Journey to the soul Wellness cruises are the new hot holiday trend. We sail with you from the Caribbean to the Galapagos Islands

Once cruising was famous for its indulgent all-you-can-eat buffets. But now, the new hot holiday trend is wellness cruises. Isn’t it time you got onboard?

Amorning jog by the ocean, a gentle Pilates class with water views, a chat with a nutritionist about your diet, a moment of calm meditation in the land that inspired the practice: wellness cruises are one of travel’s hottest trends.

The “transformation travel” movement isn’t a new one – from health farms in the desert to self-exploration journeys, à la Eat Pray Love, there are myriad ways to check out of our everyday lives and check in to a holiday, seeking to create a better version of ourselves, be it a delicious foodie jaunt or a scenic cycling trip.

But with more than 1.35 million Australians taking a cruise in 2018, it’s a natural progression to undertake your personal transformation on a cruise.

However, it pays to cruise the options. Some sailings have a specific focus – losing weight and yoga are two key trends, while others ramp up the high-intensity, on-shore activities, stock the staff with on-board life coaches, or even boast collaborations with renowned spa companies. There’s also the choice between river cruising and ocean sailing, which, in turn, affects the size of the ship, from boutique to big and beautiful.

Some wellness offerings are delightfully regional: step into the spa and hammam by French beauty house Sothys on the Marseilles-based

Ponant ships, or do the Nordic spa cycle of heat, steam and cold plunge on the ships in Scandinavia’s Viking Cruises’ fleet, which include hydrotherapy pools, steam rooms and even snow grottoes.

Viking has also tapped into a tried-and-tested global behemoth, teaming up with WW (formerly known as Weight Watchers) to run wellness cruises. Its most recent journey, an eight-day swish around the Mediterranean, aimed to reset your mind – less buffet, more buff – was a sell-out.

Sailing deeper into the waters of good mental health, Holland America Line (HAL) has collaborated with O, The Oprah Magazine, to run a series of cruises focused on meditation, movement and yoga, with select sailings joined by Oprah Winfrey herself, who is godmother to one of HAL’s ships, MS Nieuw Statendam.

Meanwhile, Cunard, whose iconic ships, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary 2, are regular visitors to Australian waters, has hooked up with celebrity US spa brand Canyon Ranch to create a new spa concept, Mareel Wellness & Beauty, which launches on the newly refurbished Queen Elizabeth in December. “Maritime luxury” are the code words here, with seabathing rituals, a meditation room channelling the transformative powers of the ocean and treatments featuring wild-picked, toxin-free and biodynamic products.

• Give your happiness hormones a helping hand with deep breaths of fresh sea air. Its negative ions help you absorb oxygen, in turn upping your serotonin levels, and therefore improving your mood.

• Add to it a dose of sunshine, which helps the body produce vitamin D, thus lowering high blood pressure and getting your brain into gear.

• “Blue mind” is a catchphrase coined by marine biologist Dr Wallace J. Nichols about the positive impact that being near water has on our mental health and wellbeing. His research finds that being near water lowers our heart rates, our breathing rates and, as a result, our anxiety.

YOGA ON THE HIGH SEAS

Best for Connecting with the ocean and getting back into a daily yoga practice.

The lowdown Star Clippers is known in the wellness world for its series of yoga-themed sailings, and this year has two tours in late 2019 – round trips through Thai waters from Phuket in November.

Shipshape Built on the lines of a 19th-century tall ship, Star Clippers’ mega-yachts buck the cruise ship trend – their long lines accommodate up to 170 passengers, under 36,000 square feet of sail. Those nostalgic for the days of yore will find brass fittings and antique prints around the ship, plus an Edwardian library and fireplace. There’s also an outdoor tropical bar, piano lounge and two pools on the top deck. A highlight is the view from one of the lookouts on the masts, 18 metres above the decks.

Health bent Vinyasa yoga instructor Liliana Skinner leads the yoga sessions onboard in Thailand. Stand-out Star Clippers sells the idea of practising yoga on the sun-warmed teak decks of the mega-yachts, sails billowing above in the ocean breeze. How could any yogi resist such a treat?

Who goes? Eminently romantic, two four-masted barquentines – Star Clipper and Star Flyer – and the premium five-masted full rigger, Royal Clipper, make up the fleet of this boutique line, which has a 60 per cent returning guest rate.

Sail away Star Clippers’ 7-night round trip from Phuket departs November 2. From $2975, starclippers.com.

SOUTH PACIFIC SOJOURN

BEST FOR Exploring preventative medicine for long-term health, with international expert Dr Andrew Weil as the cruise’s Mindful Living Coach. THE LOWDOWN Luxe cruise line Seabourn launched its wellness cruises last year, sailing through Alaska and the Mediterranean, and they’ve now set their sights on Australasia.

The Seabourn Encore is heading our way on a new South Pacific cruise, departing Auckland, calling in to New Zealand beauty spots, including Fiordland National Park, Milford Sound and cities Wellington and Christchurch, before crossing the ditch to Melbourne and Phillip Island, then turning north via Eden to Sydney.

SHIPSHAPE With a maximum capacity of

604 passengers, every one of its 300 suites has a veranda, so you can breathe in that fresh sea breeze. For an extra fee, The Retreat has 15 cabanas, each with a flat-screen TV and individually stocked fridge, around a central whirlpool with a cocktail bar and healthy spa menu, as well as a separate spa treatment cabana. HEALTH BENT For an all-immersive wellness experience, join yoga classes targeted at physical issues, such as headache or backache, or on such psychological issues as mental focus or happiness. There’s also a program of Mind and Body seminars and one-on-one wellness sessions, and shore excursions also have wellness in mind. Every Seabourn ship has a Mindful Living Coach, who is a certified yoga and meditation practitioner. STAND-OUT Internationally renowned natural and preventative medicine practitioner, Dr Weil has developed the cruise’s spa and wellness elements. Dr Weil will join just two sailings in 2020, including this South Pacific journey. Join seminars on anti-inflammatory foods, spontaneous happiness and healing, as well as healthy ageing. WHO GOES? A dedicated set of cruisers follow this universally admired cruise line, and Dr Weil’s appearance on this cruise is set to make it a bestseller.

SAIL AWAY Seabourn Encore’s 16-day Wellness in the South Pacific cruise sails February 21, 2020, from Auckland to Sydney. From $10,998, seabourn.com E

During the Mind, Body & Spirit Cruise on the Crystal Symphony, you can enjoy a walk, do thai chi, yoga and Pilates.