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Virgin Cruises to Build 3 Ships, Wants Your Ideas

6/23/2015

BRANSON

By John Roberts

Sir Richard Branson wants your input.

The flamboyant billionaire wants in on the growing cruise industry, and Virgin Cruises is asking what passengers would like to see in the company's coming cruise ships.

Virgin Cruises will build three new ships, with the first set to debut in 2020, the cruise line announced June 23 at a news conference at Miami's Perez Art Museum.

The first ship will sail seven-night Caribbean itineraries from Miami; deployment of the second and third ships, which will debut in 2021 and 2022, has not been announced yet.

With five years before launch, you have a bit of time to make your voices heard. The line is taking comments and ideas on its website www.virgincruises.com

Virgin Cruises ships will be of moderate size, with about 2,800 passengers, compared with the behemoths that have hit the oceans in recent years and others due to launch in coming years from other companies (with capacity for between 4,200 and 6,000 passengers).

Branson dropped in for the news conference by a helicopter that emerged from a cloud of red smoke while circling Biscayne Bay in Miami.

"The Virgin Cruises approach will appeal to cruisers and non-cruisers alike, and we look forward to being in Miami and delivering an experience for people who want a new way to cruise," he said.

So, what exactly is a new way to cruise? Haven't cruise lines tried everything yet?

I'll go ahead and ask for craft beers included in each cruise fare.

How about you? What would you tell Virgin Cruises to include in its experience?

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The Best Fitness Areas on Royal Caribbean Cruise Ships

6/19/2015

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By John Roberts

We've been taking a look at the best fitness areas on the major cruise lines, and it's time to explore the cross-training extravaganza on the high seas: Royal Caribbean.

In other posts, I showed you the cool ways to stay active on Norwegian Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises. Those ships work fitness activities into their layouts perfectly well, and they are getting better all the time with the newest ships.

But for a long time, Royal Caribbean has made physical and fun challenges a priority on its vessels. And Royal Caribbean keeps one-upping itself. The past two years saw the arrival of Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas, with the inclusion of even more creative ways to keep you moving.

Trust me, you'll never be bored racing around one of Royal Caribbean's ships, trying to make sure you've tried everything at least once.

Most Challenging
Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas offer simulated skydiving with the RipCord by iFly ride. Just got out of the swimming pool? Head on over to the attraction for a blow dry. The ride is included in your fare, but you can sign up for personal training sessions and more time to learn how to ride the wind like an expert. Even the most fit will feel the burn the next day (what a glute exercise!).

Royal Caribbean has eight ships that feature the super-fun FlowRiders -- simulated surfing and boogie-boarding. Stand up, kneel down or give any other version a shot while trying to stay on the board. You hop on, cool off and often wipe out. The FlowRiders are always a busy spot on seas days, with passengers gathering in equal numbers to hop on a board or just take pictures and videos trying to capture the most gnarly wipeouts.

Anthem of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas offer a circus school in which you try your hand at the trapeze. Swinging above the crowd below (depends on who wanders in, I suppose), you learn a range of high-flying daredevil moves (OK, probably a couple fairly tame maneuvers). The classes take place in the activity-filled and flexible SeaPlex area on each ship.

Royal Caribbean ships also are known for their popular rock-climbing walls (picture at top of page). Challenge yourself against friends and family members in a race to the top. As you scale the walls, be sure to glance around for amazing views, whether your ship is at sea or in port.

FlowRider on Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas.

FlowRider on Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas.

Can you master the FlowRider. You can try surfing, kneeboarding or bellyboarding. With any technique, it's an awesome way to cool off on a hot day in the sun.

RipCord by iFly skydiving on Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas.

Up, up and away. The RipCord by iFly simulated skydiving activity takes a lot of skill to master.

The circus school on Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas is a wonderful way to work on your grip, agility -- and courage. Would you try this?

Most Social
The outdoor sports courts on Royal Caribbean ships are home to fun activities. On my first cruise on a Royal Caribbean ship, I took part in an epic two-day dodgeball tournament. Other games include soccer and basketball (at SeaPlex court on Anthem and Quantum). You can really have a blast unleashing your inner youth and make a few new friends (or enemies if you play too rough, I imagine).

Did you know you can enjoy ice skating on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship? The line's Oasis class, Voyager class and Freedom class ships feature skating rinks with complimentary ice skating available (as well as ice shows). Anthem and Quantum also have open roller skating time available in the SeaPlex area.

Most Traditional
Royal Caribbean's ships offer fitness areas with free weights and cardio equipment like most ships (you know, a good old gym), as well as a range of for-fee classes like yoga, pilates and spinning.

They also have jogging tracks. On the line's largest ships, Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas, the two-lane jogging tracks are located in their own space away from the often-crowded lido deck where most other cruise ship jogging tracks are located and where you have to weave around people wandering about on deck and lounging on chairs. In fact, the jogging tracks on Oasis and Allure are the longest at sea, only 2.4 laps per mile.

You see, the Royal Caribbean ships are loaded with all sorts of activities, equipment and areas to help you keep up your fitness regimen and have fun, too.

Thanks for reading.

Travel fit! Travel happy!

JR

Gymnasium on Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas.

The fitness area on Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas could pass for a high-end health club on land.

The jogging track on Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas.

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Un-Cruise Adventures Reveals Galapagos, Costa Rica Itineraries

6/15/2015

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Un-Cruise Adventures begins sailing voyages to the Galapagos Islands in 2016 on the 48-passenger La Pinta ship.

By John Roberts

How amazing is it to explore new exotic places? It's what we live for here at In The Loop Travel.

High -- like at the top -- on our wish list is a trip someday to the Galapagos Islands.

So, I'm really excited that Un-Cruise Adventures has added cruises to this marvelous region of the world. What could be better than sailing in close, heading ashore and exploring this pristine area that is home to animals and plant species not found anywhere else in the world: marine iguanas and Galapagos tortoises, as well as blue-footed boobies, bottlenose dolphins, albatrosses, sea turtles and so many more.

Un-Cruise announced its 2016 itineraries with its first voyages to the Galapagos and Costa Rica/Panama included.

Check out these trips:

The Galapagos Islands: Following in Darwin's footsteps, eight departures are scheduled on a 10-day itinerary to colonial Quito, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. This includes a two-day tour of historic Quito and a weeklong cruise among the islands. The 48-passenger La Pinta explores Isla San Cristobal, Isla Santa Cruz, Isla Bartolome, Isla Santiago,and two of the archipelago's showcase islands: Genovesa and Espanola. Island hikes, glass-bottom boat tours, snorkeling and kayaking bring you up close to wildlife including iguanas, sea lions, birds, penguins and giant tortoises. Fares include transfers, flights between Quito and Galapagos, fees, taxes, tours and adventure activities, as well as premium wine, beer and spirits onboard La Pinta. Rates begin at $8,995 per person, double occupancy. Feel even more adventurous and still need to take another couple thousand pictures? Optional tour extensions include a five-day Amazon rainforest voyage and a seven-day guided land tour exploring Peru and Machu Picchu.

If we don't get to the Galapagos in the next year or two, I might go crazy. Maybe for my 50th birthday, I'll book a big trip. This would be just amazing, obviously, and I know the Un-Cruise Adventures experience is just the type of active-travel voyage from which you'd like to see a thorough review. Let's go ahead and make plans to get on one of these journeys. Mrs. In The Loop? Are you reading this? Getting the hint yet for what I want for my birthday?

Starting in 2016, Un-Cruise Adventures also heads to . . .

Costa Rica and Panama: From October 2016 through April 2017, Un-Cruise's 64-passenger Safari Voyager sails 29 weeklong adventure cruises on an uncharted isthmus. See sloths, monkeys and mangroves on an itinerary between San Jose, Costa Rica and Panama City (or reverse). Jungle hikes and watersports activities occur throughout the voyage in Curu National Wildlife Refuge, Isla Tortuga, Manuel Antonio National Park, Corcovado National Park, Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica; and Coiba National Park, Gulf of Panama Islands, Panama. A full Panama Canal transit is included in each voyage. Rates begin at $2,995 per person, double occupancy.

We've been to Costa Rica and Panama before and will go to both again this year during our transit of the Panama Canal on a Celebrity Cruises sailing. These locations offer so much to see with their wildlife diversity and history. I especially love going to Costa Rica to interact with the country's friendly people who preach "pura vida," the pure life, and it shows in their near-constant smiles and welcoming nature.

Un-Cruise Adventures' fleet of yachts and small ships carry 22 to 88 people on adventure and river cruises ranging from one week to 21 nights. Adventure activities, tours, and presentations are included. Check out the rest of the itineraries at www.un-cruise.com.

Un-Cruise Adventures' Safari Voyager is a 64-passenger vessel that will sail to Costa Rica and Panama in 2016.

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Virgin Cruises to Build 3 Ships, Wants Your Ideas

The Best Fitness Areas on Royal Caribbean Cruise Ships

Un-Cruise Adventures Reveals Galapagos, Costa Rica Itineraries

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