Thanksgiving Cruise Deals from Newark 2025
Trade the Turkey for Turquoise Waters | 7-Night Bahamas from $637
This Thanksgiving, skip the cooking, cleaning, and family stress. Instead, sail to the beautiful Bahamas on a 7-night Royal Caribbean cruise departing from Cape Liberty - just 11 miles from Newark. With sailings on November 23 (leave before Thanksgiving, celebrate onboard) and November 30 (post-Thanksgiving escape), you can create unforgettable memories while someone else does all the work. Perfect for Essex County, Hudson County, Morris County, and Union County families looking for a hassle-free holiday.
Thanksgiving Week Sailings from Cape Liberty
Royal Caribbean offers two perfect Thanksgiving cruise options from Cape Liberty in 2025. The November 23 departure lets you escape before the holiday - you'll be celebrating Thanksgiving onboard with a spectacular feast while sailing to the Caribbean. This 7-night cruise returns November 30, so you miss the holiday stress entirely. The November 30 departure is ideal if you want to celebrate Thanksgiving at home with family, then escape for a week of relaxation immediately after. Both sailings visit Perfect Day at CocoCay (Royal Caribbean's private island paradise), Nassau, and Port Canaveral. Onboard the Odyssey of the Seas, you'll enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings - turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie - prepared by world-class chefs and served in elegant main dining rooms. No shopping, no cooking, no dishes to wash. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy quality time with your family while the crew handles everything.
Why Cruising Beats Traditional Thanksgiving
Let's be honest - traditional Thanksgiving is stressful. Shopping for ingredients, cooking for hours, cleaning up after everyone, dealing with family drama in close quarters, and then facing mountains of leftovers. A Thanksgiving cruise eliminates all of that. Wake up to ocean views and professional room service. Enjoy breakfast overlooking the sea while someone else cooks. Let the kids burn energy at the water park, pools, and kids' clubs while you relax in a hot tub or get a spa treatment. Choose from multiple dining venues for dinner - maybe an elegant multi-course meal in the main dining room, or casual buffet dining with every cuisine imaginable. After dinner, enjoy Broadway-style shows, live music, comedy acts, or dancing under the stars. Every family member gets to do what THEY want - grandpa can read by the pool, teenagers can hang with new friends at teen club, parents can enjoy a romantic dinner, and young kids are entertained by trained counselors. Everyone's happy, nobody's stressed, and you create memories that last far longer than who made the best stuffing. Plus, you return home refreshed instead of exhausted, with no kitchen to clean up.
Perfect for Essex & Hudson County Families
Cape Liberty's location makes it incredibly convenient for New Jersey families. From Newark, East Orange, Irvington, Montclair, or West Orange in Essex County, you're just 20-25 minutes from embarkation. Hudson County families in Jersey City, Hoboken, Bayonne, and Union City are even closer - many are just 10-15 minutes away. This is perfect for multi-generational travel. Grandparents don't need to fly (avoiding airport stress and potential health risks). Young families don't have to wrangle kids through TSA and deal with flight delays. Everyone just drives to Bayonne with their luggage, parks in the convenient terminal lot ($20/day), and boards the ship. No early morning flights, no connections, no lost baggage. If family members are coming from different areas, the short drive makes it easy to coordinate. Morris County families from Morristown, Madison, or Parsippany are about 40 minutes away. Union County folks from Elizabeth, Linden, or Westfield are 15-20 minutes. Bergen County and Passaic County residents are 30-35 minutes via the NJ Turnpike. Somerset County travelers from Bridgewater or Somerville are about 45 minutes. Everyone can easily meet at the terminal.
Pricing & What's Included
Thanksgiving cruise pricing starts at just $637 per person for a 7-night cruise ($90.95 per night). When you factor in everything included - seven nights of accommodations, all meals, snacks, entertainment, kids programs, pools, activities, and visits to three incredible destinations - this is extraordinary value. Compare this to a traditional Thanksgiving: turkey costs $40-60, sides and desserts add another $100-150, you're easily spending $200-300 to feed a family of four for ONE meal. The cruise gives you 21 meals per person plus unlimited snacks for a week. Kids 12 and under cruise FREE when sailing with two paying adults, so a family of four pays just $1,274 total ($637 x 2 adults). That's about $45 per person per day for accommodations, all food, and entertainment. Try finding a hotel with three meals included for that price! The 60% off second guest promotion means couples pay even less. Cabins with balconies start around $900 per person, giving you a private outdoor space to enjoy sunrise coffee and evening stargazing. Suites offer separate living areas, perfect for grandparents traveling with grandkids. All cabins include room service, daily housekeeping, and access to all ship amenities.
What to Do Onboard & At Ports
The Odyssey of the Seas is one of Royal Caribbean's newest and most innovative ships. Onboard activities include the North Star observation capsule rising 300 feet above the ocean for incredible views, the SeaPlex indoor sports complex with bumper cars and roller skating, FlowRider surf simulator, rock climbing walls, mini golf, basketball courts, and multiple pools including an adults-only solarium. Kids enjoy dedicated programs: Aquanauts (3-5 years), Explorers (6-8 years), Voyagers (9-11 years), and Teens (12-17 years) with age-appropriate activities, games, and parties supervised by trained staff. Parents can drop kids off and enjoy alone time. Entertainment includes Broadway-style production shows, live music venues, comedy clubs, karaoke, trivia contests, and themed parties. Dining options range from casual Johnny Rockets and El Loco Fresh to specialty venues like Chops Grille steakhouse and Izumi sushi. At Perfect Day CocoCay, enjoy the tallest waterslide in North America (135 feet!), Thrill Waterpark with 13 slides, the largest wave pool in the Caribbean, pristine beaches, beach volleyball, floating cabanas, zip lines, and the Up Up and Away helium balloon rising 450 feet. Nassau offers swimming with pigs, snorkeling, Atlantis day passes, historical tours, and shopping at the famous Straw Market. Port Canaveral gives access to Kennedy Space Center, Cocoa Beach, Ron Jon Surf Shop, and is just 45 minutes from Orlando if you want to add theme parks before or after.
Why Book from Newark?
Incredible Value
Starting from $637
Kids 12 & under FREE | 60% off 2nd guest | Up to $750 instant savings
Call 833-874-1019 to Book NowFrequently Asked Questions
Q:Do they serve Thanksgiving dinner onboard?
A:Absolutely! Royal Caribbean serves a spectacular traditional Thanksgiving feast on November 28, 2025 (for the Nov 23 sailing). The menu includes roasted turkey with all the traditional trimmings, multiple side dishes, appetizers, salads, and desserts including pumpkin pie. The main dining room is beautifully decorated for the holiday, and the culinary team goes all out to create an unforgettable Thanksgiving experience. You get all the delicious food without any of the cooking or cleanup!
Q:What if some family members can't get the full week off work?
A:The November 30 sailing is perfect for this situation. Family members can celebrate Thanksgiving at home on Thursday (Nov 28), work Friday if needed, then drive to Cape Liberty on Saturday or Sunday (Nov 29-30) for embarkation. This way you don't miss Thanksgiving with local family, but still get a vacation. Alternatively, some family members could meet the ship at a port like Nassau or Port Canaveral if they can only take 3-4 days off.
Q:Is a cruise good for families with young kids during Thanksgiving?
A:It's fantastic for young families! Kids have unlimited activities and supervised programs, so they're never bored or fighting with siblings. Parents get actual vacation time instead of being stuck cooking and cleaning. Grandparents can spend quality time with grandkids without the stress of hosting. The ship has highchairs, kids menus, babysitting services, and cribs available. Pack & Plays are provided in cabins for infants. Complimentary kids programs start at age 3, and in-cabin babysitting is available for younger children for a fee. The informal buffet dining means you don't have to worry if kids get messy or loud.
Q:How far in advance should we book a Thanksgiving cruise?
A:Thanksgiving is a peak holiday sailing period, so we recommend booking as early as possible - ideally 6-9 months in advance for the best cabin selection and pricing. However, we do have availability right now for the November 23 and 30, 2025 sailings. Cabins are selling quickly, especially with the kids free and 60% off second guest promotions, so if you're interested, book within the next few days to secure your preferred cabin category. Multi-room bookings for extended families go especially fast.
Q:Can we still cook Thanksgiving at home if we take the Nov 30 cruise?
A:Yes! The November 30 departure is specifically designed for this. Celebrate Thanksgiving traditionally at home on Thursday, November 28. Enjoy your family dinner, watch football, have your traditions. Then on Saturday or Sunday (Nov 29-30), drive to Cape Liberty and embark on your cruise. You get the best of both worlds - traditional Thanksgiving with your local family, plus a week of vacation immediately after to decompress from the holiday stress. This schedule is very popular with families who want to keep their Thanksgiving traditions but also want a vacation.
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Last updated: November 3, 2025