Royal Caribbean making fitness at sea a quiet priority

by Chris Owen on

They don’t talk about it much. On board, they have all the usual decadent food delights we associate with a cruise and it’s still possible to do absolutely nothing for your entire vacation. But in the background, just a step or two away from the spotlight, Royal Caribbean is offering guests more healthy, active lifestyle options than ever before.

A special program called “Royal Life”, is being offered on an upcoming sailing of Vision of the Seas. The program features an intense schedule of sports and fitness activities with a focus on nutrition. Sailing February 5, the program features activities such as spinning classes, rhythms, hydro bike and pilates. Yoga, both on the ship and on the beach is featured plus kids yoga and contests for families.

A featuring fitness is nothing new for Royal Caribbean who last month hosted a 5K run on St Maarten aboard Allure of the Seas. Rainy weather kept that one out of the headlines but the line keeps offering active options for guests.

On-board fitness programming is highlighted by their signature rock-climbing wall on all ships. Ice skating rinks, Flow-rider surf simulators and full-size basketball courts on some ships grab the attention of guests too. But the line’s keen interest in fitness and a health runs much deeper, weaving its way through everything from their Adventure Ocean kids program to on-board culinary options.

In the dining room, Healthy spa menus, Vegetarian Meals (including Indian-style vegetarian) are available as well as in the Windjammer Cafe buffet every day. Lactose-free/soy milk and other special dietary request meals are available with advance notice prior to sailing.

Also included on all ships is a fitness center that rivals membership-only facilities on land with all the latest equipment and knowledgeable crew members standing by to help. Classes typically offered include aerobics, resistance training, cycling, an aqua program water-workout and more.

It’s almost as though all these options have been secretly planted in all they do. They’re just waiting for much of the world to wake up from fast-food meals, couch-potato evenings and a general lack of interest in healthy choices. When they do, Royal Caribbean will be there with programs in place for just about everyone.

Flickr photo by naama

Goby.com names top New England ski resorts to brave the winter storm warnings

by Melanie Nayer on

There’s another massive snowstorm heading up the east coast and making its way to Boston, Providence, Nashua and beyond. As the storms get worse, the New Englanders get daring. What better excuse to brave the slopes than with a fresh few feet of snow at a favorite ski resort?

Goby.com, a travel and events search engine, pulled together a list of the top ski resorts in New England. Our advice: Instead of sticking around the airport hoping for a flight out of the winter wonderland, bundle up and head to one of these hideaways. There’s snow, there’s a fire, there’s a bar, and there’s a lot of skiing, sledding and snowboarding to be found.

  1. Nashoba Valley: Cruise the slopes of Nashoba Valley’s Snow Tubing Park seven days and seven nights.
  2. Acadia National Park: Acadia offers hiking trails up Cadillac Mountain, a 44-mile system of carriage roads (open to hikers, bicycles, and horses), naturalist programs, and plenty of cross-country skiing.
  3. Blue Hills Ski Area: Blue Hills Ski Area is conveniently located in Canton, MA, making it the closest ski area to the Boston Metro Area.
  4. Wachusett Mountain: Wachusett is the highest mountain in Massachusetts east of the Connecticut River and stands some 2,006 feet above sea level at its peak.
  5. Bousquet’s: A family-friendly area offering skiing, bording and snow tubing at affordable rates, including a bed and breakfast option.
  6. Butternut Ski Area: One of New England’s most beloved ski resorts, Butternut has slopes for all levels and plenty of children’s activities.
  7. Catamount: The mountain offers 1,000 feet of vertical descent and the most diverse terrain mix in the Berkshires.
  8. Blandford Ski Area: Owned and operated by the Springfield Ski Club, and open to the public, Blandford has 22 trails, half pipe, terrain park, and four lifts.
  9. Loon Mountain: The ultimate winter getaway, including 35 km cross-country trails, fabulous slopes, snowshoeing, ice skating along with night and day snowtubing.
  10. Wildcat Mountain Ski Area: You’ll have impressive view of Mount Washington from the massive 4,000 foot plus summit on Wildcat Mountain.
  11. Tenney Mountain: The mountain has joined forces with Eastern Mountain Sports to offer family-friendly and children-friendly winter and ski activities.
  12. Cranmore Mountain Resort: The popular ski resort has 11 lifts, including a high speed detachable quad and 200 acres of skiable mountain. It is practically at the center of North Conway, and 10 minutes from Storyland.
  13. Okemo Mountain Resort: Okemo is home to a 500 foot long superpipe, six action-packed terrain parks, and award winning children’s programs. The nearby Okemo Valley Nordic Center offers cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and a Winter Indoor Golf Academy Center.
  14. Stowe Mountain Resort: The famous mountain resort is the perfect place for nordic, cross-country and back-country skiers.
  15. Killington Mountain Resort: Located in central Vermont, the resort stretches across seven mountain areas, including Pico Mountain, and features access to 191 trails and 30 lifts.

Have a favorite? Let us know where you love to ski in New England.

How to create a realistic travel budget with Mint.com’s planning tool

by Amy Chen on

A new year often means lofty resolutions, especially when it comes to planning and maintaining a travel budget.

Though there are many personal-finance sites and software out there, this year I’m resolving to use Mint.com‘s free online tool. You can create plans for saving toward retirement and buying a house, but I’ll be primarily using the site for its Travel Goals, which help you set — and stick to — realistic travel budgets.

And though the tool obviously doesn’t do the hardest part (you still have to save the money), it does track how far or close you are to achieving your Travel Goal.

For example, say you want to go to Hawaii for a week this summer. Once you create a budget by filling in the estimates for airfare, hotel, meals, and other expenses, you can then specify how much you will contribute to that Travel Goal each month.

If you underestimate how much you’d need to save per month, the online tool points out: “Oh no! You aren’t saving enough each month to reach your goal on time.” The tool then offers you two ways to fix your Travel Goal: increase your monthly contribution in order to reach your desired travel date or postpone your planned date to fit your monthly contribution.

If you stay on track with saving the specified amount each month, Mint.com’s budgeting tool highlights (and adjusts) the projected date of when you can afford to take the trip. Save more, and you could afford to take your trip a month or two earlier.

But if you slack on your monthly savings, the date will be pushed back — a reality check and an instant motivator. Once you mentally equate an unnecessary clothing purchase or an impulse buy to the consequence of delaying your trip by a month, saving becomes a little more real.

Granted, most people will buy plane tickets and reserve hotels with a credit card several months before actually taking the trip; the tool helps track if you’ll be able to easily pay it all off after your trip. After all, nothing ruins a vacation more than coming home to bills that you’re not financially prepared to handle.

To fund my travels this year, I’ve linked my Mint.com account to an ING Savings Account labeled Travel Fund.

How do you stay on track with saving up for a vacation?

%Gallery-112536%

Surprise! Alaska picked as most-desired cruise destination

by Chris Owen on

A recent poll by Princess Cruises revealed Alaska, not the warm-weather-dreamy Caribbean, as the number one destination choice for cruising in the coming year. The poll, fielded from the line’s 76,000 Facebook fans, had some other surprising results as well.

Among other results, one-fourth of those responding chose Alaska as their top choice to visit this year, followed by the Caribbean (15%) and Europe (14%) Hawaii (8%); Panama Canal (7%); Africa (5%); Australia (5%); Amazon (4%); Asia (2%); Canada/New England (2%); Mexican Riviera (2%); New Zealand (2%); South America (2%), and India (1%).

The pool also revealed that the most desired traveling companion by far (68%) was the respondents “other half” followed by good friends (15%) almost leaving kids at home with a measly 6% vote.

Asked what celebrity they might choose to travel with, Oprah (19%) beat out Jack Black, Tina Fey (no doubt in Sarah Palin mode),Bono, Heidi Klum, Mario Batali, Michelle Obama, Peyton Manning and Justin Bieber among others.

Top choice for what Princess fans want on a vacation? Relaxation (50%) was far ahead of Adventure, Entertainment, Culture and Romance.

So lets add this up. Most people want to go to Alaska with Oprah and/or their “better half” to relax. Almost nobody wants to go to India with Justin Bieber for romance.

I think that works for me. What about you?

%Poll-58380%

Photo: Princess Cruises

Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: The Gear

by Adam Kaufman on

On a long-distance hike like the Pacific Crest Trail, what you carry on your back is everything.

This summer, my girlfriend Katie and I walked the 2,663-mile Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. The journey took us across the Mojave desert, over the remote, snowy Sierra Nevada mountains, and through a spectacular and constantly changing wilderness landscape.

We found that three carefully chosen big-ticket gear items — our backpacks, sleeping bags, and tent — went a long way toward making our journey possible. In this video, we talk about “the big three,” give tips for selecting and caring for gear, and explain why the right gear is crucial to a successful long-distance hike.