Philadelphia, Pa. (The Hollywood Times, 7/21/2026) – When Hallmark superfans set sail with their favorite stars, they found much more than a tropical vacation. The weeklong voyage was filled with laughter, heartfelt conversations, happy tears and unforgettable memories.
The experience is captured in the four episodes of Christmas at Sea Season 2, which premiered July 1 on Hallmark+, with new episodes streaming each Wednesday.
For the second year, fans cruised to Cozumel, Mexico alongside Hallmark favorites, sharing holiday cheer, celebrity encounters and meaningful moments that extended far beyond photo opportunities.
For many aboard, the cruise felt like stepping inside a Hallmark movie, complete with comfort, warmth, and hot cocoa feelings. Blending Christmas magic with cruise memories, this is a must-see series for Hallmark lovers and beyond.
The following are exclusive interviews for The Hollywood Times with Rachel Boston (The More the Merrier), Erin Cahill (Christmas at the Catnip Café), and Taylor Cole (A Reason for the Season) on their favorite Hallmark memories and the second season of Christmas at Sea:
What was it like to spend time on a Christmas cruise with Hallmark superfans?
Rachel Boston: I remember being invited to the first cruise, and I just couldn’t believe we were going to be able to do this. I was so excited, and each year has brought more and more joy. Sailing with close friends while meeting people from around the world who share the same love of Christmas and positivity is something I’ll never forget. There’s nothing quite like celebrating that spirit while you’re out on the ocean.
Erin Cahill: We all feel the same way as Rachel. It is so incredible getting to connect with the superfans. The energy is impossible to describe unless you’ve experienced it. It’s authentic, joyful, and full of connection. We laughed, danced, and hugged, but we also heard deeply personal stories about how our movies helped people through cancer, grief, and other difficult times. Those moments made me cry on both cruises.
Taylor Cole: We rarely get to spend this much time with our fans. Hearing how a movie helped someone through a difficult chapter of their life, or how one of our movies touched them, is something you can never recreate. I’m so glad those moments are part of Christmas at Sea.
Tell me about surprises, wow or aha moments that you can share with my readers?
Erin Cahill: I was blown away by everyone’s talent. Rachel’s singing voice is incredible. I had no idea so many of our actors could sing, dance, and perform at that level. Being on stage together was so much fun.
Did you know each other, or did you get to know anybody new to you during the Christmas cruise?
Erin Cahill: I think a lot of us knew each other, and as Rachel said, a lot of us have known each other for years and years, so I don’t know if I really got to. Rachel and I, we didn’t really know each, we knew each other from Instagram or just barely meeting, but yeah, we got to really, you know, hang out, spend time, do karaoke or whatever it was, and then some of the guys, like Brendan Penny, I’ve never met or known, but it really solidifying the bond, I think, is what this does, because you are on top of each other, getting to know each other, thrown in different scenarios you would never normally be, so it’s pretty much a crash course in fast friendships.
When running into each other at events on land, and then Taylor and I were next door neighbors on a boat, so I was doing a fast friendship. That’s the way we just did that, running into each other on land.
Is there one movie, or one project that fans on or off the cruise, or off the cruise, identify you with the most?
Taylor Cole: I do a lot of movies about second chances, about women finding this new chapter of their life, and when I was talking with Jessica in Christmas at Sea, it felt so similar to Hallmark movies and the characters I’ve played; it was really special to see what we’re inspiring.
A lot of the movies that I had a little bit of fear of playing, like Pumpkin Everything, deal with very serious and heavy topics that I didn’t want our fans to feel too much anxiety about, or I wanted them to have a safe place to escape. But hearing from fans that those are the things that they are actually going through in their real life, and that they want to connect, and that they want to hear about how they handled it, and that the happy ending that comes from it. So, you know, those different movies with the hard-hitting topics, like adoption or a loved one moving into a nursing home, a lot of those are movies with stories that connect with fans, for sure.
What did you appreciate about Christmas at Sea?
Rachel Boston: I love that these are real-life stories that are being highlighted, because Hallmark imitates real life. It’s this full-circle thing. There’s something for everybody of every age, and I think that’s really special. You don’t really get that in reality shows or docu-series, as it were; you know, it’s tailored to a specific audience, but really what’s magical about Hallmark is it’s multi-generational, and so is our show, so is Christmas at Sea, so for me, that’s really special.
What do fans want to know about the movies you make and your careers as Hallmark actresses?
Taylor Cole: One of my favorite things is arriving on set in August and instantly knowing you’ve found it because it’s the only street decorated for Christmas. It’s often 90 degrees outside, yet the whole town comes together to help create the magic. Fans love hearing how we pull all of that off. That always makes me smile.
I also love when they ask the actual store owners, ‘Hey, do you have Christmas decorations?’ So, it’s like a coming-together, helping community and helping each other make this movie and make the magic. I love that kind of behind-the-scenes, real-life world.
Rachel Boston: There is also something magical about the communities we film in. And it is like Taylor said: ‘We use the elements from the communities we film in.’ We use the stores and their things. And sometimes the people are in it, you know, like the store owner gets to be in, you know, the background. It’s actually, it’s so, it’s, you know, I know I keep saying it, but it is like a real, like the real-life Hallmark movie in real life. Gotcha.
There was an interesting moment in my last Christmas movie, The More the Merrier. Brendan Penny was doing a big scene. And the snow was falling behind me. And he was like, ‘This looks so great, but you’re going to have to go into a recording studio and record the whole thing because it’s so loud here because the snow machines can be really loud.’ And that’s something that you don’t really think about until your co-star reminds you that none of the audio is going to work.
How is it to work a coat and pom-pom hat to make a Hallmark Christmas movie when it’s sweltering in the summer?
Erin Cahill: The second the director calls “cut,” the coats come off. I just wrapped Christmas in Blue Dog Valley with Andrew Walker, and sweat was literally dripping down my neck. It was one of the hottest Christmas movies I’ve ever filmed.
What’s the best part of being an actress for Hallmark?
Erin Cahill: Undoubtedly, the fans. Honestly, there’s never been more heart in any of the shows that I’ve ever watched. We have fanatical fans. Our Hallmark fans have great heart!
Rachel Boston: It’s an incredible community. So, we are very grateful to have everybody together for an experience like this.
Was there more crying or laughing during Christmas at Sea?
Erin Cahill: There was a lot of crying, a lot of tears, and that was either because it’s something crazy emotional or because we’re coming together or tears of joy or tears that we, you know, have to wait until a whole other year to do it all over again. But like a lot of, a lot of tears of joy and sadness. And then laughing till you cry when you realize that Taylor was dressed as a character called Rosé, the snowman, while we were playing games on the boat. I don’t know how to describe it, Taylor. It was almost like she was a comedian. She had this big blow-up snowman costume, and it didn’t even look like Taylor.
Taylor Cole: I was ridiculous. And I named her Frosé. And Frosé is also a drink. So, her name was Frosé all day. That was my favorite.
Why should my readers watch Christmas at Sea?
Taylor Cole: It’s a getaway; celebrating Christmas in July is a great escape. So, join us on a beautiful cruise, maybe make a frozen drink for yourself, and enjoy like you’re there with us, or plan to come with us next year.
In sum, whether they’re sharing emotional stories with fans, filming Christmas scenes in the middle of summer, or celebrating the holidays in July, Boston, Cahill, and Cole agree on one thing: the real magic of Christmas at Sea isn’t just the destination — it’s the long-lasting connections they made along the way.
Christmas at Sea Season 2 premiered on Wednesday, July 1 on Hallmark+ and is streaming on the channel.
