Cruise classes: 14 things you can learn on a cruise ship

While cruising is mostly about relaxing, there’s also the opportunity to learn new skills with a jam-packed schedule of cruise classes including cooking, photography, languages and even skydiving. Check out our list of 14 things you can learn on a cruise ship to see what you’ll discover on your next voyage: 

On Celebrity Cruises, you can transform molten glass into beautiful artwork at a glassblowing class. Working alongside a skilled instructor at the onboard glassblowing studios on Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Equinox and Celebrity Solstice, you’ll be able to choose from eight enchanting designs before creating your own sparkling piece of art. 

Cunard’s flagship Queen Mary 2 boasts the largest planetarium at sea. More than this, it’s a luxury 3D cinema and a classical music venue. Here, you’ll be sent on an epic voyage across the solar system, be taught how to navigate by the stars or see other science and natural history films, with up to four screenings on each sea day. 

Royal Caribbean International offers guests on Anthem of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas and Spectrum of the Seas the chance to discover how to skydive. After donning a pair of goggles and a flight suit, you’ll soar through the air for 60 seconds with the aid of an experienced instructor. 

Why not indulge in a special wine-tasting session on your Princess Cruises voyage? With selections from regional vineyards, as well as varieties from around the globe, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Extend the fun to shore with the cruise line's fantastic array of wine-tasting shore excursions. 

En garde! A first at sea, Cunard is the only cruise line to offer an onboard fencing program, in collaboration with Leon Paul Fencing Equipment). Classes are available to anyone over 18, regardless of experience level. Plus, they’re free! All equipment is provided - you’ll be an expert in no time at all.

Taking photos is a big part of any cruise, especially if you’re travelling on a bucket list holiday. Silversea’s photo studio offers a  vibrant, creatively inspiring space where you can enjoy masterclasses in editing, Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop. You can even print your images to take home with you. 

Some cruise lines, like Holland America Line, feature onboard chefs who host expert culinary demonstrations. Sharing their knowledge and delicious recipes, Holland America Line’s Culinary Arts Center gives you a fantastic opportunity to watch chefs in action before sampling their yummy creations. 

On Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ newest ships, Bolette and Borealis, you’ll find a beautiful purpose-built studio dedicated to arts and crafts. Fully equipped with easels and art materials, the studio is the perfect place to take part in painting and drawing classes as well as lesser available crafts like block printing. 

Keen to improve your computer skills? Onboard Azamara voyages you can do just that with the cruise line's array of enrichment programs and classes, most notably their computer classes. In these classes, you can learn how to use programs like Excel and PowerPoint and how to get the most out of your tablet. 

Join like-minded literature lovers at Ambassador Cruise Line’s onboard book club. Featuring on cruises of 6 nights or more, Ambassador’s book club gives attendees the opportunity to openly and informally discuss bestselling books like Where the Crawdads Sing and The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. 

Whether you have two left feet or know the difference between a samba and a salsa, Cunard’s dance classes will help you to perfect your two-step. Available on voyages of 7 nights or more, you can choose from ballroom, Latin and line dance classes. Mad, ROL Cruise team member, took part in a line dancing class during her Queen Mary 2 transatlantic voyage last year: “Whilst onboard, I took the plunge and decided to try a line dancing class for the very first time. Being a novice, I was unsure what to expect but it was so much fun. Our knowledgeable instructor put us through our paces during three dance routines but every single person in the room was smiling from ear to ear. I would definitely recommend the class to anyone onboard, regardless of age or ability!” 

Read next: Staff stories: Queen Mary 2’s iconic transatlantic crossing 

Daring explorers, heralded chefs, learned scholars, celebrated performers and renowned experts from every arena of the arts, sciences, politics and humanities share skilled presentations as part of Seabourn Conversations. But perhaps most importantly, they participate in the daily social scene of a Seabourn cruise, meaning you can learn through casual chats while sharing meals or during adventures ashore. 

What better time to master a new language than when travelling to a new place? Festivals of the World aboard Princess Cruises features language classes - you can learn to speak German during Oktoberfest, Hawaiian during the King Kamehameha Festival and Spanish, Italian, French and Greek during Festival of the Med.

Many dream of learning to scuba dive - and you can turn your dream into reality on a Royal Caribbean International cruise. As one of the only cruise lines to offer the opportunity to attend PADI® certification classes, Royal Caribbean also hosts some of the coolest shore excursions including shipwreck and barrier reef exploration.