When you think of water parks, you’re probably imagining colourful tube slides, kiddie pools and the excited screams of children (and adults!) splashing from behind water cannons or slides. So if you choose to go on one of those year-round warm-weather cruises, having a water park on board will certainly be a welcome relief. With each cruise line trying to one-up the other when it comes to water parks on their ships, the cruise traveller has so much more to rejoice.
From the ships that sail today, here are the top 5 best cruise ship water parks:
- Carnival’s WaterWorks Aqua Park: With the most number of ships to have water parks, Carnival cruises will leave you asking for more. We’re talking about spiralling water slides that are at least 300-feet long, twister slides, tipping buckets and mini-racers, among the total of roughly 40 water activities that you could partake in. The Kaleid-o-Slide in the Carnival Vista or the Dr. Seuss-themed WaterWorks on Carnival Horizon is sure to have a special appeal to everyone.
- Disney’s Water Parks: Among the Disney fleet, Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy ships boast of the popular ‘AquaDuck’ – a two-person raft that runs along a water roller coaster roughly 760-feet long. Disney Magic goes a step further with the ‘AquaDunk’, which begins with the opening of a trap door at your feet, dropping you through a clear tube. Younger kids are bound to be thrilled by the Aqua Lab – a water play area that teaches them science; Twist n’ Spout Slide and Nemo’s Reef.
- MSC Cruises Aqua Park: In its continuing attempt to be family-friendly, MSC cruises has one of the most impressive water parks on its MSC Preziosa. When it debuted, the ship was home to the longest water slide at nearly 395-feet. The younger kids can of course enjoy the water guns, fountains and drenching buckets at the water playground
- Norwegian’s Aqua Park: Claiming to be the largest water park at sea at a time when the Norwegian Escape debuted, NCL Cruises too offer some fantastic water parks on their ships. From a Free Fall Slide, an Aqua Racer slide, water cannons and buckets, you’re definitely in for a frolicking time. NCL Bliss also features the thrilling Ocean Loops – a freefall slide that runs over the ship’s side, as well as Epic Plunge wherein you end up in an orange bowl.
- The Splashaway Bay and H2O Zone on Royal Caribbean: A cruise line not quite as popular as the others, for it water parks, it sure does a great job with the H2O Zone, designed for toddlers and babies. As long as you get them in swimwear diapers, your little babies will have a wonderful time splishing and splashing in the H2O Zone. Slightly older kids will enjoy the Splashaway Bay which often has some more waterslides, multiple pools, drenching buckets and spray cannons for all their splashing pleasure.
If water parks entertainment is important for your cruise holiday, explore the various options and choose your intended level of adrenaline-rush, before you finalise on a cruise liner.
Author’s Bio: Kalpesh Mehta is an avid traveller and enjoys recommending and keeping up-to-date about new attractions on cruises, particularly the latest water parks on cruise ships.
