I celebrated Halloween on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, and it's my favorite holiday to spend at sea

In:
10 Nov 2023

Allure of the Seas has just started sailing out of Port Canaveral doing short three and four night cruises.  Their second sailing was during Halloween.

Halloween

You might not think of Halloween and a cruise ship as an obvious must-do, but maybe you should reconsider.

My husband and I attended our first All Hallow’s Eve on the Freedom of the Seas in 2006 and always cruise during that time, as our anniversary is three days prior. It’s our favorite time to sail.  

Here is everything we did and saw that made our holiday extra special.

What costume to wear?

Halloween

Halloween isn’t just for kids!  In fact, in our experience, there are more adults that dress up than the children.  Since we live within driving distance to Port Canaveral, it’s a little easier for folks like us when it comes to packing. We have the luxury of not having to worry about airline luggage weight limits yet we still didn’t want to bring an extra suitcase filled with elaborate costume accessories.

Keep in mind all clothing and wigs tend to be compressed in your luggage and may need time to get their shape back. You can only imagine how much space my giant petticoat took up in my suitcase!

Halloween

This year we went as characters from the movie “Grease.”  We dressed as Marty Maraschino and Danny Zuko. (My husband wasn’t too pleased that people kept calling him Elvis or The Fonz. LOL) We like to do couple costumes that will match something on the ship. Knowing there was a Johnny Rockets onboard, I knew I’d be able to get some awesome photos in that venue. Even the crew enjoyed seeing us in costume and helped us plan the perfect photo opportunity.

 Tip:  We purchased our outfits years prior at the Halloween stores’ November 1st sale where all the costumes and accessories were 50% off.  If you know you’re going to sail during that time, it’s a great way to save money!  However, you can still celebrate the season without a costume at all.  We saw plenty of passengers dressed in Halloween themed t-shirts and dresses.

Halloween morning

Halloween

Unlike Christmas, where the ships have holiday décor up for months, Halloween onboard is typically celebrated just that one day.  You won’t see decorations around the ship until October 31st and they will all be quickly put away on November 1st.

We hurried down to the promenade at 7 a.m; anxious to see all the spooky sights.  We were greeted with none.  

Confused, we stopped by the Guest Services desk and asked where all the Halloween decorations were.  We were informed there wouldn’t be any this year because the ship had just switched home ports this week.  That seemed odd to me as the decorations are typically stored on the ship so it shouldn’t matter where the ship is sailing from. That was kind of disappointing.

Halloween

Something we’ve learned over the years of cruising is that every ship has a different way of doing things. However, there were plenty of Halloween activities listed in the cruise compass so I knew there would at least be a celebration for the holiday.

Adventure Ocean Fun

Halloween

I stopped in to the kids club area to ask the staff there what activities would be offered for the children.  I was pleasantly surprised to see the entire area was decorated with “Happy Halloween” signs, balloons, cobwebs and the like.  It looked very festive in there.  

There were plenty of events scheduled throughout the day and evening such as a costume contest, a parade, Halloween themed arts and crafts and a scavenger hunt.  

Halloween

While there was no official trick or treating around the ship, we did encounter several fellow passengers that were handing out candy to children on the promenade.

A Spooky Surprise

Halloween

Our ship was docked in Nassau that day.  Upon returning, we were greeted with Halloween decorations!  There was a display of carved pumpkins outside of the Windjammer as well as adornments up and down the Royal Promenade.  

Halloween

I don’t know what ended up changing their mind.  My theory is there must have been a lot of people voicing their displeasure concerning the lack of ambiance onboard at Guest Services, just as we had earlier in the day.  It made for a much better mood around the ship.  

We did the Monster Mash

Halloween

The fun started for the adults at 5 p.m. with Halloween themed afternoon trivia and continued well past the witching hour. 7:15 p.m. in the Schooner Bar featured Halloween “Name that Tune” trivia.        

Costume contests started in the casino at 9 p.m.  Anyone dressed up that was playing at the slot machines were automatically entered.  The casino hosts would covertly circle the room and pick out random winners that were eligible for a variety of secret prizes.

The Royal Promenade was packed as the costume parade began at 11 p.m. There were so many wonderful costumes.  

Halloween
Halloween
Halloween

Some of my favorites were “The League of their Own” group, a couple dressed as Maverick and Goose from “Top Gun” and Captain Jack Sparrow from “The Pirates of the Caribbean.”  I couldn’t help but laugh at the dozen or so inflatable sharks, perfect costumes for a cruise.

Halloween

Studio B was the focal point of fun.  The holiday party started at 10 p.m. and went on until midnight.  The ice skating rink was covered with a dance floor and was packed with party goers. The live DJ played songs from Taylor Swift to Rhianna; line dances featuring the Cha-Cha slide, the Cupid Shuffle, and the Wobble.  And of course, Halloween favorites such as The Phantom of the Opera, Ghostbusters, and Thriller. 

There were two opportunities to sign up for the Halloween costume contest throughout the day.  Winners were chosen in Studio B at 11:15 p.m.  The winners were split up into categories: Scariest costume, Best Couple, Best Group, Scariest Costume and Overall Best Costume.

Halloween

The party continued into the wee hours of the night for the 18 and up crowd with a D.J. in the Blaze nightclub that began at midnight. 

Final thoughts

I always recommend going on a Halloween cruise.  It is so fun to see all the creative costumes.  This year was different as Halloween also fell on formal night so it was an interesting mix of people dressed as zombies and others in ball gowns and suits although the majority were in costume.   It is a late night though, as the events take place after all the dining and show times. As someone who goes to bed early on their cruises, it was hard for me to be able to make all the festivities but I wouldn’t miss it!

How Royal Caribbean celebrates Halloween on its cruise ships

In:
31 Oct 2023

Just because you're on a cruise ship doesn't mean you can't get in on the spooky fun of Halloween.

Halloween on Royal Caribbean

You might think going on a cruise vacation over October 31st would forgo the holiday, but Royal Caribbean gets in on the fun too, and encourages its guests to do the same.

With Halloween already passed in Australia, we got a look at how Royal Caribbean celebrates Halloween aboard Brilliance of the Seas.

Brilliance of the Seas is sailing from Sydney, Australia to offer a South Pacific itinerary to New Caledonia & Vanuatu.

All Royal Caribbean cruise ships sailing over October 31st will have special holiday decorations and events. Unlike Christmas, there aren't decorations or events offered on cruises that are near, but don't go over Halloween.

Costumes welcome

Halloween on Royal Caribbean

Dressing up in costume is at the heart of any Halloween celebration, and you can dress up on a cruise ship too.

Ships offer Halloween costume contests, as well as generally encouraging its passengers to bring a costume.

You'll see lots of guests getting in on the fun too, with traditional ghost or vampire costumes, along with super heroes, skeletons, princesses and more.

Decorations

Halloween decorations

It doesn't feel like Halloween without a lot of cob webs, pumpkins, and signs to make it very clear which holiday you're celebrating.

Royal Caribbean puts Halloween decorations around the ship, primarily in public venues.

Halloween on Royal Caribbean

In the case of Brilliance of the Seas, the Centrum was decorated with lots of Halloween decorations.

Halloween on Royal Caribbean
Windjammer display on Halloween

In the Windjammer, there are Halloween decorations around the buffet stations to help set the mood.

Special events

Dance party for Halloween

Depending on your ship, there could be a variety of activities to choose from.

Music is at the heart of so many Royal Caribbean events, so on Halloween, you could have a Halloween Monster Bash.

This is when the DJ plays music for everyone in costume.

Halloween music

Speaking of costumes, you can also expect a costume contest to judge the best dressed. There are prizes for the winners.

On Wonder of the Seas last year, there was a Halloween parade down the Royal Promenade, and Halloween movies shown at the pool.

Halloween on Royal Caribbean

Trick or treating is also available in Adventure Ocean, along with arts and crafts too.

Check the activities once you get onboard the ship

All aboard time in the app

If a Halloween cruise sounds like a great vacation, just keep in mind the exact activities will not be announced until you get onboard the ship.

Once you board the ship, activities are loaded on the Royal Caribbean app, or listed in the daily Cruise Compass.

The activities staff will determine the exact offerings, so remember that what's offered on your cruise ship could be different than another.

Halloween photos from Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas

In:
31 Oct 2016

With today being Halloween, Royal Caribbean is celebrating this spookishly fun holiday across its fleet, including onboard the brand new Harmony of the Seas.

Many blog readers ask about how Royal Caribbean celebrates a holiday like this, and today we have some fun photos to share from some lucky guests onboard.

Photos by Emmy Schaffer

Photo by Anna-Carin Littson

Royal Caribbean created a Haunted House in the On Air Club, and Anna-Carin Littson shared with us photos of this venue.

Photo by Anna-Carin Littson

Happy Halloween!

Royal Caribbean previews Halloween events on its cruise ships

In:
26 Oct 2015

Celebrating holidays on a Royal Caribbean ship is always a fun opportunity, because combining the fun of a cruise adventure with holiday traditions just seems to be a great combination.

Halloween is coming up this weekend and Royal Caribbean UK has given its guests an idea of what to expect on a number of Royal Caribbean ships when it comes to special Halloween events.

Photo by Flickr user S K Joiner

These event listings may not be the complete list of activities fleet wide or even on each particular ship.  But they are a glimpse at the fun guests can expect onboard.

Enchantment of the Seas

The Centrum has been decorated for Halloween all month and will become the venue for our fright night costume dance party on October 31st.

Explorer of the Seas

Adults and kids can take part in a fun costume parade through the Royal Promenade, ending with a dance party. Guests will also get the chance to take part in a ‘Thriller’ dance class.

Jewel of the Seas

Jewel will be holding a special costume competition and party, while kids can try their luck trick-or-treating onboard.

Oasis of the Seas

Halloween will be guests’ first night onboard Oasis, and what a great night it will be! There will be a costume competition and party in the Royal Promenade.

Splendour of the Seas

Splendour of the Seas guests and crew will be celebrating Halloween in style, with a huge costume party in the Centrum.

Serenade of the Seas

Hopefully guests have remembered their best costume, as there will be prizes up for grabs at the onboard Halloween party.

Halloween on Royal Caribbean ships

In:
31 Oct 2013

Just because you're on a Royal Caribbean cruise doesn't mean holiday traditions stop. Today is Halloween and over the years, Royal Caribbean takes some time to celebrate onboard and encourages its guests to do so as well.  

Here are a few fun photos of Halloween celebrations onboard Royal Caribbean ships.

Photo by SA_Steve

Photo by SA_Steve

Photo by Jim McCluskey

Photo by Iglu Cruise

Photo by Tuba Akgün

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