As cruise lines continue to pack ships with amazing recreational opportunities, passengers can get their fill of adrenaline-pumping action on the top deck -- including ziplining over the pool and sunbathing. As novel as ziplining on the ship may be, is that really where you're going to get your high-flying thrills?
Probably not.
That's why we've studied our globe and identified some of our favorite ziplining spots. Whether you want to enjoy family-friendly fun, overcome an aerial obstacle course or zoom through the forest like a flying squirrel, we've got you covered. Read on to find some of the best cruise ports for ziplining.
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Kauai, Hawaii
St. Maarten/St. Martin
Many islands in the Caribbean are building ziplines and aerial parks, but none match the Flying Dutchman at Rainforest Adventures in St. Maarten. The Dutchman is the world's steepest zipline, and its 42 percent grade will likely leave your knees weak.Located in an eco park on a historic estate, the Flying Dutchman is 2,538 feet long, drops 1,066 feet and has four ziplines so you can race your fellow zippers.Also at Rainforest Adventures is the Souliga Sky Explorer, a four-person chairlift that follows nearly 3,000 feet of cable to the Crow's Nest at the top of Sentry Hill, the highest peak on the island at roughly 1,125 feet high. From here, the view below and of the neighboring islands is nothing short of spectacular.Icy Strait Point, Alaska
In the port of Icy Strait Point, just outside the quaint village of Hoonah, Alaska, is a single zipline: the ZipRider. Why mention just one zipline? Because it's the longest one in the world.To begin, you'll check in and take a safety and orientation class and then hop in a van for a 6-mile ride to the top of the mountain where the ZipRider awaits. Some folks might be satisfied with the ride up and the view -- the island spread out around you, the village below you and there in the distance, floating like a toy boat in a bathtub: your ship.When it's time, you'll strap in and step to the gate. Once it drops, you're off -- sailing over a cliff and flying over the dense forest 300 feet below. The ride takes around 90 seconds and brings you from the mountaintop to the beach. We're willing to bet you don't blink, even once.Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Montego Bay, Jamaica
Want to do something a little bit weird when you zipline? Well, at Zipline Jamaica in Montego Bay, you'll combine zipping on Big Timba, a 1,600-foot-long zipline, with a fruit tasting.No, you won't be munching on a coconut as you fly through the air, but you will stop for a breather on each platform and a tropical delight grown on the farms and in the forests nearby will be offered. It's tasty, refreshing and just strange enough to make us strap in.Zipline Jamaica's course is short -- only five ziplines -- but it soars over a private gated farming community, giving you a taste (with the eyes and the tongue -- don't forget, there's a fruit tasting involved) of rural Jamaica. While you're there, take a stroll through its botanical gardens (fruit tasting not included).St. Kitts
On St. Kitts, a pair of mechanical engineering firms got their heads together to build one of the most technologically advanced zipline systems found anywhere in the world at Sky Safaris.A series of brakes, trolleys (the thing that slides along the zipline), catch-blocks and anchors combine to make a hands-free zipline experience. All you need to do is pull your feet up and lean back in one of the most comfortable zipline harnesses around (it's based on paragliding harnesses, so it's built for all-day use).Sky Safari's five-zipline tour goes through the rainforest and out over the Wingfield River, hitting speeds of up to 50 mph along the way. The showcase zipline takes you 250 feet above the ground and soaring more than 1,300 feet across.Saint John, New Brunswick
Cozumel, Mexico
At Chankanaab Park in Cozumel you can make a day of the national park with tours that combine family-friendly ziplines with snorkeling, a round of laser tag in the jungle and an adventure-filled obstacle course for kids.From the start, the Xtrem Adventure zipline circuit delivers thrills. The first tower on the largest zipline course in Cozumel stands 82 feet high and gives you views of the jungle and the Caribbean Sea. Here, you'll fly over the Chankanaab Lagoon and cross a pair of sky-high crocodile bridges on a course that ranges from four to seven ziplines and towers.Packages here combine ziplining with snorkeling and sea lion shows, starting with a basic four-zipline package for $70.Updated January 08, 2020
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