What the Hallmark Christmas Cruise IsReallyLike, From a Passenger Who Went Behind the Scenes

Mar. 15, 2025

Hallmark’s inaugural Christmas Cruise sets sail!.Photo:Eli Johnson/Hallmark

Eli Johnson/Hallmark

When I first stepped onto the Hallmark Christmas Cruise, I felt exactly as I’d hoped I might: like I’d stepped into a floating Christmas movie. The atrium of theNorwegian Gemwas filled with lights, wreaths, giant ornaments and a tree of colorful stacked presents.

For the next four days filled with festive games, panels with the network’s stars, a pajama party and even a ball, that feeling never really went away.

The first tree-lighting aboard the Hallmark Christmas Cruise.Eli Johnson/Hallmark

Every good Hallmark Christmas movie has a tree lighting, and the evenings on this ship were no different. The night one lighting was filled with excitement for the journey ahead, and the ship shook as Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” played at full blast right after the evergreen was illuminated. Everyone from the fans and the crew to the actors, their partners and Hallmark executives, were dancing and singing at the top of their lungs.

As I headed back to my cabin for the night determined to stay in my holiday haze, I couldn’t believe what I saw. The halls were decked. Literally! My fellow festive cruisers had covered their doors with tinsel and stockings and so many decorations.

Troy Walsh/Hallmark

A night two panel discussion featuring theGroomsmencast (Bennett, Hynes, Britt and Hemmens) saw Bennett (somehow still standing but starting to lose his voice) get emotional as he talked about the support of his costars and the network in telling a big, romantic love story featuring a gay man and his two straight friends.

Tyler Hynes, Jonathan Bennett and B.J. Britt during the Groomsmen panel.Troy Walsh/Hallmark

When asked aboutleaving notes in Travis Kelce’s lockerat Donna’s urging, Hynes shared that he wrote some of the lyrics to Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places,” and the packed 1,042-seat theaterburst into song.

Julie Sherman Wolfe, Tyler Hynes, Hunter King and me during the Holiday Touchdown panel.Troy Walsh/Hallmark

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From morning and well into the night, I watched these 11 actors be unwaveringly kind and generous with their fans, taking selfies and sharing heartfelt stories and hugs. The care they put into having personal moments with their fans is undoubtedly part of the draw for this cruise. But I wasn’t the only one.

I spoke with a couple who got engaged on board — they met on Bumble after she found his profile confessing his love of Hallmark movies endearing — and another celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary.

Kristoffer Polaha and Ashley Williams lead a cocktail tasting on board.Troy Walsh/Hallmark

At the end of each night, the actors retired to the series of suites on higher floors blocked off for them. But their long days weren’t exactly over at that point. I was lucky enough to join them each night and witness some of the preparation that went into each day’s activity. On the third night, pajama night, Polaha and I were chatting as Kemp and D’Orsay practiced their waltz for the next night’s ball around us.

Will Kemp, Brooke D’Orsay, Ashley Williams and Rachel Boston on pajama night.Eli Johnson/Hallmark

Bennett’s final tree-lighting celebration had a hint of sadness that all this fun was coming to a close, but that ended quickly when Vaughan took the stage to sing two tracks from his E.P.,Feels Like Christmas, which was released just days later. The performance ended with a massive group hug from all the stars he’d been cheering on all week.

The Hallmark stars show their love for Jaymes Vaughan (center).Eli Johnson/Hallmark

As the actors and I headed to their quarters, it was clear no one was really ready for the party to be over, and soon a group of us including Penny, D’Orsay, King, Copier, Kemp, Boston and Wolfe, were hitting the ship’s silent disco dance floor. With red, green and blue lights flashing from my ears, a smile across my lips and sweat dripping down my face, I realized that Hallmark had accomplished exactly what they’d set out to do: bring their special brand of movie magic to life.

A second sold-out sailing of the Hallmark Christmas Cruise has since returned to port — and a2025 cruisewas announced just this morning.

source: people.com