Imagine the scene: you’re all bundled up in your warmest holiday attire, sipping on hot cocoa, and taking in the breathtaking views of Poole Harbour. It’s a crisp December day, and you can’t help but feel the anticipation building in the air. As you board the vessel, you will be greeted with a warming glass of mulled wine and a mince pie (soft drink and a biscuit for the kiddies!) and listen to the festive tunes whilst waiting for the star of the show, Santa.
As the cruise sets sail, you’ll be treated to a plethora of magical moments. Santa isn’t just there for photo ops; he’s the life of the party! He’ll be telling stories, talking to all the children, and spreading holiday cheer all around. The kids (and kids at heart) will be wide-eyed with wonder as they meet the man himself and receive a special gift.
While Santa is undoubtedly the star of the show, the cruise itself is nothing to sneeze at. Poole City Cruises’ ships are cosy and comfortable, and the view of Poole Harbour is simply stunning. Whether you’re admiring the twinkling lights on the water or spotting winter wildlife, there’s never a dull moment.
Sadly on the day of our cruise, despite it being all frosty and cold which made Poole Quay with all the Christmas lights very festiv,e the weather was not on our side and the fog came in thick and fast despite the sunshine earlier in the day. This meant that it was just not save to take the Solent Scene out of the dock and we had to stay Quayside.
So that meant that our Sail with Santa experience wasn’t quite as expected and we might not have gotten the cruise we where looking for but believe me the staff on board totally made up the lack of sailing with their wit and enthusiasm. Led by the funniest Elf we have ever met and the 2 Skipper Elf’s the kids played games like musical statues with plenty of Christmas music to accompany and of course we got our drinks and snacks so everyone was happy. Then it was time for all the children on board to meet the big Man thankfully he somehow braved the fog and did find the ship ok which was a relieve.
Each child came up to Santa who sat in his big red chair and got given a lovely gift as well as a certificate and of course we where able to take plenty of pictures. There where a few teens and pre teens on board one of them was my 13yr old but Santa manage to charm them all and he actually really liked his presents. When you book the experience you can add info’s like your child’s preferences and of course their age so you get a suitable present which is a very nice touch.
Santa was great with taking his time to talk to each of the kids and both mine as well as the kids friends who where also on board loved asking Santa lots and lots of questions!
When we left the boat the helpful Elf also told us that we are welcome to contact City Cruises to see if we could rebook another trip with hopefully no fog to go out sailing. With December being such a busy month we haven’t manage to take up that offer but we are looking forward to exploring a cruise in 2024 to check out all the picturesque scenery Dorset has to offer!
Check out our Reel of the day on our Instagram:
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Sail with Santa is running daily from Saturday 16th December (different time slots available on certain days) but if you want to book, be quick as this is sure to sell out. If the weather conditions are too rough, the experience will run alongside the Quay (like ours did) but you will be offered a complimentary Harbour Cruise at a later date so you can still enjoy the stunning views.
If this sounds like your kind of holiday adventure, don’t wait too long to secure your tickets for “Sail with Santa” on Poole City Cruises. This enchanting experience tends to fill up quickly, and you won’t want to miss out on this unique opportunity to celebrate the season with Santa himself.
Disclaimer: AD/PR Invite – We have received a family ticket for Sail with Santa in exchange for a review, but all thoughts and opinions are our own.
