Norwegian, MSC Cruises and Royal Caribbean only began going big with waterslides on ships in the past decade or so. Many of the newest vessels from the brands have massive water park areas. Some of the brands are retrofitting big waterslides onto older ships, too. Meanwhile, fleemate Norwegian Escape’s water park includes a Free Fall waterslide, plus a feature called the Aqua Racer slide, a tandem set of waterslides in which competitors can race side by side in tubes. Mediterranean cruise line MSC Cruises aims to be family friendly, and it has solidified -- or, rather, liquefied -- this promise with a variety of water parks onboard its ships.
Best Cruise Ship Water Parks, Ranked
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The AquaDuck spans over 750 feet of tubes that snake up, down and actually out over the side of the ships while providing incredible views of the sea—for those brave enough to look, that is! We love the AquaDuck because it’s a two-person raft ride that actually goes uphill like a roller coaster (thanks to water jet propulsion) before ending in a lazy river. At night, there are multicolored lights to make the AquaDuck even more spectacular. Norwegian Cruise Lines has some of the coolest water parks at sea on their Breakaway, Epic & Breakaway Plus Classes of ships. From high above the 17th deck, you’ll look out over the crystal blue waters as you’re about to slip and slide 200 ft to the pool below and think “I can’t believe I’m doing this in the middle of the ocean.” It’s pretty cool.
The best cruise ship water parks and slides
Note that Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas also has a waterslide area called Perfect Storm — but it's completely different. Additionally, family-focused Disney Cruise Line now has major water attractions on all its vessels. But as recently as early 2016, Royal Caribbean didn't have a single waterslide on any of its vessels. Also included at the park located on the top deck is a 300-gallon PowerDrencher tipping bucket, kiddie spray park along with the nearby SkyRide which can already be found on Carnival Vista on Carnival Horizon and SportsSquare. While Thrill Island is chalked full of brand-new experiences, the cruise line is also bringing back some fan-favorites, including the FlowRider surf simulator and rock wall.
Pressure Drop – first open freefall slide at sea
Splashing around in a water park is one of the best ways to keep kids of all ages entertained during your cruise holiday, particularly on sea days. Cruise ship water parks are incredibly popular, so much so that almost every new family-focused cruise ship has one. With features such as swimming pools, splash areas, water slides, fountains and spray jets, there’s so much to keep kids of all ages busy. It’s not just about great cruise water slides with Royal Caribbean though. One of their signature water park attractions is the FlowRider surf simulator, which is available on almost all of their ships excluding a few of the smaller ones.
The Free Fall slide is the fastest and one of the most exhilarating slides at sea. Stand inside the capsule and wait until the floor drops away leaving you hurtling downwards at the speed of four Gs. Everything here is designed to be fun and active, with a focus on being outdoors for the entire family. Whether you have kids (or yourself) that want to take on the biggest waterslides at sea… or you’d rather find a spot on the deck to watch, Thrill Island looks to have you covered. The name “Category 6” is a playful nod to the intensity of hurricanes, and the waterpark lives up to this with six record-breaking slides that promise to deliver a rush of adrenaline.
Dedicated to maximizing time spent outside among sun and sea, Breakaway-class ships Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway each have up to five multistory waterslides, including the scream-inducing Free Fall. Two side-by-side racing slides, known as The Whip, twist sharply into pools below and, of course, there's a family-friendly slide for the littlest splashers. Add in a giant dumping bucket and an enormous splash space and you’ve got a floating paradise for water park lovers. Plus, all that wet fun is topped off on both vessels with the addition of Bolt, by the only rollercoaster at sea.
The new vessel will also be featuring the first Sky Zone trampoline park at sea. It will be a 3,000 square foot two-deck facility providing a 12-lane trampoline court. Other highlights include Guy’s dedicated Pig and Anchor BBQ venue along with an onboard brewery and the popular SkyRide where guest can peddle slow or fast elevated above the top open deck providing stunning ocean views. Each of the Norwegian Cruise Line ships mentioned also boasts a children’s water park featuring such delights as tipping buckets, water cannons and life-sized pirate sculptures. Sport CourtA sport court is a must on a cruise ship, and Icon of the Seas’ court takes a prominent spot, raised up from the deck below and providing wide open ocean views.
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The waterslides include two massive, 525-foot-long dueling slides that extend over the sides of the ship. The top of the Aqua Park on MSC Seaside is also home to the liftoff point for a zip line that soars 344 feet across the top of the vessel. Norwegian Bliss features a freefall waterslide called Ocean Loops that drops two loops -- both extending over the side of the ship with sections of see-through tubing. Norwegian Epic has a 200-foot Epic Plunge, beginning four stories above its pool deck and ending in a giant orange bowl. One of the line's newest vessels, MSC Seascape, aims to entertain the North American cruise market with its Pirate’s Cove Aqua Park, with an obvious pirate ship theme enhanced by virtual reality.
What are the restrictions for the slides in Category 6 Waterpark?
This is a great way to get a little surfing experience without having to brave massive ocean waves crashing down on you. Although if you want to keep it to a traditional water park experience, the primary water slide for Royal Caribbean is the Perfect Storm, a pair of racing slides that are sure to satisfy. Splash zones are great because children in swimming nappies aren’t allowed in any pool or hot tub on any cruise ship for hygiene reasons. So, a toddler splash zone is an ideal way for little ones to cool off on a hot day. Read on to find out more about the best cruise ship water parks and slides. Flow Rider surfing simulators have become synonymous with water fun onboard Royal Caribbean cruise ships.
Aside from choosing a great ship, it’s also important to think carefully about your itinerary and the time of year that you’re cruising. Whilst it is possible to ride the slides in the Mediterranean in January, it’s going to be pretty cold so your kids aren’t likely to have more than a couple of goes. The slides are also likely to be closed for much of the day if the weather is anything less than warm. The Twister Waterslide is one of the fastest you’ll find at sea, or indeed on land.
As of now, there’s no word on requirements to ride the waterslides in Category 6. When it comes to Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, there is plenty that’s completely new to the fleet. And the ship — the largest cruise ship on the planet — is arguably the most talked-about vessel ever to hit the water. Pressure Drop is a straight 108-foot drop, but what sets it apart is that it’s an open slide that has a 66-degree incline. Guests will have to push themselves into a near-vertical drop with an open tube. Category 6 Waterpark is located in the Thrill Island neighborhood on Deck 16 of the ship.
MSC Preziosa boasts the Vertigo slide, a 120-metre-long tube slide which includes a transparent section which goes over the side of the ship. You’ll also find a great kids waterpark on the deck below, with tipping buckets, climbing areas and small slides for little ones. Located inside the ship’s funnel surround it has a good amount of shade from the sun and features a shallow pool, fountains, spray nozzles, mini slides and a giant water bucket.
The cruise line’s chief fun officer and NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O-Neal revealed the plans during a fun video press conference which we’ve included further below. Norwegian Escape features what is claimed to be the largest water park at sea, hosting four slides in total including the aforementioned Free Fall, along with the Aqua Racer in which competitors race side-by-side in tubes. Category 6 WaterparkPerhaps the biggest draw to Thrill Island is the massive (17,000 square feet) Category 6 waterpark that takes up almost the entire starboard side of the area.
The Epic Plunge begins four stories above the pool deck and features a 200-feet long flume which you can choose to ride with or without a tube. At the end of the slide is a huge bowl which you’ll swirl round and round before exiting at the bottom. Other MSC Cruises water parks at sea include the winter-themed Polar Aqua Park on MSC Meraviglia, which offers a suspended-in-the-sky ropes course in addition to four waterslides. On North America-based MSC Seaside, the Aqua Park has four waterslides and a children's play area with interactive water features.
The first step to building this brand-new neighborhood was to conduct research on the adventures themselves. "...We spoke to a lot of people about what they wanted to have [and] what they expected to experience," said Bayley. According to Michael Bayley, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean, "It is a thrill at every single turn. No matter what your age, you can have a great time on Thrill Island." Passengers who are not toilet trained are not allowed to use WaterWorks, even though the splash area looks perfect for toddlers. Adrenaline PeakRoyal Caribbean is famous for rock climbing walls on ships, and this iteration is dubbed Adrenaline Peak. There are five different lanes for climbing and it will also not just be a blank wall with some handholds.
So, if a great water park is a must, you’ll need to consider exactly what’s on board each ship. Choose a Royal Caribbean ship with the H2O Zone if you have kids still in swim diapers as this water park offers the littlest cruisers more of the water park attractions that are appropriate -- and safe -- for them. On ships with Splashaway Bay, those in swim diapers will be relegated to one small section of the larger play area. In addition to AquaDuck, the two Disney ships with the attraction (Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream) have a relatively small, kid-friendly waterslide next to the centrally located Mickey's Pool. Dubbed Mickey's Slide, it's held up by a giant Mickey hand, which is delightful. Plus, Disney Fantasy has a watery fun zone with water jets, geysers and bubblers called AquaLab.
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