Think cruising is same-same? You haven’t tried themed sailings

If you think cruising is mostly identical, then you haven’t discovered the joys of themed cruises. These days, you can immerse yourself in any number of esoteric delights at sea: Game of Thrones, knitting, disco, golf, goths, scrapbooking, bridge-playing, cherry-blossom season or Grand Prix racing.

Into the theme on a Princess Cruise.

And yes, you can even do a nudist cruise on Norwegian Pearl from Florida in February 2025, or Scenic Eclipse II out of Cairns in October 2025.

Cruise lines see value in themed cruises, which book out quickly and help fill cabins in shoulder seasons. They might attract new customers who haven’t cruised before, or who’ve previously been loyal to another brand.

You can expect all the benefits and amenities of a regular cruise, on top of which you’ll enjoy special on-board activities such as workshops, costume parties, panel discussions, concerts, lectures or the chance to meet TV celebrities, writers or musicians. Shore excursions often address themes, too.

The range is wide. This year, Royal Caribbean ran rock music, Star Trek, Comic-Con and 1980s-themed cruises. Princess had sailings themed on magicians, food and wine, and the Love Boat.

Disney does Halloween on the High Seas. Celebrity operates LGBTQ+, culinary and jazz-themed cruises. Norwegian’s music cruises cover country, blues, Broadway or disco. Cunard frequently runs literary, culinary, film, dance, classical music and wine cruises.

Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth sails from Sydney on December 11, 2024, on a five-night Australian Literature Festival at Sea cruise, with special guests such as Australian bestselling author Fiona McIntosh, British author Alexander McCall Smith, and award-winning New Zealand author Paul Cleave.

Themed cruises perhaps work best on spacious larger budget ships, but smaller and upmarket cruise lines offer them as well. The focus tends to be more land-based. Azamara, for example, has a golf cruise in the British Isles in July 2025 in which guests can play at prestigious courses and attend the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush.

Gastronomy and wine-themed cruises are the most common. Windstar has a partnership with the US not-for-profit culinary arts organisation James Beard Foundation. Oceania has a culinary masters cruise in the Mediterranean this October with French chefs Alexis Quaretti and Eric Barale. Others such as Explora Journeys and Sea Cloud invite Michelin-starred chefs on special sailings.

Also common on upmarket lines are wellness cruises. Crystal Cruise has two wellness-themed cruises departing Barcelona or Tema in Ghana in December 2024, on Crystal Symphony, with wellness experts providing insight into nutrition, fitness, mental wellbeing and healthy ageing. Guests can get lively with dance classes, pickleball and yoga workshops; shore excursions offer kayaking, golf and hiking.

Don’t overlook river cruises, which are particularly rich in themed itineraries. Art, antiques, beer, Jewish heritage, history, gastronomy and gardens are among European themes, while in America you can focus on the American Revolution, Civil War, country music or Mark Twain. Whatever floats your boat.