Blog Archives

Regent Seven Seas Voyager to Feature Wellness Experiences

3/29/2017

Seven Seas Wellness experience debuts this summer on Regent Seven Seas Voyager on cruises in the Mediterranean.

By John Roberts

Regent Seven Seas Cruises has announced its new "Seven Seas Wellness," a fitness-and healthy-cruiser program. Seven Seas Wellness debuts this summer on Mediterranean sailings aboard Regent Seven Seas Cruises' Seven Seas Voyager and combines a new collection of wellness-themed excursions with a curated selection of Canyon Ranch SpaClub services. The idea is to give cruisers the opportunity to create their own invigorating and individualized wellness programs.

"For many of our guests, the pursuit of wellbeing is an essential part of a life well-lived," said Jason Montague, president and CEO of Regent Seven Seas Cruises. "From eating right and exercising to practicing ways to reduce stress and experience moments that uplift the spirit, wellness is quickly becoming the ultimate luxury."

Passengers can book the Seven Seas Wellness experience and enjoy special excursions from a collection of more than 10 options in some of the most exciting Mediterranean destinations. Then, building on their active wellness-based activities ashore, cruisers will pick one of five included, 50-minute Canyon Ranch spa services: choosing the World of Relief Body Buff, Tangle Me Up Wrap, Ocean Scrub, Sole Rejuvenation or Vitamin Infusion Facial.

Highlight Seven Seas Wellness experiences include:
Marseilles, France -- An intimate Tai Chi class in the garden courtyard of the Pharo Palace. The 19th century palace is built on a promontory overlooking the Mediterranean Ocean and offers a breathtaking view as you practice the ancient Chinese martial art.

Sorrento, Italy -- Immerse yourself in the restorative hydrothermal pools of the Stufe di Nerone Baths and tour the famous burning Phlegreaen Fields. The large caldera, known for its volcanic activities, provides an awesome backdrop as you take part in wellness traditions dating to the Roman Empire.

Venice, Italy -- Cruisers can visit a new attraction dedicated to the Venetian tradition of perfume at the Museum of Palazzo Mocenigo. There, you will explore how fragrance can help affect emotions and have the opportunity to create a personal perfume to take home.

Athens, Greece -- Swim, snorkel and simply delight in floating in the brackish hydrothermal, mineral waters of Vouliagmeni Lake and refresh in this most Zen of backdrops. From there, you continue to a secluded spot on Faskomilia Hill overlooking the lake for a spiritual yoga session.

Food is a big part of your wellness, of course. To encourage all passengers to try new healthy options and start every day right, Regent Seven Seas Cruises is expanding the breakfast bar at the Pool Grill with an array of more healthful items -- from low-fat yogurt and homemade muesli to a selection of nuts and exotic fresh fruits that can be added to smoothies. At dinner, check out the Canyon Ranch "Balanced Selection" appetizers, entrees and desserts, which offer the perfect combination of flavor and nutrition in satisfying portions. Of course, all Regent Seven Seas cruisers can choose wellness experiences outside of the new program. The spa services and the gym facilities were good experiences on my two Regent Seven Seas cruises.

Canyon Ranch SpaClub offers an array of treatments and services, including Reiki, acupuncture, fitness classes, personal training, educational presentations and workshops.

"Our discerning clientele expects that we anticipate their needs and the importance of integrating wellness into the travel experience," Montague said. "We are delighted to introduce Seven Seas Wellness."

The new Seven Seas Wellness program on Regent's Seven Seas Voyager is available on seven- to 10-night Mediterranean itineraries from late-May through September 2017, except aboard the July 25 sailing. There cost is $299 per person per port experience and spa service pairing. You can start making reservations for the program in April 2017.

0 Comments

Six Tips for How to Stick to a Diet When You Are Traveling

3/27/2017

0 Comments

I make healthy snacks, like a hearty trail mix, a priority when packing for a trip.

By John Roberts

I'm on a stricter diet in recent weeks as I get ready for a big blowout vacation in April. (I'm trimming down now so I can bulk back up then!)

I have been trying to stick to it religiously, and I think I'm doing pretty well, considering the amount of travel I do and how hard it can be to stay disciplined when you are away from home and your precise eating routine.

For my trips, I tend to stay in hotels after spending hours at airports before getting on a cruise ship for a weeklong voyage. With this schedule, you certainly face challenges along the way that can spoil any bid to eat healthy.

Even when you can find some foods that fit your diet, you still may have to deal with how to eat frequently enough when you're on the move and how to maintain discipline with your portions. Some of the dinners on a cruise can last for hours, as you socialize with tablemates, and you can be tempted with course after course -- always with fresh baskets of bread on the table and capped by a selection of desserts.

Not to even mention the wines and beers you'll want to try.

So, here are a few tips and tricks to stay on a diet when you travel.

Have a Plan -- The most important thing is to have the right mindset. Sometimes you really have to verbalize your eating plan for the day. Work out your schedule, and then strategize your eating plan, such as where you can eat (at the airport, for example) that will have the types of foods that fit your diet. It helps if your travel partner is also trying to stick to an eating plan. It can be tough to easily find a healthy salad with grilled chicken, and amazingly simple to find burgers and fries. And even more of a challenge when you are looking for that perfect meal and your travel buddy is savoring that heaping plate of cheesy nachos right in front of you. C'mon, dude!

Remind yourself of your overall goal each day, and this helps strengthen your willpower. This doesn't mean total deprivation, though. Just pick your splurges wisely. You can always carve out space in your macronutrient allotment for a new craft beer or an occasional dessert treat.

Track Your Macros -- Speaking of splurges. You need to know what you're putting into your body, so you can know whether you have room for that bowl of ice cream. When you set you eating goals, you might want to lose weight or increase proteins or lower carbs. It can be any diet that fits what you are trying to achieve or maintain in your healthy lifestyle. For example, my pre-vacation diet this time targets cutting fat and becoming a little leaner. (We can all relate to wanting to look a little better in a bathing suit in the Caribbean around friends.) So, I am eating fewer grams of fat and carbs and boosting my protein. You can easily keep track of your calories and grams of fat, carbs and protein with a good nutrition app. I use the Spark People app.

Snack Attack -- You're going to get hungry. I eat about five or six times throughout my day. This includes my meals and snacks. So, I account for that when I'm traveling by making sure I have the right foods for my diet. You need these snacks available for when you're sitting at the airport, riding on the airplane, in the middle of a tour to a historic site or anytime your eating schedule tells you it's time for a little fuel. Pack healthy snacks like protein bars, almonds and trail mix. I also bring protein chips and protein cookies for salty or sweet cravings. If you supplement your calorie count with your good foods, you're much less likely to have to rely on "whatever is available" on the cruise ship buffet or at an airport kiosk or vending machine.

An assortment of items I generally take on my travels: water bottle, protein cookies, protein bars, protein chips, protein powder and trail mix.

Bring Your Blender -- An additional pro-active measure I take is bringing along my portable NutriBullet blender. This and a supply of protein powder that I pack in shaker bottles (or the pre-measured packets) helps me stick to my macronutrient goals. It can be especially difficult to get the amount of protein I need for my diet (about 1 gram per pound of bodyweight) when traveling because so many restaurant meals are carbohydrate heavy with breads, potatoes and desserts. I can get ingredients at a hotel breakfast or cruise ship buffet and put them in the fridge until I want to make my smoothie after a workout or a tour. It's usually easy to at least grab skim milk and bananas -- and sometimes you'll be able to find peanut butter, honey, seeds and berries to mix with your protein powder. Plus, these smoothies are a nice cold treat.

NutriBullet Magic Bullet blender for travel

This is my trusty NutriBullet travel blender.

Ask for What You Want! -- The menu says one thing, but you can usually ask for modifications. You don't want those french fries but would like some grilled veggies instead. Maybe you want a double portion of the chicken breast to get your protein boost (it'll costs a few bucks more, of course). Ask for brown rice instead of white. Ask to have that steak done medium rare cooked in just olive oil. Have dressings or heavy sauces on the side so you can add as you like. The wait staff wants you to have a positive experience dining at the establishment. As long as the restaurants have the ingredients in the kitchen, I found that asking for simple tweaks to the menu is no problem at all.

Water -- Stay hydrated all day. Drink plenty of water as you are out and about or in transit to your destinations. This is good for many reasons, and you've probably heard many of them time and time again -- because they're true. Water is good for your tissues, organs and joints and a raft of other bodily functions too many to list here. Just know that your body is 60 percent water and needs it constantly, especially when you are exerting yourself and sweating in the hot sun of the Caribbean or Med. Also, keeping water in your system helps you feel full, which curbs hunger pangs. Pack a water bottle and keep it filled when you travel. Then, just sip away!

Hope this helps you in your travels. Works for me every time.
Thanks for reading, and always . . .
Travel fit! Travel happy! Travel often!
JR

0 Comments

Oceania Cruises Unveils New Canyon Ranch Wellness Tours

3/21/2017

0 Comments

Wellness Tours Inspired by Canyon Ranch will debut on Oceania Riviera on its April 9 sailing.

By John Roberts

Oceania Cruises has announced a new series of exclusive and comprehensive tours focused on wellness and healthy living. That's what we like to hear!

The series, Wellness Tours Inspired by Canyon Ranch, is the first of its kind in the cruise industry and the most comprehensive, Oceania says. The program debuts with sailings on Oceania Riviera on April 9, 2017, and on Oceania Marina on April 10, 2017.

Spa, fitness and culinary amenities will be provided by Canyon Ranch, a leading proponent of wellness lifestyles, and the cruises will set sail to some of the Mediterranean's most beautiful and interesting destinations.

These voyages will be fully-integrated wellness retreats, with tours offered in France, Spain, Italy, and Greece.

"This exclusive tour series extends the wellness experience available onboard our ships to immersive well-being explorations ashore in serene, hand-picked Mediterranean locales," said Bob Binder, Oceania Cruises' president and CEO. "Even for guests that have already been to these destinations, the tours represent a truly new and unique way to experience the region -- and a new way to cruise."

Oceania is aiming for a complete wellness getaway at sea in which passengers awake to the sun rising over the ocean before savoring one of several healthy Canyon Ranch breakfast options such as a three egg-white omelet with seasonal vegetables and cheese. Then, you might go on a wellness tour in Taormina, taking part in a yoga class while enjoying the beautiful landscapes of Sicily. Round out your day back onboard with a treatment at the Canyon Ranch SpaClub. Choose from a menu of services, such as a soothing stone massage or a detoxifying seaweed wrap. At dinner, you get a choice of healthy and delicious dishes such as steamed Maine lobster atop savory saffron rice. You've been so good all day, there is room for a sweet treat like warm chocolate cake.

With the debut of the new wellness tour series, Oceania Cruises is also offering Canyon Ranch wellness specials, pairing select Canyon Ranch SpaClub treatments with the new tours, which offers generous savings while encouraging cruisers to take advantage of the line's full suite of wellness amenities.

Here are Oceania Cruises' highlighted Canyon Ranch Wellness Tours
The Pope's Thermal Baths -- In Civitavecchia, Italy, enjoy an afternoon of heavenly relaxation and restorative benefits at the Viterbo Terme dei Papi, or the Thermal Baths of the Popes, in this famed papal city. Originating in Etruscan times, the exclusive baths boast a 1,000-year-old therapeutic tradition advocated by the presence of renowned kings, popes and artists throughout history.

Vinyasa Yoga at Monte Carlo Bay -- In Monte Carlo, Monaco, perched on a beautiful peninsula overlooking the azure waters of Mediterranean Sea, the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort offers paradise views during your private vinyasa yoga class, a dynamic style of yoga recognized for a host of mind-body benefits.

The Greek Gods of Wellness -- In Corfu, Greece, Ambelonas, an artisanal organic goods company and one of Greece's most stunning wine estates is the ideal backdrop for emotional, spiritual, intellectual and physical wellness during a stroll around the lush vineyard and herb plantation. The experience is capped with a tranquil meditation and yoga session followed by a wholesome plant-based lunch.

The Life of Laughter -- In Palamos, Spain, you'll discover the myriad benefits of laughter, including the rush of stress-reducing endorphins during a fun "laughter session" in an elegantly restored farmhouse-hotel in the heart of Costa Brava.

Onboard Canyon Ranch SpaClub Amenities
With nearly 40 years of expertise, industry pioneer Canyon Ranch recognizes that healthy living and mindfulness go hand in hand. This is the philosophy behind the brand's celebrated health resorts as well as the Canyon Ranch SpaClub onboard every Oceania Cruises ship. While the signature experience is a relaxing massage, the revitalizing treatments extend well beyond those offered in a traditional spa. Canyon Ranch brings its holistic and integrative approach to wellness with healing therapies, state-of-the-art fitness training, nutritional consultations, complimentary wellness presentations and healthy Canyon Ranch menu choices.

0 Comments

<<Previous

Regent Seven Seas Voyager to Feature Wellness Experiences

Six Tips for How to Stick to a Diet When You Are Traveling

Oceania Cruises Unveils New Canyon Ranch Wellness Tours

Categories

Archives