For some people nothing says holiday more than floating around the ocean having their every whim attended to. Buffets, free shows, single people over 40 looking for requited love – all whilst marooned miles from the nearest land mass.

Cruise ship holidays are only increasing in popularity, their affordability remaining a massive draw card. Now a host of megaships are set to take to the ocean in 2016 and CNN has the pick of the bunch:

Carnival Vista

Its SkyRide — invented by the same guy who came up with Rollerblades in the 1980s — will be the cruise industry’s “first pedal-powered, aerial attraction.”

Guests pedal two side-by-side pods on an 800-foot track (244 meters), some 20 to 40 feet above the highest ship deck.

Carnival Vista’s water park will feature the new 455-foot Kaleid-O-Slide — a rainbow-colored drop that gives riders a psychedelic vibe, while the ship will also have the first ever IMAX Theater at sea.

Holland America’s ms Koningsdam

This ship’s “Music Walk” will offer three different stages…

Live musicians will rock the crowd with cover hits while the B.B. King’s Blues Club is set to deliver a Memphis sound at sea.

Aside from live tunes, the ship’s top deck is home to a stunning pool with fountains and three whirlpools.

A spa features thermal pools, heated ceramic lounges and treatment rooms with sea views.

Ovation of the Seas

The ship will feature the wildly innovative inside cabins with “virtual balconies” that use high definition flat screens that replicate the look of an actual veranda.

External cameras provide real-time views giving interior-cabin passengers the sights and sounds of an actual balcony experience…

Kids will be drawn to the excitement of the FlowRider surf simulator, a towering rock-climbing wall, indoor roller skating and skydiving simulator RipCord by iFLY.

The Ovation will also have a North Star gondola propelling guests 300 feet above the ocean in a glass capsule.

Seabourn Encore

The Grand Salon is a stunning space that will be the setting for Seabourn’s guest speaker series, Seabourn Conversations (think big-deal movers-and-shakers), as well as cooking demos, comedy acts, classical recitals and more.

Evenings are for dancing as vocal and cabaret performances take center stage.

For those in need of some gambling action, every night the Seabourn Encore’s The Club transforms into an intimate full casino with slot machines, blackjack and roulette tables.

AIDAprima

Thrills come in the form of one of the longest water slides at sea, rock climbing and a Hawaiian-style “beach club” under an expandable, transparent dome…

The stunning three-level Theatrium will feature an impressive circular stage with LED technology and an interactive floating globe.

If cruising is your thing then now is as good a time as any to sail the big blue sea. I’ll stick to terra firma please, far easier to escape from people who are grinding your gears after about 15 minutes.

[source:cnn]