Once it was golf or cooking. Now ocean theme cruises are on a whole new weird and wacky level. We find some of the best:

1. Cat cruises with Carnival

The Meow Meow Cruise is a four night Carnival Inspiration cruise out of California and an 8 night Carnival Horizon cruise out of Florida for cat lovers who often find themselves chatting about their cuddly companions.

Meow Meow Cat Cruises are a unique choice

Though cats aren’t actually allowed on this cat cruise, the cruise brings cat fans together through events like its Meow Meow mixer, a Meow Meow trivia contest, and a Meow Meow scavenger hunt. The ship travels to Miami, Key West, and Cozumel in Mexico.

2. Clothing optional cruises

After the success of their first “clothing optional” cruise, Original Group is back with the Desire Cruise, which departs from Barcelona to Rome and stop in ports including Marseilles, Monte Carlo, and Portofino.

Desire’s couples-only, conceptual cruise, where clothing is optional, and the ports of call are endless. Aboard this sensual sanctuary at sea guest couples will redefine eroticism, in exotic destinations, while being led on a journey of fantasy and reverie…

Ooh la la! Clothing optional cruising is trending

Romance and sensuality are in every detail of the cobblestone alleyways, elegant esplanades, cliff-side footpaths, waterfront promenades, and roads made of marble.

With a vibrant ambiance that is hot like the sun, guests and other like-minded couples will disembark on a journey of sensual experiences that will enrich the imagination, bringing fantasies to life at sea.

3. Hunt ghosts on the high seas

Halloween comes early on the Ghost Hunter’s Cruise, where Barry Fitzgerald and Karl Pfeiffer of the show take guests through haunted ports around the globe.

Boo! Join a ghost hunt at sea

Spooky stops with haunting legends the itineraries include Rose Hall in Jamaica, the Lizzy Bordon house in Newport, and the Red Onion Saloon in Skagway, Alaska. The theme continues onboard with lectures on subjects that range from “legends and doorways to other worlds” to “the hard science of the paranormal.”

4. Quilt till you quit

For the last 25 years, Quilt Seminars at Sea has combined a love of travel with a passion for quilting with cruise line, Holland America.

The cruises, which range from seven to 14 days, cover ports in destinations ranging from the U.S. and Asia to the Caribbean. Sewing machines are offered onboard for guests to use as they learn the ropes from world-renowned quilting instructors, while trip itineraries often include activities like meeting with quilt guides in Turkey or perusing through quilt shops in Spain.

The knitting niche is all the rage on cruise ships

Another cruise for craft lovers, Knitting Cruises offer passengers like-minded knitting itineraries as well as knitting instructors on board. Stops range from yarn shops and knitting schools in Japan, to cashmere mills in China and textile museums in Amsterdam.

The knitting community is strong at sea – and has even expanded further to smaller niche knitting themes such as Handspinning cruises, needlepoint cruise and beading cruises.

5. Gothic Cruise with Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas hosts the original Gothic Cruise, founded in 1989, and continues to take fans on night escapes to destinations that include the Mexican Riviera and Alaska. Onboard, passengers are decked out in gothic gear. A Victorian ball is part of the activities included on the itinerary, in addition to performances, cabin door decorating contests and themed parties.

Not your average day at sea with this lot