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Fitness, Health & Wellness Centres
Want to use a cruise holiday to reboot and rejuvenate? Some people try a new workout regimen. Others want to maintain the routine they enjoy on land. Here’s how to keep in tip-top shape at sea so you can disembark positively glowing with good health.
Walk on water
Many ships feature top-deck walking tracks. Head on up at sunrise and be among the first to spot a new port of call while working up a sweat. You may also fall into step with fellow exercise enthusiasts (and make new friends). Want to make the walk more challenging? Strut while wearing a weighted vest with Crystal Cruises’ free Walk on Water program.
Hit the gym at off-peak times
On some ships, particularly those where gyms have floor-to-ceiling windows offering ocean views, it can be difficult to find a spare treadmill or stationary bike. It’s no fun standing in the doorway, towel in hand, waiting for someone to vacate a machine. Within a day or so, you’ll work out what the peak times are for the gym (usually before breakfast and before dinner). Choose a quieter time or take advantage of port days when most passengers are on shore tours.
Take a class
Check the daily schedule to see what fitness classes are available. Classes such as Pilates, yoga and kick-boxing might attract a fee, but sometimes ships hold free classes such as aerobics, core strength, stretching and Zumba. Take advantage of the free workouts to see if they’re your cup of tea.
Dedicated gym junkies
Veteran cruisers give top marks to the gyms aboard Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas. Their three-tiered gyms are huge, with excellent views and plenty of light. There are free weights, stationary bikes, stretching areas and fitness classes, and the helpful staff members know their stuff.
Holistic health
Azamara Club Cruises offers complimentary classes that include Pilates, core workouts and sunset yoga on the deck. For a fee, passengers can accelerate results with a personal trainer or sign up for the body-sculpt boot camp. Crystal Cruises also offers free classes – the roster can include yoga, meditation and body sculpting.
Canyon Ranch SpaClub, found on board 10 Celebrity ships, offers a range of holistic treatments. Depending on the ship, they can include acupuncture, chiropractic sessions and gait analysis. The SpaClub also offers seven kinds of yoga, including sunrise yoga and yoga for a good night’s sleep.
Fitness in other forms
If gyms aren’t your style, consider fun forms of exercise such as casual or formal dance classes (Silversea, Cunard, Holland America Line), top-deck activities such as rock-climbing and surf simulators (Royal Caribbean), or clambering through a ropes course on Carnival & Norwegian Cruise Lines.
Electric bikes
Heading on a European river cruise? Ships such as Scenic Jasper and Scenic Crystal carry electric bikes that passengers can use in port cities. You can also pedal alongside the ship on riverbank paths while it cruises from one picturesque village to another – such as Durnstein to Melk in Austria – or rest your feet on the pedals and let the bike do the hard work.