HEALTH ON THE HIGH SEAS
Cruise ship fun now includes spin classes, pickleball and even alcohol-free cocktails
I was about halfway through a spin class aboard a cruise ship on exceptionally high seas while en route to Iceland when it occurred to me that I was actually doing a spin class aboard a cruise ship on exceptionally high seas while en route to Iceland.
Along with providing a thrilling theme-park style workout on a spin bike, the experience also highlighted how far the cruise industry has come in providing activities for those who want to work up a sweat on vacation.
Cruises are well known for providing the opportunity to indulge. From elaborate multi-course meals, all-you-can-eat buffets or decadent desserts — not to mention access to drinks of all sorts — it can be a bit of a free-for-all. To be sure, these options are why many folks happily hand over their credit card and hop on board, leaving the diet at the dock.
But others are increasingly choosing to enjoy the same at-sea adventures with an eye to a healthier approach to food, drinks or activities, a trend Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has acknowledged and caters to aboard its new 3,100-passenger ship the Prima (and even newer sister ship Viva).
From the Turkish-style Mandara Spa, adjacent gym that includes spin and cardio classes, pickleball courts, as well as many healthy dining and drink options, there is just about everything you might desire to keep off or work off a few indulgences.
Not only was the gym on board the Prima well equipped with cardio and strength gear, it was also well used by passengers.
While we may have had less indulgent options to choose from aboard the Prima, we certainly made up for it in experiences and eye-popping scenery on a 14-day round trip from South Hampton, England, with stops in France, Iceland and Norway.
We first explored the charming seaside town of Le Havre, France, which has connections to Canada through Samuel de Champlain, who sailed from there and bestowed the name on a river and community in Nova Scotia.
We then headed across the North Sea with port calls in Reykjavik and Akureyri, Iceland, where geothermal bathing was truly enjoyed at the legendary Blue Lagoon. Then off to Norway where fiords, waffles and sky lifts are excellent reasons to get off the ship at our three stops in Geiranger, Olden and Stavanger.
Cruise director Simon Akinwolere, who organized everything from nightly Broadway-level shows to afternoon trivia contests, says there has been a huge shift in attitude in the cruise industry.
He said his parents were big cruisers back in the day when it was not uncommon to pack several changes of formal attire with expectations of elaborate dessert buffets well into the night.
Akinwolere said part of the shift to less formal offerings, especially on NCL ships, is the desire for a more laid-back experience that often includes less decadent options.
Staying healthy while on board can mean hitting the gym, but it can also mean enjoying the relaxing and rejuvenating elements of the Mandara Spa — also being added to NCL'S retrofitted ship Joy later in the year — including the cold, hot and rest elements of the Thermal Suite.
Think a charcoal sauna (the Prima is reportedly the first ship in the industry to have one), flotation salt pool, a two-storey indoor cascading waterfall, hot stone loungers, IV drip therapies, zero gravity massages and the like.
While there is an extra charge to use the spa, Akinwolere said he and his team schedule many free daily activities including dance classes, yoga and mini-putt golf.
There has also been a shift in the attitude toward booze with NCL offering a full non-alcoholic and low-calorie alcoholic beverage program at Prima's adults-only outdoor Vibe Beach Club.
NCL also boasts that it has the industry's first fully sustainable bar with the Prima's Metropolitan Bar offering cocktails created from second-use ingredients banana peels, watermelon rinds and the like, as well as sustainable spirits, liquors and beers.
The dining options were also varied and as decadent — or not — as you wanted it, from making your own salad at the salad bar, to choosing à la carte from options from the free restaurants or the eight pay-extra specialty restaurants on board.
As someone who likes to eat healthy even while on vacation, I had no trouble finding choices to fit my needs.
While many of the healthy activities were found on board, our multiple port visits also provided health-promoting options such as kayaking in Norway, relaxing in the geothermal waters of the Blue Lagoon in Iceland and walking tours pretty much everywhere.
On or off the Prima, you can indeed have it all when it comes to healthy options.
There is just about everything you might desire to keep off or work off a few indulgences.