First Day Back to School Means…Only 18 Fridays Until Winter Break: Where Should Your Family Go?
Winter Break will be here before we know it.
If you're a parent, you know how quickly those 18 Fridays are going to disappear. Between school, sports, activities, work and everything else on the calendar, December has a way of sneaking up on us.
If your family is off approximately December 21 through January 4, now is a great time to start thinking about a warm-weather escape.
And one of our favorite options?
A Caribbean Cruise
There's something particularly appealing about cruising over Winter Break.
You can unpack once, wake up somewhere warm every morning, visit multiple destinations and have your accommodations, meals, entertainment and activities all in one place.
And you don't have to spend your vacation figuring out what everyone is going to do every day.
For families, two cruise lines we frequently recommend are Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean—but they offer very different experiences.
So, which one is right for your family?
Let’s take a closer look
Celebrity Cruises
For families who want an elevated vacation
Celebrity is a great option for families who want a cruise that feels a little more upscale and relaxed, without sacrificing activities for kids and teens.
The ships are beautifully designed, dining is a major focus and the overall atmosphere tends to feel more sophisticated than the traditional mega-ship experience.
It's particularly appealing for families with tweens and teenagers who want plenty to do but don't necessarily need a giant waterpark to have a good time.
Two Winter Break sailings we love:
Celebrity Xcel
December 27, 2026–January 3, 2027 Roundtrip from Miami
Nassau • St. Thomas • Antigua
This seven-night holiday sailing is a fantastic fit for Winter Break.
You'll visit Nassau, spend a day at sea, explore St. Thomas and visit Antigua on New Year's Eve, before enjoying two more relaxing sea days and returning to Miami on January 3.
And the ship itself is a big part of the appeal.
Celebrity Xcel is one of Celebrity's newest ships, making it a great choice for families who want a modern ship, beautiful design, excellent dining and plenty of options onboard.
Best for:✔️ Tweens & teens✔️ Families who enjoy good food✔️ Parents who want a more sophisticated atmosphere✔️ Families who want a newer ship✔️ Travelers who don't need nonstop waterslides and amusement-park-style attractions
Celebrity Apex
December 26, 2026–January 2, 2027Roundtrip from Port Canaveral
🏝️ Puerto Plata • St. Thomas • St. Kitts
Another excellent option is Celebrity Apex, an Edge Series ship offering a more contemporary Celebrity experience.
The itinerary gives families a nice combination of Caribbean destinations, including Puerto Plata(Dominican Republic), St. Thomas and St. Kitts, along with several sea days to enjoy the ship.
This is a particularly good choice if your family wants to combine beautiful ports with a more elevated onboard experience.
Best for:✔️ Families wanting a newer ship✔️ Tweens & teens✔️ Families who enjoy a balance of port days and sea days✔️ Parents looking for something more refined than a mega-ship
Royal Caribbean
For families who want ALL the fun
If your kids' idea of the perfect vacation involves waterslides, pools, sports, entertainment, activities and something to do from morning until night, Royal Caribbean is hard to beat.
Royal Caribbean's biggest ships are destinations in themselves.
And for families, that's a huge advantage.
You can spend a day exploring a Caribbean island—or stay onboard and have an entire vacation without stepping off the ship.
Icon of the Seas
December 26, 2026–January 2, 2027
Roundtrip from Miami
Costa Maya • Roatán • Cozumel • Perfect Day at CocoCay
If you have kids who want the ultimate cruise experience, this is the one that deserves serious consideration.
Icon of the Seas combines a Western Caribbean itinerary with Royal Caribbean's private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay. The itinerary includes Costa Maya, Roatán and Cozumel, with sea days built in along the way.
And then there's the ship.
Icon features multiple pools, a huge waterpark, family spaces, entertainment and a tremendous variety of activities and dining. Royal Caribbean describes it as a family vacation destination in its own right.
Best for:
✔️ Kids who love waterslides✔️ Tweens & teens✔️ Active families✔️ Families who want lots of entertainment✔️ First-time cruisers who want a “wow” factor✔️ Families who want the ship to be part of the destination
Translation: If your kids are going to ask, “What is there to do?” approximately 400 times during vacation, Icon of the Seas is a pretty safe bet. 😉
Oasis of the Seas
December 28, 2026–January 4, 2027
Roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale
Perfect Day at CocoCay • St. Thomas • St. Maarten
This sailing is particularly attractive because it fits the Winter Break calendar almost perfectly.
You leave Fort Lauderdale on December 28, visit Perfect Day at CocoCay, spend New Year's Eve in St. Thomas, visit St. Maarten on January 1 and return to Fort Lauderdale January 4.
That's a pretty great way to finish Winter Break.
And like Icon, Oasis of the Seas is an enormous part of the experience.
It's ideal for families who want a combination of beautiful Caribbean beaches and a ship packed with activities.
Best for:✔️ Families with kids of different ages✔️ Active families✔️ Families who love big ships✔️ Kids and teens who want lots of activities✔️ Families who want New Year's Eve in the Caribbean
Celebrity vs. Royal Caribbean:
Which Is Better for Your Family?
This is probably the biggest question parents have.
The answer?
It depends on your family.
Choose Celebrity if you want:
✨ A more elevated atmosphere
🍽️ Excellent dining
🥂 A more sophisticated experience
🚢 Beautiful, modern ships
🌴 Destination-focused cruising
😌 More time to relax
👨👩👧 A great fit for tweens and teens
Choose Royal Caribbean if you want:
🌊 Waterslides
🏊 Multiple pools
🎢 Big-ship attractions
🎭 Lots of entertainment
🏀 Sports & activities
🧑🎤 Extensive kids & teen programming
🚀 A ship that feels like a destination itself
Neither is necessarily “better.”
They're simply different.
And that's exactly why we spend time getting to know your family before recommending a cruise.
Why We Love Cruising for Winter Break
There are a few reasons we think cruising makes so much sense for families during this particular school break.
1. You only unpack once.
Instead of changing hotels every few days, your ship becomes your home base while you visit multiple destinations.
2. Everyone gets a vacation.
Mom and Dad can enjoy a cocktail, dinner or some downtime while the kids have their own activities and entertainment.
3. There's something for different ages.
This is especially important for families with children who aren't all interested in the same things.
One kid can go to the kids' club. Another can hang out with friends or teens. Parents can enjoy dinner or the spa.
Then everyone meets back up later.
4. You get out of the cold.
Let's be honest.
December in Southern California isn't exactly bad weather wise—but it isn't the Caribbean either. A Winter Break cruise gives you a guaranteed change of scenery and warm-water vacation feel.
5. The itinerary is already planned.
You don't have to figure out where to stay, how to get between islands, where to eat every night or what to do each day.
That's a pretty nice break for the person who normally plans the family vacation.
Why You Should Start Planning Now
Christmas and New Year's are among the most popular weeks of the year for family travel.
And we're not just talking about the cruise itself.
The cabins families need most can be the first to become difficult to find—especially:
Connecting rooms
Larger family accommodations
Suites
Cabins near one another
Specific balcony categories
Preferred locations on the ship
And because Winter Break is a set school holiday, there isn't much flexibility if your preferred sailing sells out.
The other important factor?
Airfare.
If you're flying from Southern California to Miami, Fort Lauderdale or Orlando, you'll want to consider the total vacation—not just the cruise fare.
We can help coordinate the cruise with flights, pre-cruise hotels, transfers, excursions and travel insurance, so you're not piecing everything together yourself.
So… Where Would We Send Your Family?
If you asked us for a quick recommendation:
“We want a beautiful ship, great food and something a little more sophisticated.”
→ Celebrity Xcel or Celebrity Apex
“Our kids want waterslides, activities and nonstop entertainment.”
→ Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas
“We want a huge ship AND great Caribbean beaches.”
→ Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas
“We want to maximize Winter Break and be home by January 4.”
→ Celebrity Xcel or Royal Caribbean Oasis
Let Us Do the Research for You
You don't need to spend your evenings scrolling through hundreds of cruise options trying to figure out which ship, itinerary and cabin make the most sense.
That's what we do.
At Pangea Luxe Travel, we specialize in helping families find the right cruise—not simply a cruise.
We'll help you compare the ships, choose the right cabin, look at airfare and hotels, coordinate transfers and excursions, and make sure the entire trip works together.
Now, who is ready to book?!
💙 Send us a message with your dates, number of travelers and ages of your kids, and we'll help you narrow it down
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