What the Deck?! These 10 Unique Themed Cruises Actually Set Sail

Chris Jericho’s Rock ‘N ‘Wrestling Rager at Sea combines the “worlds of rock and wrestling with a once in a lifetime amazing vacation experience.” What’s included with a ticket purchase? Seats to the epic wrestling experience, “Sea of Honor Tournament,” concerts, live podcast viewings with professional wrestler Chris Jericho himself, and the chance to participate in an epic flip cup tournament (consisting of 32 teams), where the winners get to compete against a surprise guest wrestler. You can book reservations now for the ship’s next sailing, January 20-24, 2020.

Did you know there is a cruise solely for people who love cats? If not, now you know! According to the cruise’s website, the Carnival Paradise-hosted five-night trip which stops at Key West, Florida, Havana, Cuba, and Cozumel, Mexico, includes Meow Meow Trivia—which, presumably features questions about cats—and a “Kitty Scavenger Hunt.” While no cats are allowed onboard, hopefully guests won’t feel too sad about being away from their little buddies as there are plenty of people to connect with who feel the same! Also, I am curious to know what drink puns are on display at the ship’s cocktail party, the “Meow Meow Mixer.”

Yes, it might be massively popular (and only a day-long event), but I just couldn’t bear to leave this one off of the list! Disney has decided to extend the ridiculously beloved Star Wars Day at Sea through this year and 2020, with nine trips leaving from Florida’s Port Canaveral and sailing to such places as Castaway Cay and Cozumel, Mexico. On this week-long cruise’s special day, passengers can train like a Jedi, hang out with popular characters from the Star Wars Universe, indulge in Star Wars-themed food and drink, and race BB-8s. At the end of the day, guests gather on the deck to enjoy a fireworks show set to John Williams iconic score.

It’s Saturday Night Fever…at sea!! The nightly performances on onboard this ship (many of which are set up in a festival-like environment) from such artists as The Jacksons, Sister Sledge, Maxine Nightingale, and KC and The Sunshine Band, make this five-day trip a can’t-miss for any fan of disco. Toss in Q&As with the stars—a good amount of them will be onboard for the entire cruise—dance competitions, pool parties complete with costumes, and karaoke, and you almost have too much to boogie to. While few 2019 spots are left, booking for 2020 tickets—with ports of call in Miami and Key West and Nassau, Bahamas—opened February 22!

Last year, Ancestry.com partnered with Cunard cruise line to offer a “genealogy cruise” on the Queen Mary 2. Four Ancestry experts, including a genetic genealogist and a historical researcher with a passion for military history, provide lectures and insightful workshops for the duration of the seven-day cruise from Southampton, England, to New York, to help guests and crew learn about where they came from. Additionally, a two-night tour of Ellis Island’s immigration halls is offered. Future dates have yet to be announced. The cruise next takes to the seas in 2020, which corresponds with the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage.

This is completely random and that’s exactly why it’s on this list. The Trailer Park Boys Cruise is based on a mockumentary-style Canadian television show named, you guessed it, Trailer Park Boys, which follows the lives of residents living in, you guessed it, a trailer park. A trip on the four-night journey—which is advertised as “Tell the winter to screw off!”—will provide you with such entertainment as two live shows by the Boys, a photo with the Boys, and seats to a live Boys podcast taping. This year’s cruise departed on March 6 from Tampa, Florida, to a private island in the Bahamas (a prime beach party location).

That’s right, Star Wars isn’t the only space opera-themed ship trip on this list—Star Trek: The Cruise IV sets sail in March 2020! The oceanic adventure comes complete with interactive events featuring the show’s stars (including William Shatner and Kate Mulgrew), a VIP T-shirt party, game shows, a ship-wide scavenger hunt, and a museum supplied with Star Trek props, courtesy of CBS. Ports of call include Miami, Florida, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The “world’s only biker rally on a cruise ship,” passengers onboard this Royal Caribbean-sponsored joint (that’s in its 15th year of business) usually have at least one thing in common: motorcycles. Currently organized by a rally-fanatic couple, the weeklong trip includes tattoo and beard contests, “Pirate Biker Bingo,” and the crowd-pleasing “Belly Smacker” contest, which, according to the site, sees contestants “jumping into a pool from a three foot tall platform, arms spread, belly first, hitting the water flat and real painful like….extra points awarded for redness of body parts and the oooohing of the crowd.” The coordinators are also working with Harley Davidson to set up motorcycle rentals in Key West and Tampa for when the ship docks. The next trip is less than a year away—November 30-December 7, 2019.

Clothing-optional cruises are becoming more and more popular these days, and, having been in the game for more than 20 years, Bare Necessities is an excellent place to start if you’re considering a trip of this sort. An outing on any one of the boats on this list will more than likely give you a new perspective on a topic you were previously unfamiliar with, and that’s Bare Necessities’ bread and butter. “When you shed your clothing, you’re also shedding all of the labels that society has given you,” reads [disclaimer: this specific link doesn’t include nudity, but there is nudity on their main page] their website. Onboard activities include costume nights (not sure how that works) and appointments with professional massage therapists. The brand claims 75 percent of “first-time bare cruises” return for another journey, so they must be doing something right. The next trip, South Pacific Escape 2019, sets sail in just a few weeks.

Fun Fact: In 2013, the company chartered over 3,000 passengers, it largest cruise ever, on a Carnival Freedom ship called the Big Nude Boat.

AMC’s The Walking Dead has amassed quite the following since it first aired in 2010; so much so that there’s now a cruise dedicated to it. Onboard, fans can partake in such activities as a special effects makeup competition, a Monster Mash dance party, and a game of “Contagion,” where cruisers must “survive the Walker Apocalypse.” Stars of the show, like Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Melissa McBride, will also join guests on the Norwegian Pearl to provide autographs and participate in Q&As. This year’s cruise set sail on February 21 from Tampa, Florida to Nassau, Bahamas.

That’s right, the “Golden Fans At Sea: A Fan Cruise” is based on the beloved Golden Girls TV show that chronicled four women who lived together in Miami during their golden years; it departs from, fittingly, Miami on February 24, 2020 for Key West and Cozumel, and returns on February 29. Coordinated by Flip Phone Events, the cruise will feature a bevy of fan service-centric events including a musical celebration from drag trio, The Golden Gays NYC, a Rusty Anchor Karaoke party and a panel discussion with Stan Zimmerman, one of the show’s original writers. Tickets for the recently-announced voyage went so quickly that Flip Phone’s site is no longer taking new reservation requests and any cancellations could result in a $200 penalty!