The best repositioning cruises for keeping fit.

The best repositioning cruises for keeping fit.

With lots of long, leisurely days at sea, staying fit on repositioning cruises is easier than it is on cruises with lots of shore visits.  Transatlantic cruises offer the most opportunity.  If you can keep yourself from eating everything in sight, that is.

There’s plenty of temptation at meal times, that’s for sure.  But there’s also a nice assortment of sports and activities to help you burn calories, get your heart rate up, and stay in shape.

No matter how fit you are, you’ll find exercise programs, classes, and equipment that are suitable for you and your fitness level.

Here are the best repositioning cruises for keeping the weight off.

Celebrity Solstice

Not only does Solstice have conventional cardio and resistance machines, she also has bikes with monitors that let you ride virtually along some of the best courses in the world.  There’s basketball, jogging, putting on the real grass lawn, a sports pool, and a two-tier fitness center with panoramic ocean views.  Solstice sails in May from Fort Lauderdale to Barcelona, calling at ports in Portugal and Spain.  She returns in October.

Crystal Serenity

The most luxurious of the mid-size ships, Crystal Serenity carries just over 1,000 passengers.  Fitness facilities include two paddle tennis courts, a putting range, and golf driving nets.  Unique to Crystal are two walking programs developed in conjunction with LEKI USA.  The Walk of Water (WOW) program features weighted vests and walking poles.  Serenity leaves Lisbon in December and arrives in Miami ten nights later.

Costa Luminosa

Technology-forward travelers, especially those who enjoy video games, will appreciate the innovative Costa Luminosa.  Affiliated with Samsara Spa, the fitness center has a Kinesis circuit, a golf simulator, a Grand Prix race car simulator, and a special Play Station area.  You can play volleyball or tennis at the sport court, and even roller skate on the first cruise ship skating track.   In November, Luminosa repositions from Savona, Italy to Dubai.

Liberty of the Seas

At 9,700 square feet, the ShipShape Fitness Center on Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas is one of the biggest.  It has a huge selection of exercise equipment, plus Power Plate and Cable Motion machines.  Pilates, spinning, and yoga classes are taught in separate studios.  The surf simulator, rock wall, boxing ring, and basketball court are other great places for a workout.  Liberty leaves Miami in April for Barcelona and returns in October.

Norwegian Epic

This new NCL ship introduced lots of fun ways to stay in shape, including a batting cage, rappelling wall, climbing cage, rope course, and bungee trampoline.  If you’d rather stick with something more conventional, you’ll find it in the 31,000-square-foot spa and sports complex.  Their classes are out of the ordinary too, which will help you mix things up.  In May, Epic sails from Miami to Barcelona.

Ruby Princess

The Tour de Spin classes in the fitness center follow certain stages of the Tour de France, and there’s a current pool for swimming laps, a nine-hole putting course where you can work on your short game, and a jogging track.  Core, Balance and Strength training uses Pilates, Yoga, and Cardio exercises to provide a full-body workout.  Ruby Princess leaves Barcelona for Fort Lauderdale in September.

With a little discipline, you can enjoy all the great food on repositioning cruises without packing on the pounds.

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