What the Hallmark Christmas Cruise Is Really Like, From a Passenger Who Went Behind the Scenes

The sold-out inaugural Hallmark Christmas cruise set sail from Miami to the Bahamas and back on November 5th. PEOPLE’s executive editor of TV and events (and unofficial Hallmark superfan), Breanne L. Heldman, was among the more than 2,000 fans on board. Meanwhile, the network has announced that it will cruise again in 2025.

When I first stepped onto the Hallmark Christmas Cruise, I felt exactly as I had hoped: like I had stepped into a floating Christmas movie. Atrium of A Norwegian gem it was filled with lights, garlands, giant ornaments and a tree of colorful stacked gifts.

Over the next four days filled with gala games, panels with network stars, pajama parties, and even a ball, that feeling never went away.

Just before the ship left the port, passengers gathered on deck, where a stage took the place of one of the two pools. Mean girls alum and Hallmark regular Jonathan Bennett, who served as the cruise’s official host, immediately had the crowd chanting his catchphrases. One by one, he introduced an additional 10 stars on board: his colleagues Godfather godfather trilogy — Tyler Hynes, BJ Britt and Heather Hemmens — as well as Rachel Boston, Brooke D’Orsay, Will Kemp, Hunter King, Brendan Penny, Kristoffer Polaha and Ashley Williams. Their enthusiasm was as palpable as that of the fans cheering them on.

The first tree lighting on board the Hallmark Christmas Cruise.

Eli Johnson/Hallmark

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Every good Hallmark Christmas movie features a tree lighting, and the evenings on this ship were no different. The lighting on the first night 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 lit. Everyone from the fans and crew to the cast, 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 decorated. Literally! My colleagues who traveled for the holidays covered their doors with tinsel and stockings and so many decorations.

Passenger and Rachel Boston (center) play Festive Feud, hosted by Jonathan Bennett.

Troy Walsh/Hallmark

While sailing, the day’s schedule consisted of a mix of holiday activities like cookie and envelope decorating, screenings of Hallmark movies — including an early screening of Williams and Andrew Walker Jingle Bell Run — and games like Bingo, Finding Mr. Ship-mas and Festive Feud, hilariously led by Bennett with smaller groups of actors. (Seriously, someone hired him to keep game stats!)

Panel discussion two evenings with Godfathers The cast (Bennett, Hynes, Britt and Hemmens) saw Bennett (somehow still standing but beginning to lose his voice) get emotional as he talked about the support of his co-stars and the network in telling a big, romantic love story featuring a gay man and his two straight friends.

The moment wasn’t just sentimental, though: When a fan asked them to do a dance featured in the film, the gentlemen politely promised to see him later on the cruise — the entire ship was taught step-by-step the following night — and instead performed a viral dance move from Dancing with the stars.

Tyler Hynes, Jonathan Bennett and BJ Britt during the Groomsmen panel.

Troy Walsh/Hallmark

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The following evening, there was another panel discussion — which I moderated — in honor of the upcoming film Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs love story. Hynes, King and screenwriter Julie Sherman Wolfe, who has written 27 Hallmark films, joined me on stage to discuss their experience with the film, from its inception to filming at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, to working with Donna Kelce.

When asked about leaving notes in Travis Kelce’s locker at Donna’s urging, Hynes said he wrote some of the lyrics to Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places,” and the packed 1,042-seat auditorium erupted.

Julie Sherman Wolfe, Tyler Hynes, Hunter King and I during the Holiday Touchdown panel.

Troy Walsh/Hallmark

On the poolside stage, Bennett hosted a nightly tree-lighting and festivities, including an ugly Christmas sweater contest and a bedtime story coolly performed by the cast (shoutout to Williams and Polaha, who were surprised by their lead roles and managed to nail it). One night, the star led an a cappella rendition of “Silent Night” so magically from the Hallmark movie that I almost thought it might start snowing.

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

I spoke to a couple who got engaged on the ship – they met on Bumble after she found his profile in which he confessed his love for Hallmark movies – and another who was celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary.

Kristoffer Polaha and Ashley Williams lead a cocktail tasting on board.

Troy Walsh/Hallmark

At the end of each evening, the actors retired to a series of suites on the upper floors that were closed to them. But their long days were not over at that moment. I was lucky enough to join them each evening and witness some of the preparations that went into the daily activity. On the third night, the pajama night, Polaha and I chatted while Kemp and D’Orsay around us practiced their waltz for the next evening’s ball.

Moments later, the cast — along with Wolfe, King’s fiance Chris Copier and Bennett’s husband Jaymes Vaughan — gathered at the first table reading of the Wolfe-penned script, set to be performed at sundown the next day. Seeing each actor step into a new role for the first time, work together (they even let me make a suggestion!) and tear each other apart all at once was a unique experience and the highlight of my trip.

Will Kemp, Brooke D’Orsay, Ashley Williams and Rachel Boston at Pajama Night.

Eli Johnson/Hallmark

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But that was certainly not the last highlight of the trip. Excitement for the Christmas ball grew as the final day wore on. That table reading performance was a hit, and they even used my idea (that the “dance” the script called for be choreographed from Three wise men and a baby).

Bennett’s final tree-lighting celebration had a hint of sadness that all this fun was coming to an end, but that quickly ended when Vaughan took to the stage to sing two tracks from his EP, It feels like Christmaswhich was published just a few days later. The performance ended with a massive group hug from all the stars he had been rooting for all week.

Hallmark stars show their love for Jaymes Vaughan (center).

Eli Johnson/Hallmark

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As the cast and I headed to our quarters it was clear that no one was ready for the party to end 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 running down my face, I realized that Hallmark had accomplished exactly what they set out to do: bring their special brand of movie magic to life.

The second sold-out Hallmark Christmas Cruise, meanwhile, is back in port — and this morning a 2025 cruise was announced.

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Source: HIS Education