Allister Foster for Hallmark Media

The 2026 Hallmark Christmas Cruise brought four days of holiday fun to the high seas, with 18 Hallmark Channel stars and 4,000 fans coming together aboard the Norwegian Joy for a festive voyage from Miami to Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas.

JustJared.com was on board for all the action, from live shows and photo opportunities with the stars to behind-the-scenes panels, themed parties, and plenty of memorable moments along the way.

Returning as co-hosts were Jonathan Bennett and Nikki DeLoach, who were joined by an all-star lineup of Hallmark favorites, including Andrew Walker, Ashley Williams, B.J. Britt, Benjamin Ayres, Brendan Penny, Daniel Lissing, Emilie Ullerup, Erin Cahill, Heather Hemmens, Kimberley Sustad, Paul Campbell, Rachel Boston, Sarah Drew, Taylor Cole, Wes Brown, and Will Kemp.

The 2026 voyage was a first for Daniel Lissing and Emilie Ullerup, who joined the cruise for the first time, while the other actors returned for another year of festivities at sea.

This marked the second year in a row that JustJared.com joined the celebration. Keep reading for a look back at the highlights, standout performances, and most memorable moments from this year’s voyage!

Friday, October 23: Early Afternoon!

The Hallmark stars kicked off their cruise adventure by heading to the Port of Miami together, taking a bus from their hotel to board the ship as a group. Erin Cahill shared a selfie from the ride with Brendan Penny and Sarah Drew.

Meanwhile, Benjamin Ayres gave fans a peek at a fun moment with his fellow The Mr. Nice Guys podcast co-hosts Wes Brown and Paul Campbell, sharing a video of the trio sporting matching outfits to promote their exciting new project.

After boarding the Norwegian Joy, Taylor Cole offered fans a first glimpse of her accommodations, sharing a selfie from her room’s balcony and simply declaring, “And here we go!”

Friday, October 23: 4 PM – Rehearsals Begin!

As fans checked in and settled into their cabins, the Hallmark stars were already hard at work behind the scenes, taking over select spaces throughout the ship to prepare for the weekend’s entertainment.

The festivities will officially kick off with the Candy Cane Sailaway Party, hosted by Jonathan Bennett and Nikki DeLoach. Ahead of the first live event of the cruise, several stars took time to rehearse their musical performances.

The cast also got an exclusive first look at some exciting new stage effects planned for the Festive Feud shows in the Joy Theater. We won’t give away any surprises just yet, but we can tell you that this year’s shows are shaping up to be bigger and better than ever, with production value that takes things up another notch!

Friday, October 23: 8pm – Candy Cane Sailaway!

The cruise has officially set sail, and a little rain didn’t dampen the celebration one bit!

Jonathan and Nikki hosted the Sailaway Party and Christmas tree lighting on the pool deck, with the festivities livestreamed to venues throughout the ship. The duo welcomed the other 16 Hallmark stars to the stage, each getting their own fun moment in front of the cheering crowd.

Paul and Andrew, two-thirds of the Three Wise Men trio, delivered a special message to the crowd from Tyler Hynes (who wasn’t able to join the cruise this year) before taking things up a notch! The pair stripped off their robes to reveal candy cane costumes and custom boxers featuring their own faces.

The cast also gave cruise newbies Daniel and Emilie a hilarious initiation, leading them through a funny oath. They made sure to give a warm welcome to all the guests experiencing the Hallmark Christmas Cruise for the first time, too!

The Sailaway celebration wrapped up on a festive note, with the stars and guests singing along to holiday classics “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”

Friday, October 23: 8:30pm – Daniel Lissing’s Forgotten Holiday named as the cruise’s mystery movie premiere!

This is Daniel’s first time aboard the Hallmark Christmas Cruise, and he’s bringing a special treat for fans: the premiere of his new mystery movie!

Cruise guests are invited to catch a screening of Daniel’s new film, Forgotten Holiday, which will also premiere on Hallmark Channel on Saturday, October 24. Fans aboard the ship will have multiple opportunities to watch the movie throughout the day on Saturday, ahead of its broadcast premiere at 8 p.m. ET on Hallmark Channel.

In Forgotten Holiday, Daniel plays a man who gets into a car accident after a failed marriage proposal, leaving him with no memory of the past year, including his relationship with his girlfriend. When she agrees to help him piece together the missing memories, the two get a chance to rediscover their relationship and possibly fall in love all over again!

Friday, October 23: 9:30pm – Festive Feud Game One!

One of the most entertaining events on the Hallmark Christmas Cruise is always Festive Feud, a holiday-themed take on the classic game show, hosted by Jonathan Bennett!

The Hallmark Experiences team pulled out all the stops this year, giving the actors grand entrances on hydraulic lifts and adding even more bells and whistles to the giant screen behind them. As Jonathan joked, however, they apparently spent the entire budget on the lifts, leaving the contestants with bells for buzzers and just two microphones for each five-person team!

The first team, “McMistletoe & Family,” featured Will Kemp, Heather Hemmens, Rachel Boston, and two fans pulled from the crowd. Going head-to-head with them was “Jollymore & Family,” made up of Paul Campbell, Taylor Cole (who embraced her inner Frose the Snowman!), Wes Brown, and two more fans.

Nearly all of the other Hallmark stars watched from the audience, with some even sitting among the fans, as the first round of this year’s Festive Feud delivered plenty of laughs. In one hilarious moment, contestants were asked to name the funniest Hallmark actor. When Kimberley Sustad was offered as an answer but failed to make the board, she jokingly stormed out of the room!

The laughs continued during Fast Money, when contestants were asked to name a Hallmark actor whose name starts with the letter “B.” Brendan Penny earned 69 points for his answer and promptly ran up onstage to take a bow!

Paul Campbell helped earn his team a win with his answers in Fast Money! He also reveled in being named the funniest actor on Hallmark, much to Jonathan‘s dismay.

Saturday, October 24: 9am – The Photo Ops Begin!

With 4,000 fans on board, all getting photo ops with the stars, the actors split up into four groups to meet as many fans as possible. The photo ops began on Saturday morning and will continue throughout the cruise.

For one group on Saturday morning, fans got to snap photos with Ashley Williams, Will Kemp, Paul Campbell, Taylor Cole, and Jonathan Bennett.

Saturday, October 24: 12pm – The first behind-the-scenes panel!

Six of the actors – BJ, Nikki, Andrew, Emilie, Brendan – were joined on stage by People‘s Breanne Heldman for the first of two behind-the-scenes panels on the cruise.

We learned some fun stories from all of their upcoming Christmas movies, heard some funny jokes and Emilie and Brendan‘s time playing siblings on Chesapeake Shores, listened to BJ sing the same lyric from “The Christmas Song” over and over again, and learned about an exciting movie that was announced live on stage. More to come!

Saturday, October 24: 12:40pm – Nikki and Andrew announce next Curious Caterer movie!

“When we get off this ship, we’re going to shoot another Curious Caterer,” Nikki announced before throwing her hands into the air in celebration. There have been five movies released so far, with this upcoming installment making the sixth in the popular Hallmark mystery franchise.

It has been more than two years since the previous installment was released and we just learned that Nikki and Andrew will be heading to set right after they get off the cruise.

“We have to say, you guys are the reason this is happening,” Nikki said. “Also, I was very annoying to [Hallmark executives] Randy Pope and Michelle Vicary about it for about a year, but you guys are the reason. Going on Facebook, on the Instagram accounts, always pushing for another Curious Caterer and our network listened. They always listen. So, we just want to say thank you!”

Andrew added, “The amount of people that came over to us at these conventions, these events and 80% of the people would come over and say, ‘When are you guys going to work together again? When are you going to do another Curious Caterer?’ And so, we made sure we would either record you or just immediately go back to the powers-that-be and tell them, ‘Hey guys! We had 423 people tell us over the course of this weekend!’ Anyway, thank you so much to you guys for speaking up. We’re so excited.”

“And it’s a good one, guys! A lot of murders, a lot of cooking, a little bit of curiosity,” Andrew joked.

Saturday, October 24: 2:30pm – Hallmark Dating Game!

We laughed so much that our faces hurt more than the sunburn from forgetting to lotion up.

The Hallmark Dating Game, hosted by Jonathan, was a laugh riot. A female contestant from the audience was given three bachelors to choose from and each of the actors were given voice-changing microphones to obscure their identities. Andrew Walker, Brendan Penny, and Wes Brown competed for the affection of a fan named Kelly, with Andrew victorious in the end.

When it came time for the big reveal, Andrew stripped off his shirt and gave Kelly a big hug, lifting her off the ground in the process. She was definitely living every fan’s dream!

A man named Charlie was the contestant for round two, with Erin Cahill, Kimberley Sustad, and Ashley Williams as his three secret bachelorettes. There were so many more laughs thanks to Erin’s “trophy wife” character, Kimberley’s natural response to sing all of her responses using her deep voice changer, and Ashley turning into a devilish character with a foreign accent.

Kimberley was chosen as the winner of that round!

Saturday, October 24: 4:40pm – Daniel Lissing surprises audience at Forgotten Holiday screening

One of the annual highlights of the Hallmark Christmas Cruise is an exclusive movie premiere, giving fans on board the chance to watch a new film before the rest of the world. This year, the featured movie was Daniel‘s Forgotten Holiday, which also aired on Hallmark Channel later that night for viewers at home.

The film played throughout the day in the Joy Theater, and Daniel made a surprise appearance at the 4:45 p.m. screening to introduce the movie to fans.

“This is one of those great parts that come along every once in a while. Hallmark is doing some amazing characters,” he told the audience.

Saturday, October 24: 6:45pm – Holly Jolly Pajama Party #1!

To give everyone on board a chance to enjoy the live entertainment on the pool deck, two shows are held each night.

The Holly Jolly Pajama Party was easily the coziest night of the cruise, with passengers showing up in their pajamas, many decked out in festive Christmas prints!

Jonathan hosted a hilarious game called “Freeze Frame,” which paired seven actors with fans for freestyle dance routines inspired by classic Hallmark movie tropes. Whenever the music stopped, each pair had to freeze in place, striking a pose that captured their assigned trope. A panel of fellow actors served as judges, eliminating pairs each round.

The game delivered an hour of laughs, with the actors going all out to entertain the crowd and their fans on stage. The night ended on a romantic note when Brendan Penny shared a swoon-worthy dance with his female fan partner, culminating in a staged kiss!

Saturday, October 24: 7:45pm – Jonathan Bennett & Jaymes Vaughn celebrate 10-year anniversary on stage!

At the end of the Holly Jolly Pajama Party, Jonathan brought his husband, Jaymes Vaughn, on stage to celebrate a very special milestone: the 10th anniversary of the day they first met!

The cast surprised the couple with a special anniversary cake before Jaymes treated the crowd to two of his original Christmas songs. The performance included “S.O.S.,” which got everyone on their feet and joining in on his viral line dance!

Saturday, October 24: 9:30pm – Holly Jolly Pajama Party #2!

The second pajama party was held later that evening and included so many more laughs.

The actors who served as judges during the first show were moved into the dancing roles, with B.J. Britt stealing the spotlight with his wild moves, ultimately leading to a win!

Sunday, October 25: Daytime – Port Day in Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas!

The Hallmark Christmas Cruise has arrived in the Bahamas! Passengers have the day to explore the island before returning to the ship by 3:30 p.m.

Due to inclement weather, the remaining activities and entertainment for the trip are moving indoors.

Some of the actors opted to get off the ship during the port day, while others enjoyed the amenities on board. Lucky fans at the spa got plenty of sightings that morning!

Sunday, October 25: 5pm – Merry Masquerade Party #1

The Merry Masquerade party was originally scheduled to take place outdoors on the Lido Deck, but high winds and rain forced the event to move inside to the Atrium.

The change of venue did little to dampen the excitement, as Hallmark stars and fans came together for an entertaining hour of trivia, hidden talents, and musical performances. Highlights included Ashley Williams striking a yoga pose in her gown, Brendan Penny showing off his ability to laugh without moving his face, and Sarah Drew, Daniel Lissing, and Heather Hemmens impressing the crowd with their vocal talents.

Sarah performed a sultry rendition of “Santa Baby,” Daniel wowed with his cover of Train‘s “Drops of Jupiter,” and Heather blew the roof off the venue with her “I Will Survive” cover.

And perhaps the biggest surprise of all? A new Hallmark boy band featuring Wes Brown, Andrew Walker, and Paul Campbell! They call themselves the “Dirty Martinis” and performed a doo-wop rendition of “White Christmas.” We’re already obsessed with this trio and think they need to take their act on the road!

Sunday, October 25: 6:45pm – Cocktail Tasting with Brendan Penny and Sarah Drew!

Throughout the cruise, guests had the chance to attend cocktail tasting sessions hosted by Hallmark stars. We joined one on Sunday night, led by the hilarious duo of Brendan Penny and Sarah Drew.

As they guided guests through five festive cocktails, the actors shared behind-the-scenes stories from their movie sets, including what it’s like to kiss their best friends on screen. Neither had any qualms about a Hallmark kiss, and apparently, their spouses don’t mind either!

The cocktail lineup featured the Sleigh Bell Spice Mule, Santa’s Spritz, the Mrs. Claus Cranberry Whiskey, the Eggnog Espresso Martini, and the Frosted Mistletoe Margarita Punch. The fans didn’t seem to love the drinks, but thankfully they loved the entertainment that came with them!

Sunday, October 25: 8:15pm – The second Merry Masquerade party!

With limited space in the Atrium, the Hallmark stars performed the Merry Masquerade show twice to give as many fans as possible the chance to see the festivities. The performances were also livestreamed to other areas of the ship, allowing even more guests to tune in, including those watching from the comfort of their cabins.

When they weren’t on stage, many of the actors could be found cheering on their fellow stars or taking time to greet fans gathered around the stanchions. Ashley Williams was among those making the rounds, stopping to connect with fans, as seen in the photo above.

Sunday, October 25: 8:45pm – Surprise drop-ins around the ship!

With the weather prompting changes to the day’s programming, the Hallmark team wanted to make sure the holiday cheer continued throughout the ship. To do that, the actors made surprise appearances in different areas, giving fans some unexpected moments with their favorite stars!

We followed Rachel Boston and Benjamin Ayres as they made an unannounced visit to the Observation Lounge on Sunday night, where they shared a particularly touching moment with a mother and daughter visiting from Hawaii. The mother was stunned to see the actors, and the surprise led to an emotional exchange as she shared her story with them. It was a heartfelt moment that will surely stay with everyone involved!

Rachel eventually had to head off to get ready for Festive Feud, but Ben was having so much fun connecting with fans that he decided to take the surprises a step further by knocking on cabin doors. While many passengers were out enjoying the evening’s festivities, he still managed to share some fun moments with fans he encountered while walking the halls!

Sunday, October 25: 9:30pm – Another hilarious round of Festive Feud!

We returned to the Joy Theater late Sunday night for another hilarious round of Festive Feud! This time, Brendan Penny, Emilie Ullerup, and Daniel Lissing faced off against Rachel Boston, Wes Brown, and Sarah Drew, with each team joined by two fans.

The “McMistletoe & Family” team had an especially entertaining addition: a fan wearing an inflatable costume that the actors couldn’t resist playing around with throughout the game. Brendan, Emilie, and Daniel also developed a running joke, repeatedly ducking below the table to pretend to take a drink whenever something particularly wild happened. Before long, even the guest contestants were getting in on the fun!

Monday, October 26: 12:00am – Brendan Penny joins fans at Silent Disco!

As a preview of what was to come on the cruise’s final night, Brendan Penny joined fans on the dance floor for Silent Night Disco late Sunday night, dancing into the early hours of Monday morning.

Brendan and the fans wore headphones, allowing everyone to tune in to their preferred music channel while dancing and having a blast. Fans gave the actor plenty of space to enjoy the party, but once he was ready to call it a night, the selfie requests started rolling in!

Monday, October 26: 11:30am – Behind-the-scenes panel hosted by Just Jared!

Just Jared’s Managing Editor David Niederhoffer hosted a behind-the-scenes panel on the final day of the cruise, featuring Erin Cahill, Daniel Lissing, Heather Hemmens, Benjamin Ayres, Taylor Cole, and Ashley Williams.

The stars shared details about their upcoming Christmas movies, including Daniel’s Forgotten Holiday, which premiered aboard the ship. Daniel’s co-star Janel Parrish even sent over a few questions for us to ask him, leading to some hilarious moments, including Daniel dropping to the floor to do push-ups and showing off his funny voice while singing the “Yam Fries” song, an inside joke between the two stars!

Monday, October 26: 1:00pm – The final Festive Feud!

The final round of Festive Feud on the ship featured the return of Taylor Cole‘s “Frose” character, so you know that it was a hilarious show.

Just watch this video of Frose’s “meltdown” to see what we mean!

Monday, October 26: 3:00pm – The first of five Caribbean Christmas shows!

The Caribbean Christmas show was originally scheduled to be performed two times on the outdoors Lido Deck, but the weather forced the show to be moved indoors in the Joy Theater.

The passengers were initially given tickets to one of the two sessions, but to ensure that everyone could attend the show, three extra performances were added, which meant the actors were inside the Joy Theater for nearly the rest of the day.

The 45-minute show featured a limbo contest and roughly 20 minutes of the actors sharing messages of gratitude for the fans. They wrapped the show with singalongs to “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and the announcement of the Hallmark Christmas Cruise returning in 2027.

Monday, October 26: 3:45pm – Bingo hosted by Paul Campbell and Kimberley Sustad!

Multiple Bingo sessions were held throughout the cruise and it’s always one of the most popular activities. Several games are held during each session, with winners taking home thousands of dollars in cash.

Paul Campbell and Kimberley Sustad hosted the afternoon session on Monday, with Paul helping the Bingo emcee on stage while Kim walked through the crowd interacting with fans as they played along.

Monday, October 26: The rest of the day – More Caribbean Christmas shows!

We returned to the Joy Theater for two more performances of the Caribbean Christmas show, and it was clear that the production continued to evolve as the day went on. The actors seemed to grow more comfortable on stage with each performance, leading to some increasingly hilarious moments.

Andrew Walker stole the show when he joked that his new Christmas movie was called Christmas at the Strip Club before taking things a step further by removing his shirt and tossing it into the audience!

Daniel Lissing also had a funny moment after sharing how “touched” he was by everything that had happened over the past few days, prompting the other actors to gather around him and playfully touch him. Meanwhile, Paul Campbell’s emotional moment was interrupted when his fellow stars tried to pull a prank on him.

Jonathan Bennett also shared a heartfelt message with fans, opening up about how Hallmark makes him feel safe to be himself as a gay man.

Monday, October 26: 9:40pm – Stuck at sea!

The weather delays continued into Tuesday morning, when the storm system reached Miami and prevented the ship from docking at its scheduled 7 a.m. arrival time. As a result, passengers faced a six-hour delay before disembarking.

The delay in disembarking was announced at around 9:40pm on Monday night. Moments after the captain made the announcement over the loud speaker across the ship, Jonathan and Nikki appeared on stage for the final of five Caribbean Christmas shows that day.

Jonathan first joked that everyone would be having breakfast together and that they’d be eating better on the ship than in the airport.

“We just got the same news that you did,” Nikki said. “As the captain said, the ship cannot dock under these current conditions. It’s just not safe. It’s no different than an airline that can’t take off or land. A giant ship in the middle of the ocean is no different. And our safety is the most important thing.”

“I just want you guys to know that we share your worry about your kids, your jobs, your pets, what you have to get home to,” Nikki said, before a fan interrupted her and said they don’t care about that and want to stay on the ship.

Nikki responded, “You guys are the best! Oh my gosh, I love you all so much!”

The delay in disembarking allowed the Hallmark stars to stay out late, enjoying a late night with fans.

Monday, October 26: 11:30pm – Silent Night Disco with all the stars!

On the final night of the cruise, the Hallmark Channel stars stayed up late to help bring the four-day celebration to a memorable close at the Silent Night Disco. They no longer had to be up at 6am to get off the ship, so they were able to party away with fans!

Guests were given headphones featuring three different music channels, allowing everyone to choose their favorite genre and dance the night away to their own soundtrack.

Brendan Penny, Will Kemp, Wes Brown, Daniel Lissing, Taylor Cole, Sarah Drew, Rachel Boston, Andrew Walker, Benjamin Ayres, Jonathan Bennett, Erin Cahill, B.J. Britt, Paul Campbell, Emilie Ullerup, and Kimberley Sustad were among the stars spotted enjoying the final party of the cruise!

The night featured a special birthday celebration for Emilie, who celebrated on stage as the clock struck midnight. And Jonathan Bennett took the party to another level by crowd surfing!

Hundreds of fans filled the atrium of the ship to enjoy the extra time with their favorite actors.

Tuesday, October 27: 1pm – Back in Miami!

By 1pm, the Norwegian Joy arrived back at the Port of Miami and everyone had to say their goodbyes before disembarking from the ship!

The 2026 Hallmark Christmas Cruise was an unforgettable four-day celebration filled with holiday cheer, hilarious moments, heartfelt connections, and plenty of surprises along the way. From live shows and fan-favorite events to intimate conversations and unexpected encounters around the ship, the Hallmark stars made sure fans felt like part of the family throughout the entire journey. Despite some weather-related changes, the festive spirit never wavered, and the memories made onboard the Norwegian Joy are sure to last long after the decorations come down. It was a special experience for both the fans and the actors, and we can’t wait to see what Hallmark has in store for next year!

The post Inside the Hallmark Christmas Cruise 2026: 18 Hallmark Stars Set Sail With 4,000 Fans for Merriest Cruise Ever (Full Recap) appeared first on Just Jared - Celebrity News, Entertainment News & Photos.