Contrary
to popular belief, cruising isn't just a woman's vacation. Look past
the Lido Deck and the umbrella drinks, and you'll find that some
cruises offer plenty of opportunities to celebrate such traditionally
male pursuits as golf, basketball, fishing, and of course
round-the-clock dining.
Adventurous shore excursions
It's
no secret that men like some adventure on vacation and a number of
cruise lines offer shore excursions that don't leave the testosterone
at the dock. There are hiking, zip-lining, mountain biking, SCUBA,
kayaking, river rafting, race car driving, and dune buggy adventures,
just to name a few.
Still, there's one type of shore excursion
that tends to be the manliest of them all – fishing. There's just
something about guys bonding over fish stories. Virtually every cruise
to Alaska, the Caribbean and Mexican Riviera offers fishing excursions.
In Alaska, there are fishing trips in every port with opportunities to
catch king salmon, coho salmon, and halibut. In the Caribbean,
depending upon the island, cruise vacationers can fish for bonefish,
sailfish, wahoo, grouper, snapper, and tuna. In the Mexican Riviera the
port stops of Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlan, manly guests have
opportunities to seek out deep water fishing for big game fish like
marlin.
Golfing
You can't practice your drives off
the back of the ship, but many cruise lines are adding many more golf
opportunities to their itineraries. For example, golfers can play a
variety of beautiful and challenging courses throughout the Caribbean,
Canada, Hawaii, Mexico and Europe on select cruises offered by a number
of cruise lines.
A number of cruises also offer the services of a
certified golf professional, who conducts private lessons, specialty
golf clinics and putting contests; accompanies golfers on golf
excursions; and organizes golf tournaments. Some ships offer "V1
Digital Coaching System", swing-analysis software that captures the
golfer's swing and puts it up on a split screen for analysis and
comparison with legendary golfers and the hotshots on tour.
Additionally most cruise lines offer rentals of equipment - everything
from clubs to shoes.
Fitness center and spa
Want to
continue that workout at sea? Today's cruise ships offer a cornucopia
of exercise options from terrific jogging tracks and basketball courts
to state-of-the-art gyms and equipment. There's no better way to work
off that sumptuous cruise cuisine than doing a few laps around a track
atop the ship's upper deck, breathing in fresh sea air and taking in
amazing ocean views.
The spa may not seem like the manliest place
on the ship, but look at it this way: ladies love a man with soft
kissable skin! Most cruise line spas now offer treatments just for men
that offer a masculine focus on what was once primarily feminine
territory. Treatments include a pro-collagen shave, frangipani hair
conditioning, facials, and aroma stone therapy massage – great after a
hardcore workout in the gym.
Vice time: wine, beer, cigars
There
is no shortage of bars on most cruise ships. A number of cruise lines
have brewer showcases of signature and specialty beers with many
offering onboard beer-tastings. For the more sophisticated palate,
wine-tasting opportunities abound. A number of cruise lines offer wine
seminars, wine flight tasting sessions, and some cruises are known to
have wine experts onboard who will teach the finer points of
wine-tasting. Additionally, depending upon the cruise itinerary, some
shore excursions offer visits to wineries or fine dining establishments
with world-class wine cellars.
Most cruise ships also feature
cigar bars with wood-paneled walls and sumptuous leather chairs that
offer an expansive assortment of stogies to choose from. Additionally,
most offer a fine selection of cognacs to go along with the cigars. The
good life indeed.
Fine dining
There's no better way
to win a man's heart than through his stomach. On a cruise vacation
it's sure to be love at first bite as men wine and dine on gourmet
fare. Most cruise lines allow guests a choice of where to dine either
in a traditional dining room, small specialty venue or in a casual
eatery.
The best part is that there is virtually no limit on what
or how much one can order. Have the late night munchies? Check out the
late night dining venues, or order room service. Most cruise ships
offer 24-hour room service, which is included in the price. Contrary to
popular belief, it's quite easy to stick to a healthy diet and still
enjoy all the good stuff. Most cruise lines offer low-calorie and spa
type cuisine in addition to their regular menu.
The message is clear: Don't miss the boat, man!
Anita
Dunham-Potter is a Pittsburgh-based travel journalist specializing in
cruise travel and cruise vacations. In addition to writing pieces for
Princess Cruises, Anita is a weekly travel columnist for MSNBC.com and
Tripso, and she is a contributor to Fodor's "Complete Guide to
Caribbean Cruises 2007.
