Are you looking for exciting ways to spend the holiday season or unique ideas for your Christmas party this year, perhaps? Try going on a pirate-themed Christmas cruise!
Have you ever wondered whether or not pirates celebrated Christmas back then? It’s safe to assume that they did. Most of them came from Christian countries where Christmas is a major celebration. Also, if there was one thing pirates excelled at other than plundering other ships, it would be having a good time.
If you’ve been searching for fun ways to spend the holidays, Sunshine Scenic Tours has you covered. We offer adventure-filled cruises perfect for people of all ages — from little swabbies to old salts.
How Did Pirates Celebrate Christmas?
According to the few stories written, pirates celebrated Christmas with what they had. Mostly they indulged themselves in drinking liquor, feasting on food, and singing songs.
One story said that Jack Rackham, a notorious English pirate who roamed the Caribbean waters in the early 18th century, and his entire crew spent one Christmas on a small island. They cleaned themselves, caroused until they had no liquor left, and went to the sea to continue plundering other ships again.
Captain Charles Swan and William Dampiers, also English pirates, spent one Christmas sailing. According to stories, they sent some of their crew members to catch fish, so they had something to eat. They spent the next Christmas in Mindanao — one of the Philippines’ biggest islands. Although they weren’t sailing at that time, they still chose to spend Christmas on a pirate ship, not ashore.
Captains John Taylor and Jaspar Seagar, also English pirates, celebrated Christmas in the most riotous way, according to one of their captured master’s mates. They caroused and chowed down on almost two-thirds of their supplies for three days. After such debauchery, they decided to go to Mauritius — a subtropical island in the Indian Ocean — to repair their ship, which was in terrible shape.
Not all pirates had the luxury of spending Christmas celebrating. Some had to continue working and plundering. Edward Low, another English pirate, was one of them. One Christmas, he plundered a gunned vessel together with his crew.
Enjoy A Fun-filled Pirate Christmas
To help you plan a Christmas cruise with us, we’ve prepared some cool ideas for you to check out. Here they are:
Wear Pirate Costumes
For a more realistic pirate Christmas celebration, you can wear pirate costumes. It doesn’t need to be Halloween to dress up like pirates. However, to differentiate it from Halloween, add a little bit of Christmas vibe to your costumes. Here are some ideas:
- Pirate Elf – For kids, you can look for elf costumes. A green shirt, red hat, pair of red pants, small sword, and fake iron hook will do. If you want, you can also buy or make an eye patch.
- Pirate Santa Claus – For adults, you can look for pirate Santa Claus costumes. Prepare the usual Santa Claus costume and add an eye patch, sword, sword sling, and fake iron hook. As a substitute for Santa’s bag, you can bring a treasure chest.
- Barrel – If you want a unique outfit, you can buy or make a rum barrel costume. To make it suitable for a Christmas cruise, you can decorate it with Christmas lights.
Make DIY Gift Wrappers
A Christmas cruise wouldn’t be complete without gifts. What you can do is make your own gift wrappers, but, of course, with a twist. Since pirates roamed the oceans, you can prepare printouts of the world map and use them as your gift wrapper. If you’re in the mood for a more creative idea, you can make treasure chests out of cardboard boxes and other scrapbooking materials.
Prepare Food and Drinks
When it comes to the food and drinks for your pirate Christmas party on a cruise ship, you can bring anything you want. You don’t have to prepare the exact same food that pirates ate. Here are some ideas to consider for a Christmas cruise:
- Appetizers – Pirates ate dried fruits, sea biscuits, and pickled vegetables. You can prepare these for your appetizers.
- Drinks – As for drinks, you can prepare rum and ale for adults and fruit juices for kids. Root beer is also a nice idea.
- Dishes – Groupers, crabs, squids, shrimps are some of the seafood that pirates had access to. They also stocked some salted beef.
Throw Games
To add tons of fun, throw a few games, such as treasure hunting and poker. There are numerous game ideas for a Christmas cruise scattered on the internet.
Hop on a Pirate Ship This Holiday Season
Now that you have great ideas for your Christmas party on a pirate ship, the only thing left to do is prepare for the fun and excitement!
With Sunshine Scenic Tours’ 46-foot pirate ship, you’ll experience what it is like to party like a pirate. During our pirate cruise in St. Pete Beach, FL, our captains and crew dress up and act like pirates for a more realistic experience. For inquiries about our schedule this holiday season, don’t hesitate to contact us. Call us for reservations!
