What is the best cruise at Christmas time?

We went on a cruise this past December that you may like. We cruised on the Mariner of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean ship, out of Port Canaveral, Florida. Royal Caribbean is a good cruise line and I think you will enjoy it more than Carnival. Royal Caribbean typically has more on-board activities than any other cruise line. This ship had the rock climbing wall, a mini-golf course, an in-line skating track, a full sized basketball/volleyball court, an ice skating rink, and the usual shuffle board and oversized chess/checker deck sets. The ship has a free ice show that's great.

Royal Caribbean also has, like Carnival, programs just for kids. On this ship its called Adventure Ocean and features a special area just for the kids, including a teen disco/party area, and a video arcade.

We drove to the Cape Canaveral area a day early and toured the Kennedy Space Center on our own the morning before our cruise. If you have never been there it is a great tour.

Our cruise went to the Western Caribbean and included port stops in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, Cozumel, Georgetown, Grand Cayman, and the cruise line private island on Labadee, Haite. The cruise was great and so was the weather. Water temperatures were great for swimming too.

That's my suggestion.

Better do some research, quickly. Christmas is prime time - and the most expensive time - to cruise.

Go to your library or bookstore and get a book on cruising to get a general idea of what's involved.

When you've got an idea of what you want, go to a travel agent, preferably one who is experienced in cruise travel, to make your arrangements.

"Best" cruise is a very subjective thing, and there are so many variables - where do you want to go?, what kind of cabin do you want?, what type of cruise do you want?, etc, etc, that it is impossible for someone else to tell you what will be the "best" cruise for you.

For lots of info from experienced cruisers, you can go to CruiseCritic.com, click on "Boards", then go to the topic of your choice. I'd recommend, "First Time Cruisers", for a start, along with the boards for any cruiselines you are considering. Also click on "Reviews" at the top of the page, then read the professional AND passenger reviews.

To get an idea of what cruises are available and what the cost is, you can check out VacationsToGo.com. Just put in your choice of month and it will bring up a list of what's available. Don't be shocked at the price - as I said, Christmas and New Year's weeks are the most expensive in the year.

A couple of pieces of advice:

Fly to your departure port the day before your cruise.

Don't do the cruiseline transfers to/from the ship - grab a cab instead. And when you come back, tip a porter to get you a cab to the airport - it's well worth it.

Consider making your own air travel arrangements. You will probably save money and the flights will certainly be more convenient [unless you want to pay an extra fee for "deviation" from what the cruiseline arranges]. You also can't fly in the day before with cruise air.

Good luck - I hope you find just the right cruise for you.

I went on a cruise to the Hawaiian islands last Christmas and had a great time-check out AAA website for their cruise specials. I booked in August and got an awesome deal that included airfare from Norfolk, VA. Happy cruising!

When you say best do you mean destination,cruise line, price,or what?Everyone has different likes and dislikes.People ask this question wiith being clear about what it is the're really asking.

I'd go south and enjoy the warmer weather. When you get ready to book, please check out my website - www.trussvilletravel.com. We have great prices with all the major cruise lines.