While you might think of cruise vacations as the perfect time to indulge (and they are, to an extent!), if you’re worried about what the never-ending food at the buffet and your endless drink package will do to your waistline, there’s good news: It is possible to stay fit and continue to adhere to your health and wellness goals, even while on a cruise.
That said, there are some cruise lines that are more inclined to promote fitness than others. While, sure, most cruise ships will offer, at minimum, a fitness center and maybe a jogging track, some cruise lines really go over the top to ensure that you can work out just as hard as you play, during your cruise.
Plus, some offer other great health and wellness perks that are above and beyond mere workout equipment and a few standard fitness classes. Think sunrise yoga on the top deck, sustainably sourced food on the menu and unique hydrotherapy options.
Need to know more? Here are some of the best cruise lines to consider, if you want to book a cruise that makes sticking to your fitness regimen easy, even while on vacation. You’ll leave your cruise feeling better than ever, both body and mind.
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Princess Cruises
On Princess Cruises, the fitness centers are outfitted with all the equipment you could need, such as weights, treadmills and more — and, of course, they offer ocean views, so you can take in all the scenery as you get in your miles or reps.
Fitness classes include spinning courses and your run-of-the-mill group classes. However, Princess Cruises stands out with its fitness classes that have been specifically curated for the cruise line and its guests, with offerings from Pure Barre, YogaSix and Stretch Lab.
When you’re finished with your workout, be sure to visit the Princess Lotus Spa, which has been named one of the best cruise line spas in the industry, and which offers a variety of classic spa treatments.
Virgin Voyages
The relatively new cruise line, with its fresh, young and adults-only approach, offers all sorts of fitness and wellness amenities.
All of the gym classes on each cruise are totally free, so you don’t have to worry about paying extra for a new-to-you class you may or may not enjoy. You’re quite literally free to explore your options! You can find a range of classes, from beginner courses to advanced.
There’s a juice bar right by the gym, serving up nutritious pre- or post-workout beverages. The classes really run the gamete, too, from cycling to bungee to barre to boxing.
Virgin Voyages gyms have been dubbed the B-Complex, and they’re split into two sections. There’s a multipurpose fitness studio, and then there’s a training camp where you can enjoy group and solo classes (solo classes are provided via a fitness-on-demand app that’s unique to the cruise line).
A jogging track is also available, and, of course, there’s a spa with a thermal suite and cool amenities like the first quartz bed at sea (for those who aren’t in the know, a quartz bed basically allows you to lie in a bed of small quartz crystals that feel similar to sand, and enjoy a micro-massaging sensation that’s purported to also offer mental, emotional and spiritual benefits). Medi-spa services are also available, such as Botox and IV therapy.
If you really prefer to get active with a fun activity that’s not your average workout, visit The Athletic Club, for adult-sized games and fun, from basketball to playground equipment.
Seabourn
Seabourn takes an ultra-luxury approach to everything that it offers its guests, so you can expect that same luxury when it comes to the cruise line’s wellness programs.
Thanks to a partnership with Dr. Andrew Weil, Seabourn offers mindful wellness options, in case your average workout looks a little more like yoga and a lot less like running on a treadmill.
In addition to complimentary meditation and yoga sessions, you can enjoy educational seminars that further enhance your wellness experience, with focuses on topics like Eastern and Western wellness. Each ship also has a Wellness Guide on staff, who can help you form a personal wellness program.
Blue World Voyages
An up-and-coming cruise line, Blue World is intended to be the first cruise line that is all about fitness and health. As such, ships are equipped with entire decks dedicated to just sports and fitness, as well as additional decks dedicated just to spa and wellness experiences.
Suites focus on wellness, too, with features such as vitamin-infused rainfall showers, air filtration systems and circadian lighting. Plus, all itineraries are focused on staying active in the destinations you visit. For the cruise line to visit a destination, it must offer an opportunity to hike, cycle, golf and enjoy water sports, as well as provide cultural opportunities.
Avalon Waterways
In a similar manner, Avalon Waterways makes it easy for cruisers to take their fitness off the ship and enjoy fitness-related activities while exploring their ports of call. On European river cruises, travelers can specifically seek out “active” excursions, which range from jogging tours to hiking tours.
Not interested in a formal excursion? Avalon guests enjoy access to complimentary bike rentals at every port (as well as walking sticks and kayaks, in some cases), so you can explore at your own speed, while staying in motion.
On each ship, Avalon, of course, offers the requisite fitness center, but also daily yoga sessions and, if you visit the Adventure Center in the ships’ lobbies, you can find fitness equipment that you can rent for the duration of your trip, from yoga mats to stretch bands to FitBit health and fitness trackers.
The dining program takes a wellness approach, too, with a mocktail menu, and dining menus that can cater to specific health needs, such as low-carb or low-sodium.
Celebrity Cruises
You don’t have to take a luxury cruise or a small-ship cruise in order to enjoy a nice range of health, wellness and fitness amenities. On Celebrity Cruises cruise ships, for example, you’ll find F45 training studios (on select ships), as well as equipment from Peloton, and classes that take advantage of the latest trends in fitness, like Ryde spin classes and HIIT training.
Unique class options include boxing, barre and bungee. For fitness options that are a little more low-key, try yoga, guided meditation or breathing classes. Celebrity’s Body in Motion program offers further amenities and services, such as body composition analyses, nutritional consultations and personal training.
After you’ve enjoyed it all, you can head over to the spa café for a fresh juice, and then go enjoy the spa-related amenities in your AquaClass suite.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Similarly, Norwegian Cruise Line offers a nice mix of wellness and fitness amenities. You can book a personal training session that will include a body composition analysis, after which the personal trainer will design a personalized workout routine for you, as well as a nutrition and detox plan, if needed.
A range of group fitness experiences are available, such as TRX Suspension Training, HIIT45 and Ryde cycling classes. Yoga classes, row classes and total body conditioning classes are also available.
Of course, if you just want to go it on your own, you can also just head to the general fitness area to take advantage of the state-of-the-art equipment, including treadmills, ellipticals, bikes and weights.
Uniworld
Another river cruises cruise line, Uniworld hires experienced wellness professionals to lead a variety of wellness programs during each cruise, from sunrise yoga sessions to more intense workouts.
When you’re out at port, you can take one of your ship’s bicycles out to explore on two wheels, or grab some walking sticks for a bit of trekking. Excursions are specifically available that focus on staying active, whether you want to hike, cycle, golf or kayak.
The ship’s dining program also offers a Traveling Lite menu, which helps to adjust the existing ships’ menus for those who are trying to watch their caloric intake.
Amadeus River Cruises
Similarly, Amadeus River Cruises offers a mix of on-board and onshore fitness experiences. The fitness centers on each of the cruise line’s ships are open 24 hours, and yoga classes are offered each morning on the sun deck.
The dining programs also offer regional, fresh and light dining alternatives. When it’s time to step ashore, you can choose from an array of guided fitness-focused excursions that are available for a variety of fitness levels.
Oceania Cruises
On Oceania Cruises, the Aquamar Spa & Vitality center on each ship offers a broad mix of high-end amenities and experiences. The fitness center provides complimentary fitness classes that touch on a plethora of areas of interest, from yoga to core conditioning.
You can take advantage of one-on-one personal training, as well as the various exercise equipment; certain ships are outfitted with Kinesis exercise walls.
After you’re done with your workout, explore the offerings in the spa, which also includes thermal environments and offers medi-spa services.
If you want to take your wellness and fitness experiences off the ship, you’ll find that Oceania provides wellness discovery tours in several destinations.
MSC Cruises
MSC Cruises ships are outfitted with fitness centers that feature TechnoGym equipment. However, in addition to the normal gym with its ocean views, ships also offer areas where you can get in a workout in other ways, such as a tennis court and a squash court. There’s also a power walking track.
Scenic
Scenic offers a traditional gym, dedicated yoga studio and dedicated pilates studio. The cruise line also offers a very unique class option that you won’t find on a lot of the other cruise lines on this list: aerial fitness classes. Personal training sessions are available, as are group training sessions, and the gym is outfitted with modern equipment in an airy environment.
When you’re done with your workout, you can check out the salt therapy lounge, vitality pools, therapeutic showers and/or infrared sauna (depending on the ship you’re sailing on).
Scenic also offers a variety of alternative spa treatments, for something a little out of the unusual, including reflexology, sound treatments, ayurvedic massage and more.
SeaDream Yacht Club
When you’re living the high life during a SeaDream Yacht Club cruise, you’ll enjoy a bevy of fitness-related amenities and services.
There’s a fitness center, equipped with its own sauna and steam room, but also fitness classes located elsewhere on the ship, such as daily sunrise yoga and tai chi sessions, on the top deck. There’s a walking and running track, and the SeaDream Spa even includes its own outdoor treatment area.
Read Also: How Not to Overeat on a Cruise – And Why It Matters
The line also takes a wellness-focused approach to its cuisine, offering plant-based options and sustainably sourcing ingredients where it can, including from local farmers markets, at the various destinations along an itinerary.
