Every member of the Meyers family was busy enjoying their three-generational vacation getaway. Tom and Martha were playing pickleball, a popular pastime among people in their age group. Their son, Ben, and his wife, Melissa, were steering electric race cars along a winding two-level track, slowing to negotiate sharp hairpin turns. Grandchildren Tom and Betsy were getting wet and wild at a water park that included a Twister Waterslide and a drenching by a mammoth bucket that rained a torrent of liquid down on them from above.
The fact that these family members in a wide span of ages were experiencing such a varied choice of activities in one place was unusual. Adding to the appeal is that the pickleball game, race-car ride, and soaking are available to passengers aboard some Carnival Cruise Line vessels.
In recent years, the amenities and activities aboard giant cruise ships that ply the seas have extended well beyond those of the past to include some you would expect to find only on land. With more staterooms to fill, companies are adding fun-filled features as they compete to attract passengers.
The imaginative offerings by Carnival Cruise Line are typical of the trend. In addition to those mentioned above, they include a bicycle track suspended over the water, a miniature golf course, volleyball, basketball—and more.
Ice skating, rock climbing, and bumper cars await those who board Royal Caribbean ships. As if that weren’t enough, passengers can try surfing simulation, roller skating, and the first skydiving experience at sea. Those who have ever dreamed of becoming a circus performer might opt for the trapeze school to learn the ups and downs of that activity.
Young passengers are drawn to a hand-carved carousel that harks back to earlier times and an AquaTheater that presents a cast of skateboarders, divers, and robots. Their parents can encounter robot bartenders that prepare adult beverages at a Bionic Bar and enjoy dinner and entertainment at eight distinctive “neighborhoods” that offer attractions ranging from a suspended infinity pool and swim-up bar to adults-only retreats.
Grown-ups also are likely to enjoy offerings aboard other passenger cruise ships. They include the underwater lounge on some ships of the upscale French expedition company Ponant. Set below ships’ water lines, they offer a multisensory experience that features large glass windows offering views of the undersea world outside, digital screens that project images captured by cameras, and subaquatic noises streaming from outside the vessel.
Those interested in astronomy can take advantage of the high-tech planetarium aboard a Viking Ocean Cruises ship. It offers astronomical shows on a high-definition screen that compares in quality with those available at land-based observatories.
Snow rather than stars is the focus of a thermal area aboard some Viking Cruises vessels. These “snow grottoes” pay tribute to the line’s Nordic heritage. Cold air is piped into rooms as snowflakes fall from the ceiling. After chilling out, many people opt to warm up in the adjacent steam room and sauna.
Cunard Line boasts that its Queen Mary 2 offers the only full-sized planetarium at sea. Up to 150 stargazers can be accommodated beneath a giant dome in its Illuminations Theater. Narrated star shows, lectures, and other programs are presented in partnership with the Royal Astronomical Society.
Experts associated with the National Geographic Society provide information and education aboard Lindblad Expeditions ships. This includes immersive programs for photographers, undersea enthusiasts, and others. Lindblad vessels are designed to explore some of the most challenging places in the world, including the Amazon River basin, the Arctic, and Antarctica.
Even the Disney Cruise Line offers plenty of attractions and activities for parents while their kids are slushing down water slides, careening along in water coasters, and getting up close and personal with beloved Disney characters. They include adults-only pools and virtual sports simulators that enable passengers to swing, throw, and compete in baseball, football, golf, and other games. Two adult-exclusive restaurants include a romantic French-inspired dining room and lounge and bar areas that augment spas, private pools, and secluded sun decks for those seeking some quiet “me” time.
Then there are one-of-a-kind highlights that can be as enjoyable as they are unexpected. A glass-bottom SeaWalk that extends out over the sides of Princess Cruises ships provides a bird’s-eye perspective of the ocean below. Norwegian Cruise Line passengers seeking to experience a Formula 1 race car can crawl into the same kind of simulator used by professional drivers to practice as custom software projects images of real tracks onto the display and surround-sound speakers add to the realism.
