Cruise: Mindful Vacations at Sea

AMA BIKESMindful Vacations at SeaBy Paloma Villaverde de RicoLooking way beyond the traditional spa/gym offerings, these five cruise lines create wellbeing and fitness programs that cater to your clientâ€™s mind, body and soul. AmaWaterwaysâ€”Wellness MindsetIf youâ€™re sailing on an AmaWaterways ship and the cruise lineâ€™s co-owner and executive v.p. Kristin Karst is on board, donâ€™t be surprised when she joins you for the early morning yoga class on the upper deck. Karst is passionate about wellness, and because of that AmaWaterways was one of the first river cruise lines to offer a comprehensive wellness program. Says Karst, â€œWith travelers increasingly seeking experiences that promote physical and mental wellbeing during their vacations, itâ€™s essential for cruise brands to meet customer expectations and create offerings to cater to this growing demand or run the risk of losing clients to land-based vacation options.â€AMA QUOTE The river cruise line, adds Karst, â€œprovides guests with options beyond the traditional workouts at their local gym, all while maintaining their wellness mindsets as they travel the world.â€ Ships offer a fitness center, popular Wellness Host-led daily exercise classes on the upper deckâ€”everything from sunrise stretching classes to champagne yogaâ€”and an open-air walking track as well as guided hiking and biking tours. To up its fitness quotient even more, this year AmaWaterways became the first river cruise line to add a full-sized pickleball court to its fleet. â€œAs pickleball provides a fast-learning curve and is extremely social,â€ says Karst, â€œour new pickleball court aboard the AmaMagna allows guestsâ€¦the opportunity to take a swing while being docked in the heart of picturesque towns along Europeâ€™s legendary Danube River.â€ She points out, too, that wellness carries through to the cruise brandâ€™s culinary offerings â€œwith all fresh ingredients used and tasty vegetarian, low sugar and low sodium menu options highlighted.â€ When asked to choose a couple of itineraries that are ideal for wellness-minded clients, Karst points to the Magna on the Danube, because it offers a variety of included hiking and biking tours throughout the cruise, such as hiking to the historic Durnstein Fortress, trekking up Castle Hill for breathtaking views of the city of Budapest, journeying high above Germanyâ€™s picturesque town of Passau to the Veste Oberhaus fortress and biking along the city of Linzâ€™s famed â€œCultural Mile.â€ In Asia, she recommends the Riches of Mekong, which includes a walking tour through Angkor Ban, a Buddhist blessing ceremony at a monastery and a traditional trishaw ride around the small town of Tan Chau on the Mekong River. Passengers will also learn the traditional way of making 100 percent organic teas, discover tai chiâ€™s benefits and take part in guided meditations. Avalon Waterwaysâ€”Active Adventures Wellbeing is a journey, says Pam Hoffee, president of Avalon Waterways, and while travelers might want to â€œtake a break from the rigors of life, they often donâ€™t want to lose momentum on their wellness journey. When they travel and incorporate a modified version of their fitness routine into their vacation, they can be fulfilled in so many ways.â€ Avalon Waterways, she says, offers everything from â€œhiking to an amazing view to starting the morning with yoga and even taste-testing new, healthy and regional cuisines.â€ The cruise brand offers Adventure Hosts on every ship in Europe who help, says Hoffee, â€œkick-start each day for guests with wellness activities. Before cruisers set out to discover the lives of kings, queens and conquerors, they can easily find their inner warrior, cobra or happy baby.â€ Let your clients know that the Adventure Host can outfit them with everything from Nordic walking sticks to stretch bands, yoga mats and more. Additionally, every Avalon ship is equipped with complimentary bicycles and e-bikes for, as Hoffee notes, â€œscenic land cruising and in-town adventures.â€ Avalon Waterways is mindful of passengersâ€™ varied food preferences and thus offers an Avalon Fresh menu with options such as low sodium, low carb, high energy or high protein. Meanwhile, Avalonâ€™s Active & Discovery itineraries, available on every major waterway in Europe, brim over with included Active excursions. â€œUntethered and full of opportunities to infuse interests and passions into each cruise, our Active & Discovery vacations,â€ says Hoffee, â€œfeature extraordinaryâ€”includedâ€”activities that give travelers the choices they crave. On these one-of-a-kind cruises, every day, travelers can choose from a selection of included â€˜Active,â€™ â€˜Discoveryâ€™ and â€˜Classicâ€™ excursions. In fact, the average number of Avalon Choice excursions on these cruises is 22, giving our guests countless opportunities to customize their getaway.â€ Active excursion examples include hiking to Kroushuna Waterfalls (lower Danube) or through Val dâ€™Enfer (Rhone); a sightseeing bike tour through Belgrade, Serbia (lower Danube) or the Netherlands countryside (Holland & Belgium) or while spending the day in Le Havre (Seine); canoeing through the Wachau Valley (Danube); kayaking down the Ardeche Gorge (Rhone) in Amsterdam (Rhine) or along the Seine River, near Vernon (Seine); taking an e-bike tour to the Chateau de Maisons-Lafitte (Seine) or through the Gard region (Rhone); hiking up to Landshut Castle in Bernkastel (Moselle); and pedaling a rail bike along the descent of the Gorges du Doux (Rhone). CELEBRITY DECKCelebrity Cruisesâ€”Next Level Wellbeing Experience Wellness, says Keith Lane, sr. v.p. of hotel operations for Celebrity Cruises, is essential to the brand, and thus their offerings in this space go beyond the standard and elevate the experience to the next level. â€œBy offering a robust and in-depth wellness offering,â€ he says, â€œwe can meet the evolving needs of todayâ€™s traveler and attract a new generation of wellness-focused travelers. With more and more people becoming health-conscious and prioritizing their well-being, the demand for our wellness facilities and activities is increasing. By offering a comprehensive wellness program that considers mind, body and spirit, we can better cater to this demand and provide a unique and memorable experience for our guests. â€œAt Celebrity we're focused on revolutionizing the marketplace by being a resort at sea. This means that wellness isnâ€™t just experienced in the spa. It begins with thoughtful design throughout the ship and a sense of comfort, it is evident in the food and drink program that includes plant-based options, clean cuisine and even zero proof cocktails throughout the bars, and it is seen in the spa and fitness facilities that have evolved to consider holistic therapies and remedies, including acupuncture, meditation and yoga,â€ says Lane. CELEBRITY QUOTE Celebrity offers an array of wellness experiences including the AquaClass staterooms, with wellness elements infused throughout the stateroom, from the Infinite Verandas that allow guests to walk right out to the waterâ€™s edge to a cashmere mattress and pillow menu. AquaClass guests also get exclusive perks at the spa, in-room amenities such as massaging shower panels and eco-friendly natural shower ingredients and access to the clean-cuisine restaurant, Blu. Lane also points to the thoughtful design on board Celebrity ships, which â€œmaximizes outdoor areas and visibility, allowing guests to feel connected to the world around them.â€ Additionally, the SEA Thermal Suite on the Edge Series features eight distinct therapeutic spaces including a hammam, crystalarium, salt room, steam room, infrared sauna room, float room, heated tile lounges with panoramic ocean views and the rainfall water therapy room. The brandâ€™s Celebrity Wellness Destination Experiences are, as Lane says, an important element of the wellness offerings as well. â€œ[These excursions]â€ he says, â€œare designed to provide guests with a wellness-focused experience while on shore. They are led by local experts and are designed to help guests relax, rejuvenate and connect with themselves while exploring [a destination]. Some examples of Celebrity wellness shore excursions include yoga classes on the beach, guided meditation sessions in scenic locations and hikes through natural landscapes. â€œIn addition to the wellness-focused activities, Celebrity wellness shore excursions also often include healthy dining options, such as farm-to-table meals and cooking demonstrations featuring local ingredients. These dining options are designed to help guests maintain a healthy and balanced diet while on shore, further enhancing the overall wellness experience,â€ he says. Lane adds that Celebrity Edge Series ships are perfect for cruisers who donâ€™t want to forego their wellness regimen. This includes the soon-to-debut Celebrity Ascent, which will feature AquaSuites. In terms of destination-focused wellness trips, Lane recommends the new Holy Land sailings to Egypt & Israel that run from February to April 2024. â€œThese incredible itineraries,â€ he says, â€œoffer the opportunity to experience bucket-list destinations packed with cultural and spiritual history, including Athens, Greece; Haifa, Israel; Ephesus, Turkey; and two overnights in Jerusalem and Alexandria, Egypt.â€EXPLORA SPA Explora Journeysâ€”Ocean State of Mindâ€œItâ€™s very important that cruise brands provide wellness options that engage all aspects of wellness,â€ says Julanda Marais, sr. lead spa operations for Explora Journeys, â€œfrom healthy dining options and the opportunity to connect the mind and body through movement to relaxing and unwinding with spa treatments.â€ She adds that, â€œAt the end of their vacation, guests want to walk away feeling refreshed and renewed, so it's more important than ever to provide experiences on board that will offer guests a chance to slow down and optimize their wellbeing.â€ For Explora Journeys, that means the Ocean Wellness program, which, says Marais, â€œoffers an array of highly effective, restorative experiences far removed from urban noise and the always-on digital culture to create an â€˜Ocean State of Mind.â€™ Sleep, relaxation, mindfulness, energy and immunity-boosting are addressed holistically, producing a deep sense of physical and spiritual renewal enhanced by the revitalizing influence of the sea. EXPLORA QUOTE â€œThe philosophy behind Ocean Wellness is rooted in Explora Journeysâ€™ origin and the effect that the water and waves have on the soul. In the spa, guests will experience a soothing environment with 11 treatment rooms, a beauty studio and a sensorial therapeutic circuit. We have also partnered with a variety of sustainable brands that feature first-class active ingredients with a high concentration of botanical, marine and biological extracts. â€œWe also recognize the connection between fitness and overall wellbeing and provide unparalleled exercise options, from an initial physical assessment to functional and strength training, cardio, Pilates and group classes,â€ she says. Additionally, on EXPLORA I, passengers can opt for tailored consultation and retreat programs ranging from sleep and immune boosting to nutrition as well as yoga. These help, says Marais, to â€œmaintain wellbeing during and beyond their journey.â€ A private yoga class, in fact, is a highlight of Explora Journeysâ€™ Northern Europe, United Kingdom and Ireland itinerary. Imagine doing a cobra pose in a castle setting surrounded by a romantic English garden. During this excursion, guests will step into a private room in the castle with a certified instructor that will guide them in a relaxing routine, followed by a vegan lunch. This itinerary also has the option for guests to cook in the wild Zwin Nature Park with a private chef who will create a menu inspired by the flavorful plants and herbs in the park and participate in an enrichment session on inner strength and resilience. SEABOURN SPASeabournâ€”Mindful LivingSeabourn guests, says Steve Smotrys, the cruise brandâ€™s v.p. of sales, have the opportunity to benefit from an integrative approach to health and wellness. â€œItâ€™s no longer sufficient to just have a gym on board,â€ he says. â€œWellness programming needs to be more comprehensive to address the needs of the mind and body.â€ To offer the utmost experience in this space, the cruise line has partnered with experts, including Dr. Andrew Weil, a pioneer in integrative medicine. Its Spa & Wellness program with Dr. Andrew Weil is a mindful-living program that integrates physical, social, environmental and spiritual wellbeing. Created in conjunction with OneWorldSpa and Dr. Weil, this exclusive-to-Seabourn program â€œdeepens the already wellness-focused Seabourn spa program, which offers a wide range of body massages, facials, fitness and beauty treatments," says Smotrys. Included in the programming is a variety of mediation/yoga classes and seminars adapted from Dr. Weilâ€™s bestselling books and research, with topics ranging from yoga to healing body pain and enhancing mental focus/happiness. SEABOURN QUOTE â€œWhat makes our program unique is that Seabourn guests have access to the Mindful Living Coach and principles developed by world-renowned experts in integrative medicine and mindful living, which are preventive approaches to wellness over a more traditional reactive approach to health and wellness. Throughout the voyages, these esteemed experts and educators host workshops, discussions, optional for-charge excursions and events to facilitate physical, social, environmental and spiritual wellbeing for daily life.â€Complementing the Spa & Wellness program with Dr. Weil are the Ventures by Seabourn shore excursions, which, explains Smotrys, afford passengers the opportunity to go hiking or kayaking. â€œThe benefits,â€ he says, â€œare more than just physical, as some studies suggest that being out in nature has benefits for mental and psychological wellbeing. Even just relaxing on the ship, chatting with fellow travelers, or even getting some extra sleep can support guestsâ€™ wellness.â€ Seabourn offers a number of Mindful Living excursions on select sailings, including two fall 2023 itineraries: The 7-day Mediterranean Medley (Oct. 29-Nov. 5) and the 7-day Mediterranean Mystique (Nov. 5-12), both on Seabourn Ovation. Contact InformationAmaWaterways: amawaterways.comAvalon Waterways: avalonwaterways.comCelebrity Cruises: celebritycruises.comExplora Journeys: explorajourneys.com/us/enSeabourn: seabourn.com/en_US.html

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