Sampling South American & Global Health Supplements whilst on your Cruise
In efforts to stay healthy, control diet and gain a small advantage in fitness the idea of taking supplements for our body is one of the 21st century answers. The world of extra vitamins, potions and organic herbal ingredients has grown into a multi million dollar industry which has some regulatory control, but because it is not strictly medicine, it has a greater flexibility in the health market. Getting the right products and looking for appropriate remedies or additives can be done through a supplement site which specialises in all the different ways of providing that extra zest. It could be to encourage greater dietary control with a pill which makes the body feel it isn’t hungry, or it can be to induce increased stamina. These thing have to be considered carefully, as the internet has both good and bad aspects when it some to seeking medical advice. It’s easy to interpret the answers from the online medical advisors wrongly, but by the same token, a supplement site can provide all the right information on an ingredient.
Many of the ingredients used come from foreign (to the European) lands and in Asia, Africa and South America in particular. It would seem that there is a wealth of natural products growing in the jungles of South America which natives have been using for centuries, and these are just waiting to be tapped by the enthusiastic westerner. Anyone who’s done any trips which have included Caribbean cruises will know that the islands of the West Indies and the countries of Brazil, Venezuela and Mexico have plenty to offer in the way of natural supplements. The question is one of the right kind for a particular person as the metabolism is different for all individuals. Deciding a particular supplement is right is fine when recommended by a friend, but when that supplement leads to a situation where you are not eating because you never feel hungry, then there is a problem.
Water is something we take for granted, but in many tropical countries it’s a valuable commodity and treated as such. But in the Scandinavian countries there are health spas and resorts which promote their own ‘special’ water and that may come from the ice glaciers of Iceland. This is the land of Ice and Fire, and it’s undoubtedly a healthy experience to take a shore excursion whilst on the Norwegian cruises, and sit in a natural pool of bubbling hot water. This is not so much a supplement as an earthly experience! One of the more recent TV programs featured the TV chef Gordon Ramsey who baked a loaf of bread in the volcanic slopes of a mountain in Iceland. This kind of event where a Celebrity cruises into a country and makes a program about healthy living is very much the modern style of cookery program.
Lectures and information about a region is one aspect, but the person in charge of entertainment, along with the managers on shore may decide to put on a theme cruise. These can focus on various parts of the world or be associated to another theme. The Cruise Director is the person responsible for all these aspects of a cruise, so its quite a task thinking up new ideas. That is especially true of the well established companies such as P&O cruises as they must have travelled the globe many, many times over the past 100 odd years. But experience counts for a lot and there are regular passengers on the decks of the Oriana and the Oceana who would swear not to use any one else for the cruise.
In a slight contrast the big ships departing from Venice, Barcelona and Athens may well prefer to have a younger clientele on board, and offer a more flexible cruise experience. The family holiday has developed over the years from the package holiday on the Costa del Sol, to a greater mix of independent travel and more personlised itineraries. There are still plenty who load up the car with a stack of luggage every year and do a self catering job in Cornwall, and that’s fine. But as a healthy way of having a relaxing time, it’s not the best idea. The road journeys can be horrendous, and the younger members of the family get very fed up, very quickly.
The other alternative is to take the cheap and cheerful jet from the local airport to a location not too far way. This is fine as well, but the airport and aircraft experience has lost much of its novelty value, even for children. They see a flight as boring and they too have to endure the long wait and the high security at the airports. So MSC cruises are keen to offer an alternative family holiday aboard their ships which ply all seven oceans in a relaxed style and with lots to do for the kids.
The Norwegians have been a strong seafaring nation for their entire existence with companies from the Scandinavian shipping industry to the fore. The Norwegian postal service boat is one which runs 365 days a year up and down the coast delivering mail, parcels and cargoes to the small island communities. The only time any of the seven boats in the service do not stop is if the Captain deems it to be unsafe for the crew, passengers and dock hands. That’s usually when its blowing a Force 10 gale in the middle of February. In slightly calmer waters the ships of the Fred Olsen cruises spend their time sailing amongst the islands of the West Indies, taking trips down the Amazon to Muanan, the ‘Paris of the Jungle’, and floating gracefully in the icy waters of the Arctic.
This is cruising at its best and as healthy a tonic as any supplement bought at the local organic health store. On board there are pharmacies, and of course a full compliment of doctors and nurses. They have to deal with everything from sea sickness to mosquito bites, so they have a broad medical knowledge without being specialists. The family who do the self catering in Cornwall would do well to consider one of the cruises from Southampton as its an easy drive along the M3 and once on board the luxury liner, everything is taken care of by the cruise ship staff.
The time for really letting loose and gorging is the festive season. This is when the cruise ships really come into their own. Again, it’s the Cruise Director who will have put together the best possible program of events, entertainment and music for the voyage which takes in the 25th December and the New Year. It’s a lavish occasion which attracts the traveller who considers this time of year as important in terms of fun and games. The Christmas cruises which are on offer will have a Gala Dinner Dance and a top drawer live show with a host of features which make the whole trip something to remember. The cuisine will be to the highest standard and if this is a time to put the diet supplement to one side, then this is it!
It could be called “pigging out’ but there’s no better place to do it than on a cruise which has the very best in gourmet food, and offers ‘help yourself’ buffets, as well as more formal dinners.
One of the most popular places to spend time on board a vessel is in the West Indies. Its remained a favourite for years and with that has come a wealth of experience from a number of big shipping lines. The Carnival Group own Royal Caribbean cruises and they have invested heavily in the building of two super liners which are the largest cruise ships in the world. With 16 decks, four swimming pools and a host of other high tech features these are the ultimate in cruise vessels. They work in the area they know best and that’s the Caribbean, but have world round itineraries taking in Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific Islands and Japan. In the many locations on a route across the world there will most likely be new and exciting food supplements to try, but perhaps that’s best left until the homecoming, when reality kicks back in and the diet has to be considered more seriously.