gym use on ship

[astrocat]

We are sailing on Summit ex Barcelona June 3. What are the best times for using the ship's gym? We aren't gym junkies --- really wanting to use treadmils for walking / running. I guess they are pretty full 6 - 9 am (ish)?

[JanineM]

Yes - the gyms are always busiest in the morning. Very early - like 6 to 6:30 - is usually only partially full, but it stays busy until mid-morning.

 

On Port days, we'll often go to the gym after we return to the ship, late in the afternoon. It's often almost empty then.

 

If you're just planning to walk, remember that the deck is available! I have found that the treadmills and ellipticals are really tough to use if the ship is moving and the seas are the slightest bit rough. Too much rockin' and rollin' for my stomach!

[Lsimon]

The M-class ships have a great track outside on Deck 11 for walking and running. Personally I greatly prefer walking outside to being in the still air of the gym on a treadmill. It is 1/5 of a mile, good size for a cruise ship, so bring a watch with a lap counter if measuring distance is important to you. The track runs from the area overlooking the pool around the aft of the ship. The back 2/3 of the path isn't usually very crowded, but it does get a bit crowded on the forward third of the path, on the part overlooking the pool, during times the pool is busy on sea days - say mid morning to mid afternoon. So you be slowed down a little on that portion unless you run/walk early morning or very late afternoon or in the evening. But even if you're slowed down for a portion of each lap the back 2/3 is pretty open for whatever speed you want.

[fernem]

I agree with Larry. Each time I sail on the m-class ships, I bring gym stuff but very quickly recognize that walking outdoors with the incredible air and vistas is so much nicer than being at a gym. The gym you do when you are on land, at home, for efficiency. But this is way nicer than that. Even the circus of happy sunbathing passengers adds interest. (The only downside is you do walk port side through the cigarette smokers, but you are moving as fast as you like, by and large, so I don't find it a real problem.) Sometimes I stop by the gym over the course of a day and just do some upper body weights for the fun of it as well. Of course, walking up and down eight flights of stairs several times a day, it seems, also does the trick and you even get art on each landing as you go. Oddly enough, I find I get great exercise on a cruise ship and look forward to it. It also, of course, keeps the calories at bay.

fern

[astrocat]

thanks for this, all. Hadn't thought about the movement issue so patrolling the decks may be the way to go!

[kellyteach]

thanks for this, all. Hadn't thought about the movement issue so patrolling the decks may be the way to go!

 

 

Yeah! Thanks for this! I use a treadmill daily but I will much prefer using the track on my Alaskan cruise in June on Millie.

 

Will a sweatshirt and long pants be ok?

[TourDeCruise]

We exercise every day both on and off vacation. Like most of you, we prefer to exercise outdoors (on and off cruises) -- during cruises in port and on the track. When we are on the ship, we will use the gym at least every 2-3 days for a weight workout, if we want a more strenuous or directed aerobic workout, or weather doesn't permit outdoor exercise.

 

With 18 cruises on both the Millennium class and Century class ships (or equivalent on 2 RCL or 2 HAL cruises), we generally use the gym between 6-7:30am. Our experience is:

• At 6:00am, we could be the first ones in the gym.
  
• With a couple exceptions, we have not had a problem getting a treadmill or elliptical trainer during these early hours.
  
• We have found that the gym picks up considerably between 7-7:30am (don't know after that point because we are usually gone by then).
  
• We have found that later in the cruise, the gym gets less busy. Maybe people are more serious about keeping their weight under control earlier in the cruise and get more lax as the cruise progresses? Or maybe they are getting plenty of exercise in port?
  
• With a couple exceptions, we have not had a problem using the elliptical trainer or treadmill even with ship movement. One rough morning, I resorted to the bike, but DH still did the treadmill or elliptical trainer.
  

Kathy

[Shirley C]

I also prefer the track outside, and do that most days. However, on rainy or cold days (Alaska) or very windy times, you can also "walk the halls". Someone gave me this idea a few cruises ago, and it works great. I usually start on Deck 9, walk completely around it (the hallways outside the cabin doors) take the stairs down to Deck 8, walk the halls, take the stairs to Deck 7, and so forth. I go all the way down to Deck 3, and then take the stairs back up to Deck 9. Trust me, it is a great work out.