This Fitness-focused Cruise Ship Will Have a Whole Deck Just for Sports and Exercise
Courtesy of Blue World Voyage
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.”
Courtesy of Blue World Voyage
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.
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.
