Christmas Island is Jimmy Buffett's first Christmas album and is his twenty-first studio album overall. It features covers of popular Christmas songs in Buffett's musical stylings as well as two tracks which Buffett wrote for the album. "Twas the Night Before Christmas" is a hidden track. It was his last release with MCA Records.
Reviews tend to be mixed for the album. In a positive review, a reviewer states that "Christmas Island will have you on your feet all through the holidays."[1] Rob O'Connor states that "this may not be the traditional Christmas fare of chestnuts roasting on an open fire, but for those who enjoy ocean breezes and 'wasting away' to this most successful beach bum, Christmas Island is exactly what the cruise director ordered."[2] Thom Owens presents a more negative view of the album, describing Buffett as being "relaxed and entertaining" even though, "few of his new Christmas songs are remarkable and his rearrangements of classic carols are rather forced."[1][3] However, several tracks remain very popular around the Christmas season. "Ho Ho Ho & a Bottle of Rum" was the track chosen to be played live for promoting the album when first released, and seems to remain the most popular off the album. Although no singles were released, "Jingle Bells", "Mele Kalikimaka", "Ho Ho Ho & a Bottle of Rhum", "Merry Christmas, Alabama (Never Far from Home)" and the title track get considerable amount of radio airplay during the season.
