Travelling and cruising have continued to evolve throughout the years, however, at the core, there is always that desire to show off all those wonderful places you’ve visited to friends and family back home, the only thing that has changed is how we do it. Gone are the days of slideshows or grainy handheld camcorder footage, nowadays social media is king. Whilst we shouldn’t measure the success of a holiday based on the number of likes our photos get, you can’t help but want to go in search of that ultimate snap to show your friends and family what they are missing out on. So, in no particular order, here are the top 5 most Instagrammable places I’ve experienced on a cruise ship.
Celebrity Cruises – Celebrity Edge – Angel Wings
The resort deck onboard Celebrity Edge is one of the standout features of this incredible ship. At 23 metres in length, it features one of the largest outdoor pools at sea, flanked by two huge martini glass style hot tubs and numerous outward-facing cabanas, you’ll soon realise why I love this ship so much. At one end of the pool, there is an ever-changing LED light art installation that forms the perfect backdrop for one of the most Instagrammed features onboard, the huge Angel Wings sculpture. It’s pretty much physically impossible to walk past and not stop to have your picture taken with the Angel Wings, how quickly you then upload it to Instagram is completely up to you.
Virgin Voyages – Scarlet Lady – The Net
I could write a whole blog post dedicated to Scarlet Lady’s most Instagrammable locations, however, in the spirit of fairness I decided to choose just one, which did spark a heated debate in the office. Without a shadow of a doubt, the entrance to The Manor, Virgin Voyages’ exclusive two-level nightclub will feature heavily when scrolling through Scarlet Lady Insta pics, however, the winner in my opinion has to be The Net. If you head up to the aft of deck 16 you’ll discover The Athletic Club which features an outdoor active training camp, a basketball court and even a boxing ring. Right in the middle sits a large suspended catamaran-style net. All you need to do is find a half-decent photographer, lie back, pose and you’ll soon see those likes start rolling in.
MSC Cruises – MSC Seaview – Bridge of Sighs
If you’re looking to show off your romantic side on Instagram, head to the aft of MSC Seaview and take the panoramic elevator all the way up to deck 16. Here you’ll find the ‘Bridge of Sighs’, or ‘Ponte dei Sospiri’, if you’re wanting to impress your soulmate with your newly acquired Italian language skills. This incredible glass walkway, 40 metres above sea level, juts out above the Sunset Beach Pool below. This is the time to conquer your fear of heights and step into the middle of this glass-bottomed pathway, say “Ti amo!” and snap that romantic picture with your loved one to share with your friends and family back home.
Royal Caribbean – Symphony of the Seas – Ultimate Abyss
When she was introduced to the world, Royal Caribbean dubbed Symphony of the Seas as ‘The World’s Most Instagrammable Ship’. They were amongst the first cruise lines to royally embrace the power of social media, so much so that they even appointed the company’s first ‘Instagrammer-in-Chief’, tasked with inspiring guests to do the ship justice through their Instagram content and establish Symphony of the Seas as the world’s most Instagrammable cruise ship. During her preview sailings from Barcelona in 2018, I spent a few days onboard exploring this mammoth ship and one of her most impressive features was The Ultimate Abyss, the tallest slide at sea. Choose carefully at what point you want to capture this experience! Will it be with fear and trepidation as you walk through the entrance, the pointy teeth at the mouth acting as a warning for what’s to come, or will you opt to go live and video yourself as you plummet 10 storeys down through the darkness during this 13-second long thrilling experience?
Princess Cruises – Regal Princess – Captain’s Champagne Waterfall
Formal nights onboard a Princess Cruise are an Insta-worthy occasion in their own right, but add in the buzz of the beautiful Piazza, the central atrium which spans three decks at the heart of the ship, and 644 champagne glasses, stacked up into a mesmerising tower, well then, it’s about as close to Instagrammable perfection as you can get. The Captain’s Champagne Waterfall is certainly a sight to behold, with the ship’s photographer on hand to take your photo as you’re all dressed up, pouring champagne over the pyramid of glasses whilst simultaneously praying they don’t all come tumbling down, well if that doesn’t get the likes flooding in I’m not sure what will.
