Carnival Mardi Gras Deck 18

You may think basketball is all about the hoop and getting the ball in there, but you may not have ever played on a Carnival® ship. Here, it’s all about the journey to the hoop: the view and the sea breeze you take in as you drive your way past defenders to put the rock in the bucket. Say, that actually reminds us of cruising — the destinations may rock, but it’s all about getting there. (Be warned, though — on our court, strange as it may seem, traveling is still considered a foul.)

Jogging may not immediately come to mind when you think of things to do at sea, but it probably should. You don’t have to walk on water, you just have to get on a Carnival cruise. After all, if you’re going to jog, you’d be hard-pressed to find a place to do it with a more scenic view, or a more refreshing breeze — both of these are available in abundance when you go for an open-air jog on the upper-deck. Jogging tracks are available on almost all Carnival ships, and are even padded for long-distance comfort.

Ah, imagine a perfect day out on the links, the golfer's zen of the ball, the hole and nothing in between but well-manicured fairway... plus one cactus, a treasure chest... and wait, is that a windmill in the way? Just who designed this course anyway? Whoever it was, they had one thing in mind — maximum fun for mini-golfers, big and small! That's precisely why you'll find a course on every Carnival® ship, where you can hit the holes and take in everything you’d expect, like the sights and the sounds... plus the seagulls.

POOL DAY! Whether today's the day for a bit of a dip, a dash of splash or even some swimming — or just a serious poolside lounging session — your Carnival cruise has just the pool for you. In fact, pools are so important to a great cruise that we designed many of our ships to have two of them. At an aft pool you'll catch a breeze, plus a sea view featuring the ship's wake, while midship pools have an grand view of a different kind: the big screen's right there for the viewing. And no matter which you find yourself chilling in, the sunbeams are yours for the soaking.

Somebody at Carnival knows just what you need, and it's pretty much exactly the Serenity Adult-Only Retreat™. Look, you'll still be on the same ship as the kids, the hoopla, and all the Carnival-style excitement… but you could easily forget, because when you’re at Serenity you could not be further from it all. The world you'll find yourself in is one of complete peace, sea breezes and, of course, a nearby bar. It's the place to get done the kind of stuff you just can't seem to do anywhere else — reconnect with your partner, finish that book, or do absolutely, blissfully, nothing at all.

The chance to complete an awesome challenge, high above it all… now that's what you want in a good ropes course. An awesome ropes course, however, will let you do all that with a cool sea breeze and a view to match! Not sure that navigating a high-up-there challenge is for you? Did we mention that on SkyCourse™ you'll be safely strapped in, emboldening you to take on the kinds of challenges you may not normally feel up to? Here everyone — even kids — become thrill-seekers, testing their ability to make their way around the course. The course features two levels of challenge, and you can increase or decrease the toughness as you go. So take to the sky... SkyCourse that is.

Your Carnival cruise may take you far, far away from the competitive daily rat-race, but you’ll find an oasis of friendly competition at SportSquare. Take on friends at mini-golf, battle strangers at basketball, or push yourself to new heights at SkyCourse™... or to record-setting low times at the jogging track. SportSquare™ gets you in the game with soccer and volleyball (the b-ball court converts!), brings pool, foosball and ping-pong to the table, and rounds things out for shaping up with your choice of stationary bikes, elliptical machines, weight-lifting equipment and punching bags. Are you game? (SportSquare offerings vary by ship.)

Above the ship you'll find the shining sun, but that's not all — basking in its rays is a gleaming symbol of fun, a monument to merriment... a sign of splashy-good times to come. Spot the spiraling Twister Waterslide™ atop your Carnival ship and you can be sure that your vacation comes complete with twists, turns and squeals of thrilled delight. Countless gallons of water rush through the entire length of this slide, so you're by no means dry when you start, but by the time you reach the end — hundreds of feet later — you reach new levels of soaking, splashing down in that classic waterslide photo-finish: hands-up, eyes wide and nothing but exhilaration on your face.

A Carnival cruise is all about service. There’s usually someone to take you dinner order, make your bed, bring you drinks, give massages at the spa, and so on. In fact, there’s actually very little aboard where you’re left to fend for yourself. Volleyball is an activity we’d definitely term to be — pardon the pun — self-service. That said, whatever your serving style happens to be — overhand, underhand, sidearm — you can take to the court and get the play started your way.

Wanna splish — and splash — the day away? Head on over to WaterWorks™, Carnival's onboard waterpark. First up, there's the Twister Waterslide™, hundreds of feet of spiraling awesomeness that starts you off high in the air and gets you down low with one of the fastest, wettest rides you'll find anywhere. Select ships have side-by-side racing slides, which make serious competition seriously fun. Wear your speed suit for Speedway Splash, which features hundreds of feet of racing action, plus special lighting effects you'll experience on the road to victory. DrainPipe™ ends with one major swirl of a finish, while PowerDrencher™ takes soaking seriously — imagine the biggest bucket of water you've ever seen, raining down on you from above. And this isn't just kids' stuff — the young at heart are encouraged to zoom and splash around too! (WaterWorks configurations vary by ship.)