Cruise Ship Classes Overview

Video compliments of the Travel Channel

If you thought that cruising was just about lounging, sightseeing and eating, think again. Cruise lines have activities and tours tailored to their routes and destinations, and some of the most unforgettable moments on your cruise will come from learning something new with your significant other, your best friends, or total strangers.

Many cruises, including those offered by Disney, offer wine tasting classes that have you sniffing out the differences between vintages. Other lines go deeper into wine country—for example, Holland America devotes a whole center (Food & Wine magazine-sponsored) that hosts wine tasting and paring courses, while Crystal Cruises actually dedicates entire cruises to food and wine where hot-shot chefs and sommeliers lecture on techniques and vintages.

But if you're not looking to be cooped up indoors, there's a bevy of courses you can take outdoors, ranging from the typical (golf lessons on Carnival) to the outrageous (Freedom of the Seas' synchronized swimming). So what are you waiting for? Take a break from sunning and get into the action.