5 fun things to do on a cruise

Daredevils and human dynamos alike have no shortage of options to get the adrenaline pumping on board new ships that are upping the ante in the thrill-seeker stakes. It sure beats napkin-folding, nautical knot tying and horse racing with wooden nags. For thrill-seekers, the undisputed max-outs are found on newer ships of Royal Caribbean, Carnival, NCL and MSC Cruises. Each company boasts the coolest new toys and touts industry firsts when it comes to on-board adventure with just the right amount of hair-raising to ensure heart rates beat at full throttle.

1. Harmony of the Seas is the first Royal Caribbean ship with a full-blown water park, including three seriously fast slides ranging from 170- to 328-ft long. Bunched together as ‘The Perfect Storm’, two of them send revellers through twists and turns at more than 20 mph and one rockets them into a bowl-shaped basin that they circle around before dropping into a final slide. The launch platform is on Deck 18, high above the drop zone at Central Park more than 100 feet below.

2. On Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas there are skydiving simulators for passengers who want to defy gravity. ‘RipCord by iFly’ puts passengers in a vertical glass wind-tunnel so they can experience what it feels like to soar with the birds – after a little instruction, they’re airborne.

3. Another of Royal Caribbean’s latest draws is their sky-high glass observation pod that soars on a mechanical arm high above Anthem of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas. The ‘North Star’ capsule is modelled after the London Eye, taking 14 passengers over 300 feet above the ocean and beyond the side of the ship, offering a birds-eye view for those with the pluckiest constitution.

4. Arriving in June 2018 NCL’s Norwegian Bliss will feature a two-deck-high go-cart race track. The competitive track - the longest at sea at nearly 1,000 feet – has speed settings ranging from novice to advanced drivers. The electric go-carts run silently so as to not disturb those revelling in the serenity of cruising.

5. Aboard Norwegian Getaway, Epic and Breakaway there’s an Arctic Ice Bar which is kept at a nippy 17 degrees Fahrenheit. The bars are made entirely of ice (including furnishings and sculptures) and are illuminated by coloured bulbs that glow like the northern lights. To keep hands from freezing to the carved-from-ice glasses and backsides from sticking to the ice-cube seats, passengers can bundle up in hooded coats and gloves.

Discover more about fun things to do on a cruise by calling our experienced team on 0800 484 0370.