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Best Fitness Areas on Celebrity Cruises Ships

5/29/2015

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Bocce on the Celebrity Summit lawn club on Celebrity Cruises.
Are you ready for a bocce battle on the lawn club on a Celebrity Cruises' ship? You can use the real grass surface to get a unique workout at sea.
By John Roberts 

We'll be taking our third Celebrity Cruises trip this fall. The trip for 17 days from San Francisco to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, takes us through the Panama Canal for the first time and also on our longest journey to date. 

We're especially excited because the voyage also brings together a group of family and friends, including the first cruise for my father in law, and it is a celebration of both my 10 years of marriage to Mrs. In The Loop as well as a certain milestone birthday for her (the Big 4-0! Shhhhhhhh!). 

Being on the ship that long, you know we want to be prepared to keep up with our fitness regimen. 

So, continuing my occasional look at the best fitness areas at sea, let's take a look at what Celebrity Cruises ships have to offer. 

The most distinctive feature on a Celebrity ship, I think, is the lawn club available on all of its Solstice-class vessels. This half-acre area of real live grass make the perfect spot for a morning yoga or stretching session. You also can do a full regimen of body-weight exercises in this peaceful space. Push-ups, sit-ups, squats, burpees, lunges, etc. 

Celebrity also provides games and equipment for you to use on the lawn. Especially competitive when you play croquet or bocce? Count that as a workout! 

Celebrity also features gyms on its ships, of course, and fitness classes that come with a fee (Zumba, pilates, spinning, yoga). The gyms are some of the most well-equipped and spacious we've seen at sea, which is nice. It's easier to get in a more effective workout when you have ample equipment and aren't fighting off fellow passengers for equipment and benches (though that might get your heart racing, too).  

We enjoyed a competitive pool volleyball tournament and playing hoops on the ships' sports courts. Celebrity Cruises ships contain jogging tracks that are best used early in the day or late afternoon when the sun loungers are least likely to be in use and encroaching on the track space.  

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Celebrity offers complimentary access to a thalassotherapy pool (adults only) in the solarium on Millennium-class ships. These jetted warm, salty soaking pools are a fabulous way to soothe those sore muscles after your workouts. A section of the pool has metal rollers that you can use to work out the knots and kinks. We found this pool a great treat and perfect way to achieve a bit of relaxing bliss each day. 

Thanks for reading. 

Travel fit! Travel happy! 

JR 


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Best Fitness Areas on Princess Cruises Ships

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The Best Fitness Areas on Carnival Cruise Ships

5/12/2015

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Courtesy Carnival Cruise Line
By John Roberts

You can use a weeklong cruise vacation as a way to recharge and refresh. For many people, that might mean laying on beaches or sitting poolside on a lounger on the lido deck soaking up the sun while sipping fruity cocktails.

For me, I like to make sure I get the right balance of exercise, rest and entertainment. Cruise ships provide tons of opportunities for all of these vacation styles -- and I'm talking about all the things that can all be enjoyed without even leaving the ship.

If you're more like me -- and you just might be because you're poking around this website, after all -- you need to start your day by revving up your engine with a good workout. It's the best way to earn all those extra cruise calories.

In the first of an occasional series on fitness at sea, let's take a look at what Carnival Cruise Line has to offer for its passengers.

Yes, you can take fitness classes on a cruise. They come with an added fee, and the classes are located in the gym onboard your vessel. The gyms are complimentary, but you pay about $12 to $20 for fitness classes -- such as yoga, pilates, spinning and boot camp -- which are available on all ships in the fleet. Personal training sessions also are available and typically cost about $50 to $75 per session.

Good news: the fitness center is often located right next to the spa, so you can get a soak or a massage after your workout.

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Courtesy Carnival Cruise Line
All Carnival Cruise ships include an outdoor jogging track, where you can make your way around an upper deck for a few laps to start or end your day. Watch out for walkers and lounge chairs that tend to creep into your lanes, though.

You can also take your workouts outdoors. Cruise ships Carnival Breeze, Carnival Magic, Carnival Sunshine and the new Carnival Vista (debuting in 2016) include a SkyFitness area. The gym on top of the ship offers machines for body-weight exercises, heavy bags to give the once over and a selection of cardio equipment. You can sweat under the sun or in cooling tropical breezes while enjoying the views.

I like the variety offered on the Carnival Cruise ships, so I can change up how I start each day while on my voyage.

Travel fit. Travel happy.

Thanks for reading,

JR


Related stories
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Best Fitness Areas on Celebrity Cruises Ships
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9 Ways to Get Physical on Anthem of the Seas (and 1 Bonus Way)

4/22/2015

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By John Roberts

The latest and greatest cruise ship on the planet is launched. I sailed on Royal Caribbean's newest toy, Anthem of the Seas, this week out of Southampton port (England) for a two-day voyage in the English Channel toward Guernsey and back. Anthem of the Seas is the second in class and sister ship to Quantum of the Seas, which I checked out last year.

Two days is enough to get just a small sample of all these technology-laden mega-vessels (4,180 passengers) have to offer. With the Quantum class, Royal Caribbean has tried to create something for everyone: flashy shows, a wide variety of restaurants, artistic design touches throughout.

But I care mostly about what type of active pursuits I can enjoy onboard, and with just two days on Anthem, I concentrated on checking out the adventurous side of this brand-new ship.

So, with that in mind, here are nine fun ways to get physical onboard Anthem of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas skydivingFull disclosure: Not me!
1. Skydive: The RipCord by iFly skydiving simulator is a blast. Really, a blast of high-powered air that keeps you aloft as you learn to fly, dip, duck and dive in a tunnel. Like that wind-blown hair look? How about funny pictures of you with your cheeks flapping? You get all that and quite a rush during your free 90-second sessions. You can even sign up for one-on-one lessons (fee) to advance your skills.

Outdoor pool on Royal Caribbean Anthem of the SeasThe main pool on Anthem of the Seas.
3. Swim: The pools are smallish on Anthem, but a wide variety exists to splash around and play. Choose among a traditional pool, wave pool waterpark with fountains, three-level glass pool in the Solarium -- some spaces with wading lounge chairs -- an indoor pool with retractable roof and a small lazy river (this is probably for kids mainly, but give it a quick whirl).

Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas Gigi the giraffeGrab on, climb up and meet Gigi.
2. Rock climb: The popular rock climbing wall found on many Royal Caribbean ships comes to Anthem, too. But this time, you get to scale the wall while coming face to face with Gigi, the giant giraffe mascot that keeps watch over the wall. Always great photo ops there.

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4. Roller skate: The SeaPlex activity space on Anthem of the Seas is a versatile area that is converted for multiple activities throughout your sailing. Lace up the skates and try to stay on your feet. That is a workout in itself for me. I used to be pretty good on rollerblades, but I'm out of practice on the four-wheelers. A DJ booth drops down from the ceiling to pump up the volume for skating/dancing parties, too. 

Basketball in SeaPlex on Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas
6. Shoot hoops: Full-court indoor basketball is available in SeaPlex. So, you can pop in to shoot a few jumpers or join a game during open-play sessions.

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5. Swing from the trapeze: Sign up for circus school on Anthem and hang in there. A trapeze is installed in SeaPlex, and passengers can learn to perform aerial acrobatics. I snapped this picture of a 68-year-old woman celebrating her birthday by getting in the swing of things. 

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7. Run the track: Anthem of the Seas features a nice outdoors running track, clearly marked with lanes for runners and walkers. But the lounge chairs are packed in tight in some areas. So, be very careful (Working out on a Cruise Ship) and announce your presence clearly to others who might be oblivious to the fact they are milling on the track. Or get your miles in when the area is not so crowded.

FlowRider on Royal Caribbean Anthem of the SeasAlso not me.
8. Ride the waves: Royal Caribbean's famous FlowRider is on Anthem. You can surf or boogie board while gazing out at the sunset. This is a fun and physical way to enjoy the cooling waters.

Fitness center on Royal Caribbean Anthem of the SeasC'mon. No slacking. You've got to earn that baked Alaska.
9. Hit the gym: No excuses for not getting in a few workouts during your trip on Anthem of the Seas. You'll love how spacious the gym is on this ship. It's the best I've seen on a cruise ship (matching the fitness center on Quantum of the Seas). All sorts of free weights, versatile machines, space for classes and a spinning room.

Bonus activity (no picture included): I'm sure you can figure out what to do on your own in your cabin if you want to get physical. But please, if you head to the balcony, make sure it's under the cover of the night.

Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas sails out of Southampton, England, until October when it comes to its permanent homeport at Cape Liberty New Jersey.

As the Brits say: Cheers!

Travel fit! Travel happy!

JR
Book a Cruise this Summer and Enjoy up to $750 Onboard Credit with Expedia! Expires 6/29/15
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