Staying in shape on a cruise: Make a fitness schedule

I know, you’re on vacation and the last thing you want to worry about is working out.  However, it’s important to stick to a routine. Since my upcoming cruise is 15 nights, I need to settle into some type of normalcy as that adds up to a lot of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners which all are filled with lots of temptations.   I always make a fitness schedule before a cruise, that way I know my expectations and it helps me stick to the plan.

Holland America ms Prinsendam Fitness Center

When I get on a new ship, one of the first things I do is go on a tour to become familiar with everything. I always go to the fitness center and look at the facilities.  This way, I’m already comfortable and know where I’m going when I decide to work-out.  It makes walking in the first time a lot easier.

Celebrity Century Fitness Room

For more information on the fitness rooms at sea, read my previous post, "Want the best view on a Cruise Ship? Jump on a Treadmill."

Since I enjoy being active, I’ll typically take advantage of a port day to get out of the fitness room and enjoy my time in a new place.  For instance, here are a few activities that I plan on doing while in port:

Kayaking
Approximately 375 calories burned per hour during a moderate, steady paddle (based on a 165lb person) according to www.livestrong.com 

Snorkeling
Approximately 250 calories burned per hour (based on a 165lb person) according to www.fitday.com

Hiking
Approximately 430 and 440 calories per hour of hiking, depends on terrain (based on 160lb person) according to www.livestrong.com

Walking
Approximately 358 calories when walking at 4 mph  (based on 150lb person) according to www.livestrong.com

FreshCruiser Tip: And of course, I always take the stairs on the cruise ship to burn a few more calories.

Celebrity Millennium cruise preparation continues!

Excursion Update
My excursions are about 75% booked on the Celebrity Millennium.  There is one port that I can’t decide which one is right for me so I’m going to wait until I get on the ship to talk to the excursions staff for more insight.  I’m taking a slight gamble as it means the ones I want might be full. 

To prevent this, I may book the one I like best and I always switch when I get on board.  I can’t wait for kayaking, touring the cloud forest of Monteverde, snorkeling, a city tour of Cartagena, Colombia, and much more.

Logistics & Crucial information to bring

I’ve started printing out important information that I want to bring with me.  Check out my previous blog post on which printed information I recommend you bring with you.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

In addition, since the cruise includes two stops in Mexico, I’m going to call my wireless carrier to see about possible coverage. I always call the credit and debit card companies to tell them when and where I will be traveling.  This prevents the credit card company from accidently putting a hold on my account when a charge comes up from another country.  

This whole process sounds like a lot to do but should only take about 30 minutes and you’ll have peace of mind knowing everything is in order.

FreshCruiser Tip: Get the planning out of the way before you get on board.  That way you can relax rather than trying to figure out what to do in port the next day.

1 month til cruising: Picking the right shore excursion

One month to go to two glorious weeks of cruising!

The countdown is starting to get very close!  In about one month, I’ll be boarding the Celebrity Millennium for 15 nights of cruising through the Panama Canal.  This will be my first time doing this itinerary.  I’ve always been fascinated by the Panama Canal and can’t wait to see how the process works in person.  What am I doing to get prepared? My main goal for this week is to get to know the ports and excursions that are offered.

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Excursions & Ports
The trip seemed far away for so long and now it’s almost here.  We’ll be making stops in Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Guatemala, and Costa Rica.  I’ve been using Celebrity Cruises' online advanced search for shore and land excursions.  You can search by duration, activity type, and activity level.  I use the duration search filter a lot as depending on the port. Depending on the location, I’ll typically pick the more strenuous option as that typically goes well with my love of adventure.  

Adventure in Puerto Vallarta

In a city port, sometimes I’ll want the longest possible excursion to soak in every minute of the tour or other times, prefer more of the highlights and then time to walk around and explore the city on my own.  There are a lot of excursions to go through and I wish the options could be filtered even more, including one by restrictions (weight, health, age). What type of excursions do you normally do?

Too many to pick from?  Ask the experts.
On a previous cruise, when I was trying to figure out which excursion to do for St. Petersburg, Russia, it was a daunting task and I probably changed it three times as I wanted to make the most out of our one day in Russia. I also wanted to make sure it was right for me.  And in this case, I wanted to see the Hermitage museum but not spend all day there.  We ended up changing it once again when we got on the ship and talked to a specialist at the cruise excursion desk.  It ended up being the perfect day, seeing a lot of highlights of the city.

Aerial Tram in Costa Rica

I would definitely recommend attending the information sessions once you get onboard as the first hand experience was exactly what we needed to find the perfect fit.  What I think is missing is if Celebrity would show past guests’ ratings of particular excursions to find the right tour for me as everyone is looking for something different.  

Join a Roll Call

I also like to join the Roll Call for my sailing date on different websites.  A “Roll Call” is a place where you can find other people sailing on your same voyage.  This is a great way to get insight from other travelers and what they think about a certain excursion as well as meet new people, gather information, and ask questions.  Check out these websites that have sailing Roll Calls. Many cruise lines have their own as well.

• Cruise Addicts
• Cruise Critic
• CruiseLineFans
• Meet on Cruise
• Ship Mate

Ok, I’m off to start my research and planning!  

FreshCruiser Tip: Never too early to start researching ports and excursions.

Princess Cruises focuses on fitness with the announcement of the Royal Princess Fitness Facilities

With the Royal Princess debuting in June, Princess Cruises announced the sports and fitness features that will be aboard. Royal Princess’ fitness facilities will include a Jogging Track, Sports Central and Fitness Center. The ship’s fitness plans have something for all athletic abilities.  

Photo courtesy of Princess Cruises - Royal Princess Center Court

“Many of our passengers are very active on vacation,” said Jan Swartz, executive vice president for Princess Cruises. “These new facilities will offer them state-of-the-art equipment and cutting-edge classes to keep up – or even step up – their fitness routines at sea.”

Sticking with your Routine

If you work out regularly at home, you’ll probably want to keep up with your exercise routine while on vacation. I always research what type of facilities a hotel or cruise has to offer before leaving to try and create a plan so I don’t feel guilty for taking a day or two off. 

I was extremely intrigued by the plans for the Jogging Track on the Royal Princess as I enjoy working-out outside whenever I can.  In addition to a double-lane jogging track with separate paths for runners and walkers, the Royal Princess will feature a circuit program along the track.  This addition adds function and makes running around the deck less boring as you can run in intervals and stop to at the exercise stations along the track, making time fly by while burning calories.   

Trying something new

Photo courtesy of Princess Cruises

The Royal Princess will feature a private aerobics studio at the back of the gym for a variety of fitness classes.  One of the fitness classes is MyRide, which is “a new era in indoor cycling, MyRide offers the opportunity to ride through inspiring scenic landscapes from around the world, with varying levels of intensity controlled by the user.” I enjoy going to spinning classes so this is definitely something I would check out if I were a passenger.

No excuses, you have time  
You’re away from work, errands, and finally have some time for yourself.  Explore new fitness options while you have the time and a great way to find something you like and continue it after the cruise.

Princess Cruises will help lay the foundation for a successful program at home. Participants in Body Sculpt Boot Camp will receive a take-home poster/program which outlines all the exercises and breaks the program up into four manageable workouts so you can continue their workouts after the cruise. I love how the experiences can be long-lasting. Additional class options include TRX^® suspension training bodyweight and Chi Ball Yoga.

Photo courtesy of Princess Cruises - Royal Princess

The other fitness facilities on Royal Princess include Princess Sports Central, which is  the multi-sport area that is designed to offer a collection of fun options, including court games, lawn activities and a lounge for virtual gaming. The Fitness Center pairs a state-of-the-art gym with spectacular ocean views.

Click here to view a video of the future activities on board the Royal Princess.

The 3,600-passenger Royal Princess is currently under construction for Princess Cruises. The ship’s 2013 maiden season will include cruises on the line’s signature Grand Mediterranean itinerary throughout the summer, followed by Eastern Caribbean cruises beginning in the fall. Click here to read the full press release from Princess Cruises.

FreshCruiser Tip: Most equipment will feature personal TV screens, which makes a big difference as why watch the morning news in bed when you can view it while getting some exercise? Start your day this way and I guarantee you’ll have more energy.

My Parents: Landlubbers turned Cruisers

My parents will be celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary this fall and to mark the occasion, they are going on a Caribbean cruise.  It will be their 5th cruise and first time taking a Holland America cruise. After years of begging and pleading my case, I’m glad my parents are now cruisers.

Parents have cruised on Princess Cruises' Sapphire Princess

My dad admitted to me recently how scared he was before their first cruise.  He didn’t know what to expect and although he saw pictures and heard stories from the cruises I went on, he still couldn’t fully grasp the concept.  I’ll never forget the first phone call I received when they embarked and found their cabin.  The tone was one of shock, trying to take it all in.  An hour or so later, I received my second call from them and they already sounded so relaxed after going to the buffet and walking around the Lido Deck wondering why they didn’t take a cruise before.

New adventure awaits my parents on Holland America Line (Photo Credit: Holland America Line)

A new adventure awaits my parents as they will be visiting new ports and trying a new cruise company.  I wait with a lot of anticipation for their trip to arrive. I enjoy hearing my mom ask open-ended questions about things she’s wondering about the ship that she’ll soon find out for herself.  “What will be on the room service menu?”  “I wonder what the entertainment will be like?” are just a few of her questions.  She keeps saying that she’s going on Holland.  I nicely explained that she can use “HAL Cruise” for short.

ms Eurodam Atruim (Photo Credit: Holland American Line

Listening to her questions is why I enjoy traveling so much, the exploring aspect.  Whether it’s exploring a new hotel or cruise ship to learning about a different culture, there’s so much that awaits them. I love that after 40 years of marriage, they still have a lot of excitement and good times ahead of them.

Are you loyal to one cruise line?  Do you enjoy trying different hotels or cruises?

FreshCruiser Tip: Sometimes people need a nudge to try a new way of vacationing.  If you think a friend or family member would enjoy a cruise, don’t be afraid to give them a little push.  Encourage them to start with a 3-4 day cruise to get their feet wet!