Cruise Tips For Healthy People

Many ships have running tracks so you can keep up your fitness regimen. Try interval training by running for 15 minutes, then doing a set of 10 burpees, 25 pushups and 50 crunches, then running again. No equipment needed, so no excuses.

Pack your smartphone and earbuds if you need your favorite tunes to motivate you. Take deep breaths of the fresh sea air as you jog around the track.

Many ships, including this Costa Cruises one, pictured, have gyms with plenty of machines and equipment. Costa has destinations around the world, including many in the Mediterranean.

Hanging out at the pool is a big part of cruising. This Princess Cruises ship, pictured, has a pretty pool area that should encourage you to swim some laps.

Slides aren't just for kids, right? The Costa Magica slide and pool, pictured, should get you moving.

The MSC Splendida, pictured, has a water wonderland, fitness classes, a squash court and gym. The enormous ship covers mostly Mediterranean ports, including Barcelona and Genoa, Italy.

Get off the ship when it docks and explore your surroundings. Biking is just one great option. Kensington Tours, for example, has an Adventurous Italy tour that lets visitors ride a Vespa in Rome, hike Amalfi, bike and horseback ride in Tuscany, and row a gondola in Venice.

Buffets are a minefield. Steer clear of sauces, anything fried, starchy offerings, cream-based soups and cheesy dishes. Take a small plate and fill it with steamed vegetables and lean meats. Go for a slice of whole-grain bread on the side and try a bowl of berries with a little whipped cream for dessert.

Hey, you're on a boat, so the cocktails are going to be tough to turn down. Many cruise lines offer all-you-can-drink packages, which make it tempting to drink as much as you can. But give your liver a break and practice moderation. And keep in mind that a pina colada can have up to 600 calories and a Mai Tai has about 300 calories.

If you are not a fan of mega-ships, there are plenty of smaller boat cruises. It's often easy to meet like-minded people on smaller ships and to enjoy active excursions with them. Island Windjammers, for instance, offers small-ship cruises that are focused more on the thrill of sailing than on ship amenities. Passengers can take a turn at the helm of one of the cruise line's three lovely ships and also help raise the sails. Windjammers' ports of call include the French West Indies and British Virgin Islands.

If you like a dose of nature with your cruising, look for lines that have shore excursions that excite you. Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Celebrity and the other big guys offer parasailing, exploring and snorkeling excursions for guests. On UnCruise Adventures travelers can hike, kayak, paddleboard, snorkel, go on skiff excursions and more in Alaska, Panama, Mexico and other places.

Exploring on foot is often the best way to see a city or get in touch with nature. CroisiEurope Cruises combines hiking and cruising on some of its trips. You can hike with guides through the vineyards and marshlands of the Médoc and along the Dordogne and Garonne valley paths in France. Backroads, which bills itself as an active tour company, teams up with river and small ship cruise companies to combine biking and walking trips with a ship as home base.

Need a great upper-body workout? Get in a kayak. Luxury cruise line Seabourn, a small-ship, ocean-going experience, recently launched the Seabourn Encore, which features a water sports marina offering complimentary use of kayaks, pedal boats and windsurfers. Polar Cruises has sea kayaking in the Arctic so guests can experience the ice and wildlife up close. Previous experience and basic kayaking skills are required, but needed equipment is provided, Polar notes.

The Caribbean has some of the best snorkeling in the world; some great spots include St. Lucia, Grand Cayman, Curacao, Bonaire and the Grenadines. When choosing a cruise with snorkeling and/or diving in mind, find out how much control of the program is in the hands of the cruise line, Cruise Critic notes. Are there onboard dive masters? Does the ship conduct its own dive excursions?

The outdoors will beckon to you in Alaska. REI Adventures has cruises that offer comfort along with accessibility to nature and wildlife. Cruising in Alaska on smaller boats offers a more intimate experience and guests can kayak, hike and more, REI says. The website has full itineries plus activity levels to ensure you are well-matched with your trip.

Feel like an explorer with a cruise to Antarctica. Ponant, to name one, offers cruises to the vast icy continent teeming with mountain scenery, the world's biggest icebergs and an array of wildlife. Exploring and hiking are possible here, conditions permitting.

Charles Darwin's visit to the Galapagos Islands had a huge impact on his theory of natural selection. Today, adventurers have the National Geographic Islander and National Geographic Endeavour II, which are equipped with kayaks, paddleboards and Zodiacs, allowing for up-close exploration. Naturalists on these trips take guests on island walks to learn about Galapagos wildlife. There's also snorkeling amid fish, sea turtles, penguins and sea lions.