Types of Cruises - Fitness Cruises
GETTING FIT AT SEA
by Kevin Retief
When I irst started cruising, any suggestion that a week sailing under the Caribbean sun would include planned exercise, healthy eating and spa treatments would have sent me running for cover.
Let’s face it – in those days the gym was a pokey little room in the bowels of the ship, there was no such thing as an on-board spa, healthy eating meant skipping dinner, and getting through the day without several cocktails under your belt was practically unheard of.
Today, things are different.
A significant number of guests now want to start or continue a fitness regimen or enjoy some personal pampering while at sea.
Even if some still believe the myth that cruising is all about self-indulgence – and all the perils that entails – the truth is that a cruise experience now can be one of the healthiest of all vacation options on these types of cruises.
Cruise lines today acknowledge that many of us – while not necessarily “new age” fanatics – have discovered a somewhat healthier lifestyle, and they’re catering to our needs.
Gyms on most cruise ships, for example, are now much bigger than they ever were and are usually located in prime positions with panoramic views. An hour spent in a fitness center like this with everything from treadmills, rowers, virtual reality bikes, free weights and weight machines isn’t a dreaded duty – it’s part of the fun of the cruise. Half an hour sweating off the calories on a treadmill doesn’t seem so disagreeable when, at the same time, you’re watching the sun rise over the Caribbean Sea.
Many cruise ships offer energetic activities outside the gym as well. On the Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas (which also has a full court for basketball and volleyball!) you can take a shot at a double axlel on the only ice skating rink at sea.
The truth is, there is no excuse not to get your heart rate going on a cruise.
The same revolution has touched food on cruise ships – eating on-board isn’t just another excuse to have the paramedics standing by when you disembark. Most cruise lines are keeping pace with the tastes and lifestyles of today’s vacationers and offering healthy choices as part of their already extensive dining selections.
Cruise ship menus feature guilt-free selections that are low in cholesterol, salt, fat, carbohydrates and calories – but always high in flavor, beautifully presented, fresh and satisfying. Some ships even offer a reduced carbohydrate bread selection and sugar-free desserts. Menus regularly include an abundance of fresh seafood and vegetables in addition to salad bars with extensive options – ideal for those on specific diets as well as guests simply interested in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Vegan diets are also easily accommodated.
The concern of cruise lines with your healthy dining does not end with the menu. With many studies showing the health benefits of drinking moderate amounts of wine and even adding wine to the food pyramid.
Excursions ashore on these types of cruises now have many alternatives for the more active passengers. We no longer have to sit on crowded coaches or wait to be whisked around the nearest town center to point at sights in the distance. Activities on these types of cruises now include everything from bike rides down Hawaiian mountain roads at dawn, to swimming with the dolphins in the Bahamas, to kayaking in Glacier Bay in Alaska.
And of course, no completely healthy lifestyle is without the much needed rest, and nothing stimulates that more than being pampered in the spa.
Many ships now have spas that offer even more facilities than most luxury, landlocked resorts. Waiting for you on Celebrity ships’ AquaSpas, for instance, are the bubbling aqua jets of the Thalassotherapy pool, a soothing massage with heated aromatic stones and an exotic jasmine flower bath. Their spa rituals transport you to another place and time with the Egyptian ceremony of milk and ginger, the Tahitian ceremony of flowers and the Hawaiian four-hands massage. Try asking for that on a ship 20 years ago! Celebrity even offers Acupuncture at Sea.
The cruise lines have the formula just right. Having fun on these types of cruises doesn’t necessarily mean arriving home with three extra notches in your belt and that sluggish feeling that means you need another holiday to get over the last one.
Having fun is about well-equipped fitness centers, healthy activities, relaxing spas, food choices – and yes – maybe a few martinis or those wicked drinks with tiny technicolor umbrellas and ice cubes in the shape of lemon wedges. Well, maybe not too many of those, but the point is that you can vacation, you can cruise, you can have fun – and still stay ship shape.
Photo courtesy Royal Caribbean International