Ship Ice Rinks - Real or Faux?

Are the ice skating rinks on RCCL's ships made of real ice or faux ice? This has nothing to do with my cruise, since I'm not on a ship with a rink, but my father was telling me about a faux-ice skating rink his church had hired one time for a celebration they'd had. He figured that's what the ships had, too, so now I'm curious! :)

It is ice, not that plastic surface that kills skate blades.

Im pretty sure its real ice as i saw a video where they were having one of those ice repairing machines delivered on the LOS.

Yes, it is definitely real ice.

Im pretty sure its real ice as i saw a video where they were having one of those ice repairing machines delivered on the LOS.

Yup, they have a little zamboni too:p

Yup, they have a little zamboni too:p

Really? I always wanted to ride a Zamboni.

:D

Thanks for the info.!

Definitely real ice. I just sailed on Freedom in September and took a turn on the ice. Real and cold!! What a rush to ice skate in the caribbean!

Really? I always wanted to ride a Zamboni.

:D

Great! Now I can't get that song out of my head! I want to drive a zamBONi ... I want to drive a ZAMboni.:D :) :p

Seemed real to me. Next time I will bring some flavored syrup and see if I can make a snow-cone out of it! :D

Yup, they have a little zamboni too:p

That mini-zamboni is the cutest thing ever! :)

The ice is real, you can see it fly off the skates and the zamboni is so cute and the show we saw had it turn into a train that pulls the kids in cars as part of the show. Best show ive seen on a cruise ship.

Great! Now I can't get that song out of my head! I want to drive a zamBONi ... I want to drive a ZAMboni.:D :) :p

Thanks KelJ! Now I have it in my brain too! :rolleyes: :p :D

LOL you folks gave me a good laugh...

They say you learn something new everyday and today i learned that the machine that fixes the ice is called a ZAMBONI.... NOW i would never have lost sleep had a never had this knowledge bestowed upon me but imagine my :eek: SURPRISE to discover that they actually sell T.shirts with the Zamboni logo on and .... HORROR!!..... Diaper covers ?????????????????

The world has finally gone mad..... pls let me off!

:D :D :D :D :D

Thanks KelJ! Now I have it in my brain too! :rolleyes: :p :D

OH MY WORD!!!... There is a song dedicated to this contraption too !!!!

( holds head in hands)

:(

Theres such thing as a faux ice skating rink???

Theres such thing as a faux ice skating rink???

There is Enchantment... lol

I have been on one too , its like a polythene type flooring, not disimilar to those white kitchen chopping boards but obviously much thicker. Very peculiar to skate on, we had one set up in our local shopping mall last Christmas... Kids love it :D

LOL you folks gave me a good laugh...

They say you learn something new everyday and today i learned that the machine that fixes the ice is called a ZAMBONI

I wouldn't want your knowledge to be incomplete - technically that machine is called an Ice Resurfacer or an Ice Conditioner. Zamboni is a brand name and the Zamboni family prefers that the name not be used generically.

On the Explorer, at least, there is a synthetic surface on the stage part (where the skaters enter and exit) that appears to be both skateable and walkable.

Now that I know a little bit about building and maintaining ice surfaces in places God never intended ice to exist, I am even more impressed than I used to be - I imagine that the temperature and humidity conditions in the rink are probably almost NEVER optimal for figure skating. You can probably add frosty, sticky, "warm" ice to the list of perils that the skaters have to deal with.

Are the Zamboni's real or are they faux Zambonis? Is it possible to arrange to have a Zamboni ride with the captain on formal night?

OH MY WORD!!!... There is a song dedicated to this contraption too !!!!

 

( holds head in hands)

 

:(

Yes - it is true. Most have never heard it unless they have been to a hockey game or two. They play it during intermissions when they come out to surface the ice for the next period. :p

I wouldn't want your knowledge to be incomplete - technically that machine is called an Ice Resurfacer or an Ice Conditioner. Zamboni is a brand name and the Zamboni family prefers that the name not be used generically.

 

On the Explorer, at least, there is a synthetic surface on the stage part (where the skaters enter and exit) that appears to be both skateable and walkable.

 

Now that I know a little bit about building and maintaining ice surfaces in places God never intended ice to exist, I am even more impressed than I used to be - I imagine that the temperature and humidity conditions in the rink are probably almost NEVER optimal for figure skating. You can probably add frosty, sticky, "warm" ice to the list of perils that the skaters have to deal with.

WOW... thanks for that ;)

Yes - it is true. Most have never heard it unless they have been to a hockey game or two. They play it during intermissions when they come out to surface the ice for the next period. :p

or when you have 2 sons who play hockey and are on the ice 4 times a week not including games :D:D:D

Two cruises now, we've sat on the front row at the ice show. It's that moment the skaters come near the railing and skid to a stop--and just a little bit of the ice sprays up and hits you in the face--that you really chuckle..."I'm on a ship in the Caribbean and I'm watching an ice skating show!" We've enjoyed it a lot. If you haven't tried it, hope you will.

or when you have 2 sons who play hockey and are on the ice 4 times a week not including games :D:D:D

Very true!!! :p

I will say that the ice show we saw on the Liberty was FABULOUS!!

Very true!!! :p

 

I will say that the ice show we saw on the Liberty was FABULOUS!!

That's for sure! We saw our first on Explorer, could not believe I was sailing in 90 degree weather and sitting watching a fantastic ice show on a cruise ship. Really had to sink in for a minute ya know?? My kids just love it! And of course they bring their own hockey skates, try to talk them out of it every time, but they pack it in their luggage, not mine :D