Well…here I go again. I’ve started thinking about packing for my cruise with Virgin Voyages. We leave for Miami in two days and set sail in three, but I still can’t decide…should I pack my workout clothes or leave them home?

I go about 50/50 on packing gym clothes for cruises but lately it seems like even when I pack for the gym, I don’t make it to the gym. This cruise feels different. Maybe it’s the promise of a new low impact workout using bungee cords to provide a simulated weightless environment. Or could it be the boxing ring and punching bag on Scarlet Lady? Nah…I don’t think so. I’ve never done that sort of workout in my life. It would be just my luck the punching bag would punch back!

Fitness facilities on most cruise ships are full on day one and empty by day two, but Virgin Voyages isn’t like other cruise lines….I don’t think they’re going to have that problem. All of their group fitness classes, from beginner to advanced, are complimentary and there’s no limit. Scarlet Lady also has more deck space allocated to fitness than any other cruise ship with an expanded fitness center equipped with  the most trendy weight machines and cardio equipment. In place of playgrounds for kids, Virgin has built playgrounds for adults that make fitness fun with areas like MyBeast, The Athletic Club, and Training camp. You’ll have to catch my post-cruise review to read more about what you’ll find in each of those areas, and to find out if I’m tempted enough to try any of them.

The Virgin Voyage fitness program is part of an overall Wellness program. Though Virgin leads with Wellness when they talk about their fitness program, I chose to bury the lead in this post because from what I can see it is still subordinate. Yes, there is deck space set aside for Yoga classes and meditation, you can get a massage in the spa that is either delightfully tingly or tortuously painful depending on your preference, and of course you can get a healthy green smoothie in the cleverly named “Gym and Tonic” recovery bar. But in terms of square footage of deck space, fitness is still the majority shareholder on Scarlet Lady.

I can see where fitness fanatics will love a voyage on Scarlet Lady. The question is, will there be enough to entice regular people with Grandad bods like me to hit the gym? And if we try it once, will we return or will we be headed straight to the medical center? I guess the only way I’ll know is if I pack the workout clothes. I’ll let you know what I decide!