Derived from the Italian “lido,” referring to a pool or beach, a cruise ship’s lido deck (pronounced “lee-doh”) is where you’ll find the ship’s main pool and sundecks, but often so much more. A prominent feature for most cruise lines, the lido deck can also be home to buffets, restaurants, bars, outdoor activities and other features.
Here’s what you need to know.
In This Article:
What’s on the Lido Deck?
While pools and sun decks with lounge chairs are the very basic features on a lido deck, what exactly you’ll find on a ship’s lido deck will depend on both the cruise line and individual cruise ship.
Other popular features and attractions you might find on your ship’s lido deck include:
- Water slides
- Hot tubs
- Dining options (particularly the ship’s buffet)
- Poolside bars
- Amenities such as showers and restrooms
- A spa
- Retractable roofs for use in poor weather
As an example, on Carnival Celebration, the lido deck is technically deck 16. Here, you’ll find two pools, plus dining and drinking options, including BlueIguana Cantina, Lido Marketplace (the buffet), RedFrog Tiki Bar, the Seafood Shack, and Street Eats. You’ll also find a handful of staterooms.
On Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas, the lido deck isn’t called the lido deck (that’s the case on all Royal Caribbean cruise ships), but it could still be considered deck 11, where you’ll find the pools and buffet.
Beyond the main pool, sports pool and Windjammer Café (the buffet), this deck also contains multiple whirlpools, a handful of suites, the solarium, part of the fitness center, the Splashaway Bay water area for children, The Lime & Coconut bar, El Loco Fresh, Chops Grille, The Plaza Bar and Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen.
Celebrity Cruises calls its lido decks its resort decks. On Celebrity Edge, the resort deck on deck 14 houses a terraced pool and sundeck, lap pool, pool bar, cabanas, the solarium, the rooftop garden and a handful of dining and drinking options, like Oceanview Café and Il Secondo Bacio.
More generally, most cruise ships use their lido decks as a hub of activity, so you can expect a lot of events happening here. For example, deck parties often occur on the lido deck, and you can usually find some daily programming occurring, from movies in the pool to crew member-led contests and games.
Should You Book a Stateroom on the Lido Deck?
As you probably noticed above, on some cruise ships, there are some staterooms and suites on the Lido deck. These staterooms come with their pros and cons.
The pros to booking a stateroom on the lido deck include being close to all the action, as well as having a higher position up on the ship, giving you better overall views (this is why you’ll sometimes find suites on the lido deck, taking advantage of the height).
Read Also: What Are the Best Rooms on a Cruise Ship?
The cons, though, include more noise and foot traffic. While lido deck staterooms are set apart from the main public attractions, you’ll still be exposed to all that activity to some degree. Don’t expect a very quiet deck.
Additionally, the height of these cabins can be a problem for those who suffer from seasickness. The general rule is that seasickness can be lessened by staying toward the middle of the ship, where the ship’s motion is less noticeable.
Where to Find Your Cruise Ship’s Lido Deck
Some cruise lines, like Carnival Cruise Line, explicitly call their lido deck just that, on a ship’s deck plan. However, other cruise lines don’t use this terminology. Instead, the lido deck is just synonymous with the cruise line’s top deck or pool deck.
So, if you want to find the lido deck on your cruise ship, head upward. You’ll know you’re there when you see, most importantly, the main pool.
What to Do on the Lido Deck
On most cruises, you don’t even really need to go out of your way to have fun on the lido deck. It’ll naturally happen over the course of your cruise, so long as you’re not staying holed up in your stateroom the entire time.
However, you should definitely try to make plans to specifically do a few things on the lido deck.
Spend an Afternoon by the Pool
Lounging by the main pool is a required experience for any new cruiser. Whether you go during a sea day (though note it’ll be more crowded then) or come back to the ship early after exploring port and then head to the pool, the main pool is a fun, lively spot you’ll want to enjoy.
Grab a Bite at the Buffet
Even if you’re not a buffet person on land, a cruise ship buffet may just win you over. Outfitted with just about every food you could want and with much longer opening hours than some other cruise ship restaurants, the buffet is a favorite with avid cruisers. Plus, it’s free!
Attend a Deck Party
Deck parties occur throughout your sailing, with most cruise lines hosting a sailaway party as soon as the cruise ship departs on embarkation day, and then other, themed parties throughout the cruise.
Every event, though, is typically high-energy and full of fun, with flowing drinks, live music, DJs and more. Attend at least the sailaway party, which can really set a fun tone for your cruise.
What Not to Do on the Lido Deck
There are also a few things you should not do on the lido deck. Even though this area is one of the more laid-back, casual areas of the ship, there are still some rules.
Don’t Let the Kids Run Wild
Keep an eye on the kiddos while you’re on the lido deck. Yes, there’s plenty of fun to be had, but there are also potential hazards. Children should not be running around the pool area or near the side of the ship. You also want to ensure they’re not disturbing other passengers with excessive noise.
Don’t Set up Camp by the Pool
Yes, spend time by the main pool. Don’t, however, set up camp like you own the place. These guests are known as chair hogs. Carnival Cruise Line actually upped its efforts to clamp down on this lido deck practice.
Most cruise lines frown on reserving deck chairs via setting a towel, flip-flops or beach bags on the chair, and they definitely frown on disruptive actions like bringing your own music via a portable speaker. (In fact, you may find that some cruise lines don’t even allow you to bring portable speakers on board!)
Don’t Disrespect Adults-Only and Kids-Only Spaces
The great thing about a cruise vacation is that, with most cruise lines, the experience will appeal to everyone in the family. There’s plenty for kids to do and plenty for adults to enjoy as well.
Worth Reading: Why Do Cruise Ships Use Port and Starboard Instead of Left and Right?
This is in part thanks to cruise ships offering separate spaces that are exclusively for kids and exclusively for adults. As such, don’t muddy the waters by bringing kids into adults-only spaces on the lido deck (like the solarium) and don’t crowd the kid-friendly spaces like splash pads with older children and adults.
