Dominic Low“What’s there to do on a cruise except to eat and sleep?”
“I don’t want to be stuck in a boat in the middle of the ocean doing nothing for days.”
If those are your thoughts about a cruise vacation, think again! Cruise ships are not just floating hotels – they offer more than just swimming pools, gyms and rooms! With a wide variety of entertainment options onboard, say goodbye to your previous notions of a boring cruise. In fact, some cruises even have amazing facilities and activities that you won’t believe be possible on a ship!
Here are 8 of the craziest experiences you can find on a cruise vacation:
1. Skydiving (or close to it)
Image Credit: Austin Kirk
Skydiving on a cruise ship? That seems like an impossible task, but the RipCord by iFLY on the Quantum-class Royal Caribbean ships gives you that exact experience! This 23-foot tall glass flight chamber serves as a wind tunnel, allowing guests to enjoy a simulated skydive from the safety of the ship. What’s also amazing is that the walls of the flight chamber are fully transparent, allowing you to have spectacular views of the ocean while soaring in the air! If you ever thought you’ll never skydive above the ocean, the RipCord will change your mind!
2. Riding in a submarine
Image Credit: Crystal Cruises
So you have experienced a vacation on the ocean – why not have one in it? Taking your holiday literally one level deeper, one of Crystal Cruises ships, the Crystal Esprit, offers a mind-blowing submarine excursion to nearby reefs! This one-of-a-kind cruise feature has a hull that is completely transparent, giving you a 360-degree view of your surroundings. Get to see marine life in their very own natural habitat from the comfort of your dry submarine, and without the hassle of a diving suit. If you are lucky, you might even get a tour to a nearby shipwreck! There’s no other cruise ship in the world that gives you such an underwater adventure!
3. Becoming a boxer
“I learnt to box on a ship” is certainly guaranteed to draw gasps of admiration from your friends, or break the ice between strangers. And yet, you can actually do so on a Royal Caribbean cruise! Royal Caribbean’s Freedom-class ships are equipped with a full-size Everlast boxing ring each, and offer one-on-one training sessions with an experienced instructor. You can reenact Rocky Balboa’s training montage with Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger playing in the background, or let off some steam with a flurry of jabs. Learning to box on a cruise ship will certainly be an experience you will never forget!
4. Walking along a plank over the edge of a ship
Image Credit: Norwegian Cruise Line
For those wondering how it is like to be a pirate and walk the plank, try the Plank experience offered by Norwegian Cruise Line! Tiptoe on a narrow platform around two metres over the side of the cruise ship, and breathe in the fresh sea breeze with nothing but blue ocean underneath you! One of the most adrenaline pumping experiences to be found on a cruise ship, the Plank is available on the Breakaway and Breakaway Plus classes of ships. Getting on the plank and walking to the very end is not for the faint-hearted, but the beautiful view of the vast blue waters is a well-deserved reward. You can even brag to your friends about it!
5. Assembling an English teatime party
“More tea for you, sir?” Having a teatime party is not something that most of us are used to, much less preparing for one! And yet, you can learn how to assemble an English teatime party onboard Regent Cruises’ Seven Seas Explorer. Offered by the ship’s exclusive Culinary Arts Kitchen, this class, aptly named Teatime at the Abbey, gives you the chance to make English scones and brew tea! Channel your inner English side, and impress your friends with the vast selection of pastries that you can prepare!
6. Surfing on deck
Image Credit: arjenvr
If you have always dreamt of stylishly riding the waves with a surfboard but just cannot find the time and place to do it, Royal Caribbean’s FlowRider is perfect for you! This wave simulator offers cruise guests the opportunity to surf on deck, anytime and anywhere. Not only can you bid farewell to the need to fly to exotic beach locales like Hawaii, but you can also get on a surfboard at any time of the day! Surfing on the top deck of a cruise ship that is sailing across the ocean – you can never get a more surreal experience than that!
7. Painting masterpieces like an artist
Image Credit: Oceania Cruises
Ever wished that you could paint the beautiful ocean scenery in front of you, or simply want to keep your hands busy during a cruise? The Artist Loft on Oceania Cruises’ ships can cater to both of your needs! This workshop offers art courses on a wide variety of art styles and forms, taught by the artists-in-residence. Each class teaches a different subject too, so you might learn sketching in one, and painting with watercolours in another. The artist-instructors are pleasant and patient in their teaching, so feel free to unleash the Picasso in you. Even better, you can now tell your friends that you have “mastered art” on a cruise ship!
8. Learning professional digital photograph-editing techniques
Let’s face it: we all want to take beautiful photos, and look good in them. The Digital Workshop, by Holland America Line Cruises, aims to help us achieve our desires without needing to buy expensive cameras! This onboard course consists of multiple classes largely concerned with helping us enhance our travel photos and videos. You could learn to make excellent movies with the Windows Movie Maker in one class, and edit your photos professionally in another. The workshop can even teach you to use your digital camera effectively! Never has it crossed our minds that a cruise ship would be the best place to teach you such useful multimedia skills!
Are your eyes misting over the grand cruise tales you will be telling your friends? Well, make your cruise planning hassle-free with the holiday packages provided by Stamford Discovery Cruise Center, an award-winning cruise agency handpicked by Tripzilla for its impressive service and professionalism.
Winner of the TripZilla Excellence Awards – Best Cruise Agency division, Stamford Discovery Cruise Center is one of the most established cruise companies in Singapore. Representing over 48 cruise liners, Stamford Discovery Cruise Center is dedicated to serving both cruise enthusiasts and potential cruise passengers. They offer a wide selection of cruise packages, such as a 4-Night Discovery Cruise to Phuket & Penang and 5-Night Best of Southeast Asia Cruise.
So stop dreaming, and start booking your cruise holidays today! With so many crazy experiences awaiting you, you’ll never think of a cruise as boring again! |
