Cruise lines have seriously upped the ante when it comes to entertainment onboard their cruise ships in recent years - and water parks have become an instant hit with families.
One of our picks of the coolest onboard activities, there's everything from thrilling water slides to gentle splash zones for smaller children. That's not even counting the various swimming pools to be found on deck.
The good news for Brits is that, with domestic cruises in England able to resume, there are some epic UK cruises this summer from the likes of Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises - and their water parks will be open.
To give you a helping hand we've put together a guide to the best cruise water parks - and flagged the ones which will be sailing in the UK this summer.
Check out our top picks below...
Royal Caribbean
Thrill-seekers may want to have Royal Caribbean's ships on their radar, where you'll find some pretty epic water slides.
There's Blaster, the world's longest slide at sea, and RipTide, a mat racer slide where you're propelled headfirst along the twists and turns, complete with a section that goes right over the edge of the ship (both exclusively on Navigator of the Seas ), as well as the Ultimate Abyss which plunges down 10 decks and happens to be the tallest slide at sea (on Harmony of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas ).
Ships also offer gentler splash zones for younger children such as the H2O Water Park with water cannons, waterfalls and pools. Anthem of the Seas, which will be sailing on UK itineraries, features the H2O Water Park.
Find out more at royalcaribbean.co.uk.
MSC Cruises
MSC Cruises offers up a wide array of water parks, with different slides and features depending on the ship you're on.
For example, MSC Seaside has a multi-storey water park with FIVE slides including two racing slides, and a 367ft-long slide with lights and music playing as you make your way down. There's also plenty of fun for younger passengers thanks to the splash zones and adventure trails. Meanwhile, MSC Preziosa has Vertigo, a 394ft-long slide with a transparent section that hangs off the edge of the ship!
New ship MSC Virtuosa has a Savannah Aquapark complete with THREE twisting slides, a ‘Himalayan Bridge’ and plenty of pools and water features for all ages. Oh, and it happens to be sailing on UK itineraries this summer!
Find out more at msccruises.co.uk.
Disney Cruise Line
Brits heading on Disney Magic's UK sailings this summer will get to enjoy the onboard water park, AquaLab, with a kids' splash zones and a family pool area.
However, one of the biggest highlights is the three-storey body slide AquaDunk that sends plunging down as the floor beneath opens like a trap door, and you can enjoy a thrilling ride down the 212ft-long slide (complete with a 20ft-long section over the side of the ship!).
While Disney Magic is the only ship sailing in the UK, the company's other ships also feature plenty of water features. For example, both Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy feature the AquaDuck water slide, where riders get into inflatable rings and get propelled down the tube all around the ship.
Find out more at disneycruise.disney.go.com.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian's water parks have everything from splash zones and hot tubs to swimming pools and towering waterslides. Daring holidaymakers can take on Free Fall, the fastest drop slides at sea. (you'll find these on NCL's Breakaway Class ships), or get their adrenaline going as they slide down the 200ft-long Epic Plunge on Norwegian Epic. There are also kids' parks for smaller guests!
Find out more at ncl.com.
Carnival
All of Carnival's ships have at least one waterslide, but over half of its fleet is also home to one of the WaterWorks parks. These include the likes of the Twister Waterslide, side-by-side racing slides, DrainPipe with a huge swirl finish, and the epic PowerDrencher bucket.
New ship Mardi Gras will feature one of the brand's biggest water parks yet, (we've got a sneak peek at the ship where you can see what else will be on offer).
Find out more at carnival.com.
