Is a Theme Cruise Right for Me?
We find out whether a theme cruise is right for you. Though music dominates theme cruises, there are many others, whether that's Star Trek-themed, food, wine, wrestling -- or zombies! Theme cruises have been around for the best part of 15 years (at least in the US), but have only really become popular here in the UK in the past two or three years. Recently, though, increasing numbers of cruise companies have started offering their own themed sailings, working in collaboration with specialist event and production companies like Sixthman, Floating Festivals, Premier Vacations and Entertainment Cruise Productions to bring their offerings to life. The timeline of themed cruises can be traced back more than two decades. Some of the most high-profile theme cruises -- sailings like Rock the Boat, a music festival at sea, have been running for more than 15 years, for example. In a nutshell a themed cruise is a sailing that's tailored around a particular topic, activity, hobby, music genre or celebrity. Everything from onboard activities and menus to shore excursions could be linked to the theme, depending on what it is. Disney Cruise Line has even gotten into the themed cruise arena as of late, leveraging its popular back-catalogue to offer Marvel and Star Wars Day at Sea themed cruises in 2022 . Unsurprisingly, these sailings are incredibly popular with the Disney faithful. Some cruise lines, like Cunard, make offering special themed-sailings as a matter of course; for others, full-ship charters occur as a one-off event that might be repeated annually. In past years, cruise lines have even offered passengers the opportunity to walk amongst the "undead" during their time at sea. A Dead on the Water cruise took place on Carnival Conquest while Walker Stalker -- a Walking Dead-inspired cruise -- played out on Norwegian Pearl. Multiple cruise lines offer sailings for which the ports of call, onboard activities and guest speakers are all linked to wine . P&O Cruises, meanwhile, is famous for its Food Heroes cruises , which allow passengers to brush shoulders with and learn from celebrity chefs like Marco Pierre White and master patissier Eric Lanlard. Then there are the music cruises that are homages to single headliners, such as the Kiss Kruise that features an indoor and pool deck gig by Kiss, and the Runaway to Paradise with Jon Bon Jovi cruise. The Electric Sunsets Back to the 90s cruise on TUIs Marella Explorer, meanwhile, sees passengers getting out their glow sticks to party with the likes of Judge Jules and 5IVE. Several cruise lines offer decade-themed music cruises. Taking place on Royal Caribbeans Explorer of the Seas, Throwback: The 80s Festival at Sea encourages cruisers to pack their crimpers and shoulder pads in order to dance to live music from 80s acts and take part in 80s-inspired games. The best word to describe a themed cruise is immersive. On the Runaway to Paradise with Jon Bon Jovi cruise, for example, guests soaked up drink spillages using Bon Jovi logo napkins, they ate Happy Birthday cupcakes to mark Matt Bongiovi's birthday, they watched Bon Jovi movies in the cinema, bought JBJ merch in the onboard stores, and -- of course -- watched dozens of live gigs -- two of which were performed by the rock legend himself. Pros of a theme cruise  Getting eyeball to eyeball with idols  Most theme cruises feature a celebrity or two -- be it 80s crooner Tony Hadley or superstar Jon Bon Jovi. The set up of a cruise ship naturally gets passengers closer to these VIPs than they would be able to get in the real world. On the Runaway to Paradise cruise, for example, Jon Bon Jovi performed an intimate acoustic set in the Norwegian Pearl's theatre, with the front row of the audience sitting within an arms length of the star. Related: Runaway to Paradise with Jon Bon Jovi Cruise  Jane McDonald will host a Q&A onboard and is also available for up close and personal meet and greets for passengers with VIP passes. On some theme cruises, the VIPs even mingle freely with the passengers -- though don't expect this on every sailing. Some theme cruises fly talent in during a port stop for a set of performances before jetting them off again in the evening, without actually sailing with the vessel. The onboard atmosphere  Theres a strong sense of camaraderie on themed cruises. Passengers know they have something in common from the moment they step onboard and it breaks down barriers. Conversations are struck up quickly and easily everywhere from the lifts to the bars. Related: Theme Cruise Dos and Don'ts  Some theme cruises, like Runaway to Paradise with Jon Bon Jovi, attract superfans, too. Its not uncommon for solo travellers to meet over social media or fan club forums before the cruise and arrange to share a cabin with each other. The simplicity  Theme cruises make it easy for passengers to binge on their favourite things -- whether that's music or a certain hobby. This is especially true for music lovers and fans of bands. Getting on a ship, unpacking, and spending a few nights in a cabin with a warm shower is so much simpler and more comfortable than pitching a tent in a field or battling the crowds around a stadium in order to experience the music and acts they love the most. Cons of a theme cruise  The price of the cruise  Due to the royalties and appearance fees for celebrities, themed cruises, on the whole, tend to come with a higher price tag than the equivalent un-themed cruise on the same boat. Prices of drinks and food can also be ramped up to take advantage of the captive onboard audience. Related: How to Choose the Right Size Galapagos Cruise Ship  Costs of onboard extras  Budgets soon get blown on a themed cruise. Once youve forked out for your transport to the ship, cabin, and any fancy dress you might need to make the most of the cruise, you get onboard to be faced with a list of extras the length of you arm. That can add another $50 or more to your bill. That could set you back another $30. Lengths  Many theme cruises are designed to be short and sweet. Many itineraries last a weekend or five days. Longer options are limited. In some ways, though, this is a blessing in disguise, especially for passengers on music cruises, where cabin lights dont tend to get turned off until the wee small hours of the morning and candles are burnt at both ends and all sides for the duration of the sailing. Related: 10 Things Not to Do on a Cruise Ship Balcony  The ships are not the newest  Passengers book theme cruises for the line-up. For them, the ship is an afterthought. Some cruisers may not even look at what the ship offers until a few days before they are due onboard.