Fitness & Wellness At Sea – Staying Healthy On Cruise Vacations

The cruise experience will vary ship to ship – but most all ships offer a gym. The larger the cruise ship, the larger the fitness facilities. Today’s largest ships, such as those of Royal Caribbean Cruises and Carnival Cruises, have fitness centers that encompass over 10,000 square feet of space, with state-of-the-art equipment to gratify cardio, free weights and circuit training die-hards!

Large ships also offer the greatest variety of fitness classes (often for a small fee to limit attendance). These include yoga, pilates, aerobics, spinning, STEP and others. Princess Cruises offers a fitness program they deveoped called “Core. Balance. Strength” merging pilates, yoga and cardio.
Some ships, like those of Seabourn and Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, have the latest in workouts: Kinesis Walls.

Royal Caribbean, perhaps the most activity-oriented line, offers surfing, rollerskating, iceskating, rock-climbing walls and boxing, while Norwegian Cruise Line’s largest ships includes rapelling and bowling. Basketball, volleyball, tennis and squash courts are available on several ships.

All mid-size and large ships have designated areas for walking or jogging on deck. Crystal Cruises offers Nordic Walking and Walking on Water, a fitness program utilizing weighted vests for walkers to increase resistance training.

Smaller ships don’t offer extravagant fitness centers though some feature waterside marinas with sailing, waterskiing, kayaking, snorkeling and scuba. Cruise lines like Windstar, The Yachts of Seabourn and SeaDream fall into this category.

River cruise ships are even smaller vessels, but lines like AMA Waterways and Uniworld and barges carry bicycles on board which guests can use while in port or even to cycle alongside the boat.

Cruise lines are also ratcheting up the experiences they offer at ports of call. Kayaking, cycling, mountain biking, hiking, river rafting and other active adventures are offered on various cruise vacations.

Several cruise lines spend a day at their own private island on Caribbean cruises. For example, on Half Moon Cay, Holland America Line offers horseback riding, a 5K course to jog and beach volleyball among other activities.

Turning to wellness, the onboard spa experience has evolved over the years, and a variety of treatments, beyond facials and massages, are offered on many cruise ships, including aromatherapy, thalassotherapy, acupuncture and botox treatments. Lines like Regent Cruises, Cunard and Oceania feature Canyon Ranch Spa programs. Several lines offer theme cruises, and wellness and fitness-based theme cruises are popular.

A number of cruise lines also offer spa cuisine menus in the dining room, or indicate which are heart-healthy choices.

If you're an active traveler, talk to our cruise experts who can advise you on the cruise that may best meet your vcaation lifestyle, or call us at 1-888-779-7447.