When you picture a cruise vacation, a vision of a lively swimming pool surrounded by lounge chairs comes to mind. What you’re visualizing is the lido deck, the heart and soul of a cruise ship. On Celebrity’s ships, this space is known as the Resort Deck.
This space is the place to lounge under the sun, sip cocktails, and enjoy cooling dips in the swimming pool. It’s where cherished memories are made between couples and families, new friendships are formed, and children splash in child-friendly pools. There’s more, including restaurants, bars, and amenities such as a solarium, a spa, and a fitness center.
The lido deck is a wonderful place to spend time on a cruise ship. To make the most out of your precious vacation time, it helps to understand everything there is to know about the lido deck, including what it is and what activities are on offer.
What happens on the lido deck?
Lido deck
The lido deck, or Resort Deck, is an exhilarating public space on a cruise ship. Located high up on a ship, a lido deck is where you’ll find the main swimming pool, surrounded by lounge chairs and venues to eat and drink.
A lido deck offers hot tubs and plenty of spaces to stretch out and relax. A lido deck is often overlooked by a sun deck, one deck above, where more lounge chairs and further amenities are located.
On the Resort Deck on several of Celebrity Cruises’ ships, you’ll find Oceanview Cafe, where you can segue from breakfast or lunch to a lounge chair with ease.
Solarium
On certain Celebrity ships, the tranquil, adults-only Solarium is also found on the Resort Deck. This indoor pool, located under a glass roof, offers soothing music, lounge chairs, hot tubs, and the Spa Café, serving light dishes and healthy bites.
The Resort Deck, or very close to it, is also where you will find the Fitness Center, the Spa, and the leafy Rooftop Terrace or Rooftop Garden, the perfect spot for watching movies al fresco and dining in the sunshine.
Why is it called the lido deck?
Pool
The word lido is Italian for beach, so it makes sense that cruise ships have adopted this name for a pool deck.
The word lido originates in Venice, where a seven-mile strip in the Venetian Lagoon became the site of Europe’s first modern beach resort in the 1800s. The word lido continues to evoke images of glamorous beach resorts and so it is fitting that a cruise ship’s pool deck is named in its honor.
With this in mind, the lido deck is one of the best, and sometimes only, places to swim on a cruise ship. It’s also one of the best places on a ship to watch a dazzling sunset or gaze at sensational waterfront cities, such as Barcelona, Lisbon, and Naples.
The pronunciation of lido is often debated between “lie-doe” and “lee-doe,” though the latter is most commonly used.
What activities are available on Celebrity’s Resort Deck?
Lido deck
Celebrity Cruises fosters a glamorous, yet relaxed environment on the Resort Deck, creating a space perfect for reading, sunbathing, and enjoying drinks, and a bite to eat with your fellow travelers.
Cruise ship activities on the Resort Deck include movies and sports screenings, such as the Super Bowl and the Olympic Games. Sports competitions, such as pool volleyball and other pool games, are scheduled, while live music and DJs add to the cheery atmosphere.
Exuberant Resort Deck parties with glow sticks and DJs are not to be missed, while the Sailaway Party—a celebration of the cruise ship leaving port on embarkation day—remains as popular as ever. Clink glasses with fellow travelers as you soak up the festival-like atmosphere and get fully into vacation mode.
Yoga class
At the Resort Deck’s fitness center, activities range from meditation and yoga to high-intensity workouts such as interval training and boxing. For a more sedentary activity, book an indulgent treatment at the gorgeous spa, with treatments ranging from hot stone massages to blissful facials.
Keep up to date with Celebrity’s Resort Deck activities by reading Celebrity Today, the daily itinerary that’s provided each evening for the following day. You should also download the Celebrity Cruises app to keep abreast of daily activities around the Resort Deck and elsewhere on the ship.
What dining options are available?
Oceanview Cafe
There is plenty of choice when it comes to dining on Celebrity’s Resort Deck. The Oceanview Café is a light and airy space that offers cuisines from around the world. You’ll find bakeries and omelet stations at breakfast and everything from Indian, Italian, fresh fish, and roasted meat options at lunch and dinner.
There could be paella one day and a stir fry the next, along with daily fresh-made bread, a spectacular salad bar, fruit, pasta, and a colorful selection of desserts.
If you’re enjoying an indulgent pool day, you don’t have to go far when you begin to feel peckish, with made-to-order veggie burgers, beef burgers, hot dogs, and fries among the options at the Mast Grill. For a coffee or refreshing glass of juice, II Secondo Bacio is the place to go.
Are there any rules or things to avoid on the lido deck?
Lido deck
While a lido deck is one of the most laid-back places on a cruise ship, there are certain things to avoid and simple etiquette that should be followed.
When dining on the Resort Deck, a cover-up or a relaxed daytime outfit, such as shorts and a t-shirt, is recommended.
Smoking and vaping are not permitted on Celebrity’s Resort Deck unless it is in a designated area. Check with Guest Services to find out where your ship’s designated smoking areas are.
Pool
In line with public health regulations, only children who are potty trained and no longer wearing diapers or swim diapers are allowed in the swimming pool and whirlpools. When cruising with kids, note that all children—guests under the age of 16—must also be accompanied by a parent or guardian to use the whirlpools. You’ll find all of your cruise ship’s rules listed on a sign by the pool.
Children are not allowed in Celebrity’s Resort Deck’s adults-only Solarium unless family times are published in the cruise ship’s daily programming.
Lido deck
If you’re keen to make friends and keep them on vacation, avoid hogging lounge chairs. This is the practice of placing a towel or a personal possession, such as a cap or a beach bag, on a lounge chair, to unofficially “reserve” it while you’re not using it.
Celebrity discourages this practice and signs around the Resort Deck say that possessions will be removed if a person does not use their chair within a certain period—usually if a lounge chair is left unattended for one hour or more. A much better option if you like to secure your own private space and come and go as you please is to rent one of Celebrity’s beautiful cabanas, which accommodate up to four guests and come with all kinds of perks, from chilled water to iced fruit kebabs and select alcoholic beverages.
Additional things to avoid include running around the pool area; dive bombing into the pool; eating in the pools and whirlpools; playing music; bringing oversized inflatables into the pool; and placing your lounge chair across a designated path.
What temperature is the swimming pool?
Pool
Depending on which ship you choose, the pools, including those on the Resort Deck, are maintained at a comfortable 60-75°F. In Alaska, depending on your sailing, steam can be added to make the pool water warmer.
What should I wear on the Resort Deck?
Pool
Since you will spend time sunbathing and cooling off in the swimming pool, swimwear is essential. Consider a stylish two-piece or all-in-one bathing suit, an elegant cover-up, flip-flops, sunglasses, and a sun hat.
Casual attire is also appropriate, including a sundress or shorts and a t-shirt or polo shirt with flip-flops, sneakers, or sandals for walks around deck, dining, and perching at a bar.
Pack a beach bag to use ashore and on the Resort Deck to carry essentials such as SPF, water, a book, a camera, and your cell phone.
Do all cruise ships have a lido deck?
Lido deck
Though most cruise ships have a lido deck—and certainly all modern, larger vessels—not all ships have one. All Celebrity Cruises ships, except Galapagos-based ship Celebrity Flora, have a Resort Deck on either Deck 10, 12, or 14.
What amenities can be found on the Resort Deck?
Lido deck
Amenities on Celebrity’s Resort Deck vary from ship to ship, though on every ship there’s a sparkling, inviting freshwater swimming pool. All of Celebrity Cruises’ whirlpools are filled with fresh water, too.
Elevators, bathrooms, showers, towels, and lounge chairs are provided on the Resort Deck. For children, complimentary swim vests are available by the main pool on the Resort Deck, except on Celebrity Flora.
Spa
A fitness center and lavish thermal suite and spa are usually located on or close to the Resort Deck, too, allowing passengers to segue from the pool to a facial or a cross-trainer.
Every Resort Deck is home to a pool bar, where piña coladas, margaritas, and cosmopolitans are expertly crafted and can be served at your lounge chair.
Lido deck
Celebrity Cruises’ Edge-series ships—Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Beyond, and Celebrity Ascent—feature the fleet’s most decadent pools, with sumptuous in-pool and ocean-facing lounge chairs, as well as LED art installations and sculptures.
Also on Edge-class ships are Celebrity’s plush cabanas. Consider elevating your experience with the extra space and lavish service. Daily rental includes bottled water, six chilled beers, unlimited soft drinks, fresh fruit skewers, and a selection of small dishes from the Cabana menu.
You’ll also be treated to Evian facial spray, ice-cold towels, and a bottle of Grey Goose Vodka, Veuve Clicquot Rosé Champagne, or Grgich Hills Opulence Chardonnay.
What is the Magic Carpet on the Resort Deck?
Magic Carpet
Another star attraction of the Edge-series vessels is the Magic Carpet. This jaw-dropping venue, accessed via the Resort Deck at scheduled times of day, becomes an extension of the pool area, with seating, a bar, and live music, cantilevered over the starboard side of the ship. The uninterrupted views from here are incomparable.
The Magic Carpet moves up and down the ship to take on a different role, such as an extension of the Destination Gateway on Deck 2 or a restaurant, Dinner on the Edge, on Deck 16. This is an exhilarating and highly popular experience that you can book onboard. You’ll dine in the most romantic of settings, high above the water, cooled by sea breezes as you enjoy a specially crafted menu.
When the Magic Carpet is positioned next to the Resort Deck, take a seat here with a coffee or a cocktail and drink in scintillating views from one of the best spots onboard.
Are staterooms located on the lido deck?
Veranda Stateroom, Celebrity Millennium
Yes, some Celebrity ships offer certain suite categories on the Resort Deck. These are a great option for travelers who prefer to be closer to the ship’s pools, spa, fitness center, and casual restaurants, such as the buffet. Families who are planning to enjoy a lot of pool time benefit from these accommodations, or from staterooms just one deck below the Resort Deck.
Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Reflection, Celebrity Silhouette, Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Millennium, and Celebrity Summit feature a selection of suites on the Resort Deck.
Tips for using the Lido Deck
Lido deck
Download your cruise line’s app to access a deck plan, learn where stairwells and elevators are located, and figure out how best to reach the lido deck from your stateroom or suite.
Avoid FOMO—the fear of missing out—by carrying a copy of your cruise ship program or using the app to familiarize yourself with daily activities and highlight things you’d like to see and do on the lido deck.
Pool
If unwinding by the pool is a top priority on vacation, consider staying on board during a port day. You might find you have the Resort Deck almost all to yourself when other passengers go ashore, and you’ll have your pick of lounge chairs, cabanas, and hot tubs.
For couples, take-home memories don’t get more heavenly than a romantic stroll around the Resort Deck at sundown, or just before retiring to your stateroom, beneath a starry, moonlit sky.
Lido deck
A cruise offers an idyllic vacation with elevated accommodations, sublime dining, indulgent spas, and world-beating entertainment. Explore Celebrity Cruises’ getaways to experience the joys of a sultry Resort Deck as you sail to destinations from Alaska to Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean.
