5 cruise ships with unbelievably outlandish attractions
Royal Caribbean caught cruise enthusiasts out on April 1, announcing the "world's first ski resort on a ship". Dubbed Piste of the Seas, the company said it was the perfect choice for travellers struggling to choose between a sea and ski holiday.
Although it was a little far-fetched, cruise liners are increasingly upping the stakes in the amenity war. From robotic waiters to ziplines to waterslides, here are some of the most insane attractions found on the high seas.
1. Harmony of the Seas
Harmony of the Seas has 20 restaurants but who cares about food when you have a 10-storey slide on board?
The slide, aptly named The Ultimate Abyss, features a 30m drop, making it the tallest at sea.
The slide is one of many features aboard the gigantic Harmony.
It even has its own park, which contains 10,587 plants, 48 vine plants and 52 trees, while a total of 11,252 works of art are showcased across the vessel.
The ship also boasts a water park, The Perfect Storm, which has three waterslides, including a swirling champagne bowl funnel slide.
Families are certainly catered for with a full-sized carousel, zipline and rock climbing walls to keep all ages entertained.
2. Quantum of the Seas
When it launched in 2014, people said Quantum of the Seas was the future of cruising.
On Deck 16: simulated skydiving in a 7metre vertical wind tunnel that looked like a see-through smokestack. On Deck 3: the casino. In the SeaPlex recreation area: bumper cars. At the Bionic Bar: robots mixing drinks.
3. Celebrity Solstice
It's not just Royal Caribbean lifting its game. In 2016, Celebrity Solstice revealed a multimillion-dollar makeover, which included new outdoor cinema lawn club cabanas and the first Tiffany & Co. store at sea.
The most surprising bit of the new lawn on the top deck, is that it's actually made of "real grass"; an exciting feature for a cruise ship where you can walk around, shoes off, and feel grass on your feet while at sea (there's also a real tree onboard).
The new additions complement the ship's existing highlights, including The Persian Garden in the Canyon Ranch Spa Club, which features a solarium pool surrounded by a green wall and waterfalls, two larger outdoor pools and four whirlpools, and stunning views from the Sky Observation Lounge, which turns into a club at night.
4. Disney Dream
In 2015 Disney Cruise Lines created a Star Wars-themed room on board its ship, the Disney Dream, ahead of the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
The room recreated the look and feel of the Millennium Falcon, including the cockpit, where many of the movies' famous scenes are set, from the ship's capture by the Death Star in the original film, to the asteroid chase in The Empire Strikes Back.
5. Carnival Vista
If a ship's slogan is "Fun for all, all for fun", you're going to expect a good time.
From the moment visitors come aboard via the atrium, which features a colourful triple-deck, LED column filled with writhing underwater shapes, they stream off in many different directions.
Where better to start than at the top, in the Carnival Waterworks, where grown-ups and kids alike can "spiral down classic slides, and get drenched by a giant bucket of water"? Or, take the long way down by raft-riding tube, on the twisting, 150 metre-long Kaleid-o-Slide. Yee-ha!
First appeared on Stuff.co.nz.