Despite traveling fairly frequently, I’d never been away from home for Christmas until recently
In 2023 (into 2024), I spent Christmas and New Year’s Eve on a 22-day Holland America cruise around South America and Antarctica.
I traveled with my grandma and cousin, and our cruise began in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and ended in Santiago, Chile.
I felt hesitant about booking a cruise that took place over the holidays, but I figured it’d be worth missing my traditions for one year to wake up to a view of Antarctica on Christmas morning.
Though Holland America had fantastic decorations, unbeatable views, and fun holiday-themed events, I felt homesick.
It didn’t feel like Christmas in the week leading up to it
It was so hot in many of the ports that we stopped at, like Buenos Aires and Puerto Madryn, Argentina, because it was summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
It felt extra strange because I was traveling from Chicago, where we always have a chilly Christmas.
Due to the warm weather, it was easy to forget that Christmas was just around the corner — and it felt odd, but delightful, to see decorated cities.
One of my favorite stops was in Puerto Aysén, Chile, where the town’s main square was filled with lights and decorations depicting Santa and reindeer.
Fortunately, the boat was extravagantly decorated
One of the most striking features on board was the ship’s gingerbread village. The elaborate setup was just one of the beautiful decorative areas on the ship.
Several Christmas trees were also displayed throughout the boat.
It wasn’t just the Holland America crew that decorated — other guests brought tinsel, ornaments, and small decorations to hang from their room’s doors and mailboxes. It added to the ship’s festive spirit.
There were festive activities, and Santa visited the ship
There were plenty of holiday-themed activities to take part in on the ship, too, like decorating gingerbread ornaments and creating origami Christmas trees.
We used these to decorate our room, and ended up placing the presents we’d brought near a small origami tree. Having our room slightly decorated helped us feel less homesick and more excited for the holidays.
It was also nice that, after breakfast on Christmas Day, the captain announced that there was an unidentified object flying over our ship.
Minutes later, it was identified as Santa, who would be stopping by to bring presents to the children on board. Santa and some elves then appeared on the ship’s main stage, handing out small gifts to kids and hot chocolate to adults.
Festivities continued on New Year’s Eve
As the clock ticked down to midnight on New Year’s Eve, there was a bustling party on the Oosterdam’s lido deck.
It featured the house band playing hits from several decades and complimentary flutes of sparkling wine.
The party took over the pool area, so there was no swimming, but the hot tubs were still in full use as ice-packed coolers for bottles of bubbly.
I had a great time on the cruise, but I don’t think I’d ever travel over the holidays again
Being away from home during the holidays was tough, but getting my first view of Antarctica on Christmas morning was an unforgettable gift.
That morning, we were greeted with a close-up view of Elephant Island, one of the furthest reaches of Antarctica’s South Shetland Islands.
It was a dream come true being there, but when it comes to the holidays, my heart will always be at home.
This story was originally published on January 16, 2024, and most recently updated on December 15, 2025.
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