Royal Caribbean's innovative Quantum-class ships (including Anthem of the Seas) rolled out a bevy of gee whiz, industry-first amenities. These include RipCord by iFly, the first-ever skydiving simulator at sea. Onboard thrill-seekers attend an informational session to learn the rules of play before gearing up in a flight suit, goggles and protective headgear. Then it's time to dive on into (literally) the 23-foot-high, glass-enclosed vertical window tunnel for an exhilarating, gravity-defying taste of simulated skydiving. You'll be safe in the hands of a seasoned pro the whole time, so relax and enjoy the minute-long floating sensation -- and perhaps even a look around at the surrounding ocean views. As a bonus, the instructor will usually put on a show, after everybody's had a go, of sensational flips and other flying tricks in the air machine.
4D Movie Theaters
It's impressive that cruise ships show 3D movies onboard; it's crazy that they've gone so far as to design 4D theaters. The 4D cinematic immersion -- found on Carnival Cruise Line (Carnival Vista and Carnival Breeze); MSC Cruises (Divina, Meraviglia, Fantasia, Preziosa, Magnifica and Splendida); and Costa Cruises (Deliziosa, Diadema, Fascinosa, Favolosa, Serena and Luminosa) -- is accomplished through such real-life sensory shocks as pumped-in smells, squirts of liquids, quivering seats and visuals that invade your personal space. Thankfully, the seats come with belts, so you won't become part of the onscreen action.
Robot Bartenders
Human bartenders are so last millennium. One of the biggest novelties aboard Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas is the one-of-a-kind Bionic Bar, featuring a dynamic duo of show-stealing robot bartenders that dole out drinks to fascinated onlookers. In a futuristic "mixology meets technology" setting, passengers order cocktails from a tablet device to put the robo-bartenders (really mechanical arms) to work. (Sorry folks, no humanoid-looking robots, programmed to listen to your woes, just yet.) The pair busily prepare mixed drinks while mixing, shaking and stirring, with a system loosely based on the same assembly-line technology employed to manufacture cars.
Onboard Parks and Lawns
It's hard to find large swatches of green space in an ocean of infinite blue. However, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. rolls out nature's carpet with its rendition of Central Park on Royal Caribbean International's Harmony of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, and with the Lawn Club on Celebrity Cruises.
The Oasis-class homage to Frederick Law Olmsted's urban playground features rambling pathways, restful benches and abundant flora, including shade trees and flower beds. The floating parkland is absent NYC-style pretzel carts and kitschy souvenir merchants, but it does offer tasteful restaurants, bars and shops redolent of Fifth Avenue.
Celebrity's Solstice-class ships feature a half-acre of live green grass on their topmost decks, ideal fields for bocce or croquet. In addition, passengers can order baskets and have picnics, or simply feel the tickle between their toes. Celebrity Reflection and Silhouette also offer open-air grilling at the adjacent Lawn Club Grill, along with "The Alcoves," a private cabanas-style lawn-side retreat.
Surf Simulators
The surf's always up on Royal Caribbean's Quantum-, Oasis- and Freedom-class ships. Surfers can do their best Gidget or Laird Hamilton impressions on the FlowRider, a surf simulator that generates waves on top of a cushioned platform. Catch your waves belly-down (a la bodyboarding) or standing up (classic North Shore style). Though the tide is faux, the pain and humiliation can be real: one slip on the board, and you may hurtle back up the wave and promptly wipe out. Added pressure: Patrons of the Wipe Out Bar are watching, so be sure to flash a smile as you topple over.
Water Rides and Slides
You might emit a loud quack (or shriek) while whizzing down the AquaDuck, a wily water coaster that twists and turns for 765 feet over and around the pool decks of Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy. The tube provides giddy views of the bodies of water both onboard and off the ship; one elbow of the coaster actually protrudes 12 feet off the ship and 150 feet above the ocean.
Not to be outdone, the AquaDunk water slide on Disney Magic offers a three-story-high thrill ride, and includes a plummet through a trap door into a translucent tube that shoots out 20 feet over the ship's side.
Other notable water slides include Norwegian Cruise Line's Free Fall (on Norwegian Escape, Getaway and Breakaway) with twin "free fall" slides that drop guests at heart-racing speeds of up to 26 mph; MSC Cruises' Vertigo water slide (on MSC Preziosa), offering 390 feet of colorful twists and turns (including a spin over the edge of the ship) from 18 decks high; the Speedway Splash aboard Carnival Sunshine, with 235-foot-long dual chutes for racing riders who speed to the finish line amid special lighting effects; and the Tidal Wave on Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas, the first boomerang-style water slide at sea.
Prefer to stay dry? Harmony of the Seas offers a chance to get your fill of adrenaline with a daunting 10-deck plunge. The Ultimate Abyss is a pair of side-by-side slides that run from the Sports Zone (Deck 16) to the Boardwalk (Deck 6). Riders enter the ominous monster-fish mouth and slide down a tunnel of darkness with flashing flights and startling sound effects. Our only advice: Don't look down from the glass plank at the top, which offers views of the 100-foot drop below.
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