Want to do something different whilst cruising? Read on…..

A cruise holiday is known for giving you the opportunity to stop & visit many different destinations in one trip & this is something that will not change anytime soon. What is changing, however are the abundance of  activities on offer when you are not exploring a port of call & are enjoying time on the ship. Long gone are the days when guests are happy with a game of shuffleboard & the odd lecture from an expert in some field or other.

Let’s take a look at some of the newest & more unusual offerings to keep you busy on your days at sea.

Departing on her inaugural cruise on the 2nd of November is the Quantum of the Seas, closely followed in April by her sister ship, The Anthem. These ships bring with them many firsts to the cruise industry. Activity-wise you can have a go in a sky-diving simulator, let loose in a bumper car, take a ride in the North Star viewing capsule 300 ft above sea level & after all that excitement calm your nerves with a cocktail mixed by a robot.

Anyone for croquet?

For something a little more sedate, on board a Celebrity cruise why not enjoy a relaxing game on the huge lawn area which is not astro-turf, but real grass. The lawn is bigger than 8 tennis courts & can also be used for boules & putting. It gets fed & mowed on a regular basis, so it keeps its smart appearance & lush green colour.

As cruising is attracting more & more families to the market we are seeing lots of facilities to keep the kids amused & ships with waterparks are becoming more prolific. MSC Preziosa has added Vertigo, the longest waterslide at sea, with 349 ft of twists & turns, some even off the side of the ship! Located on deck 18 you can see fantastic views of the ocean (if you can bear to keep your eyes open).

When P & O’s brand new ship, Britannia launches in March 2015 you will be able to take part in the most comprehensive cookery school at sea. The school is for guests of all ages & abilities. Run in consultation with James Martin and featuring the other P&O Cruises Food Heroes Marco Pierre White, Atul Kochhar, master patissier Eric Lanlard and cheese expert Charlie Turnbull, The Cookery Club will have 24 state of the art stations for participants.  When the celebrity chefs and experts are on board they will be taking masterclasses and hosting interactive classes over lunch and dinner at the chef’s table. Many other celebrity chefs will be joining the ship for special demonstrations and classes. James Martin has indicated he would like to be on board at least once a month, so it’s a very hands-on approach he’s taking.

Back to the adrenaline-fuelled activities & the Oasis & Allure of the Seas from Royal Caribbean. On board these vessels you have the opportunity to try the zip-line. The zip line is suspended 9 decks above the Boardwalk entertainment area. The adventurous speed diagonally across the open air atrium, a distance of more than 82 feet. I’ve wanted to do this ever since watching the Krypton Factor as a young girl.  Also you have the flowrider which is not exclusive to the Oasis class ships. This is the surf simulator where staff  teach you how to surf or boogie board or in my case watch you fall over many many times!

Some of the other activities available include ten-pin bowling, available on some NCL ships, Strictly Come Dancing themed cruises on P&O where not only will you be able to see the experts perform dazzling routines, but you may also get to meet them in person. Many cruise ships offer interesting behind-the-scenes tours of various parts of the ship, enabling you to see the galley in full swing preparing thousands of meals or even up to the bridge & meet the ships officers. There are 4D theatres on MSC’s Fantasia class ships where you can not only experience the sights & sounds of a piece of film, but feel it too. There are also  F1 racing simulators on these ships for the budding Schumachers out there.

As more new ships are launched it seems the choice of activities is changing as fast as the cruise market is. One thing’s for sure-you’ll never be short of something to do!