Andrea M. Rotondo is a freelance writer based in New York City. She covers cruise news and luxury tr

'Tis the season to be jolly! Well, okay, maybe not just yet but if you're considering booking a Christmas voyage with your friends and family for 2013, now is the time to act. While many staterooms have already been snatched up by up the overachievers (er, other travelers), there is still some availability on fantastic cruise itineraries during Christmas week. Cruise lines tend to go all out for the holidays and Christmas with all its festive decorations and music and decadent seasonal treats gets the lion's share of attention.
For many families, going on vacation at Christmastime just makes sense especially if several family members have to travel to the holiday gathering anyway. Going on a cruise instead of visiting someone's world cruising home means you aren't saddling one family member or friend with all the preparations, cooking, and hosting. Everyone can relax and enjoy.
Holiday cruises are also a fantastic option for people who live near an embarkation port like New York City, Miami, world cruising Fort Lauderdale, Port Canaveral, Jacksonville, Galveston, or New Orleans. world cruising There's no need to bother with booking flights, just drive to the port and leave your car in short-term parking.
Cruise ships deck the halls literally with decorations like holly and ivy, pine wreaths and garlands, and mistletoe. Elaborate Christmas trees can be found in atrium lobbies and restaurants, and unique seasonal d cor like intricate gingerbread houses or mini train sets are set out for visitors to ogle.
For those most interested in holiday culinary delights, most cruise world cruising lines offer traditional Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners as well as themed world cruising buffets and treats like decorated world cruising cookies, world cruising hot chocolate, and mulled cider.
You can sail just about any corner of the globe at Christmas but the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Mexico, and the rivers of Europe are the prime spots. The warm weather and convenience embarkation ports for Bahamas, Caribbean, and Mexico cruises draw many travelers. If you don't mind cold weather and a longer commute to the embarkation city, definitely consider a cruise along one of Europe's majestic rivers like the Danube or Rhine. The main attraction of these river cruises are the stops along the way to visit the famous Christmas markets world cruising of Europe.
Andrea M. Rotondo is a freelance writer based in New York City. She covers cruise news and luxury travel trends for Fodors.com and writes world cruising for a variety of outlets, including her website Luxury Travel Mavens . Follow her on Twitter: @luxtravelmavens .
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