Health and Fitness at Sea

For a growing number of travelers, a vacation is no time to leave health and fitness behind. For them, paradise includes a spa, fitness facilities and nutritious, healthy cuisine. Increasingly, that paradise is to be found on a cruise ship.

Among approximately 175 cruise ships belonging to members of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the majority has been built since 2000 and almost all have health and fitness facilities, with full-sized luxury spas and shipboard sports facilities among the major features of the larger vessels. More important, virtually every CLIA member ship offers delicious "spa cuisine" or other healthy dining selections, often in a choice of restaurants and dining rooms, and innovative wellness, exercise and fitness programs. Many lines even offer theme cruises focusing on wellness and featuring some of the world's top fitness, wellness and culinary experts. The result is exciting, new opportunities for travelers to go on vacation and rejuvenate their mind, body and soul.

In 2007 and 2008, many CLIA member lines will offer fitness, holistic or wellness programs - both on board ships and on land - and themed cruises throughout the world, from the Caribbean and Europe to Asia, Scandinavia, the Pacific, Alaska and Canada. Here is a sampling:

CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES
Completely revamped "Spa Carnival Fare" culinary offerings incorporate the latest trends in gourmet preparation, ingredients and presentation to create the ultimate in healthy fine dining options. The new selections are featured on all dining room menus and include nearly 50 salads, appetizers, soups, entrees and desserts. In addition, Carnival and Shape and Men's Health magazines have teamed up for the fourth annual "Mind/Body Cruise" on Carnival Conquest, departing from Galveston December 2. The seven-day voyage will include fitness and wellness seminars, cooking demonstrations and nutritional workshops.

COSTA CRUISES
Guests will experience a true mind and body overhaul on Costa's "Holistic Holiday at Sea" aboard the Costa Fortuna. Departing from Fort Lauderdale on March 30, 2008, the seven-day cruise will feature world-renowned teachers and authors, more than 50 workshops on vegan and macrobiotic cooking, shiatsu massage, meditation, cancer prevention, heart disease and other topics. The Caribbean voyage includes stops in San Juan, St. Maarten, Tortola and Grand Turk.

CRYSTAL CRUISES
Crystal Serenity will offer a rejuvenating Caribbean journey for "Mind, Body and Spirit" over Thanksgiving this year. The 11-day voyage, departing from Miami on November 19, will feature renowned Tai Chi and yoga masters, fitness expert Debbie Rocker and a health specialist from the Cleveland Clinic as well as Crystal's signature "Walk on Water"
program and professional golf instruction. In 2008, a number of theme cruises will also address the topic of health and fitness, in addition to two "Mind, Body and Spirit" sailings, including three expanded golf cruises, and a ten-day transatlantic crossing in November featuring "Big Band & Ballroom Dancing."

CUNARD LINE
Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 features the only Canyon Ranch SpaClub(r) at sea, offering 24 massage, body and skin care treatment rooms, a gymnasium and weight room with more than 50 pieces of cardio and weight-training equipment, a juice bar, and men's and women's locker rooms. Canyon Ranch SpaClub also offers a vast selection of spa treatments, fitness classes and the only chiropractic services at sea.
Complimentary Canyon Ranch lectures take place on every voyage and cover a wide range of subjects including exercise, nutrition, osteoporosis, digestive concerns, aging, living with cancer, and motivation. All three main dining rooms offer specially designed Canyon Ranch SpaClub menu choices for those that want delicious tasting nutritious meals.

HOLLAND AMERICA LINE
Fitness and health are high priorities on all Holland America cruises, with each ship offering a comprehensive fitness program featuring such special activities as Pilates, indoor cycling, yoga and Tai Chi coming in 2008. Shipboard Greenhouse Spas and beauty salons offer a full menu of massage, skin therapy, body rituals and extensive water therapies in the Thermal Suites and Hydrotherapy Pools. The ships' Fitness Center classes include Kickboxing, Step Aerobics, Fit Ball, Core Training, Fab Abs, Circuit Training, Total Body Conditioning, Stretch & Relax, and Sit & Be Fit. Fleet wide dining offers healthy lifestyle options at every meal.

MSC CRUISES
Guests on MSC Cruises are offered numerous opportunities for cruises with wellness, fitness and organic food and wine themes. Among the shipboard programs are: in-depth study of massage techniques and beauty treatments, "well-being" packages with Balinese and Thai massage, reflexology and ayurveda, group fitness programs, special healthy menus, even "well-being" cocktails. This year, the MSC Opera will offer a wellness cruise from Copenhagen beginning September 13; the MSC Lirica will feature an organic food and wine theme on a seven-day sailing from Genoa on September 29, and MSC Sinfonia will feature fitness on its eight-day sailing from Buenos Aires on December 9. These themes will be repeated in 2008.

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE
Healthy cruising on Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) encompasses nutritious dining options and fitness activities to suit every type of cruiser.
NCL's Freestyle Cruising allows guests to enjoy up to 10 restaurants on each ship with cooked-to-order meals and no fixed seating times, and healthy menu options ranging from appetizers to desserts are available thanks to a partnership with Cooking Light. The ships' 24-hour state-of-the-art fitness centers, swimming pools, basketball courts and putting greens are complemented by activities such as Pilates, aerobics, yoga and spinning. On NCL's newest ships, Norwegian Pearl and Norwegian Gem (October 2007), guests can even try their hand at on-board rock climbing walls and enjoy the first-ever bowling alleys at sea.

PRINCESS CRUISES
Princess Cruises offers passengers the opportunity to stay active during their vacation with an extensive selection of exercise classes, fitness programs and gym supervision. Specialized fitness opportunities include personal training and consultation sessions and a series of health and nutrition seminars. Classes include Step Xpress, Total Body Conditioning, Xpress Circuit, yoga, Pilates, pulse cycling, KickBoXpress, aerobic dance and power walking. More advanced options include one-on-one training, body composition analysis and a Chakra balancing capsule. In addition, shipboard restaurants offer a diverse selection of Lotus Spa menu selections.

REGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISES
In addition to its shipboard Carita Spas, which offer an extensive range of physical regimens, including health and revitalization, Regent Seven Seas will offer two wellness themed cruises in 2008 on the Seven Seas Voyager. Departing May 26 and June 2, the Mediterranean itineraries will feature a "Circle of Interest" program led by the renowned wellness guru Oz Garcia and his brother Albert. Focusing on their specialty, anti-aging and longevity, the Oz brothers will offer personal consultations onboard and wellness-themed excursions onshore.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL
Royal Caribbean gives cruisers a "total mind, body and soul vacation"
through its new Vitality program. Introduced on the line's two newest ships - Liberty of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas, the program provides an integrated approach to wellness incorporating all aspects of the cruise experience. Vitality pairs new fitness classes and spa treatments with food choices, such as Vitality menu selections on the line's trans-fat free menus, energy bars, protein shakes and Tazo teas.
Other features include seminars on stress and relaxation, weight management, health and fitness, and land-based activities, such as New Balance self-guided jogging trails at ports-of-call and the Dragon's Breath Flight Line on Labadee, the line's private beach destination in Haiti.

SEABOURN CRUISE LINE
"Pure Pampering" is a complimentary program of "shamelessly sybaritic services" on Seabourn yachts. The program includes a menu of five soothing and revitalizing Molton Brown therapeutic bathing experiences, with the option of having the bath drawn by the guests' personal suite stewardess. There is a Sensual Bath that is perfect for sharing; an invigorating Ginseng Bath featuring the restorative powers of Brazilian ginseng; a warming Eucalyptus Bath; the Yuan Zhi Peacemaker Bath for calming and soothing the mind; and the Oceanic Stress-Relieving Bath, with the healing properties of Dead Sea salts, seaweeds and horse chestnut extracts.

SILVERSEA CRUISES
Integrating classes in nutrition and exercise, fitness activities, spa therapies and healthy dining options, Silversea's new "Wellness Program"
creates the opportunity for complete rejuvenation of mind, body and soul while at sea. The program is incorporated into the line's new "Spa at Silversea" concept, offering a more personalized and holistic spa experience that focuses on the guest's individual needs and lifestyle.
In addition, the fitness centers aboard Silver Shadow and Silver Whisper have been expanded, adding 300 square feet for new cardiovascular training equipment. A comprehensive fitness regimen includes workout programs such as aerobics, Pilates, circuit training and yoga that are paired with a daily collection of light and low-carb menu selections created by Silversea's master chefs.