Our Favourite Health and Wellbeing Cruise Holidays

From doing downward-facing dog on deck in the Mediterranean Sea to eating gourmet vegan while floating along the Rhône River, take your pick from these wonderfully healthy holidays at sea.

For Relaxation: Yoga Cruises

You’re on a beautiful, traditional-style wooden sailing yacht stretching peacefully on deck, looking out to views of the Turkish Mediterranean Sea – welcome to the epitome of relaxation.

Aptly known as the Yoga Cruise, these week-long sailing trips combine sightseeing with daily yoga and relaxation. Departures are from Finike or Fethiye, both on the south-western coast of Turkey.

Upcoming itineraries include:

Finike return: calling at Kas, June 18, 2016.
Finike to Fethiye: June 25, 2016.
Fethiye to Finike: September 3, 2016.
Finike return: calling at Kas, September 17, 2016.
Finike return: calling at Göcek, October 1.

Learn more about Yoga Cruises

SEE ALSO: The Best Cruises for 2016

For Fitness: Running Cruises

Tour exotic and varied destinations – from the snowy mountains of Alaska to the sandy beaches of the Caribbean – by foot and at your own pace on these unique cruise holiday packages that are centered around walking and running itineraries.

The “Running Cruises” concept was started by well-known marathon-running couple John Bingham and Jenny Hadfield, who organise a variety of tours at the destinations to suit different fitness levels.

Upcoming itineraries include:

Caribbean Running Cruise: February 2017 aboard Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas.
The Great Alaskan Running Cruise: July 2017 aboard Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas.

Learn more about Running Cruises
Learn more about Royal Caribbean

For Pampering: Wellness Expeditions

Silversea, a cruise operator known for its luxurious, small-ship experiences, offers a specific line of Wellness Expedition cruise holidays that incorporate yoga, Pilates, healthy eating and spa treatments, travelling to a variety of destinations including Bali, Singapore and the Maldives.

Upcoming itineraries include:

Koror to Cairns: September 20, 2016, aboard Silver Discoverer.
Cairns to Balikpapan: October 4, 2016, aboard Silver Discoverer.
Balikpapan to Singapore: October 18, 2016, aboard Silver Discoverer.
Phuket to Maldives (Male): December 2, 2016, aboard Silver Discoverer.
Maldives (Male) to Dar es Salaam: December 17, 2016, aboard Silver Discoverer.
Kolkata to Phuket: February 27, 2017, aboard Silver Discoverer.
Phuket to Bali (Benoa): March 13, 2017, aboard Silver Discoverer.

Learn more about Silversea Cruises

For General Wellness: Holistic Holiday at Sea

This week-long wellness cruise holiday, founded in 2005 by Floridian holistic health specialist Sandy Pukel, features a series of seminars and activities themed around physical and mental health and a menu of vegan and natural foods.

Upcoming itineraries include:

Miami return: calling at Ocho Rios (Jamaica), Georgetown (Cayman Islands), Cozumel (Mexico) and Nassau (Bahamas) – March 11, 2017, aboard MSC Cruises’ MSC Divina.

Learn more about Holistic Holiday at Sea
Learn more about MSC

For Healthy Eating: Vegan River Cruises

Vegan River Cruises is quite an attractive, niche proposition: they only do luxurious, European river cruises serving exclusively gourmet vegan cuisine. All onboard products, including toiletries and spa treatments, are 100 per cent plant-based, too. If you’re looking for a healthy way to ring in 2017 you can party with them for seven days in Holland and Belgium (yes, there will be vegan chocolate) on their New Year’s cruise (details below).

Upcoming itineraries include:

South of France: Arles to Chalon-sur-Saône – October 22, 2016, aboard Scenic’s Scenic Sapphire.
New Year’s Cruise, Amsterdam return: calling at Rotterdam, Brussels, Antwerp and Maastricht – December 29, 2016, aboard Emerald Waterways’ Emerald Dawn.

Learn more about Vegan River Cruises

For the Soul: Impact Travel Cruises

Carnival Cruises has recently introduced a line called Fathom™, which operates week-long journeys that incorporate volunteering in a local community at your destination. The 2016/2017 itineraries visit Cuba and the Dominican Republic with cruises departing from Miami every other week to each location.

Learn more about Fathom™ Impact Travel Cruises
Learn more about Carnival

Pictured at top: Yoga on deck with Yoga Cruises in Turkey