Almost every cruise ship over 100,000-gross tons has a waterslide, but which waterslides provide the most thrills?

Vertigo aboard MSC Preziosa

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The cruise ship waterslide debuted in 1990 aboard Carnival Fantasy, according to The Points Guy, and since then they have become a staple of water parks aboard almost every sizeable cruise ship in the industry.

The waterslides aboard today’s mega cruise ships are far longer, more twisty and exciting than those earlier versions aboard Carnival’s Fantasy-class ships though. Like most aspects of the modern cruise experience, they even rival options that can be found on land.

Here, Cruise Arabia & Africa takes a look at the ten best waterslides aboard a cruise ship.

Ultimate Abyss – Royal Caribbean International

While technically not a waterslide, Ultimate Abyss very much deserves its place on this list. The slide debuted aboard Harmony of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s third Oasis-class cruise ship and has since been retrofitted to the first two ships (Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas) during their major refit and refurbishment projects.

Ultimate Abyss is a ten-deck high, 220-foot pair of slides that descend from the pool deck up top, down to the Boardwalk neighbourhood (one of seven on each ship) below. There is a special mat included that makes sure there is no risk of an accident.

AquaDunk – Disney Cruise Line

Disney’s AquaDunk is exhilarating from the moment you step into it, as it starts with a bombardier-style hatch with a free-fall beneath. The slide descends through three decks, but lasts just seven seconds, despite enclosed tubes that twist at least 20 feet out over the side of Disney Magic, the only ship the slide is currently available on. It was added during her 2013 refurbishment and has become a defining characteristic of the vessel.

Tidal Wave – Royal Caribbean International

Royal Caribbean’s Tidal Wave, introduced aboard Liberty of the Seas following her 2016 refit, is the first boomerang style slide at sea that plummets you down then flings you up into total tidal weightlessness. The constant jet of water make sure that guests reach the top of the boomerang. The waterslide is available on the cruise line’s Freedom-class ships.

AquaDuck – Disney Cruise Line

The AquaDuck waterslide is more of a roller coaster and was introduced aboard Disney Dream in January, 2011 and then later on the Disney Fantasy in February, 2012. The slide lets two passengers ride a two-person raft down a tube that descends four decks along its length of 765 feet, 13 feet above the deck, with ocean views from 150 feet up through clear Perspex.

Twister – Carnival Cruise Line

As the name suggests, this is a spiraling slide found aboard 22 of Carnival Cruise Line’s ships. Descending through several decks from the very top of the ship, it is a 340-foot twisting ride with hundreds of gallons of water propelling you down.

Aqua Racer – Norwegian Cruise Line

Passenger can ride this slide with inner tubes as a single or double-ride. The marine-life theme gives way to a completely see-through section, from where guests can see the ocean for a second, right before you go back into pitch black and various lighting effects that enhance the feeling of falling through a vortex.

Kaleid-O-Slide – Carnival Cruise Line

The Kaleid-O-Slide is the longest and most thrilling waterslide in the Carnival fleet. While rafting in a waterslide 450 feet long, down several decks, is already exciting, this enclosed ride is filled to the brim with visual effects, hence the name. The slide is found aboard the cruise line’s Carnival Vista ship, but each Vista-class ship has a version of it. Aboard Carnival Horizon, for example, there is a similar Cat in the Hat slide.

Forest Aquaventure – MSC Cruises

At a whopping (and looping) 367 feet in length with clear sides, the Forest Aquaventure slide is without a doubt the key attraction within the water park after which it is named. This slide extends almost completely overboard, so guests will a pretty clear view of the ocean. It’s available on MSC Cruises’ Seaside-class cruise ships MSC Seaside and MSC Seaview.

Free Fall – Norwegian Cruise Line

Free Fall, found aboard the Breakaway-class cruise ships, is the fastest drop slide at sea, plunging guests down five decks. You start off with a countdown above a trop door to build suspense!

Vertigo – MSC Cruises

This almost 400-foot-long slide was the longest single-person waterslide on any cruise ship when it debuted aboard MSC Preziosa in 2013. It drops down through four decks and forty feet at a speed of up to 6-metres per second. Like any good cruise ship water slide, it features a section of clear Perspex for amazing views.