Staying in Shape At Sea

[Ned]

Anita has two terrific simultaneous articles, which complement each other, about keeping your body "shipshape" on a cruise.

At MSNBC Travel her article Shipshape in a sea of food (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12579981/) relates experiences on Holland America’s Zuiderdam, with regard to food, the gym, and body fitness.

At Tripso, her article, Ships That Keep You Fit (http://www.tripso.com/archives/2006/05/ships_that_keep.html) discusses what kind of fitness facilities are available on major cruise lines. It's a great resource for cruisers.

I don't know about you, but I hit the gym about 6 days per week for between a half hour to an hour each day, according to whether or not it's my hard or easy workout. It's usually 3 each per week. I do weight training and aerobic work (bike and treadmill). If nothing else, it's keeping the new heart plumbing I got last year in great shape. Of course, it's also not a bad thing that my waist is now 3" smaller than it was a year ago.

I definitely find the time each day on a cruise to keep that same gym workout schedule going. So the fitness facilities aboard any cruise ship I'm sailing are very important to me. I'm wondering if the same is true of other Tripso members. Vote in the poll and let me know.

[drwong]

I get a lot more heart-pumping exercise from my shore excursions than I would ordinarily get from my normal sedentary workday! That's not to say that getting a little blood flowing to start my day and stretching those leg muscles wouldn't hurt before leaving the ship. :rolleyes:

[Carchar]

I had no problem keeping the weight off on my last cruise, which happened to be my first. Small boat (48 passengers) and very rough ocean made the pounds melt away. How can you get fat on Bonnine and Cup 'O Soup? (Unfortunately, the bucking ship also resulted in a high level of injuries.) I must admit it was fun eating again when we arrived at the sheltered bays. Everyone gorged, as we knew it was back to the cabins with the barf bags once we hit the open ocean!

[bodega]

Which cruise where you on and where?

[mtp51]

I couldn't vote because my answer wasn't listed. I don't have a "gym" at home - I am my own gym. I walk 2-3 miles every day and lift weights 3 times per week. I have only been on two cruises - not a cruise fan - and I was too busy to work out.

[silver cloud]

I have the turbo jam dvd's and they are a workout - whew. When on the ship - I do walk around the track and walk a lot on shore but actually work out -no thanks!

[Carchar]

[Which cruise where you on and where?]

Hi Bodega,

I was on a Heritage Expeditions (Christchurch, NZ) cruise to Antarctica and the Sub Antarctic Islands. We spent 30 days on the boat. In spite of all the grief, everyone said the trip was worth it. The travel agents at Heritage do warn you ahead of time that the Southern Ocean can be very rough. The literature advises you to come armed with an array of seasick remedies in case one doesn't work. After the Patch failed, Bonnine worked for me.

The doctor on board was excellent. My room mate may have fractured a couple of ribs after being thrown across the room before falling. He came to see her often and helped her with her pain. (She was a real trooper and saw everything.) For those people who could get no relief from their own medications, (patch, Stugeron, ginger, Dramamine, etc.) he gave Phenergan's. Worked like a charm for everyone that needed it. Does tend to make you drowsy, but the bracing air wakes you up.

I would go again in a hearbeat, especially if someone financed it. :lol:

[Ned]

Originally posted by Carchar@May 10 2006, 02:41 PM
[Which cruise where you on and where?]

Hi Bodega,

I was on a Heritage Expeditions (Christchurch, NZ) cruise to Antarctica and the Sub Antarctic Islands.* We spent 30 days on the boat. In spite of all the grief, everyone said the trip was worth it.* The travel agents at Heritage do warn you ahead of time that the Southern Ocean can be very rough.* The literature advises you to come armed with an array of seasick remedies in case one doesn't work.* After the Patch failed, Bonnine worked for me.

The doctor on board was excellent.* My room mate may have fractured a couple of ribs after being thrown across the room before falling.* He came to see her often and helped her with her pain.* (She was a real trooper and saw everything.)* For those people who could get no relief from their own medications, (patch, Stugeron, ginger, Dramamine, etc.) he gave Phenergan's.* Worked like a charm for everyone that needed it.* Does tend to make you drowsy, but the bracing air wakes you up.

I would go again in a hearbeat, especially if someone financed it.* :lol:
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Hi Carchar,

I am definitely hiding your post from my wife. We're looking into traveling to Antarctica next winter (northern hemisphere) via Lindblad right now, or perhaps the following winter. Which Sub Antarctic islands did you visit? How were they specifically? We're trying to figure out the scope of the trip to choose. She actually does know the seas can get rough down there, by the way.

[Carchar]

Hi Ned,

I chose Heritage over Lindblad because I wanted to visit the Ross Sea area of Antarctica. You have to spend more time in potentially rough seas in this area than you do in the Drake's Passage.

Our "landings" (mostly wet ones) were in the following order. BTW, all islands we stopped at belong to New Zealand, except for Macquarie, which belongs to Australia.

1 - The Snares. No one is allowed to step on the island, so we hugged the shoreline in naiads (zodiacs.) Wildlife: the endemic Snares crested penguin and lots of sea birds.

2 - Enderby Island in the Auckland Islands. Lots of walking, much over tussocks. Beautiful rata forest with fur seals actually among the trees. Wildlife: fur seals, hookers sea lion, yellow-eyed penguin, many shore birds.

3 - Macquarie Island. We were given a tour and tea-and-scones reception at this year-round research station. It is a geological World Heritage site. Wildlife: the endemic royal penguin, king penguin, gentoo penguin, rockhopper penguin and huge elephant seals. Of course, there were lots of birds.

4 - Antarctic Continent stops: Cape Adare to visit Borkgrevink's and Scott's huts; Terra Nova to pick up a Norwegian who had just completed a solo 90-day trek (on skis with supply sledge) across Antarctic through the South Pole. The Italians at this summer-only research station had already deserted; Cape Evans to visit Scott's hut; Cape Royd's to visit Shackleton's hut; a landing on sea ice to commune with emperor peguins (March of the Penguin types.) Wildlife: emperor penguins, adelie penguins, crabeater seals, leopard seals, weddell seals and birds.
We had to abort our landing at McMurdo Station and Scott Base, just eight miles short, due to a nasty turn in the weather and thick pack ice.

5 - Campbell Island. There is a small research station here. A long narrow boardwalk allows you to walk up into the hills without spoiling the ecosystem. We sat and watched nesting royal albatross show off their chicks by standing up on their nests. The hills are covered with mega herbs, large beautiful flowering plants.

Sea birds on the trip included many varieties of albatross (including the huge wandering albatross, petrels, prion, shearwaters, gulls, terns and mollymawk (small albatross.) Land birds included ****, snipe, bellbirds, parakeets and fernbirds.

I heartily recommend this company and this region of Antarctica for a first trip. The huts we visited look like they were just left last week (including the stored whale blubber.) I went in February to March. There is a trade-off. Later in the visitable season, the ocean is warmest and has the least ice. However, the chicks have already grown and are in full molt. Earlier in the season you can see the chicks, but you might have difficulty getting further south. We were lucky. The January trip on this line could not make a continental landing due to weather and due to the fact that a supply ship was stuck in the ice and other ships were warned away.

If I go again to Antarctica, I would choose the peninsula via Ushuaia during December, because it would give me a different experience from my first trip.

Whatever you and your wife decide, you will not regret the trip. It is well worth the expense and something you shouldn't put off. (Getting in and out of those rubber naiads in a bouncy sea is not good for the arthritis.) Bon voyage! B)

Carrie

[Ned]

Hi Carrie,

I can't thank you enough for the details. It's members like you why I like Tripso so much. You've turned our thinking upside down again of course, but this is just the kind of data one needs to plan a great trip. It's information that you can only get from someone who's been there.

Thanks again.

[Carchar]

You're quite welcome, Ned.
I'm on a road trip cross country right now. Otherwise, I would have acknowledged you sooner. (NY to WA)

BTW, although you probably figured it out, the chicks that were grown up and molting were penguin chicks.

Back next month,

Carrie

[Ned]

Originally posted by Carchar@May 15 2006, 02:56 AM
You're quite welcome, Ned.
I'm on a road trip cross country right now. Otherwise, I would have acknowledged you sooner. (NY to WA)

BTW, although you probably figured it out, the chicks that were grown up and molting were penguin chicks.

Back next month,

Carrie
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Have a great time on the trip!