Welcome to the wonderful world of themed cruises, where you are sure to find something that piques your interest. I’ve found there’s a dangerous rabbit hole to go down when you start manically searching for the most obscure cruise themes, but here is a selection of what's out there - and, boy, there's plenty to choose from. Ranging from relatively predictable to wild and wacky, discover a variety of themed cruises that’ll either make you say, 'here, take all my money and get me onboard!' or 'I think that's quite enough internet for today'.
Ten niche themed cruises
1. 1980s-themed
A blast from the past, you can transport yourself back to the 1980s or enjoy this iconic era for the first time with Ambassador’s 80s-themed cruise. Passengers will be surrounded in nostalgia, from the old school menu to the leotard and leg warmer workout classes, as the cruise ship sails from Bristol Royal Portbury to London Tilbury across two nights.
2. Rock and Roll
Rock and roll is alive and well on the open seas! These electrifying concert cruises offer live music experiences with bands and tribute acts performing all the head-banging classics. Themed events include karaoke nights, costume parties and music workshops alongside the usual cruise activities and excursions. The rock and roll cruise feels perfect for concert and festival goers who want to enjoy not having to wear wellies and standing in the rain while listening to their favourite songs (I’m looking at you Glastonbury).
3. Gaming and eSports
The Royal Caribbean hosts a gaming cruise for video game connoisseurs, as well as virtual reality and tabletop game fans, where guests can play together and participate in other activities such as cosplay competitions or cocktail parties. While great for tabletop gamers who might struggle to find a group to play with in person, I’m unsure how I feel about spending a cruise in front of a screen when you can just play video games at home!
4. Wellness and Yoga Retreat
If you’re looking for inner peace, it might be found at sea on a wellness and yoga retreat cruise. Passengers can expect to nurture the mind, body and spirit through yoga sessions, meditation and wellness workshops while sailing to serene, picturesque destinations. With spa treatments, detoxing and stress relief activities, this cruise would be great for anyone who wants a calm and relaxing break from everything.
5. Star Trek
Star Trek fans unite! There is a dedicated 7-day cruise just for Trekkies to fully immerse themselves in the world of Star Trek surrounded by like-minded fans. There are live musical performances, comedy nights and themed parties to enjoy, as well as appearances from actors who have starred in Star Trek, including Kate Mulgrew who played Voyager Captain Kathryn Janeway!
6. Cat Lovers
On a smaller scale, the Meow Meow Cruise for cat lovers is an organised group event that takes place on the Princess Cruise Line. There are cat-themed events with the group while at sea, such as trivia and a scavenger hunt, but most of the cruise time will be spent at your leisure. You can dine with fellow cat lovers and enjoy lengthy cat chats to your heart's content. Purrrfect!
7. Sex and Swingers
Yes, this is a thing. It does exist. There are cruises specifically for swingers to have fun in an open-minded and judgement-free environment. One of the rules is that you must be dressed when dining, except the extent of ‘dressed’ may be questionable. There are sex-positive activities and entertainment, such as themed trivia and workshops, as well as special private rooms to go about your, ahem, activities.
8. Pirate-themed
Probably the most fitting concept for a seafaring voyage on this list is the pirate-themed cruise. However, the cruise hosted by TUI is a single day activity as opposed to a multi-day trip and is geared towards family and children. The crew are dressed as pirates and host games and face painting for the children while there are multiple swimming spots where the boat stops for everyone to enjoy.
9. Astronomy and Stargazing
You can learn about the stars and witness the majestic Northern Lights on an astronomy cruise. This 12-day cruise takes passengers along the western and northern coast of Norway with multiple stops to go on excursions as well as lectures from renowned astronomers. This themed cruise is educational and breathtaking with telescope viewings, stargazing sessions and workshops.
10. CrimeCruise
Don’t let the name scare you; CrimeCruise is a unique themed cruise for true crime enthusiasts that hosts talks from experts, game nights and a murder mystery activity to scratch that investigator itch. There are educational presentations as well as meet and greets, while you can debate the fact from the fiction of famous true crime cases over dinner.
Final thoughts
Sometimes, it can feel like we don’t have enough time to enjoy our hobbies or take a break to travel, but a themed cruise combines both and gives you the opportunity to participate in tailored events and activities while discovering new places and seeing new sights. It's also a great way to meet like-minded people!
Depending on the theme, some cruises are shorter than a regular cruise and are more similar to a day activity. You may also find that the theme can overshadow what you could be looking for in a regular cruise, for example, you might be sacrificing off-ship stops and excursions for more at-sea themed events.
The wide variety of activities from workshops to meeting celebrity guests and being part of a large community makes themed cruises an exciting and interesting experience. Maybe it’ll make you consider a cruise holiday if you haven’t been on one before. It’s amazing that there are inclusive experiences such as these that allow people to be passionate about their interests in a unique, immersive and adventurous way.