Not to rub it in or anything but your friends on a holiday cruise vacation right now are probably having a whole lot of fun, whatever that means to them.

They probably paid a premium price to be at sea right now, with holiday sailings often demanding some of the highest fares of they year, if that makes you feel any better. This year, there were bargains to be had all the way up to just last week on holiday sailings though so feel bad anyway.

They do get more for that normally higher price though with holiday sailings often including bonus features.

• Very nice holiday decorations starting about Thanksgiving and running through the first of the year
• Various religious services
• Champagne flowing freely for all when you board
• Special Holiday Dinner with Commemorative take-home parchment menu
• Christmas trees (artificial) for sale on board
• Santa for the kids, young or old
• Christmas caroling with the ship's entertainment people
• Cabin and balcony decorating by those passengers that want to

What they won't find is Aunt Noras (lousy) Green Bean and Mushroom Soup casserole that should have been hot, probably once was, but got cold in the car on the way over.

Flickr photo by Waldzen