Welcome aboard, Lori! Isn't it exciting to begin planning a cruise with Captain Mickey? Add to that excitement the thrill of cruising with Disney during the holidays and you have even more to look forward to! My family experienced our very first Very Merrytime Cruise last year and we are really excited to set sail during the holiday sailings again this year! They truly "deck" each deck with boughs of holly, fa la la la la, la la la la! Sorry, I couldn't help myself!
We don't have specific dates yet for the 2015 holiday sailings, however, it's pretty safe to base your plans on this year's
Very Merrytime Cruise sailings, as they are very similar to last year's, so I'd expect to see the same next year. The last sailings with Halloween decor and activities depart on October 31. We will see the first of the Christmas decorations starting this year with the November 8th sailing on the Fantasy, 9th on the Magic and Wonder, and 10th on the Dream. The later into the season it is, the more decorations there will be. Take the huge life-size gingerbread house for example. It will be slowly constructed throughout the sailings, so that first week, most guests won't see it, but as the season goes on, guests will get to see it slowly come to life! However, last year we sailed the first week of the Very Merrytime Cruises, and though I would have loved to have seen the gingerbread house, I promise we didn't feel cheated at all. There were so many gorgeous decorations, Santa made an appearance, we enjoyed holiday storytelling in the atrium, Christmas-themed games and activities, and my kids' favorite: the Deck the Deck Tropical Holiday Party. They loved being pulled up on stage to do the limbo with their favorite Disney characters! Plus, we got some great photos in our Christmas outfits by the huge Christmas tree in the atrium - perfect for Christmas cards!
Have fun planning, Lori!