Most of us have grand plans to exercise while on vacation. Most of us don’t do it, of course, but Disney Cruise Line makes it easy to keep up our fitness goals as well as work off some of the calories from eating more than one chocolate souffle’ at Palo! Working out in the fitness center on the cruise is one of the free things you can do while on the ship, as well as the jogging paths on board (deck 4). However if you’re looking for fitness classes or seminars, then you can take some specialty classes. There are some complimentary classes as well as some where fees apply. For all classes you must sign up in advance at the gym beforehand.

Here are some really fun ways to work out while on your Disney Cruise.

Running

Running is my go to work out! It’s quick, easy, and I can do it any time without worry about a class schedule. There are several ways to run while on the ship. You can run on the treadmills or elliptical machines in the fitness center. One of the cool things about that (especially on the Magic and Wonder) is that the machines are all facing the windows at the bow of the ship, and you get some amazing views of the ocean or port of call.

Another place to run while on the ship is along the jogging track on deck 4 of each ship. This is a good place to run on a sea day because there usually isn’t a lot of foot traffic here. You can see places of the ship where you’re allowed to go, but you normally wouldn’t go, such as the aft of the ship in a quiet area.

The downside to running here is there aren’t a lot of pretty views except for the aft of the ship because all you’ll see is lifeboats. It also takes a lot of laps to make up a mile. But the upside is that it’s not on a treadmill, and it’s flat. It’s also my favorite place to run on the ships! If you’re at sea, you’ll also get some amazing times on your running watch (I did 13 miles in 4 minutes one day!). I don’t normally time my vacation runs but it’s funny to see how “fast” you can go!

Lastly, you can run in different ports of call! Most places where you’ll dock will have a walking path directly off the ship with sidewalks to take a run. There are also usually beaches if you enjoy running on the beach, or at least sidewalks to run on near the beach. National Parks or other local areas may offer running trails, and you can find that with a quick search on your port of call. Sometimes the fitness staff onboard your ship will have some good suggestions as well.

Castaway Cay 5K

If you’re lucky enough to be on a Caribbean cruise that docks at Disney’s Castaway Cay, you can run there! It’s by far one of the most beautiful places in the world to run. On just about every cruise with a stop at Castaway Cay, there’s a 5K, partnered with runDisney. This is an untimed race, and it’s free! You do have to sign up at Guest Services prior to your Castaway Cay arrival, but it’s pretty simple to do.

You get a cute little medal for participating in the race! And of course there’s merchandise for purchase. The downside of this race is it’s pretty crowded and you wait a long time on the ship before you can start making your way to the start line. But the upside is it’s really fun, there are a lot of water stops, and it’s just a good time overall!

If you want to run at Castaway Cay without getting up early or without having to follow a certain route, you can do that too! Just get off the ship whenever you want and run! The official 5K path starts quite a way down the island near the bike rental counter, but if you go on your own you can start running as soon as you get off the ship, and earlier in the morning than the 5K if you so choose. Of course you don’t get the little medal but if that’s not important to you then just get out and run! Running on Castaway Cay is something that I do every cruise if I can.

My friend Allison and me after completing the Castaway Cay 5K

Complimentary Fitness Classes

The complimentary classes include Pilates, yoga, and spin classes. Each of these is held a few times throughout the course of your cruise. You can sign up and pick up a schedule at the gym or check your Navigator app or paper for times. Checking the schedule on embarkation day is one of the best things you can do so you can sign up for a spot early- they do tend to fill up quickly!

Morning and afternoon classes are held so if you’re not an early bird you can still catch a class.

One of my favorite complimentary classes is the Wake Up Stretch. It’s not even held in the fitness center, it’s on the upper pool deck, but it’s so nice to get outside and feel the amazing morning air. Sometimes this class even coincides with the ship docking time so you can see some really awesome views of a city or port as you pull in.

Specialized Fitness Classes

Body Sculpt Boot Camp is one of the only classes on Disney Cruise Line where a fee applies, but it is a very popular option. The price starts at about $30 per 30-minute class (plus gratuity). The class includes the work out itself and also a metabolism test with body composition analysis.

In addition to the boot camp you can get a more thorough body composition analysis to find out about your metabolism and how your body is functioning.

And of course no gym would be complete without personal training! This is the most expensive of the specialized options, but it’s a one-on-one experience and the instructors can help with all of the equipment so you know what to do. It also comes with the body composition analysis! Prices start at about $70 per hour when you buy 3 sessions.

Seminars

The Disney Cruise Line fitness seminars are a fun way to learn more about the treatment options onboard. These are all about looking and feeling better, from anti-aging to skin treatments to losing fat. They also have Chinese remedies and acupuncture on board. One of my favorite seminars is CoolSculpting- where they show you how this technique will freeze the fat in your body to stop it from growing.

While these seminars are at no cost, they are advertising for the products, so be prepared for the hard sell as you are leaving. But if you’re interested anyway this is a good way to find out more about these treatments and ask questions about them.

Tip- take a seminar as early in the cruise as possible so you have plenty of time to sign up for treatment.

Let me know in the comments if you like to work out on your Disney Cruise!

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