• Dance is one of many cruise themes for passengers to choose from.Silhouettes of dancing people image by amlet from Fotolia.com
  
  Theme cruises go beyond the standard cruise experience and incorporate the passengers' common interests. Many of the traditional theme cruises emphasize relationships -- singles, families and alternative lifestyles -- but there are other theme cruises that pertain to the arts, fitness, politics, colleges, sports and more. Coming up with a cruise theme is not difficult when there is a shared interest among many groups of people.
  
  

Music Themes

• Whether you enjoy country, gospel, jazz, rock or classical music, there are cruise ships that will entertain you throughout your trip. Carnival Cruise Lines offers several rock theme trips:VH1 Best Cruise Ever, Kid Rock Cruise, Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boys, Barenaked Ladies and NKOTB. The Royal Caribbean has the Opry Country Classics Cruise, while Princess Cruises has the Classic Concerts Cruise and Celebrity Cruises has Symphonic Voyages. For passengers who prefer rhythm and blues, Holland America Lines offers Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruises and a Smooth Jazz Cruise. Carnival also offers the Oldies but Goodies Doo Wop Cruise, Malt Shop Memories Cruise and Elvis Cruise. Onboard the Royal Caribbean, you'll find an Air Supply Cruise featuring the music of Christopher Cross, and a Rolling Stones Tribute Cruise. Jimmy Buffet fans may be pleased to know that Norwegian Cruise Line offers a Jimmy Buffet Christmas in the Caribbean Tribute Cruise. Christian music cruises are also available through Royal Caribbean.
  
  

Dance Themes

• There are cruise ships that only offer dance cruises, such as Crystal Cruises which offers ballroom dancing, American Rhythm, American Smooth, International Latin and International Standard for advanced dancers as well as beginners. Dance instruction comes from professional dancers. Club Med also offers a dance cruise with DJs on-board. MCS Cruises has a dance cruise where passengers will learn dance moves from various cultures.
  
  

Mystery Themes

• If you're a fan of detective fiction, you may want to try a mystery cruise where passengers get to play an interactive game and find clues to help solve a crime. The Royal Caribbean offers several mystery cruises throughout the year including the Halloween Pirate Mystery, a Whodunit Mystery aboard the Oasis of the Seas and a Whodunit Bermuda Triangle Murder Mystery. Passengers get assigned roles upon boarding, and clues -- to solve a murder or figure out where the buried treasure is located, for instance. Carnival Cruises has a Murder Mystery Cruise where on-board actors play parts and involve passengers in the mystery.