I took a Mediterranean cruise onboard the MSC Meraviglia.
In this post, I will be talking about my experience on the Himalayan Bridge rope course and the waterslides. Both activities at free to try at no additional cost.
You can find my full ship review here: MSC Meraviglia, ship review.
Both the ropes course and waterslides are free to use, so why not give them a try?
Ropes Course
The ropes course onboard is known as the ‘Himalayan Bridge’ and is made up of 12 separate parts.
Up to 30 passengers can be on the course at once and there are two paths to take over each section.
The crew carefully strap you into a safety harness before you start.
It is sensible to wear comfortable clothing and footwear for this activity!
To begin with, we thought that there might be one easy route and one hard route – but both seemed pretty hard to me!
Check out our Himalayan Bridge to take an 80-m sky walk across a suspension bridge located at the aft of the vessel at a height of some 60 metres above sea level. A truly unique place to take your daily constitutional, with superb ocean views thrown in for good measure.
MSC Cruises
Where is the Himalayan Bridge?
The Himilayan bridge is at the back of the ship on the top deck, partly over the aqua park.
MSC say the course is 60 metres / 196 feet above sea level. That’s pretty high!
At some points, you will be on the ropes course above a swimming pool which only adds to the fear factor!
When is the ropes course on the MSC Meraviglia/Bellissima open?
The opening times vary depending on where you are during the day.
If you’re at sea or docked the opening times will vary but the ropes course seemed to be open more than shut. If the weather is bad the ropes course will close.
That said, we had some really strong winds during our cruise and the ropes course didn’t close at all. That just adds to the scare factor I suppose!
Did I Enjoy It?
I’ve actually cruised on the MSC Meraviglia before but didn’t go on the ropes course.
Partly because I was too scared, and partly because I didn’t have any willing friends to come with me!
On my most recent MSC Meraviglia cruise, I had two friends who were only too happy to come on the course with me.
My friend Vicky even let me attach a GoPro to her head to film me going around! I did enjoy the ropes course but it was a little scary in places!
Does It Cost Anything To Go On The Ropes Course On MSC Meraviglia/Bellissima?
It doesn’t cost anything to go on the ropes course, it is completely free.
Do You Have To Sign A Waiver To Go On The Ropes Course On The MSC Meraviglia/Bellissima?
Before you are allowed to go on the course you have to go inside the Sportsplex and sign a waiver form.
When you do so you’ll be given a wristband and this will show the people who are working the course that you have signed the waiver. You have to do the same for the waterslides.
You can take off the wristband and get another one if you don’t want to keep it on. We just re-signed the waiver.
Would I Recommend It?
Yes absolutely!
The only thing I would say is that because the course is a circle, once you are halfway around the only way to get back to the start is to carry on going forwards! You give up in the middle...
Bear that in mind if you are likely to chicken out halfway through! Having said that, plenty of children were on the course and they seemed to find it really easy.
My parents went on a similar ropes course above a Norwegian Fjord on MSC Virtuosa. They thoroughly enjoyed it, but didn’t find it easy!
Waterslides
There are three waterslides onboard the MSC Meraviglia and Bellissima.
I tried all three! For the first two waterslides, you’ll need to sit on a rubber ring (collected from the bottom and carried up with you).
These slides are pretty tame but good fun.
On the third you don’t need a ring and slide down with your hands holding your head, you come out into a big toilet bowl shape.
How Tall Do You Have To Be?
Anybody over 4ft tall can use the waterslides. There are no age restrictions.
Will It Be Too Cold To Use The Waterslides In Winter?
No! I used the waterslides in January. It certainly was erm… refreshing! But LOADS of fun.
Check out the video below. The water in the slides was actually heated but it really was the cold air that was the difficult part.
I’d definitely still recommend it though. You can run to the hot tub straight afterwards!
A bonus of using the waterslides out of season is that there are no queues, nobody else is mad enough to do it!
I tried out similar slides on Norwegian Prima Recently.
Norwegian also pack their ships full of thrilling activities. Although there was no ropes course, they had a three-deck Go Kart track. (At an additional charge)
Find out how I got on with those activities here:
MSC Bellissima Ropes Courses and Waterslides
The videos of the waterslides and ropes course above were filmed onboard the MSC Meraviglia.
They are almost exactly the same onboard the MSC Bellissima but do have a slightly different design.
Check out the video below by my friends Gavin and Luke which shows the Bellissima versions.
Before You Go
Do you want to try Go Karting on a cruise ship? It’s a pretty unforgettable experience! Find out which ships have a Go Kart track in the article below:
Which Norwegian Ships Have Go Karts Tracks?
Are cruises for young people? Traditionally cruising was a holiday that you associated with older people – but not any more! Find out why below:
Are Cruises For Young People? Why are more young people cruising Than Ever?
Free Insiders Cruise Line Guide
Ever wondered how the mainstream cruise lines compare? Cruise lines won’t tell you this, but I will.
This FREE guide shows you everything you need to know to find your perfect cruise line.
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