So you think it’s all too tame and boring onboard on a cruise ship?
Here are four activities guaranteed to get your heart racing.
Croc-hunting
Most Kimberley cruises go out of their way to keep their
customers clear of crocodiles, but Aurora Expeditions goes looking
for them – at night. Armed with spotlights, intrepid passengers can
board the small Explorer vessel and quietly glide through the dark
waters of the outback (accompanied by a naturalist).
The official purpose of this excursion is to learn about the wild
reptiles’ feeding and breeding habits, but the unofficial aim is to
scare the bejesus out of you.
11-day Broome-to-Broome voyages depart on 28 May and 8 June
2012 aboard the newly refurbished Coral Princess. Prices start at
$6,990 per person. Call 02 9252 1033 or visit
www.auroraexpeditions.com.au.
Bridge-ducking
River-cruising vessels are built to fit under low bridges, but when
the water level is high, it can be a tight squeeze. Standing up on the
top deck can be exhilarating when departing certain ports, such as
Amsterdam, where it seems like every approaching bridge will
barely miss your head.
On taller ships, the wheelhouse (the captain’s navigation bridge)
has to be retracted when passing under the lowest bridges.
Passengers are strongly advised not to go up and watch this
exercise, due to the risk of being sandwiched or decapitated by a
massive steel structure.
My favourite retractable feature is the Leopard Lounge on Uniworld’s
SS Antoinette. When compressed, it should be renamed the Flat Cat!
Zip-lining
For some reason, cruise ships visit a lot of places with zip-lines, or
‘flying foxes’, as it is sometimes known in Australia. In the past year,
I’ve taken up the challenge in Hoonah (Alaska), Suva (Fiji) and Puerto
Limon (Costa Rica).
Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas even has one onboard, so you
can glide from one side of the world’s biggest ship to the other.
There’s simply no better way to see a rainforest than soaring over
treetops at breakneck speed. It does require courage to take your
first step off the ledge and put your trust in a thin piece of wire. After
that, you just have to remember how to stop.
Water-sliding
Carnival Spirit is giving Australian cruisers their first taste of a
water-park on a ship with the Green Thunder ‘thrillslide’, claimed to
be the steepest at sea. The almost-vertical drop has to be
experienced to properly understand the intensity of this ride.
In the US, Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy have ‘water-coasters’,
an aquatic version of the roller-coasters in the company’s famous
theme parks. Guests are propelled around and off the side of the ship,
through the forward funnel and then dropped into the onboard river.
Coming soon is the biggest yet: the new Norwegian Breakaway will
have five waterslides, including side-by-side slides for racing.
In addition, the top deck will feature the largest ropes course at
sea, which includes a platform that extends two metres over the side
of the ship, challenging passengers (wearing harnesses) to ‘walk the
plank’. I dare you!
