Norwegian Cruise Line Ropes Course

If you're a daredevil heading out on a Norwegian cruise, the ropes course should be at the top of your to-do list. Sprawling across the top deck of select ships, this outdoor attraction not only allows you to get your fill of adrenaline, but also offers some of the best views onboard.

Norwegian's ropes course is one of a handful of recreational activities found on the line's Breakaway- and Breakaway Plus-class ships. It combines anywhere from roughly 40 to 100 obstacles (the size of the ropes course varies by ship) -- including a variety of suspension bridges; sky rails, which are essentially zipline tracks; and planks that extend 8 feet over the side of the ship.

While the obstacle types and top-deck location are consistent across all ships, you'll run into subtle nuances, such as a different type of bridge, the deck number or the order of obstacles. Norwegian Escape, for example, is the only ship with two planks. It's the largest ropes course among its fleetmates -- as well as in the industry.

On all courses, passengers are strapped in a harness and connected to cables that allow them to glide along the tracks, at their own pace. Ropes course guides are on hand to assist with gearing up, and also on the course for support.

A minimum height of 48 inches is required to go on the ropes course. Passengers also must wear closed-toe shoes; shorts or long pants and a T-shirt are recommended as protection against the harness.

Use of the ropes course is included in the cost of your cruise.

The ropes course is found on the following ships:

• Norwegian Escape

• Norwegian Getaway

• Norwegian Breakaway

See photos of the ropes course on Norwegian Escape.