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Eight Best Attractions on Cruise Ships

3/16/2020

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SkyRide on Carnival Horizon.
SkyRide on Carnival Horizon.
By John Roberts
Every year, cruise lines are coming up with bigger, bolder and more fun activities and features to offer cruisers. The idea is to design a ship so bold and buzzworthy that it draws travelers who just have to try it out.
We've sailed on quite a few new cruise ships in recent years, vessels that have somehow squeezed in innovative and entertaining venues and activities that no one had thought of before. These eight ships are real trend-setters in the cruise industry because of these standout features.

SkyRide
 on Carnival Horizon
This ride is a pedal-powered experience. You hop in the seat and start pumping to glide along the rail that encircles the perimeter of Carnival Horizon. SkyRide gives you incredible views all around from your unique perch.
Two riders at a time propel themselves on side-by-side tracks, and you can choose to race one another or just sit back and simply enjoy the sights as you make your circuit.
This is a free activity, and the ride is also available on sister ship Carnival Vista.
Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas Ripcord by IFly
Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas features Ripcord by iFly, a virtual skydiving experience.
Skydiving on Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas.
The RipCord by iFly skydiving simulator is located at the back of Anthem of the Seas and is another great attraction for thrill-seekers.
A wind machine in the big tunnel allows riders to feel as if they are free falling through the sky during this included activity. Instructors help you get in in the flow, explaining the best body positions so you can soar and get comfortable enough to try a few tricks once you get the hang of it.  This activity is included in your cruise fare.
Go-kart track on Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Bliss
The fun go-kart race track on top of Norwegian Bliss.
Go-Kart Racing on Norwegian Bliss.
This is a true race track, with tiny Formula One cars zipping around the course that features hairpin turns, two levels and a garage area.
It's a blast. The track is about 1,000 feet long, and you can expect to race for about five to six laps and against about nine other drivers during each session.
This activity requires a fee. You can buy an unlimited pass for your cruise (about $100 for a weeklong cruise) or pay per ride ($10). There is also an unlimited daily ride pass for $30.
You can find tracks on sister ships Norwegian Encore and Norwegian Joy.
Celebrity Edge's magic Carpet
The Magic Carpet on Celebrity Edge is an adjustable cantilevered platform to add flexible space to four deck areas.
The Magic Carpet on Celebrity Edge.
This innovative feature on Celebrity Edge serves as a flexible cantilevered space that can move among four designated decks.
The combination bar and lounge area is a floating platform that can be positioned at Deck 16 for "Dinner on the Edge" dining experiences. It moves to the Lido Deck 14 to add a bar and lounge to the pool deck. On Deck 5, it serves as an al fresco dining space for Raw on 5, the sushi and seafood eatery.
Down at Deck 2, it becomes a launch platform to tender ashore from the ship's Destination Gateway facility. The Magic Carpet has comfy seating, a full bar and space for live music acts.
The Ultimate Abyss on Harmony of the Seas
The Ultimate Abyss is a thrilling slide on Harmony of the Seas.
Ultimate Abyss on Harmony of the Seas.
This included thrill ride is a dry slide. You hop on a mat speed down through twisty tunnels that extend off the back of the ship and carry you more than 100 feet, from Deck 16 (the sports deck) down to Deck 6, which is the Boardwalk area of the ship.
It's over in about 12 seconds and will have you screaming with joy all the way. Plus, it's way more fun and a much quicker option to taking the stairs or elevator.
Ultimate Abyss is also on Symphony of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas.
Ropes course of Norwegian Escape
You can walk the plank and face numerous other challenges on the ropes course on Norwegian Escape.
Ropes Course on Norwegian Escape.
This is the largest ropes course at sea, and it offers an almost infinite number of ways you can choose to navigate around the course. The course has a lot of cool features that will please daredevils and maybe freak you out if you are afraid of heights. It can be scary but is completely safe, as you are hooked in a harness and connected to a line the whole time.
The obstacles include two short ziplines. Plus, you can walk the plank and step right out to the edge to get a dizzying look over the side of the ship.
You'll take on rope walls, slacklines and thin beams before finding your way to the end of the course. The activity is free and also available on Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway.
LivNordic Spa on Viking Ocean Cruises
The LivNordic Spa is an immersive spa facility available on all Viking Ocean Cruises. Access is included in your cruise fare.
LivNordic Spa on Viking Ocean Cruises.
All of Viking's ocean 930-passenger cruise ships feature these large spa facilities.
Passengers can immerse themselves in the traditional Norwegian spa experience -- you get a sauna, steam room, cold plunge pool, thalassotherapy pool, snow grotto, hot tubs, cold dump bucket and experience shower. The elegant thermal suite also has ceramic loungers, padded lounge chairs and a full locker room.
The best part: it's included in your cruise fare, which is unheard of for such an immersive cruise ship spa.
Picture
Helicopters on Scenic Eclipse.
This luxury expedition ship takes cruisers to new heights while exploring exotic destinations around the world in style.
The 228-passenger ship carries two six-passenger helicopters, and you can pay to take 20- or 40-minute rides to get a bird's-eye view of amazing places that are best seen from above. We tried it out in Martha's Vineyard, and we have heard amazing reviews of these helicopters rides over Antarctica.
The choppers feature noise-canceling headphones, and the pilot gives a commentary of the flight.
It's quite a thrill to take off a land right from your ship -- which also carries a six-passenger submarine onboard that can dive up to nearly 1,000 feet below the surface. This gives travelers more amazing ways to see the world.

Which of these trend-setting onboard cruise attractions are you most interested in giving a try on your next cruise?

Thanks for reading,
JR
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Norwegian Cruise Line's Harvest Caye Offers Ec0-Tourism Options

3/21/2016

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Picture
Rendering courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line
By John Roberts 

Cruise lines have been creating their own private ports of call around the Caribbean for many years now. What better way to capture the most possible revenue from their cruise passengers than to provide (corral them at) a secluded beach or resort facility at a spot the cruise line fully controls?  

Cruise lines own private beaches and port facilities in the Bahamas, Haiti and Dominican Republic. 

And Norwegian Cruise Line is due to open Harvest Caye in Belize in November 2016. What makes this project different is the importance that Norwegian Cruise Line and Belizean developers have placed on creating a destination focused on eco-tourism designed to reduce the impact on the pristine environment. Harvest Caye sits on a pair of adjoining islands offshore from the former fishing village of Placencia. Passengers also can venture to the mainland for excursions instead of being restricted to the private beach area as is the case in many other of these developments. 

Environmentalists have raised questions about the project and its impact on the region. But Norwegian Cruise Line has taken steps to ensure that the experience embraces the importance of sustainable tourism. Visitors can relax on a seven-acre white-sand beach or jump in to enjoy a range of sports in the clear waters. But no jet-skis are allowed! (That is fantastic news.) 

Or explore the rich biodiversity of the region with a tour that shows you the exotic plant and animal life, such as observing manatees in the lagoon or checking out the aviary, which is home to toucans and endangered scarlet macaws. (The aviary hosts a breed-and-release program aiming to boost the bird's numbers.) An educational center offers looks at indigenous reptiles like boa constrictors, and you can swing by the Butterfly Garden to view interesting insects. 

A chief naturalist is employed to lead tours, discuss conservation efforts and talk about the wide range of wildlife native to Belize. As part of the port project, more than 10,000 new mangroves are being planted to boost the estuary system that serves as critical habitat for fish and birds. 

Fun activities for the adventurous cruiser include a 3,000-foot-long zipline course, free-fall jumps, suspension bridges and a "Superman" tandem zipline jump. All this aerial action takes place at the 130-foot-tall Flighthouse structure.  

Harvest Caye also features a 15,000 square-foot pool area with a swimup bar, shopping, restaurants and private cabanas for rent. 

The facility will have the only cruise pier in Belize -- cruisers who visit other ports in Belize must take a tender boat ashore -- and Norwegian Cruise Line passengers who stop at Harvest Caye can take excursions, such as exploring Mayan ruins or river rafting, on the mainland. 

Thanks for reading, 

JR

You might also like this story:
MSC to Build Conservation-Focused Marine Reserve in the Bahamas

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Norwegian Escape Takes Cruising to New Heights

11/12/2015

 
You can walk the plank on the ropes course on Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Escape.
It's both thrilling and terrifying hanging over the side of the ship when you walk the plank on Norwegian Escape.
Pitbull performed during the christening ceremony in for Norwegian Escape in Miami.
Pitbull performed during the christening ceremony for Norwegian Escape in Miami. He is the ship's godfather.
By John Roberts 

Norwegian Escape arrived in the United States this week. The biggest Norwegian Cruise Line ship ever reached its homeport in Miami with a lot of fanfare. If Miami's favorite native son, Pitbull, is the ship's godfather, you know it's gonna be a big deal. 

The christening ceremony under a blazing sun in the first week of November really heated things up and helped make the ship's debut a big media event. 

 
Now that cruisers can begin sailing on Norwegian Escape, what should they expect? Here are my first impressions.

Note: These observations are based strictly on my personal preferences for a cruise. You know by now that I'm all about the fun stuff you can enjoy onboard. That, and the beer. 
Norwegian Escape weight room.
I found a well-equipped fitness area, with separate cardio and weight rooms, on Norwegian Escape.
Let's start with the gym. The facility on Deck 16 is long and narrow, with cardio equipment segmented from the weight-training area by a walkway that leads to the spa. I like the setup because people are able to do their specific work in an area designed only for either cardio or weight training. And the space is ample and offers all the equipment you need for almost any training program. There is a Smith machine and a universal machine with a pull up bar designed so you don't hit your head on the ceiling (this oversight exists on most ships, and I have had the bumps and scrapes on my head to prove it). Dumbells go up to 75 pounds. Norwegian Escape also offers a separate room for TRX classes and a hip spin-class studio.  

Bayamo is a restaurant curated by celebrity chef Jose Garces. This is a seafood heavy menu with a Latin inspiration. I don't like seafood, but I really liked the Wagyu beef main course and crema de quinoa appetizer. The items are priced a la carte at this specialty restaurant. Norwegian Escape has 28 places to eat onboard, and while many are included in your fare, some have an added fee. Norwegian Cruise Line touts its "Freestyle" concept, which means you can show up to dine at the main included restaurants whenever you feel hungry. The specialty dining options recommend a reservation.  
District Brew House will top a favorite spot for beer lovers on Norwegian Escape.
District Brew House will top a favorite spot for beer lovers on Norwegian Escape.
District Brew House is going to be a favorite spot for cruisers. This space on Deck 8 has the feel of a great local bar, with 24 brews on tap and 50 or more flavors in bottles. That's more craft beers than you've ever seen on a cruise ship, from Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA to District Pale Ale. Cruisers can enjoy all these flavors while settling in for live music, such as a piano player. 
Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville at Sea on Norwegian Escape
Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville at Sea serves meals and drinks at a chill space on the top of the ship.
Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville at Sea is another hip spot, located on Deck 17. Out on the deck with breezes blowing, dive into a Cheeseburger in Paradise and other special burger preparations or a pile of nachos, delish chicken salads with avocado and a selection of beers (including Buffett's signature Landshark) and, or course, margaritas. The venue started out as an included food choice onboard, but it proved so popular during its initial cruises that waits at lunchtime and slow service left passengers frustrated.  

Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville at Sea on Norwegian Escape will have a $5 cover charge going forward, according to several crew I spoke to on my sailing. This is aimed to helped control the crowds. I can see spending a fiver a couple of times during a weeklong cruise to have a relaxing lunch in the sunny outdoors (the area is covered, so you are protected from the beating sun) away from the buffet lines. It really was a pleasant experience – once we were able to be seated, that is. We attempted a lunch around 12:30 p.m. and were told of a 90-minute wait, which is unacceptable anywhere, especially a cruise ship. Later, we were seated quickly when we stopped by for a 3:30 p.m. snack and a couple drinks.  


I loved "The Brat Pack, Live at the Supper Club", a dinner show that is a must for fans of John Hughes' movies. There is a cover charge (between $24.94 and $29.95, depending on where you sit). A couple of notes. The performance is awesome, especially for people who remember the storylines in the movies like "Pretty in Pink" and "The Breakfast Club." But if you haven't see them, the flow of the production might not be so well understood. Also, the meal was average -- at best. Finally, this is really geared toward adults, with both language and some body-baring scenes.   


Water slides and ropes course. The top-of-ship activities are a blast. We enjoyed the ropes course, which offers several challenging paths, two narrow planks to walk out over the edge of the ship (pictured at the top of this post) and two ziplines. One of the ziplines swings out over the water, too. If you are afraid of heights, this will require you to steel your nerves, but you can choose any number of paths around the course to make it as easy or as hard as you dare. Plus, you are securely harnessed and attached to a line so you won't fall to your demise. 


Thanks for reading. 
Happy cruising! 
JR
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