ArcaMax

By Victor Block

Every member of the Meyers family was busy enjoying their three-generational vacation getaway. Tom and Martha were playing pickleball, a popular pastime among people in their age group. Their son, Ben, and his wife, Melissa, were steering electric race cars along a winding two-level track, slowing to negotiate sharp hairpin turns. Grandchildren Tom and Betsy were getting wet and wild at a water park that included a Twister Waterslide and drenching by a mammoth bucket that rained a torrent of liquid down on them from above.

The fact that these family members in a wide span of ages were experiencing such a varied choice of activities in one place was unusual. Adding to the appeal was that the pickleball game, race-car ride and soaking are available to passengers aboard some Carnival Cruise Line vessels.

In recent years, the amenities and activities aboard giant cruise ships that ply the seas have extended well beyond those of the past to include some you would expect to find only on land. With more staterooms to fill, companies are adding fun-filled features as they compete to attract passengers.

The imaginative offerings by Carnival Cruise Line are typical of the trend. In addition to those mentioned above, they include a bicycle track suspended over the water, a miniature golf course, volleyball, basketball -- and more.

Ice skating, rock climbing and bumper cars await those who board Royal Caribbean ships. As if that weren't enough, passengers can try surfing simulation, roller skating and the first skydiving experience at sea. Those who have ever dreamed of becoming a circus performer might opt for the trapeze school to learn the ups and downs of that activity.

Young passengers are drawn to a hand-carved carousel that harks back to earlier times and an AquaTheater that presents a cast of skateboarders, divers and robots. Their parents can encounter robot bartenders that prepare adult beverages at a Bionic Bar and enjoy dinner and entertainment at eight distinctive "neighborhoods" that offer attractions ranging from a suspended infinity pool and swim-up bar to adults-only retreats.

Grown-ups also are likely to enjoy offerings aboard other passenger cruise ships. They include the underwater lounge on some ships of the upscale French expedition company Ponant. Set below ships' water lines, they offer a multisensory experience that features large glass windows offering views of the undersea world outside, digital screens that project images captured by cameras and subaquatic noises streaming from outside the vessel.

Those interested in astronomy can take advantage of the high-tech planetarium aboard a Viking Ocean Cruises ship. It offers astronomical shows on a high-definition screen that compares in quality with those available at land-based observatories.

Snow rather than stars is the focus of a thermal area aboard some Viking Cruises vessels. These "snow grottoes" pay tribute to the line's Nordic heritage. Cold air is piped into rooms as snowflakes fall from the ceiling. After chilling out, many people opt to warm up in the adjacent steam room and sauna.

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