If you like playing with water (and who doesn’t), then you’ll love these amazing cruise ship water activities onboard some of the best cruise ships afloat. From slides to surfing, check out the top splish-splashing ways to get wet on your next cruise.
#5 – The Perfect Storm (Royal Caribbean)
Our pick at number 5 is a trio of amazing waterslides from Royal Caribbean.
Waterslides are not new on cruise ships, but Royal Caribbean is the latest cruise line to get their feet wet by adding some amazing water slides to existing and new ships in their fleet. Known as The Perfect Storm, these slides should be on your radar if you like the thrills and spills of twisting water fun. Cyclone and Typhoon, a pair of colorful twisting slides, are designed so you can race other cruisers.
Embedded within the slide tubes are clear sections that catch the outside sunlight creating some amazing psychedelic effects on your way down. Looking for bragging rights? Check out your time on the screens at the end of each slide. The third slide, exclusive to the Harmony of the Seas, is Supercell, a twisting slide with clear sections on the decent, that will shoot you out into a large bowl where you’ll circle around once or twice, before being sucked down the drain below.
Ok, there’s actually 4 slides. Exclusive to Liberty of the Seas, Tidal Wave, is the first boomerang-type slide at sea. This slide has two riders seated on an inflatable tube. After your first steep drop, your momentum and gallons of rushing water send you climbing up a near-vertical wall before gravity kicks in and pulls you in the opposite direction for a splashy finish.
Featured on Ships:
Adventure of the Seas – Cyclone & Typhoon
Harmony of the Seas – Cyclone, Typhoon & Super Cell
Liberty of the Seas – Cyclone, Typhoon & Tidal Wave
Symphony of the Seas – Cyclone, Typhoon & Super Cell (2018)
#4 – AquaPark (Norwegian Cruise Line)
Our number 4 pick, the AquaPark found on select ships from Norwegian Cruise Line offers an amazing array of slides that are both daring and refreshing. Unique to Norwegian Epic is the Epic Plunge a bowl slide featuring a long winding drop through the tube, before entering the orange and yellow checkered bowl.
Crack The Whip, a pair of slides where the tight radius of the corkscrew will have you feeling the sensation of pulling more G’s as the twists tighten up the further down you go. Ready for the floor to drop from beneath your feet? Time for your Free Fall, dual aqualoop water slides where the countdown begins once you enter the capsule and suddenly drop at 4Gs before hitting the inverted loop. These slides are so fast that you’ll be left feeling that up is down and down is up. And just in case you don’t make it all the way around the loop, there’s an escape hatch at the base of the drop for a less-than stellar exit.
Exclusive to Norwegian Escape, is the AquaRacer. Challenge other cruisers in this tandem waterslide featuring a clear slide section perched over the edge of the ship and a cool vortex of patterns and graphics to make it even more fun.
For a slightly tamer ride, there’s also the family slide for those who prefer getting wet without the high-speed action.
Featured on Ships:
Norwegian Breakaway – FreeFall, The Whip
Norwegian Epic – Epic Plunge
Norwegian Escape – FreeFall, AquaRacer
Norwegian Getaway – FreeFall, The Whip
#3 – Carnival WaterWorks (Carnival Cruise Line)
Our number 3 pick, Carnival Waterworks combines high speed thrills with gallons of splashing fun for all ages. All Carnival ships have at least a waterslide with over 12 of their ships featuring some of the best waterparks at sea. Drainpipe whips you around picking up speed and ends with a swirling finish. Get all twisted up on the 300 ft long Twister, a signature slide on most Carnival ships. Feel the clap of Green Thunder, a free-fall drop-slide reaching speeds of 25mph in 8 seconds.
Ready for racing fun, check out Speedway Splash. Exclusive to Carnival Sunshine, this dual side-by-side 235ft long slide features several quick turns, special lighting effects and a scoreboard to display racers’ times.
Found only on the Carnival Vista, the Kaleid-O-Slide, where riders use one or two-person rafts, is over 450ft long and designed with cool kaleidoscopic effects. When you need to cool off in a hurry, there’s only one place to go, the PowerDrencher. Stand under the “drop zone” of the tipping bucket and feel the cool rush of over 300 gallons of water hit you like a tidal wave. Rounding off Waterworks is a fantastic splash zone with spray nozzles, mini slides and lots of space to climb the water-soaked structure.
Featured on Ships:
Carnival Breeze – Drainpipe, Twister
Carnival Dream – Drainpipe, Twister
Carnival Ecstasy – Twister, Racing Slides
Carnival Fantasy – Twister, Racing Slides
Carnival Fascination – Twister, Racing Slides
Carnival Glory – AquaTunnel, Twister
Carnival Horizon – Dr. Seuss Theme (2018)
Carnival Imagination – Twister, Racing Slides
Carnival Inspiration – Twister, Racing Slides
Carnival Legend – Green Thunder, Twister
Carnival Magic – Drainpipe, Twister
Carnival Pride – Green Thunder, Twister
Carnival Sensation – Twister, Racing Slides
Carnival Spirit – Green Thunder, Twister
Carnival Sunshine – Speedway Splash, Twister
Carnival Vista – Kaleid-o-Slide, Twister
#2 – FlowRider (Royal Caribbean)
Our pick at number two features one of the most popular water activities from Royal Caribbean. The FlowRider, first introduced on Freedom of the Seas in 2006 and every new ship since, this marvel of engineering sends a constant sheet of water over the riding surface at high speeds to maintain a perpetual wave. The 40ft long surfing simulator, included in the cost of the cruise, gives many cruisers a safe experience to try surfing for the first time. Friends and family can watch the wave riding and wipeouts from the stadium seating. Riders can choose between traditional stand-up surfing (more for seasoned surfers) or boogie boarding, where you kneel or lay flat on the boogie board (better for first-timers).
Royal Caribbean has designated times for both stand-up and boogie boarding, as well as times reserved for specific age groups. You can also book private sessions for an additional cost. On the Oasis class of ships, there’s even a second FlowRider and Royal Caribbean has been adding FlowRiders to some existing ships during dry-docks. One word of warning, unless you’re looking to flash parts of your body to onlookers, wear bathing suits that will stay firmly in place in case you wipeout.
Featured on Ships:
Adventure of the Seas
Allure of the Seas – 2 FlowRiders
Anthem of the Seas
Explorer of the Seas
Freedom of the Seas
Harmony of the Seas – 2 FlowRiders
Independence of the Seas
Liberty of the Seas
Oasis of the Seas – 2 FlowRiders
Ovation of the Seas
Navigator of the Seas
Quantum of the Seas
Symphony of the Seas – 2 FlowRiders (2018)
Voyager of the Seas
#1 – AquaDuck (Disney Cruise Line)
Number one on our list of Best Cruise Ship Water Fun goes to Disney Cruise Line’s AquaDuck. As the first and only water-coaster at sea, the AquaDuck, on Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, offers riders an exhilarating wet and wild ride 765 feet long and elevated above deck 12.
Starting from within the rear funnel on Deck 16, riders are inserted into the tube by conveyer, then shoot down the first drop and head 12 feet over the edge of the ship with 150 feet to the ocean below. In their 2-person rafts, riders snake their way around tight turns, riding a constant stream of water, as powerful water jets thrust the rafts though two awesome uphill climbs and drops at about 20 feet per second defying gravity and offering a split-second of hang time. Riders then flow through the forward funnel before heading back 335 ft in the opposite direction down the lazy river section, perfect for taking in the incredible views of the ocean and ship below. While riding AquaDuck during the day is thrilling, at night the ride comes alive with dazzling lights contrasting against the dark night sky.
Featured on Ships:
Disney Dream
Disney Fantasy
This topic was presented on our Top 5: Best Cruise Ship Water Fun show on May 12, 2017.
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