Cruise ships are more than floating hotels. They offer lots of entertainment, activities and things to do, and many Royal Caribbean ships even offer some incredible signature activities found no where else at sea.
If you are wondering what makes Royal Caribbean stand out from other cruise lines and their ships, here is a look at the best activities onboard that no other cruise line can match!
SeaPlex
Ships available: Quantum, Anthem, Ovation, Spectrum and Odyssey of the Seas.
What happens when you combine sports courts, dance floor, table games, video games and bumper cars? You get the SeaPlex.
The SeaPlex is an indoor multi-purpose sports venue that transforms throughout the day depending on the activity.
This multi-deck facility offers basketball courts, ping pong tables, dance floor, circus school, dodge ball arena and even bumper cars to ride. Since it is indoors, there is never an issue with it being rainy, too hot, or breezy.
The SeaPlex is busy from morning until night, and it is a big hit with teens, kids, and pretty much anyone that enjoys a little physical fun.
Ripcord by iFly
Ships available: Quantum, Anthem, Ovation, Spectrum and Odyssey of the Seas.
Have you ever wanted to try skydiving without the danger of actually jumping out of an airplane?
RipCord by iFly allows guests to don a special suit and jump into a vertical wind tunnel for a few minutes of free-fall fun.
Set in a recirculating indoor vertical wind tunnel, guests can feel like they're falling from the heavens in a safe environment. You wear the gear and goggles as if you were jumping out of an airplane, so it's as authentic an experience as you can get without the airplane.
Trained instructors are with you the whole time in a totally controlled environment.
RipCord is going to be one of those experiences that you tell your friends and family about when you get home because it's not too often you get to experience something like this.
FlowRider
Ships available: Wonder, Symphony, Harmony, Oasis, Allure, Quantum, Anthem, Ovation, Spectrum, Odyssey, Freedom, Liberty, Independence, Mariner, Navigator, Adventure, Explorer of the Seas.
The FlowRider surf simulator offers guests the opportunity to try surfing onboard a cruise ship.
The self-contained surfing area pumps 34,000 gallons per minute and allows passengers to try stand-up surfing as well as boogie boarding.
While the FlowRider experience is far more of a controlled environment than the ocean, learning to stand up (and stay standing up) on your surf board is not so easy, so Royal Caribbean offers lessons for an additional price. Both private and group lessons are available.
The FlowRider has scheduled times of operation during the day when it is open to all guests for no additional fee. Guests must sign a waiver and there is a height requirement of 52" for boogie boarding and 58" for stand up surfing.
Royal Promenade
Ships available: Wonder, Symphony, Harmony, Oasis, Allure, Freedom, Liberty, Independence, Mariner, Navigator, Adventure, Voyager, Explorer of the Seas.
The hub of activity on Royal Caribbean's largest ships is the grand canyon concourse known as the Royal Promenade.
Spanning three decks in height, this focal point for the ship offers shopping, dining and dance parties to enjoy during the cruise.
The Royal Promenade also features special staterooms that have a window view of the promenade, instead of a view of the ocean. This prime people-watching spot is not only a money-saving stateroom choice, but a great way to keep an eye on what's happening.
Studio B
Ships available: Wonder, Symphony, Harmony, Oasis, Allure, Freedom, Liberty, Independence, Mariner, Navigator, Adventure, Explorer of the Seas.
Did you know you can ice skate at sea on Royal Caribbean ships?
Studio B is home to a functional ice rink, where you will find impressive ice skating performances in addition to the opportunity to put on a pair of skates and enjoy free skate time.
Free skates are offered throughout the cruise for no additional fee. Be sure to pack long pants and socks so you can participate.
Ultimate Abyss
Ships available: Wonder, Symphony, Harmony, Oasis of the Seas.
Royal Caribbean sought to create a truly unique thrill experience on its ships, and the Ultimate Abyss slide was born.
Ultimate Abyss is a dry slide (no water involved, you slide down on a mat) and is located on the aft of the ship.
It is more than 150 feet above sea level and offers side-by-side slides that send guests down 10 decks at a rate of 9 miles per hour.
Guests board the slide by climbing stairs that lead directly into the mouth of a giant angler fish, where they get into a customized mat and then descend down the slide, traversing 216 feet of a multi-sensory tunnel. Guests can reach a speed of 9 miles per hour, and it is the kind of thrill experience unlike anything else at sea.
The Ultimate Abyss is free and available for rides mostly during the day.
Carousel
Ships available: Wonder, Symphony, Harmony, Oasis, Allure of the Seas.
Exclusive to the Oasis Class ships, the hand-crafted carousel is a tribute to the seaside boardwalks of the past.
Located in the Boardwalk neighborhood, the carousel uses turn-of-the-century carousel designs as its basis down to the very last detail. Even the original artwork scenery panels located on the carousel’s eight Rounding Boards feature custom painted scenes to highlight the wistfulness of life on the historic boardwalks.
Eighteen figures are suspended from stainless steel poles along with one ADA accessible chariot that were created from poplar wood populate the carousel.
Be sure to also check out the carousel at night because like the fairs of the past, nighttime is when these rides really shine when they are all lit up.
Broadway shows
Ships available: Symphony, Harmony, Oasis, Allure, Liberty, Independence of the Seas.
On select Royal Caribbean ships, you can watch full Broadway shows performed in the Royal Theater for absolutely nothing extra.
Hit shows such as Hairspray, Cats, Mamma Mia and more are performed on Royal Caribbean ships and when you combine Tony Award-winning shows with no extra cost, that is a tremendous opportunity.
North Star
Ships available: Quantum, Anthem, Ovation, Spectrum and Odyssey of the Seas.
On Royal Caribbean's Quantum Class ships, you can rise 300 feet above sea level to enjoy unparalleled views in North Star.
Available only on the Quantum Class ships, this observational pod is a calm and fun way to see everything around you, including the cruise ship below.
Tidal Wave slide
Ships available: Liberty of the Seas
The only boomerang raft slide on a cruise ship can be found on Liberty of the Seas.
Guests get into the raft slide, and then descend down quickly before going up a near vertical wall for a moment of weightlessness before heading right back down for a splashy end.
SkyPad
Ships available: Independence, Mariner, Spectrum, Odyssey of the Seas.
Combine virtual reality and a bungee experience and you get the SkyPad.
The SkyPad straps guests into bungee chords, where you can bounce up and down with an optional VR helmet on to provide the sensation of moving through an augmented reality world.
AquaTheater
Ships available: Wonder, Symphony, Harmony, Oasis, Allure of the Seas.
The AquaTheater is a distinct high diving, acrobatic performance space designed for Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class ships.
The venue has two 10-meter high platforms and the hydraulic-floored pool, the largest and deepest freshwater pool at sea, below will serve as podiums for high-diving, hair-raising aerobatics that AquaTheater audiences have come to love.
On select evenings, you can enjoy performances held in the AquaTheater that combine music, dance, acrobatics and high-dives. It is something you have to see to believe.
Escape Room
Ships available: Harmony, Symphony, Oasis, Mariner, Navigator, Anthem, Independence of the Seas.
Royal Caribbean ships are home to a popular new attraction: escape room games.
Guests participating in the escape room try to solve a series of puzzles before time runs out, that requires them to man their stations from Mission Control and successfully launch Apollo 18 to the moon.
When you arrive for your session, a short video will explain some ground rules of the puzzle. A crew member will supervise your group and will go over a few items in the room that are not part of the game, such as fire sprinklers and emergency exits.
Bionic Bar
Ships available: Harmony, Symphony, Oasis, Quantum, Anthem, Ovation, Spectrum and Odyssey of the Seas.
You can have your favorite cocktail mixed and served by a robot at the Bionic Bar.
Royal Caribbean teamed up with Makr Shakr, a company with ties to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to create the Bionic Bars. The idea is simple: guests place orders via tablets and then can watch the robot bartenders start mixing the cocktails. Bionic Bar combines two big trends, robotics and mixology.
The single armed robot will get the ice, mints and lemon and then squeeze and shake them to make your drink.
Perfect Day at CocoCay
Ships available: Most itineraries visiting The Bahamas
While not available onboard the ship, Royal Caribbean's private island is so impressive that it is worth mentioning as a good reason to book a sailing that visits here.
Perfect Day at CocoCay spans nearly a mile across, and features incredible beaches, a water park, pool, private club, zip-line and more.
There is a lot to see and do for guests of all ages, whether you want to simply relax on a quiet beach, or mix it up with some of the tallest water slides in North America, or enjoy one of the many luxurious cabanas.
Royal Caribbean spent a lot money revamping its private island, and since its opening in 2019, it has become a huge hit with cruise guests.
