What is a themed cruise?

Do you love 70s or 80s music, or maybe you are a huge Star Trek fan? A themed cruise might just be the ticket for you.

There is an incredible selection of themed cruises that let you enjoy your favorite hobby, sport, passion, or music for the ultimate cruise vacation. 

With famous bands, celebrities, and theme-related activities, it can be a wonderful way to combine a cruise vacation with something you love.  

Where to start? We look at some of the best options offered and everything you need to know to plan a fantastic themed cruise. 

What is a themed cruise? 

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A themed cruise is simply a special sailing that centers on a particular interest. Cruisers get to come together and share a passion, music, hobby, interest, love a sports team, and a whole host of other topics. This can range from iconic rock music to wine, arts and crafts, and even nude cruises. 

These cruises can come in a couple of different forms, including a full charter, where everyone is onboard to enjoy the festivities. Alternatively, it can be a group of hundreds of passengers who meet up at different points in the day to share their mutual interests. 

Cruise lines promote themed cruises on their websites, while others are marketed and organized through third parties, resulting in a multitude of options, something for everyone. 

How to find a themed cruise for you 

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A great first step in finding out about a themed cruise is looking at cruise line websites. These unique sailings are listed separately, most often in a separate “Themed Cruises” section with a description of the cruise, dates, as well as how to book the cruise.

Many themed cruises are done through third parties and are advertised more than a year in advance. You may already be affiliated or have a membership with some of these companies. For example, Sirius XM is currently promoting their Outlaw Country Cruise to those fans of the channel. 

A simple internet search will also show several options. A good travel agent can assist with guiding you through the ins and outs of themed cruising. 

Why book a themed cruise? 

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A themed cruise is a fantastic way to vacation, with the added bonus of activities and entertainment suited to your personal preferences and interests. While cruise lines do a great of providing a wide variety of entertainment and activities onboard, a themed cruise gives you more of what you love, whether that be heavy metal music or knitting. 

You also get the opportunity to meet people who share the same passion and interests. Maybe it's history, architecture, or a love of cats - there is a cruise for you out there.  While onboard, there are tons of events already planned, which means less work for you. 

As part of the themed cruises, there are celebrities, bands, and numerous curated events, to make the most of the experience. This makes it easy to experience a lot of activities and entertainment in one place, with everything organized for you. Cruising is currently one of the best value vacations, with food, basic drinks, and entertainment included in your cruise fare, another bonus. 

Themed cruise offerings

The major cruise lines offer a number and wide range of themed cruises. Here are some highlights of themed cruises offered by major cruise lines. 

Royal Caribbean 

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Royal Caribbean is well known for its fun-filled themed cruise, including favorites like Star Trek. Loyal fans of the legendary series enjoy the ultimate immersive experience, where they can converse with fellow fans as well as meet actors from the long running show.

Other fun themes include an 80s cruise, heavy metal music, and lots of old school music from the 60s and 70s.

Norwegian Cruise Line

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Cruisers who enjoy Broadway will love this cruise line’s offerings. With plenty of one of a kind performances with famous actors, including Alan Cumming and Kristen Chenoweth. They even leave from New York City, the center of musical theatre. 

Norwegian Cruise Line also have other themed cruise that includes a variety of music, such as blues, hip-hop, and rock. Guests can also experience pirate themed, wellness, comedy, rugby, and wrestling cruises. 

Celebrity Cruises 

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Travel back in time with their fun Ultimate Disco Cruise. Pull out your bell bottoms and get ready to dance as you relive the glory of music from Saturday Night Fever and other 70s classics. Fun activities include celebrity meet and greets, panel discussions, and dance lessons.

Bring back your tie-dye shorts with a Flower Power cruise to celebrate the 60s, as well as 70s rock music and a variety of jazz cruises. 

Holland America Line

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This cruise line is known for sailing to a huge range of destinations, with immersive cultural experiences and over 500 itineraries worldwide. Adding to their impressive onboard experiences, Holland America also has themed cruises with a special focus on wine and food.

Their Heritage Cruises are perfect for history buffs who want to go one step deeper in understanding the incredible history and culture of their ports of call.  And, at the end of the day, enjoy customized meals and events from their world-class chefs who share some of their signature dishes. 

MSC Cruises 

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With a strong international presence, MSC Cruises has several theme cruises with some regional specialties. Music lovers can indulge in 80s and 90s cruises, to name a few. They also offer a kid focused cruise, sailing out of South Africa, an arts festival, and a 72-hour party cruise in the Indian Ocean. 

They have a partnership with F1 racing which allows cruise ship passengers to participate in weekend race activities. Guests have the opportunity to enjoy all the festivities of race weekend while docked nearby. The European cruise line recently announced a specialized program for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Other considerations 

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Some other themed cruises to consider: 

• Disney Cruise Line ships are full of great movie and entertainment themes. To add to the experience, they offer special at sea days that include Marvel, Pixar, and the ever popular Star Wars.  Dress up and be a pirate for the day or enjoy holiday themed cruises. 
• Princess Cruises takes you back to the 80s cruise. There’s no such thing as too much neon, as cruisers enjoy movies, music, and trivia of the days past.  There are also comedy and culinary cruises. 
• Carnival Cruise Line features a “Meow Meow cruise” for those who love their feline friends (sorry, cats can't come). There are even nude cruises.

In addition, there are numerous other options such as Golden Girl Cruises, scrapbooking, LGBTQ+, literature, religious groups, all genres of music, Downtown Abbey, Game of Thrones, and various dance themes. 

River Cruises 

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River cruises have the ability to travel to smaller ports and unique locations, making them especially well-suited to themed cruises. Guests are treated to unique experiences as they gingerly traverse the grand rivers of the past in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. 

There are numerous river cruises that explore the historic waterways of the United States. American Cruise Lines offers a number of great themed cruises such as the American Revolution, colonial times, food, as well as tracing the famous adventurous tales of that Mark Twain. American Queen Voyages offers a culinary and cocktails experience, wine, jazz, or the Kentucky Derby. 

In Europe, Uniworld offers a number of art-related cruises, in addition to Jewish genealogy-themed cruises. Avalon offers separate beer, wine, and culinary cruises, European history, garden and nature, photography, and Jewish heritage. AmaWaterways offers wine and golf theme cruises. 

Tips for themed cruises 

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• Research – It is essential to understand what type of cruise you will be going on. Is it a fully charted cruise with non-stop activities and fun, or a few hundred people meeting for special events?  Cruisers should have a realistic expectation of what the cruise includes - live performance, trivia, dress-up, interactive sessions, and special port activities.
• Budget - Make sure to know what the cruise fare covers and if there are any additional costs. Does it include the activities such as meet in greets with celebrities? Also, look at onshore activities, as many have an extra charge. 
• Book early - Some themed cruises are very popular, with devotees returning each year. Consequently, they sell out quickly and early. If this is a cruise you really want to do, plan accordingly. It is also a good idea, as with any cruise, to understand the cruise line policy regarding changes and cancellations. If the themed cruise is booked by a third party, their policies may differ from those of the cruise line. 
• Be prepared - Check out suggested costumes/ supplies. If it is customary to dress up you want to ensure you are well prepared to party in style. 
• Solo cruisers - If you are a solo cruiser, don't forget about solo meetups and other activities to help you get to know more of your fellow passengers.  Also, look out for special deals for solo cruisers and solo cabins. 
• Booking through third parties - Make sure you research the organization, especially if it is not through a cruise line website. Read reviews, and check the Better Business Bureau for their history.