When the temperature rises, what better way to cool
down than at a top-deck waterpark? Hardly a big cruise ship is built these days
that doesnt have some kind of multigenerational water attraction, and with
every new vessel, the onboard waterparks keep getting bigger.?
These shipboard play zones are sure to leave every
member of the family feeling exhilarated, with water features designed to
please kids of all ages. All feature multiple waterslides stretching hundreds
of feet long or towering several decks high, whose plunges and curves are limited
only by the ship designers imagination. At least one incorporates virtual
reality elements for the ultimate marriage of high-tech and high adventure.?
Many waterpark rides accommodate just one person at a
time, but others encourage group togetherness. Their intensity varies from tubes
built for side-by-side racing to more muted attractions for a younger age group.
Visually, they are brightly colored in pink, green, blue, orange, yellow and
purple hues, which adds to the festive atmosphere. And the names of these
slides are really imaginative, too.
So grab your swimsuit and get ready to enjoy these exciting
shipboard waterparks, which represent the latest and largest afloat (age and
height restrictions may apply):
?
Royal Caribbean Category 6
Royal Caribbean Internationals Icon of the Seas, now
the largest cruise ship in the world, also boasts the largest waterpark at sea.
Called Category 6, this oversized water world takes its name from six
record-breaking slides that are anything but tame, according to the line, and
set a new standard for shipboard waterparks.
Of course, these include a number
of industry firsts: The 66-degree-inclined Pressure Drop is billed as the first
free-fall slide at sea; the 46-foot-tall Frightening Bolt is the tallest drop
slide at sea; Storm Surge and Hurricane Hunter are the first family raft slides
at sea accommodating four riders per raft; and Storm Chasers is cruisings
first mat-racing duo.
Carnival WaterWorks
Carnival Cruise Lines newest and biggest ship, the
Carnival Jubilee, has the largest Carnival WaterWorks ever, according to the
line. Its part of The Ultimate Playground sports and recreation complex high atop
the vessel, which also includes the BOLT roller coaster and SportSquare activity
area.
Among its thrills are three huge spiraling slides: Blue Lightening,
Orange Thunder and the Twister, the latter described by the line as one of the
fastest, wettest rides youll find anywhere. Also on tap are twin racing
slides, the swirling DrainPipe and the giant dumping-bucket-driven
PowerDrencherall equally designed to get you seriously soaked.
PHOTO: Carnival Cruise Line's WaterWorks aqua park. (photo via Carnival Cruise Line)
MSC Aurora Borealis Aquapark
MSC Cruises Aurora Borealis Aquapark on Deck 20 aboard
the huge new World Europa is our biggest waterpark yet, the line says. Named
by MSCs followers on Instagram, among its features are four towering waterslides
that include two-in-one racing tubes.
But what sets this waterpark apart is its
use of virtual reality: To enhance the sensation, riders wear VR headsets for a
completely immersive, adrenaline-pumping experience. The idea is to keep everybody
happy, from techies to teens to toddlers, who get their own dedicated splash
pool.
PHOTO: Norwegian Joy's Aqua Park. (photo via Norwegian Cruise Line)
Norwegian Kids Aqua Park
Norwegian Cruise Lines two newest ships, the
Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva, feature a Kids Aqua Park with some
serious water play for the younger set with multiple cascading water features.
The two ships offer NCL's first tidal-wave waterslide for grown-ups, aptly
known as The Wave.
Adults can look forward to something even greater on the
forthcoming Norwegian Aqua, making its debut in April 2025 as the first ship in
the new Prima-Plus series. A unique feature onboard, called the Aqua
Slidecoaster, is billed as the worlds first hybrid roller coaster and
waterslide and promises three stories of exciting twists and turns around the
ship's funnel.?
Toy Story Splash Zone (photo via Lauren Bowman)
Disney Toy Story Splash Zone
Disney Cruise Lines Disney Wish, the lines biggest
ship to date, features several new family-friendly water-based attractions, all
concentrated on Deck 12. These include the Toy Story Splash Zone, a water-play
district explicitly designed for the lines youngest guests. Characters from
the Toy Story movie have been reimagined as larger-than-life bath toys in a tub
replete with pop jets, geysers and water sprays.
Elsewhere on the Disney Wish
are two age-specific waterslides: For teens and adults, there's the AquaMouse
water coastera high-speed, hybrid waterslide/roller coaster featuring none
other than Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. Nearby is the awesomely named
Slide-a-Saurus Rex, a smaller, kid-friendly waterslide.
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