This Fitness-focused Cruise Ship Will Have a Whole Deck Just for Sports and Exercise. Start of a new trend?

[Jason]

Cruising isn’t exactly associated with weight loss — in fact, quite the opposite. Most people can reasonably expect to return home from a week’s all-inclusive voyage at least a few pounds heavier. With 24-hour buffets, five-course dinners, and those secret afternoon teas that pop up…well, it’s no surprise why.

But fear not — a brand new alternative is floating on the horizon.

Blue World Voyages, soon to be launching this summer, will be the first cruise line dedicated to active, athletic, healthy lifestyles: a new niche they’re calling “Active Lifestyle Cruising.”

Their inaugural vessel (name soon to be decided) will drift away from the traditional feel of cruise ships. The 350-passenger luxury ship will still maintain a casual vibe — guests can feel comfortable in street clothes, exercise gear, or even a bathrobe. And instead of Gelato pop-ups and soda stations, you’ll find sports, exercise classes, and wellness areas filled with the latest fitness technology.

A Sports Deck will stretch from bow to stern, home to a training center, golf and football simulators, TRX studios, and batting cages. Guests can make a splash in one of two onboard pools, or venture further afield in the innovative Sea-Water Lap Pool: a pool deck will be lowered directly onto the ocean, making a perfect setting for open water training.

Courtesy of Blue World Voyage

If a more mentally detoxing experience sounds appealing, head to the Spa and Rejuvenation Deck where you can take a dip in the hydrotherapy tub, relax in the solarium, or treat yourself to a deep tissue massage in one of the indoor and outdoor treatment rooms.

In keeping with the wellness focus, dining options will include four restaurants serving locally sourced and sea-to-table cuisine. When in port, chefs will venture ashore to collect the finest local ingredients for their on-board kitchens.

The launch of this “ultimate cruise experience for wellness-minded adults” could not have arisen at a better time, as the global wellness industry today stands at a colossal net worth of $4.2 trillion; along with a 6.5% year-on-year growth for travelers seeking wellness holidays.

Courtesy of Blue World Voyage

Gene Meehan, the company’s chairman and founder, had this to say in a statement: “Blue World Voyages was created for health-conscious individuals, sports and fitness enthusiasts, and those in search of personal improvement. Our focus on Active Lifestyle Cruising is not an option or an add-on. It forms the core of our overall cruise travel experience, deeply embedded into every aspect of the company, from ship design and onboard programmes [sic] to dining options and itineraries.”

Ports of call have been carefully selected on the basis of locally available fitness-focussed activities such as hiking, golfing, water sports, cycling, and mental awareness activities like yoga and meditation.

The inaugural sailing will be a seven-day Mediterranean itinerary, stopping in Portugal, France, Corsica, Greece, Spain, Croatia, and Italy. Being a small ship, the new Blue World Voyages vessel will be able to access those secluded areas — coral reefs, hidden waterfalls — that larger, amusement-park-style ships can’t access.

Blue World Voyages also aims to disrupt the cruise industry in a different capacity: offering guests the opportunity to become business partners of the cruise line. By purchasing one of twenty luxury onboard residences, one can become a member of the “Owners Club” — using their rooms when they please, renting them out through Blue World’s agency when unoccupied (standard passengers will pay $3,500 for the week). This concept of residential living on a cruise ship was dreamt up by Blue World co-founder Fredy Dellis, who previously oversaw MS The World — a first-of-its-kind residential ship housing 165 privately owned luxury apartments.

By Lewis Nunn, Travel+Leisure
Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more
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