oil spill latest news: Enjoy Sports and Outdoor Recreation on a Cruise Ship

: Rock climbing wall on Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas' - Photo by Martin E. Sandler

If you like the sporting life, cruises offer tennis, golf, basketball, scuba diving, jogging and even sports-related activities that exercise the mind.

It?s hard to believe, but there are sports buffs and recreation enthusiasts who haven?t taken a cruise vacation because they suspect that cruises are too sedentary.

Sure, if you prefer passive pursuits like sunbathing, reading and attending lectures and demonstrations, your cruise won?t give you much of a physical workout.

But if you like outdoor activities and would rather jog, move around on a sports court, climb a rock wall, ride down a zip line or go parasaiing and snorkeling on a cruise line?s private island, there?s an appropriate cruise ship waiting for you.

Get in the Swim on Cruise Ships

It?s up, up and away on Carnival Magic. The ship?s SportSquare, an outdoor recreation area, features a ropes course that invites guests to traverse across nets suspended above the Spa Deck (Deck Twelve).

Surrounded by a 1/8th-mile jogging track, the SportSquare includes an outdoor weightlifting area and a two-level miniature golf course. There are also an exercise course, a lighted multi-purpose court (think basketball, volleyball, soccer), and a bar with flat-screen TV - a good nook for relaxing between activities.

Let?s not forget the kids. On the top deck, children can thrill to the WaterWorks aqua park featuring an exciting ?Twister? spiral water slide and an Aqua Play splash park with a huge 300-gallon ?dump bucket? plus other wet and wild features.

On Royal Caribbean International?s 5,400-passenger, 225,000-ton Allure of the Seas. guests can dive into recreational activities at the Pool and Sports Zone, one of seven themed areas onboard.

This zone boasts four swimming pools, 10 whirlpools and a solarium with pool. Add full-sized sports courts, two FlowRider? surf simulators, two rock climbing walls and a zip line crossing the expanse of the deck, and what do you get? Laughs and thrills.

On NCL Epic?s Caribbean itineraries, find an outlet for your sports proclivities by jumping into the ?Dive In? program to learn about snorkeling techniques and handling snorkeling equipment. A staff member will go with you to the islands? snorkeling areas. Princess Cruises offers an onboard scuba certification program that will have you certified by PADI by the end of a weeklong Caribbean cruise.

Cruise ships have at least one swimming pool and in many cases, multiple pools including a solarium pool and a kiddie pool. Especially on sea days, the main pools and hot tubs quickly fill with onboard guests.

This is because some planned swim-related activities take place on the pool deck, rows of chaise lounges face the outdoor LED screen, the steel band plays, and an enticing aroma wafts from the nearby burger and hot dog station. A ship?s aft pool is often less crowded and quieter for folks to do their swim strokes.

Play Golf, Tennis, Basketball and More on a Cruise Ship

If a swim doesn?t suit you, choose from a variety of other sports. On Celebrity Cruises? Solstice Class ships, you can play bocce ball, croquet and mini-golf at the Lawn Club - yes, it has real grass. Score an advantage by playing tennis on Crystal Cruises? Symphony or by using the ship?s golf simulator to improve your swing. Take a journey around the jogging track on Carnival Cruise Lines? Carnival Triumph.

Join a basketball game onboard Royal Caribbean International?s Explorer of the Seas. Ride the FlowRider on Royal Caribbean?s Independence of the Seas or tackle the rock climbing wall.

Sports and Recreation are Hallmarks of Cruise Ships? Private Islands

Cruise lines? tropical private islands offer everything from parasailing to volleyball and walking trails, and at Holland America Line?s Paradise-like island, Half Moon Cay, you can go horse-back riding along the beach. On Half Moon Cay and Princess Cay, complete your island excursion by indulging in a soothing massage in a private cabana.

Play areas and calm turquoise waters on private islands make climbing, swimming and other fun-in-the-sun activities a joyous experience for the younger set.

Theme Cruises Appeal to Armchair Sports Fans

If you?re the type who prefers armchair sports combined with nostalgia, sports-themed cruises might be perfect vacations for you.

MSC Cruises? MSC Poesia hosts a seven-night Baseball Greats theme cruise February 18, 2012 from Fort Lauderdale to the Eastern Caribbean. It?s a great opportunity for guests to participate in baseball trivia games, contests and question and answer sessions.

Among the players offering hitting, fielding and defense strategy clinics during the cruise will be former Major League player Jessie Barfield, who played right field for the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees, and former pitcher Stan Bahnsen, who played for the Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Oakland A?s and Montreal Expos.

Crystal Cruises knows there are plenty of niche travelers - those who have an avid interest in themes such as jazz, theater and film, wine, food and sports.

In an August 29, 2011 press release, ?Crystal Cruises Announces 2012 Theme Voyages,? Bret Bullock, vice president of entertainment for Crystal, said, ?Many travelers love spending their vacation indulging in a special interest or meeting others with similar passions. On Crystal?s ?Experiences of Discovery? cruises, sophisticated explorers can expand their knowledge and connect in a luxury environment.?

To that end, Crystal?s May 8, 2012 Trans-Atlantic cruise focuses on NFL (National Football League) Legends, where guests can attend motivational talks by football greats.

Crystal also offers a golf-theme Mediterranean cruise on July 13, 2012 and the same theme on an August 25, 2012 cruise to the British Isles. Guests will play on some of Europe?s most luxurious golf courses.

So be a good sport and book a cruise!

Roberta Sandler - Roberta Sandler has written more than 1,000 articles that have appeared in scores of magazines and newspapers including Miami Herald, ...