Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Royal Caribbean Water Parks: H2O Zone vs Splashaway Bay

cruise ship water park

Two side-by-side racing slides, known as The Whip, twist sharply into pools below and, of course, there's a family-friendly slide for the littlest splashers. Add in a giant dumping bucket and an enormous splash space and you’ve got a floating paradise for water park lovers. Plus, all that wet fun is topped off on both vessels with the addition of Bolt, by the only rollercoaster at sea. Splashing around in a water park is one of the best ways to keep kids of all ages entertained during your cruise holiday, particularly on sea days.

New and Exciting Cruise Water Slides: Norwegian Cruise Line

Whether you cruise multiple times per year or you're new to cruising, the goal of Royal Caribbean Blog is for it to be a useful resource for keeping up to date with what's new and exciting with Royal Caribbean. Thrill Island is one of eight neighborhood that will be found onboard Icon of the Seas. It is not the only new concept, either, as families with young children will love the brand-new Surfside Neighborhood.

Minimum height and weight requirements for Royal Caribbean slides:

When you’re ready to get your stuff, just enter your code and hit unlock. It’s super simple, and there’s no key to keep track of while you’re in the park. It’s always a big question of what to do with your stuff when you hit the pool or beach. In other words, if you have a kid under 14, you’ll need to accompany them to the park and you’ll need to pay admission as well.

Frightening Bolt – the tallest drop slide at sea

Icon of the Seas — and Thrill Island in particular — definitely look to provide a lot to do. But if you’re the sort of person that just wants to relax on the pool deck, then that’s definitely available. There are multiple pools, including one that spans the back of the ship and another with a swim-up bar. Places to lounge are just about everywhere on the top deck, as well as spots like Central Park that are open to the air thanks to the split design of the ship.

Your personal family vacation planning starts now

All but the line’s smallest classes of ships now include one or two Flow Riders. Add in the lines’ signature waterslides, and there’s plenty of fun for everyone. Cruise ship water parks are the sort of attractions that often end up being feature around which you base your entire cruise game plan -- particularly for families.

What Is Thrill Island?

No word on the exact menu as of the time of this article, but Royal Caribbean has said it is “meant to be both complementary and for-pay” food and beverage spot. The standing wave simulator gives passengers the chance to boogie board or surf while on the ship. And while some of the cruise line’s largest ships have two of the rides, Icon of the Seas will only have one located at the back of the ship. Note that Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas also has a waterslide area called Perfect Storm — but it's completely different. Additionally, family-focused Disney Cruise Line now has major water attractions on all its vessels. But as recently as early 2016, Royal Caribbean didn't have a single waterslide on any of its vessels.

How much does Category 6 Waterpark cost?

Over the years, he's worked with products like TVs, copiers, light bulbs, and EV chargers, but cruising has always been his passion. There's nothing Randy likes more than the first couple of hours on a ship, exploring every nook and cranny and seeing how it's different from everything else out there. He's known for providing detailed and analytical coverage of cruising to help cruisers get a comprehensive picture of a ship's offerings. Guests are not allowed to wear jewelry, watches, GoPros, cameras, swim vests, or shoes on the slides.

Disney Pours Entertainment into Cruise Ship Water Parks

Offering fun at sea for kids and adults alike, the water parks on ships from MSC Preziosa and newer feature amazing slides as well as exciting kids areas. One thing that helps with the crowds is that Category 6 Waterpark is just the water slides; there are no pools or splash pads in the waterpark. If they want to swim, they’ll have to go to one of the many other pools around the ship.

cruise ship water park

Each of the Norwegian Cruise Line ships mentioned also boasts a children’s water park featuring such delights as tipping buckets, water cannons and life-sized pirate sculptures. If you have kids, they likely want to know if they can ride all the waterslides. Chances are that they can because there aren’t age requirements to ride. Lounge chairs and umbrellas surround all the different areas of the waterpark (as do cabanas), so you can always find an open spot to work on your tan, sip a cold drink, or just sit in the shade. There is one exception — on days we’ve visited with two ships in port, the crew implemented a reservation system for Daredevil’s Peak (the tallest slide). There, you had to visit to put your name on the list and then come back when it was your time.

cruise ship water park

You might think the afternoon would be the best time to head to a waterpark. Surprisingly, we found that things really slow down all around the island after lunch. If you are traveling with a large group that wants to visit the park, then it may be worth looking into a cabana at Thrill Waterpark. Royal Caribbean has a limited number of cabanas that offer your own private shaded space that’s right in the middle of the waterpark.

It’s a great place to create a “home base” while everyone has their fun. Good news — when we have visited the lines were fairly short for most rides. On days when we’ve visited with a single ship in port, it’s been easy to go ride everything with minimal waiting. Still, if you have a family that you don’t want to split up, it’s nice to know that kids under three years old are allowed to enter at no charge. So they can hang out with one parent while another takes the bigger kids to ride.

Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas was designed with families in mind - ABC News

Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas was designed with families in mind.

Posted: Tue, 30 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

He answered that it was based on studies of how to best ensure there were enough rides to minimize lines based on the expected numbers in the waterpark. We sat in on an information session about Icon of the Seas when Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider was asked about why the waterpark would have six slides. In all, 14 of MSC Cruises' 22 vessels now have at least one waterslide on their top decks. While AquaDuck is slightly shorter than The Blaster at 765 feet in length, it has a bigger presence, thanks to its prime location encircling the main pool area. If you're lounging up top, it's hard to miss the massive, clear acrylic tubing of the ride, which is held up by 46 giant white stilts.

Norwegian Cruise Lines has some of the coolest water parks at sea on their Breakaway, Epic & Breakaway Plus Classes of ships. They are the dominate feature, that colorful first thing your kids notice as your family car, taxi or shuttle bus gets closer and closer to port. And let’s be honest—aside from the endless soft-serve ice cream—the water park is the next best thing on a family cruise. Fast-growing MSC Cruises has joined the waterslide wars in the last few years — and in a massive way. Each of the 10 ships the line has unveiled since 2017 offers a full-blown water park on its top deck that's packed with waterslides and other watery fun.

It is not just about the thrills themselves; it is about how the neighborhood can create memories for everyone onboard. You will step out onto a ledge that hangs 154 feet above the ocean right by the infamous Royal Caribbean crown and anchor. The walkway will stop, and you will be left admiring the ocean views until the trap door releases, sending you on a short glide right back where you began. Thrill Island is an immersive experience that's themed after a lost island. Details include distressed wood, a sunken boat, and even small artifacts left from prior explorers. Emily Rodriguez, Senior Product Owner and Product Development, said that they really took into consideration the excitement that they were seeing guests display for their thrilling experiences.

What better way to spend a day at sea then at one of the unbelievable cruise water parks that major cruise lines love to feature? Of all the extravagant attractions that large cruise ships have, these are the most on-theme for a voyage to sunny, beach locations. After all, if you’ve already got your swimwear packed for a trip to the Caribbean, then you might as well take advantage of these exhilarating attractions on the way! From death-defying cruise water slides, to interactive multimedia adventures, here are some of the best cruise water parks out there.

Sliding down a water slide face-first on a waterslide just feels different. It’s much more exhilarating, and you feel the water splash your face as you speed down the inclines. Storm Chasers is a dueling mat slide so you can challenge your friend or family member to see who’s fastest.

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