Royal Caribbean’s recent announcement that it will install new waterslides on several ships is just the latest step in the cruise line’s race to offer even splashier fun for passengers. The company is going to add waterslides to two existing ships, Liberty of the Seas and Majesty of the Seas, during a refurbishment in the coming months. Even more exciting, the line’s expansive Oasis-class ship, Harmony of the Seas, will feature a four-slide water park when it sails for the first time next spring.
Of course, Royal Caribbean is not the only cruise line to offer waterslide fun. In fact, in order to appeal to kid cruisers and adventurous vacationers, the trend among most major cruise companies has been to build slides on practically every large ship that is newly launched or renovated.
Norwegian Cruise Line will soon hold the record for the largest water park on the high seas. When it launches in October, Norwegian Escape will boast four slides, including Free Fall and The Whip, popular rides that are already found on its sister ships, Norwegian Breakaway and Getaway.
The longest single-rider slide currently around is open to cruisers on board MSC Preziosa. The ride shoots guests along a curvy, 390-foot slide, complete with exciting strobe effects.
Carnival Cruise Lines ships also feature their own spin on waterslide entertainment. The cruise line’s 24 “Fun Ships” each offer at least one waterslide, and most go far beyond that with their signature WaterWorks parks, which offer corkscrew slides, racing slides, splash pools, and plenty of other options for wet fun on deck. The company seems to introduce more new attractions all the time. The upcoming Carnival Vista, for example, will spotlight Kaleid-O-Slide, a colorful, twisting 455-foot tube that promises to add a fun, visual dimension above and beyond an ordinary waterslide.
As more families consider cruising as an affordable vacation option, cruise companies will continue drawing them in by offering increasingly elaborate waterslide fun.