10 Amazing Cruise Ship Features

The cruise industry is constantly innovating and rolling out new features designed to elevate the guest experience. For today's cruise passenger, there's no shortage of exciting onboard services, amenities and attractions to look forward to. Here are 10 of the most amazing.

Believe it or not, the new and improved Norwegian Joy offers guests a two-level go-kart race track in the middle of the ocean. However, that's just one of many exciting onboard amenities following the ship's $50-plus million refurbishment.

Hop into this small, glass-enclosed room filled with manmade snow and your body will feel rejuvenated in no time. You'll find the special snow grotto in Viking Cruises' renewing thermal suite.

Guests will be tempted to test their courage and coordination on Norwegian Cruise Line's challenging ropes courses, which are available on the Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Getaway and the Norwegian Breakaway. In addition to providing plenty of fun, the outdoor attractions feature incredible views of the ship and the surrounding ocean.

Carnival Cruise Line recently announced an agreement with Brew Hub to become the first cruise line to can and keg its own private label beers. The signature libations are produced by its in-house brewery team aboard the Carnival Horizon and Carnival Vista ships and are available in 16-ounce cans as well as on tap across Carnival's 26 ships.

Royal Caribbean International's first-ever aqua coaster is the longest water slide at sea at a length of 800 feet. Guests sailing the Navigator of the Seas will be propelled by not one, but five waterjet blasters as they slide down a series of dramatic dips and drops. Part of the slide is even suspended over the water to further enhance the thrill.

Scheduled to debut on Carnival's Mardi Gras in 2020, the open-air BOLT: Ultimate Sea Coaster promises to be the industry's first-ever roller coaster at sea. Riders will race around nearly 800 feet of track almost 190 feet above sea level, reaching speeds of up to 40 mph while taking in 360-degree ocean views.

Royal Caribbean's Sky Pad-featured on Mariner of the Seas and Independence of the Seas-combines virtual reality with a bungee trampoline, making for a one-of-a-kind onboard experience ideal for adrenaline junkies of all ages.

Another exceptional feature cruise passengers will find on Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas is the Riptide-the only headfirst mat racer waterslide at sea. The ride's tube becomes translucent as it extends out over the sea so riders can take in breathtaking ocean views.

Guests sailing onboard Norwegian Joy will want to step into the Galaxy Pavilion, an immersive experience that takes players into a virtual world featuring a cutting-edge racing simulator and a 3D animated video screen that will have you feeling like you're anywhere but a cruise ship.

Escape rooms are blowing up so it's only natural that they would expand to cruise ships. Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas offers guests the opportunity to attempt to Escape the Rubicon before their 60 minutes is up. Much like the escape rooms on dry land, players will have to work together to find hidden clues and solve a series of puzzles in order to succeed.