7 Halloween Cruises To Sail During Spooky Season, From Carnival To Virgin Voyages

Tour Universal's Halloween Horror Nights' houses with the lights on

USA TODAY's Eve Chen received a less spooky look inside some of the haunted houses at Universal Studios Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights.

Haunted houses, corn mazes and … cruise ships?

Vacations on the high seas bring to mind tropical cocktails and lounging by the pool, but cruise passengers can also celebrate spooky season while they’re at it. Many cruise lines mark Halloween with special theming, activities and sweet treats, and this year is no different.

Whether you love jump scares and horror films or you’re mainly in it for the candy, we rounded up cruises from seven lines to consider from Carnival Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line and more. Pro tip: add a costume – or at least a costume T-shirt – to your packing list.

Carnival’s Frightfully Fun voyages include costume contests, a pumpkin-carving competition, a family pumpkin hunt and trick-or-treating, along with themed karaoke, bingo, trivia and more. Guests can also meet Patch the Pumpkin Pirate (though his “travel plans sometimes mean he won’t be haunting all ships,” according to Carnival’s website).

Frightfully Fun voyages take place on all ships during October, with some exceptions such as charters.

Disney sails Halloween on the High Seas voyages in September and October, where passengers will find special decor – including a magical Halloween tree – themed desserts and drinks and other festive activities. Guests can also meet their favorite characters – who may be dressed as other characters: Clarabelle Cow, Daisy Duck and Minnie Mouse appear as “Hocus Pocus’” Sanderson sisters, for example.

“Be sure to pack your favorite costumes and get ready for happy haunts,” the cruise line said on its website. The cruises take place on select itineraries, which travelers can find online, and exact offerings may vary by voyage and ship.

Margaritaville’s Sail the Haunted Seas cruises feature Halloween cocktails, a costume contest, trivia and a creepier version of its White Hot Neon Night party, dubbed White Hot Neon Nightmares with “eerie beats, creepy cocktails, and glowing face paint,” according to a news release. Entire venues onboard will be possessed by spooky spirits, too, like Hemisphere Dancer Craft Spirits, which will become Hemis-fear Dancer.

Guests can find the theming on select September cruises and all October sailings on the line’s Margaritaville at Sea Islander and Paradise ships.

MSC guests can enjoy “scary karaoke”, a monster mash dance lesson, and a big Halloween bash during voyages that sail during October 31, according to the cruise line’s website. For younger cruisers, its ships also host a “scary house” in children’s areas, put on a Halloween parade with its mascot, Doremi, and more.

The cruises are offered throughout the line’s fleet.

The adults-only cruise line decks its ships out for Halloween and features special activities on select October sailings. Those include the Zombie Grog Walk bar crawl, where guests can sip themed cocktails, skull painting and a ship-wide Scarlet Fright Night costume party (riffing on its popular Scarlet Night).

Passengers can also indulge in Halloween treats at the ships’ dining venues.

Norwegian cruises that fall during Halloween will feature specialty cocktails, decorations and more. “Guests are highly encouraged to wear their costumes, with activities ranging from Halloween themed trivia, a costume contest and party, movie nights and trick-or-treating for kids,” the cruise line told USA TODAY in an email.

Specific programming may vary from ship to ship.

Royal Caribbean also encourages guests to dress up during voyages sailing over Halloween. 

Celebrations include scavenger hunts and costume contests, and little guests can also participate in themed activities at its Adventure Ocean kids' club (specific programming is subject to change depending on the itinerary).

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.