short four-day cruise to The Bahamas. A perfect choice for a short family cruise. The kids won’t miss much, if any, school. The Fantasy is scheduled for a seven-day route the heads west to the Mexican coast before it returns to Port Canaveral through the Southern and Eastern Caribbean. Adults and children can expect New Year’s Eve parties. Sparkling wine will be served in commemorative flutes, although of course only the adults can expect to partake.
It isn’t too late to schedule New Years Cruises. As of this writing many of the ships still have staterooms available. Especially on ship’s scheduled for the shorter routes. While last minute cruise travel can be a hassle a Go Port Snooze and Cruise package can make getting to the ship a smoother experience. Port Canaveral is already the second largest cruise port in the world, so there will be even more available next year.
New Year’s Cruises 2016-2017
There are several new ships coming to Port Canaveral. The most notable is the Oasis of the Seas. The lead ship of the largest class of cruise ships in the world. It is already scheduled for an 8-day cruise for New Year’s Eve of 2017. It isn’t too early to reserve a stateroom for New Year’s Eve or any holiday cruise. Another ship coming in 2016 is the Norwegian Epic. A much bigger ship than the Spirit. Carnival too is changing its Port Canaveral line up with the Magic coming in 2016.
Whether you’re booking New Years Cruises at the last minute this year, or well in advance for 2017 a Go Port package can take the hassle out of your cruise vacation needs while you’re onshore.
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