De-stressing at sea (and on rivers)
Cruise Circle
This coming week marks International stress awareness week (November 4-8). Now, we might be a little bias, but we’re pretty confident that a cruise can work wonders for your stress levels. Read on to learn about some of cruising's best stress-busters.
There's nothing like a good night’s sleep to ensure you wake feeling refreshed...
Just ask Princess Cruises. The line teamed up with Dr Michael Breus, aka ‘the sleep doctor’, to design the perfect mattress and then bought 44,000 of them so no matter your cabin, you’ll lay your head on a Princess Luxury Bed. There’s quilt foam to envelop you but we love the idea of individually-wrapped coils that make sure you’re not disturbed if your partner is a wiggler. As if that wasn’t enough, you’ll even find a pillow menu! Be warned: It’s so comfy, you’ll never want to get up.
Do you know your downward dog from your tortoise? How about a snake lunge from a shoelace?...
No? Sounds like you’ve yet to discover the stress-busting art of yoga, an ancient practice that originated in India and is all about relaxation and relieving tension. Virgin Voyages hold yoga classes to greet the sun every morning and again as the day comes to an end. And the best bit? You don’t have to stress about the cost because with Virgin Voyages, it’s all included with the cruise.
Forget Kindles and Apples…
There’s something super relaxing about snuggling up in a quiet corner of a library and getting lost in a good book... a real, physical one! Whether you fancy a whodunit, some romance, a British classic or diving into history, you’ll find plenty to choose from in the libraries on Cunard and Fred Olsen ships.
Working up a sweat
Cue AmaWaterways, which has wellness in its DNA. Fitness instructors on almost all its river ships (not the Mekong or Douro) have four or five classes a day that get guests stretching, finding their core (easier said than done!), practicing yoga poses and Pilates, and even line-dancing, which is guaranteed to get the muscles screaming. And that’s just what’s on board. In port there are hikes and bikes rides. Even if you wanted to stress, there’s just no time.
