The Hallmark Christmas Cruise Is Changing Ships, and Getting Smaller

The Hallmark Christmas Cruise, a themed sailing built around the network’s holiday movies and their stars, is switching cruise lines for its next edition. After three years with Norwegian Cruise Line, using Norwegian Gem in 2024 and Norwegian Joy in 2025 and 2026, the event moves to Celebrity Cruises in November 2027, according to Cruise Fever. The ship will be Celebrity Reflection, the newest of Celebrity’s Solstice-class vessels, and the change brings a new departure port and a noticeably smaller guest count along with it.

The 2027 sailing runs from November 8 to 12 and departs from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale rather than PortMiami, with Grand Bahama Island as the destination. The report says there will be roughly 1,000 fewer spots than on recent editions, which could make the sailing harder to get onto for fans who have been treating it as an annual tradition. Anyone who has sailed before from Miami should also rethink their pre-cruise hotel and airport plans, since Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International is the closer airport.

The organizers’ reasons for the move focus on the onboard experience. Celebrity Reflection has an indoor theatre, which keeps the headline events away from weather disruption, and the ship is pitched as more upscale, with a layout that should help crowds move more smoothly between events. For a themed cruise built around shows, panels and meet-and-greets, those details matter, because the schedule depends on large groups gathering in the same spaces at the same time throughout the sailing.

Timing is the key detail for anyone hoping to go. Presales for Hallmark+ subscribers and Celebrity’s Crown Rewards members started on November 10, and general booking opened on Thursday, November 12, at 11 a.m. Eastern through the official Hallmark Christmas Cruise website. With fewer cabins available, popular categories may go quickly. If you are interested, have your preferred cabin types and travel companions settled before you go to book, and check the deposit and cancellation terms, which can differ from a standard Celebrity sailing.

Sources: Cruise Fever