Lazy rivers can be found in resorts around the world, and cruise ships are like a luxury resort at sea.
But while modern cruise ships are more innovative than ever, they aren’t ready for lazy rivers just yet.
Even so, I know I certainly have noticed their absence after embarking on sailings across five different cruise lines. Despite cruising most of my life, I still really want one!
Many other cruisers also share the fantasy of peacefully floating around a cruise ship in a lazy river with a drink in hand as they take in the sights of the ocean and the ship.
“I love the idea of casually floating along with a tropical beverage in a drink-holder on my float and an ever-changing view,” one person mused.
“I imagine a lazy river pool feature with a nice, slow current would be highly appealing to some of the older guests who aren’t into the idea of a five-story water slide drop,” they continued.
Another cruise fan had more specific instructions about how their dream lazy river should look.
“The path of the lazy river needs to connect both sides of the ship, so the floaters can view several ‘neighborhoods’, giving them the idea of what part of the ship to visit later,” they instructed.
“The lazy river needs to have several tiki bars along the river, so floaters can refill their pina coladas (cha-ching) with ease. It needs to play carribean music, and have some greenery around it (even if it’s fake greenery),” they added.
It’s true that in the past, the cruise lines have considered adding lazy rivers to their new ships, but these plans have never come to fruition.
Most famously, Carnival Cruise Line’s Project Pinnacle from the early 2000s was based around a design for the ship of the future.
The vessel would have been the largest in the world at least at the time, coming in at over 200,000 gross tons (on par with or perhaps even bigger than Icon of the Seas).
Her massive size would have allowed her to have never-before-seen amenities like an onboard monorail system and a lazy river that circled the ship.
But unfortunately, the project was cancelled in 2005 due to rising costs and unfavorable exchange rates between the dollar and the euro.
It simply would have cost more than Carnival was willing to spend to build a ship they weren’t sure would actually function correctly, as the concept was very ahead of its time.
A bit more recently, Disney Cruise Line also initially designed the Dream-class vessels (Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy) to have a lazy river around the ship.
However, that plan was also scrapped in favor of a raised water coaster to make the most of limited deck space.
Why Are Lazy Rivers Impractical?
Lazy rivers ultimately come with too many costs and challenges to make them practical for cruise ships, but you never know what the future might hold.
Currently, the biggest issue is that even the giants of the sea are still not quite big enough. Deck space is limited and can be used more efficiently for other desirable features, and the lazy river would simply add too much weight.
For context, a filled standard-sized pool can add hundreds of thousands of pounds, while a lazy river can potentially add thousands to hundreds of thousands of pounds depending on its length and depth.
This could lead to a free surface effect, in which the water sloshing around in the lazy river can actually destabilize the ship.
Another factor to consider is the amount of manpower that it would take to supervise and maintain the lazy river, which comes with additional costs and likely requires hiring more crew members.
First, additional lifeguards would be needed to supervise guests using the lazy river during all operational hours for obvious safety reasons.
Then comes the hassle of cleaning and draining the water feature. Just like the pools, the water would likely need to be drained and treated daily or every other day, which would be a huge undertaking.
If a cruise guest has a bathroom accident, as someone like a child in diapers might, the lazy river would require additional draining and cleaning, too.
In bad weather, rocky seas could also cause the lazy river to overflow. This would, at best, create a huge, slippery mess to clean up, or at worst, potentially even destabilize the cruise ship.
Innovating Water-Filled Fun
Although none of the cruise lines have any plans to add a lazy river on their upcoming new builds, Royal Caribbean is building the longest lazy river in the world at its upcoming private destination in Mahahual, Mexico.
Indeed, the lazy river in Perfect Day Mexico is over a mile long. It will take up to an hour to float the whole length and there will be plenty of swim-up bars and splash zones along the way.
Although the river won’t be onboard Royal Caribbean ships, it can only be accessed by cruising – which is like the next best thing.
This feature will be found in Splash Cove when the exclusive resort opens in the fall of 2027.
Read Also: How to Make Each Cruise a Unique Experience
The cruise lines have also found other ways to innovate the swimming and water-play experiences onboard that are more practical.
For example, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas has Category 6, which is the largest waterpark at sea, and the first ever suspended infinity pool.
Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wish, Disney Treasure, and the upcoming Disney Destiny also feature the now-famous AquaMouse.
This attraction is a first-of-its-kind water coaster that combines the fun of a water slide with a theme park ride.
The other major cruise lines also offer their own takes on thrilling water slides, splash pads, swim-up bars, and in-water lounging for guests to enjoy.
So, while onboard lazy rivers may not be coming in the near future, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the water that will only keep getting better.
