Hallmark is dropping anchor in the Bahamas this July, but the mistletoe is staying up. The network’s first-ever Christmas Cruise becomes the backdrop for its new limited docuseries Christmas at Sea, premiering Monday, July 7, 2025, at 8:00 PM ET/PT on Hallmark Channel, with next-day streaming on Hallmark+.
The four-part unscripted series is the centerpiece of Hallmark’s 13th annual “Christmas in July” programming push, which kicks off Sunday, July 6. The cruise, which sailed from Miami to Nassau, is reimagined here as a floating celebration of the brand’s most dedicated fans, with a mix of sentimental milestones and reality-show energy.
From surprise engagements to girls’ trips and sibling screenwriting dreams, Christmas at Sea blends Hallmark’s holiday sentiment with Big Fish Entertainment’s polished production. Each hourlong episode focuses on different fan journeys, peppered with appearances from Hallmark regulars including Benjamin Ayres, Jonathan Bennett, and Tyler Hynes.
The opening episode captures the kickoff in Miami and the initial round of themed activities, including “carol-oke,” trivia contests, and shipboard holiday games. Episode two, Docking Around the Christmas Tree, airing Monday, July 14, zeroes in on a screenplay pitch from sisters Laura and Victoria, while tracking a cruise ship proposal set against a Bahamas sunrise.
Week three’s Slay Ride (Monday, July 21) sends passengers off-roading on ATVs with Hynes, before wrapping with the cruise’s version of a dating contest, “Finding Mr. Shipmas.” The finale, All I Want for Christmas Is You, airs Monday, July 28, featuring a sea-bound Christmas tree lighting, a fan-script reading, and a surprise career offer tied to one of the show’s core stories.
Hallmark has built its empire on formula, but Christmas at Sea leans into fan culture, turning its audience into the stars. It’s less about scripted magic, more about how far people will go to live inside it.
