From helicopters and submarines to zip lines and roller coasters, the facilities onboard modern cruise ships are designed to dazzle – and there’s something for absolutely everyone. Here, we take a look at some of the standout features that can be enjoyed at sea.

Royal Caribbean's North Star observation capsule is a record-breaker, having won the Guinness World Record for tallest viewing deck on a cruise ship. Riding high at 300 feet (91m) above sea level, the glass pod offers 360° bird’s-eye views as it’s raised above the ship on a mechanical arm. The experience lasts around 15 minutes and is available on five of the line’s ships, including the new Odyssey of the Seas.

Hop into an electric-powered go-kart onboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s Bliss, Joy and Encore ships and burn some rubber along the two-level tracks – the first of their kind at sea. There’s a viewing platform for spectators, a covered pit lane, floodlights for after-dark racing and a timing system that encourages healthy competition. The karts have four speed settings and a top speed of 30mph (48km/h) – although some choose to take it slower and enjoy the incredible ocean views from the track corners.

Found onboard Carnival Vista, Carnival Horizon and Carnival Panorama, SkyRide invites guests to cycle on pedal-powered bikes along a track high above the deck and sea. Suspended 150 feet (46m) in the air, the track promises unbeatable views. Those with a need for speed will find the bikes can reach up to 18mph (29km/h).

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If being above the water isn’t quite enough for you, perhaps you’d prefer to board a ship that can take you further – to an underwater world. Scenic Eclipse, the line’s first yacht-style expedition ship, has its very own submarine, Scenic Neptune. The six-passenger sub can dive up to 984 feet (300m) below sea level and the rotating seats offer unparalleled ocean vistas. The experience doesn’t come cheap, with 20- or 40-minute tours costing several hundred dollars, but it offers sea-nery like no other.

Water slides onboard cruise ships are nothing new, but Disney’s AquaDuck is technically a water coaster, with guests whooshing along in two-person rafts. Powerful water blasters propel riders through a 765-feet (233m) tube that spans four decks and stretches 13 feet (4m) off the side of the ship. The ride can be found onboard Disney Dream and Fantasy. Kids in Edge, the line's tween club, can watch riders speed past through a viewing porthole.

For those who prefer a futuristic element to their cruise, Royal Caribbean’s Bionic Bar is the place to be. Here, two robotic bartenders know how to shake, stir and mix up a night out. The mechanical mixologists can create an almost endless combination of cocktails (and mocktails), including drinks designed by you. Find them onboard Anthem of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas.

When the award-winning Mardi Gras set sail for the first time last summer, it introduced the world to BOLT, the very first rollercoaster at sea (which won its own engineering award). The all-electric ride puts guests in the driving seat, controlling how fast they go as they whizz along the open-air course high above the water. And from the open-top, motorcycle-style design, the 360° ocean views are hard to beat.

For out-of-this-world sights while you cruise, Cunard is hard to beat. The Queen Mary 2 boasts the line’s onboard planetarium, Illuminations, a luxury 3D cinema and classical music venue that takes guests on an epic voyage across the solar system. Guests can learn how to navigate by the stars or enjoy one of up to four film screenings a day on topics including science and natural history.

Celebrity Edge has achieved an incredible feat of engineering with its Magic Carpet, the world’s first cantilevered, floating platform that reaches heights of 13 stories above sea level. The multi-purpose deck has a different function depending on where it is on the ship – on deck 2, it’s used to launch the tenders; on deck 5 it becomes an extension of sushi restaurant Raw; on deck 14 it becomes a bar; and on the top deck it’s used for exclusive alfresco dinners and high teas.

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Onboard the adults-only Viking ships, guests can soothe aching muscles in the Snow Grotto. Housed inside the complimentary LivNordic Spa, the grotto is based on the Scandinavian ritual of alternating a sauna with cold dips and features flurries of real powdery snow. The frosty retreat is kept below freezing and guests are encouraged to withstand the cold for a few minutes to boost their circulatory system. Afterwards, the warm lure of the steam room or hot tub awaits.

If you’ve got a strong sense of adventure, strap in for a ride that's 10 decks high onboard Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class ships. At seven seconds long, the ride may be short, but it’s certainly thrilling and promises great views of the ship and out to sea. Plus, the zip line is included in your cruise fare, so you can ride as many times as you like.

Thrill-seekers will feel at home on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Breakaway Class Ships, which feature its ‘walk the plank’ experience. An eight-foot-long, six-inch-wide (2m x 15cms) plank is suspended high above the water and guests are invited to experience some pirate-inspired adventure by walking along it. Luckily, unlike with true pirates, those walking this plank are attached to a harness.

While many of the major cruise lines have recently shaken up their entertainment offering, MSC Cruises has gone one step further with the introduction of seven new shows for its iconic Carousel Lounge, famed for its 360° rotating stage. The one-of-a-kind venue, found onboard the cruise line's Meraviglia Class ships, hosts just 400 guests per performance and features special rigging that enables impressive stunts and aerial acrobatics. From a rock spectacular to a circus adventure and a Houdini-inspired magic show, there’s something for everyone on the bill.

If personal service is your idea of luxury, look no further than Silversea – a line famous for offering a butler service in every suite. With a staff-to-guest ratio of nearly 1:1, guests can be assured that their every whim will be catered to thanks to their white-gloved personal butler, who can arrange everything from in-suite dining and entertainment to ironed clothes and packed luggage.

Guests with a head for heights can take on the rock-climbing wall onboard Marella Discovery, taking family fun to a whole new level. Located at the rear of the ship, the 30-foot-high (9m) wall can be conquered via five routes, each offering a bird’s-eye view of the ship and ocean below. 

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Princess Cruises debuted its Medallion technology back in 2017 onboard Regal Princess. It promised the next wave of cruise travel, introducing a wearable device powered by interactive technology that enables guests to unlock their staterooms, order food and drinks to wherever they are on the ship, easily find venues, make restaurant reservations, book shore excursions – and much more. Guest information is loaded before embarkation, creating a smooth, seamless experience for all onboard.

Surf’s up onboard Royal Caribbean’s Freedom, Oasis and Quantum class cruise ships, where guests can grab their surfboard and get ready for 100,000 litres of rushing water heading their way. The 40-foot-long (12m) FlowRider surf simulator is a huge feature for sports lovers, with enough room to create a wave that moves at 20mph (32km/h).

Not all of the cruise world’s most impressive features are immediately obvious. Hurtigruten’s MS Roald Amundsen keeps its environmentally sustainable hybrid technology below deck, reducing fuel consumption and cutting emissions by 20%. When it launched in 2019, it was the world’s first hybrid ship and marked a new era of hybrid propulsion for large cruise liners. A trailblazer in the eco-cruise space, Hurtigruten was also the first line to ban single-use plastics across its fleet.

Music is at the heart of Holland America Line, which caters to all musical tastes with its multi-venue Music Walk. You can dance to classic rock, sing the blues, belt out chart-toppers or enjoy classical music along the walk, dipping in and out of various venues depending on how the mood and music takes you. Designed as a series of open lounges, anyone wandering through en route to dinner or a show can also pause to listen.

There’s a huge amount of choice when it comes to onboard dining across cruise lines, but Silversea has cooked up something entirely new with its S.A.L.T (Sea and Land Taste) experience. It blends food and travel in a program that includes dedicated shore excursions, hands-on demonstrations and cooking lessons, with a kitchen that produces a new menu for each port visited.

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Bored of the ocean? Take to the skies instead with Royal Caribbean’s RipCord by iFLY skydiving simulator, where guests can feel the rush of free fall without even leaving the deck. The 60-second experience is available on four of the line’s ships (soon to be five), where a trained instructor will teach you all you need to know to take flight. RipCord is available to guests aged from three years and up, making it fun for all the family.

Can’t bear to be parted from your four-legged family member? Fear not – Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 not only welcomes dogs and cats onboard, it promises them a holiday of their very own. Upgraded in 2016 in a $123 million refurbishment, the kennels are worthy of VIPs. The kennel master gets to know each pet to better meet their needs, while owners can relax in a dedicated lounge. But get in quick – the kennels have been known to book up years in advance.

Create memories that will truly last at Scarlet Lady's very own onboard tattoo studio, Squid Ink. It’s a nod to the time-honoured tradition of sailors’ tattoos, and Virgin Voyages has partnered with World Famous Tattoo Ink to bring the nautical tattoo tradition back to modern sailing. The inks are cruelty-free and vegan and the studio also offers piercings and permanent make-up.

Escape rooms have boomed in popularity – so much so that even cruise-goers can have a go at puzzle-solving while sailing. Among them are Royal Caribbean’s Escape the Rubicon onboard Harmony of the Seas, where guests board a spaceship that finds itself floating without propulsion – and slowly being drawn towards the sun. Can your team of four to 12 people crack the challenge and get the power back on before it’s too late?

Passengers onboard Royal Caribbean's Quantum Class ships can bump for joy thanks to SeaPlex – the largest indoor activity space to set sail and host to the only dodgems at sea. Guests aged five years and up (and at least 3.5 feet or 107cm tall) can ride with a guardian, while from eight years old (4 feet or 122cm tall) they can ride alone, meaning the family can take the wheel together for speedy fun.

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When MSC Cruises took delivery of its new flagship, MSC Meraviglia, in 2017, it also welcomed to its fleet the largest LED screen at sea – a mesmerizing curved ceiling that draws passengers to the social heart of the ship. At 262 feet (80m) long, the domed ceiling features stunning 16K content that’s played above the ship’s Mediterranean-style promenade – a true feat of design and engineering that’s unique to the line.

Guests can get their skates on – literally – onboard Royal Caribbean’s Voyager, Freedom and Oasis Class ships, the first and only cruise ships in the world to feature ice-skating rinks. The free activity onboard these vast ships comes with helmets included, so guests with cold feet can rest assured that it’s perfectly safe – and extremely fun.

Take off in style from Scenic Eclipse, an expedition ship that boasts not just a submarine, but two helicopters. The line’s founder, Glen Moroney, invites guests to “live like a billionaire” and take flight far beyond where Eclipse can anchor, over icebergs, glaciers and fjords. The Airbus H130s are among the quietest helicopters available, meaning the landscape and its wildlife remain relatively undisturbed, while guests are comfortable too.

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