The Blaster is Royal Caribbean’s first aqua coaster, a raft slide stretching more than 800 feet across Navigator of the Seas, with a stretch that hangs right out over the ocean. Two of you share a raft, and waterjets push you through drops, curves and straightaways you won’t find on any other ship in the fleet.
What Is The Blaster on Navigator of the Seas?
An aqua coaster uses waterjets rather than gravity alone, so it can push your raft uphill as well as down. That’s the whole trick behind why The Blaster can loop, climb and dangle over the ship’s side before dropping you back in. It was built by WhiteWater, a specialist in waterpark rides, and it’s a tandem, two-person raft, so you’re sharing the screaming with someone else rather than doing it alone. That’s exactly why we rank The Blaster as number 1 on our round-up of the best slides at sea.
It sits next to Riptide on Navigator of the Seas, and you won’t find it copied on any other ship in the fleet. If you’ve been hunting for a full rundown of Navigator’s specifications, that exclusivity is the headline. If you’re comparing Carnival’s slides, or wondering does Anthem of the Seas have anything similar, we’ve covered both further down this page.
Navigator of the Seas Water Slides: The Full Line-Up
The Blaster isn’t the only slide worth knowing about, so here’s how Navigator’s full line-up compares.
| Slide | Type | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| The Blaster | Aqua coaster | Two-person raft, waterjet-propelled, over 800 feet including an overhang above the sea |
| Riptide | Headfirst mat racer | Solo, face-down slide finishing through a translucent tube with ocean views |
| Perfect Storm: Cyclone | Racer slide | Spiralling body slide, accessed via a three-storey glass staircase |
| Perfect Storm: Typhoon | Racer slide | Runs side by side with Cyclone for a race to the splashdown |
All four come free with your cruise fare, same as every other water slide across Royal Caribbean’s fleet, so there’s nothing extra to budget for on slide day.
Navigator of the Seas Water Slide Height Requirements and Weight Limit
This is the question we get asked most, and the answer depends entirely on which source you happen to check. There’s no single official figure published anywhere for The Blaster, and that’s a real logistical headache worth flagging rather than smoothing over.
- Cruisingkids.co.uk lists a 45 inch (114cm) minimum for The Blaster, with guests under 48 inches needing to ride alongside an adult, and a maximum of 400lb per raft covering both riders.
- Blissful Travel Escapes gives a 47 inch (119cm) minimum for The Blaster specifically.
- CruiseMapper’s figures for Navigator’s Perfect Storm slides generally state a 48 inch (122cm) minimum and a 300lb (136kg) maximum per rider, which is also the Royal Caribbean water slide weight limit quoted for Liberty of the Seas’ slides.
There’s no age restriction on any of these rides, just the height and weight rules above. Since the published figures genuinely don’t agree with each other, the sensible move is to check the day’s Cruise Compass or the Royal Caribbean app once you’re onboard, or ask the lifeguard standing right at the slide. The height marker posted at the ride itself is what counts on the day, whatever any website told you beforehand.
Riptide and the Perfect Storm: Navigator’s Other Slides
Riptide is the ship’s other signature ride, a headfirst mat racer that Royal Caribbean calls the only one of its kind in the industry, finishing in a translucent tube that pokes out over the water. It sits right beside The Blaster, so the two make a natural pairing for an afternoon in the water park.
The Perfect Storm pairing of Cyclone and Typhoon adds two more racer-style slides, both reached via a glass-enclosed spiral staircase that climbs three decks. You can read more on the Perfect Storm Trio of slides found across several Royal Caribbean ships. Pack a reef safe sunscreen if you’re planning a full day out there, because deck chairs around Navigator’s water park disappear fast whenever several ships are in port together.
How Navigator Compares: Anthem, Carnival and the Rest of the Fleet
Anthem of the Seas has nothing close to The Blaster or Riptide. Its water feature is the H2O Zone, a splash area built for babies and toddlers rather than a slide, and its headline thrills sit outside the water park entirely, with RipCord by iFly, a skydiving simulator, North Star, a glass capsule that rises around 300 feet above sea level, and SeaPlex, the largest indoor sports complex at sea.
Carnival does things differently fleet-wide. Every single Carnival ship carries at least one slide through its WaterWorks area, a promise not every cruise line can make across its whole fleet, and you can see the ship-by-ship breakdown on our page covering Carnival’s water slide line-up ship by ship.
Within Royal Caribbean itself, the newest and biggest water parks aren’t on Navigator at all. Star of the Seas and Icon of the Seas each carry six slides, more than anywhere else in the fleet, and our Icon of the Seas water slide lineup page covers those properly. Liberty of the Seas is the only ship with the boomerang-style Tidal Wave slide, though at least one third-party source pins it on Anthem instead, so treat that particular claim with suspicion wherever you see it repeated. Radiance-class ships such as Brilliance of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas appear to carry only a small kids’ slide, but we couldn’t pin down a confirmed, detailed listing for either, so check the Cruise Compass for those ships directly rather than trusting the generic write-ups. For a wider look across the fleet, see our guide to water slides across the Royal Caribbean fleet, or our comparison of cruise ships with water slides if you’re weighing up different lines.
If a slide-heavy itinerary matters to your booking, it’s worth confirming which ship and sailing actually suits you before committing to a Royal Caribbean cruise. Let us find the right cruise for you.
Common Questions
Is The Blaster included in the cruise fare?
Yes. Every water slide on Navigator of the Seas, including The Blaster, Riptide and the Perfect Storm racers, comes free with your cruise fare.
Are there age limits for The Blaster?
No age minimum applies. Royal Caribbean uses height and weight rules instead, so anyone who meets the size requirements on the day can ride.
Is The Blaster only on Navigator of the Seas?
Yes. The Blaster is unique to Navigator, sitting beside Riptide. Other Royal Caribbean ships carry different combinations, most commonly the Perfect Storm slides.
How long is the queue for The Blaster?
Wait times aren’t published and shift depending on how full the ship is, so check the day’s Cruise Compass or the app once you’re onboard for live guidance.
Does Anthem of the Seas have anything like The Blaster?
No. Anthem relies on the H2O Zone splash area for younger children, plus non-slide attractions like RipCord by iFly and North Star.
Which Royal Caribbean ships have the most water slides?
Star of the Seas and Icon of the Seas currently lead the fleet, each carrying six slides within their water parks.
Do all Carnival ships have water slides?
Yes. Every Carnival ship includes at least one slide through its WaterWorks area, a guarantee not every cruise line can make fleet-wide.
Can one person ride The Blaster alone?
The Blaster’s raft is built for two riders travelling together, so most guests pair up with a fellow passenger rather than riding solo.
Why Trust About2Cruise
This page was put together from Royal Caribbean’s own ship information alongside independent cruise industry reporting, cross-checking figures wherever sources disagreed, such as the differing height requirements quoted for The Blaster. You can read more about how the About2Cruise team researches and fact-checks its cruise guides.
Last Updated: 16 August 2026