Royal Caribbean's basketball courts lure cruise passengers to the hoops.

Some people still believe that cruising is only for the newlywed and nearly dead. That misconception couldn't be more wrong than when cruising on Royal Caribbean's Voyager-class ships.

These ships -- Voyager, Explorer, Adventure, Navigator and Mariner of the Seas -- are designed for active travellers. From top to bottom, these are sporty ships.

At the very top is the impressive rock climbing wall. Experts help the inexperienced get to the top to ring a bell.

On the decks below, there is a regulation-sized basketball court, an in-line skating track, a nine-hole miniature-golf course, driving ranges, golf simulators, running track, volleyball court and ping pong. (Note: Thanks go to the wave which assisted in my hole-in-one.)

The 3,114-passenger ship also has several pools and a large, well-equipped gym.

But the indoor gem that no other cruise line has: A full-size ice rink with real ice.

Passengers can borrow skates and be among the few to boast they've skated in the middle of the ocean.

ICE SKATING SHOWS

There are also professional ice skating shows that are more impressive than one would expect. During the show I saw, a skater performed tricks while keeping nine hula-hoops going.

Of course, these ships also offer the regular cruise treats such as great food, specialty restaurants, movies, live entertainment and a lovely spa.

On our five-day cruise on the Voyager of the Seas -- New York, Saint John, Halifax, New York -- we barely had time to fit in all the activities.

This forward-thinking, well-priced cruise company is also catering to girlfriend getaways. Men have long taken golfing holidays, so why not women?

Our women-only group found cruising was a perfect setting for a sans-men getaway. We tried sports we may not have tried otherwise, and we enjoyed girly treats like manicures, pedicures and shopping at the football field-length promenade.

Traveller Christina Poe, of L.A. loved the idea: "Travelling with girlfriends every now and then is a good thing because it allows you to do things you know your man would not necessarily think of as vacationing, i.e., shopping ... I think men should appreciate women spending time with their girlfriends -- after a short trip away, we come back refreshed, missing them."

For more information on Royal Caribbean cruises, visit royalcaribbean.com.