17 Fun Things to Do on a Cruise: Free to Paid Activities

Funny things to do on a cruise ship list comprise spotting a sea creature from the balcony. These charismatic creatures are hard to identify from a distance.

You can admire the ocean from your cabin balcony while watching some dolphins flip over and greet Harbor porpoises.

If the whale's tail flukes show, providing an excellent photo opportunity, it signals the whale will plunge hundreds of feet deep and may not reappear for an hour.

What to do on a Caribbean cruise? You can join fitness activities on a Caribbean cruise.

All cruise ships have fitness centers onboard at free cost. They may have cardio equipment, high-tech options, and mats to use.

They charge for group exercise classes varying from $12 to $20 USD and $80-$115 for personal training. The classes might include pilates and abs workouts.

Besides the gym, there are plenty of other options for fitness including a basketball court and a rock climbing wall. Dance classes are also offered in a show lounge.

What to do on Dream Cruise? You can get yourself a Spa treatment on a Dream Cruise at Crystal Life Spa.

After trying all the activities above, you will want to rest your body and yearn for a detox. Spa treatment is one of the most relaxing experiences to get on a ship.

Most ships have extra charges for spa and steam rooms except for Carnival. Celebrity and Princess also have no hidden spa and sauna room access charges.

Stargazing in the middle of the ocean while you soak up the breeze is one of the best experiences you will ever have. Do not forget to do the Titanic pose if you are with a partner.

While cruising, watch for stars in the sky after you enjoy the sunset over the ocean. The majestic view of planets, stars, and galaxies looks closer to you.

Princess Cruises has some packages offered as Discovery at Sea program. Some ships also host free astronomy shows held in the ships' planetariums.

A funny swimwear to participate in water spots is one of the fun things to bring on a cruise. Waterslides are free to have slides and splash parks onboard.

Most cruises are facilitated with waterslide games and watersports. It is possible to cruise on different fleets experiencing different games on each ship, while some of the oldest vessels do not offer waterparks onboard at all.

Some Waters Parks Featured Ships

• Category 6 Waterpark - Royal Caribbean
• Aqua Park - Norwegian Cruise Line
• Carnival Waterworks - Carnival Cruise Line
• AquaDuck - Disney Cruise Line

Is food free on Cruise ship? Dining on a cruise ship is complimentary for breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner.

However, you have to pay extra for the extraordinary dishes. Ships have themed restaurants based on Italian, French, and other cuisine.

Catch the sea breeze as you taste the variety of onboard restaurants and dining options. If you are on Carnival you can devour Guy's Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse by chef Guy Fieri.

Crystal Cruise Line offers passengers one free dinner at Umi Uma by famed chef Nobu Matsuhisa. Passengers on Ocenia's Marina and Riviera can dine at Jacques.

Fun things to do on Carnival cruise list is incomplete without a deck party. All age groups are welcome to enjoy the starry night under the sky with live music.

Other cruise lines also host deck parties to allow attendees to engage and celebrate the voyage trip. They charge an additional charge for drinks and food.

Carnival hosts four deck parties:

• Sail Away Party
• Mega Deck Party
• 80s Night Deck Party
• White Hot Night Party

Watching movies under the open sky can be a lifetime memory for you. Passengers can snuggle up on deck chairs with comfy cushions and blankets.

This activity is free for admission with some snacks and popcorn, but additional charges are applied for alcohol.

Disney cruise line movie Theatre Buena Vista runs their new film releases. Nowadays, ships also feature live matches like NFL games and Basketball games.

Cruise lines offer meeting venues to gather knowledge with memories to last a lifetime. Some speakers provide informative lectures.

The Australian company Cruise Seminars hosts educational conferences and seminars on ships. Some events provide you with a certificate as evidence of the continuing professional development hours.

Carnival provides over 75 ship inspections and seminars at Sea events. These events are free to attend in most cruises.

Escape rooms on cruises are rooms loaded with puzzles and board games. Passengers can solve crossword puzzles and play sodoku.

Escape the Rubicon of Harmony of the Seas is space themed break at $8.99 per person. Apollo 18 of Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas cost $8.99 to $19.99 per person.

List of Escape Rooms with cruise name:

• Escape From the Future - Anthem of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas
• The Observatorium -Mariner of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, and Navigator of the Seas
• Phantom Bridge - Sky Princess and Enchanted Princess
• Escape the Big Top - Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Getaway, and Norwegian Epic
• Spanish Galleon - Norwegian Encore

Traveling by cruise has some pretty great perks, one of them is cooking classes. Ships have master chefs from all around the world for culinary learning programs.

If the dining experience is not enough, pick up a knife and try your hands at cooking at sea. You can take a Sushi class on Royal Caribbean at $35.

Guests can challenge themselves to become the Champion of MasterChef at Sea on MSC ships. Holland America has partnered with the tv cooking program America’s Test Kitchen for live cooking.

Cruise Ship art collections are mostly held by Park West Gallery. They have served over 100 cruise ships representing 200 artists at sea.

Carnival and Celebrity cruise lines host live art auctions through onboard galleries. The floating galleries are also extended into the staterooms.

The events are usually partnered with land-based art galleries. Holland started partnering with ArtLink to showcase its artworks.

List of Artists whose works can be found on cruise ships

• Picasso
• Kinkade
• Escher
• Dali
• Goya
• Erte
• Chagall

The best casino cruise ships are Allure of the Seas, Norwegian Epic and Oasis of the Seas. Norwegian Escape has 28 bars and restaurants.

Disney Cruise Line does not have any casinos on their ships. Pride of America of Norwegian Cruise and Viking Cruises also lack casinos.

Texas Hold'em tournament winners in Royal Caribbean are eligible for Royal Poker Tournament. It has a prize pool of $100,000.

Most ships accept cruise cards, but some prefer cash only. Table games and slot machines are available with action-packed tournaments.

As guests are on board for a long period, they are presented with different forms of entertainment. One of them is Karaoke.

Carnival has karaoke along with a live house band of professional musicians. They hosted Superstar Live Karaoke on Carnival Conquest and Carnival Valor.

It was first launched by Princess in November 2008. They launched So You Wanna Be a Rock Star? on Ruby Princess.

Costa Pacifica has a state-of-the-art recording studio.

The best shows on cruise ships are Mamma Mia, and We Will Rock You on Royal Caribbean ships. The musical Grease is staged on Harmony of the Seas and Independence of the Seas.

Seth's Big Fat Broadway Cruises are the one to organize most of the Broadway shows. Every year, Playbill Travel also organizes weeklong shows with Broadway stars.

Cruisers can also catch the Kinky Boots show on Norwegian Encore. MSC Cruises features an exclusive Cirque du Soleil show on board MSC Bellissima.

Nowadays, ships boast an incredible array of live shows these days, performed in theatres with the latest technology.

Most cruises present an incredibly special opportunity for you to experience crafts making. These activities are free of charge.

The projects may vary according to itinerary packages and cruise lines. Some provide projects such as beading bracelets, cross-stitching pictures, and scrapbook pages.

Creating a hand-made souvenir takes only 1-2 hours to remember all the fun of your cruise vacation. You can also bring your own craft materials when you set sail.

Some specialty crafts need to be booked before sailing. The Whole Kit N Kaboodle on Royal Caribbean is paid service.

Mini golf is one of the perfect solutions for guests' recreation on cruise ships. Most golf courses are on an outside deck and free to play.

However, you are payable if you hit the golf ball so hard that it flew off the ship. It is ideal for any age group to enjoy.

Some cruise lines have itineraries designed for golf enthusiasts. You are provided with clubs, or you can rent your own equipment from the port.

Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean also offer a miniature golf putting range. Queen Mary 2 of Cunard has only a golf simulator in the fleet. Carnival Cruise Line has golf courses on all of its ships.