Christmas and New Year's Cruises 2026: Ships, Departure Ports & Holiday Sailings
There are 632 open sailings departing from December 18, 2026 through January 2, 2027. That is 380 in Christmas week and 252 in New Year's week. Miami is the busiest embarkation port, with 87 of them.
It’s All Cruises · October 25, 2026
The 2026 holiday window, December 18, 2026 through January 2, 2027, holds 632 open sailings. Christmas week, December 18 to 26, has 380, and New Year's week, December 27 through January 2, has 252.
Quick facts
| Metric | Details |
|---|---|
| Open holiday sailings | 632 |
| Christmas week, Dec 18 to 26, 2026 | 380 |
| New Year's week, Dec 27, 2026 to Jan 2, 2027 | 252 |
| Busiest line | MSC Cruises, 146 sailings |
| Busiest embarkation port | Miami, 87 sailings |
| Sailings with no embarkation port listed | 22 |
Sailings by cruise line
Busiest embarkation ports
| Port | Open holiday sailings |
|---|---|
| Miami | 87 |
| Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) | 69 |
| Port Canaveral | 61 |
| Galveston | 25 |
| Tampa | 25 |
| Barcelona | 20 |
| San Juan (Puerto Rico) | 15 |
| Sydney | 14 |
| San Diego | 14 |
| New Orleans | 14 |
| Singapore | 13 |
| Rome | 13 |
The table is the 12 busiest ports. A blank embarkation port is counted in Quick facts, not under a city.
Lowest Christmas-week fares
| Departs | Route | Ship | Line | Nights | From | Calls | Starting fare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 18, 2026 | 3-Night Baja Mexico | Carnival Firenze | Carnival Cruise Line | 3 | Long Beach (Los Angeles) | Long Beach (Los Angeles), Ensenada, Long Beach (Los Angeles) | $255 starting cruise fare, as of October 21, 2026 |
| December 20, 2026 | Santos (Sao Paulo), Rio de Janeiro | MSC Musica | MSC Cruises | 2 | Santos | Santos, Ilhabela, Ilhabela, Rio de Janeiro | $263 starting cruise fare, as of October 19, 2026 |
| December 21, 2026 | 3-Night Baja Mexico | Carnival Firenze | Carnival Cruise Line | 3 | Long Beach (Los Angeles) | Long Beach (Los Angeles), Ensenada, Long Beach (Los Angeles) | $284 starting cruise fare, as of October 21, 2026 |
| December 21, 2026 | 3-Night The Bahamas | Carnival Conquest | Carnival Cruise Line | 3 | Miami | Miami, Celebration Key, Miami | $331 starting cruise fare, as of October 21, 2026 |
| December 18, 2026 | 3-Night The Bahamas | Carnival Conquest | Carnival Cruise Line | 3 | Miami | Miami, Celebration Key, Miami | $352 starting cruise fare, as of October 21, 2026 |
Lowest New Year's-week fares
| Departs | Route | Ship | Line | Nights | From | Calls | Starting fare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 2, 2027 | Bahamas: Great Stirrup Cay | Norwegian Dawn | Norwegian Cruise Line | 5 | Jacksonville | Jacksonville, Great Stirrup Cay, Freeport, Jacksonville | $249 starting cruise fare, as of October 25, 2026 |
| December 28, 2026 | 3-Night Baja Mexico | Carnival Firenze | Carnival Cruise Line | 3 | Long Beach (Los Angeles) | Long Beach (Los Angeles), Ensenada, Long Beach (Los Angeles) | $309 starting cruise fare, as of October 21, 2026 |
| January 2, 2027 | 5-Night The Bahamas | Carnival Freedom | Carnival Cruise Line | 5 | Port Canaveral | Port Canaveral, Celebration Key, Nassau, Half Moon Cay (RelaxAway), Port Canaveral | $313 starting cruise fare, as of October 21, 2026 |
| December 28, 2026 | 3-Night The Bahamas | Carnival Conquest | Carnival Cruise Line | 3 | Miami | Miami, Celebration Key, Miami | $381 starting cruise fare, as of October 21, 2026 |
| January 2, 2027 | 7-Day Eastern Caribbean: Amber Cove & Bahamas | Eurodam | Holland America Line | 7 | Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) | Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Key West, Amber Cove, Grand Turk Island, Half Moon Cay (RelaxAway) | $449 starting cruise fare, as of October 24, 2026 |
How to read the week
- Christmas week is a departure from December 18 through December 26, 2026. New Year's week is December 27, 2026 through January 2, 2027. A sailing is counted by its departure date, not by whether it is at sea on the holiday itself.
- MSC has 146 of the 632 sailings, Royal Caribbean 84, Carnival 82, Viking 64 and Norwegian 46. Princess has 32, Celebrity 30, Disney 28 and Holland America 28.
- Miami has 87, Fort Lauderdale 69, Port Canaveral 61, Galveston 25 and Tampa 25. San Juan has 15.
- What happens on board on Christmas Day or New Year's Eve is Not listed. Use the ship, the date and the fare on the sailing you would book.
- A checklist for holiday dates, separate from this sailing table, is in what to check before you book.
Fares are marketing prices, confirmed when you book. A per-person or per-cabin basis is Not listed, so the figure is a starting cruise fare.
Frequently asked questions
How many sailings leave on Christmas week versus New Year's week?
380 depart December 18 to 26, 2026. 252 depart December 27, 2026 to January 2, 2027. The combined window is 632.
Which line has the most holiday departures?
MSC Cruises, with 146. Royal Caribbean has 84 and Carnival has 82.
Does a low fare mean the ship is in port on Christmas Day?
No. The fare is the starting cruise fare for that departure. Whether the ship is alongside on December 25 is Not listed in this table.
Where do most of these sailings start?
Miami, with 87. Fort Lauderdale has 69 and Port Canaveral has 61.
Filed under caribbean, holiday, ocean