As many people know, it’s often a challenge to get some exercise when you’re traveling. First, you’re often in an unfamiliar area and, as many women can attest, that can be really nerve racking. Second, hotel and resort facilities are usually just okay… I’ve stayed in many places where the “fitness room” is a treadmill in a closet pointed at a blank white wall (also, treadmills kinda suck and we all know it). Last, you often have competition for what equipment there is and you’re jostling to get to the station you want. All in all, not great.

But that’s not the case on Virgin Voyages and I’m in love with them for it!

Tons of space

The first thing you’ll notice with Virgin Voyages exercise facilities is that there’s a lot of room and I mean – A LOT. Frequently, resort gyms (since that’s what a cruise ship really is) put their weights and cardio together in a large, shared room, not so on Virgin. The cardio and weights are separated into two long rooms on either side of the ship. As someone who enjoys both resistance training and cardio, I really appreciate this.

If you’ve been to a gym, you’ll know the vibe in weightlifting vs. the vibe cardio are worlds apart and it can be a little off-putting when you combine them. I don’t know quite why this is, but it is. Separating them keeps a consistent feel for everyone working out how they want to. They even make the difference visually clear by having one side be very dark in décor and the other very light.

It’s easy to get some exercise on Virghin Voyages.

Because they’ve divided the types of fitness, it means that the rooms have a spacious feel that outstrips most other resort gyms. There’s no crowded feeling between one station and the next. Everyone has room to spread out and have their own orbit.

Maybe the best part of Virgin Voyages exercise facilities is the temperature, it’s cold. My most frequent complaint regarding these types of gyms is that they are too warm and there are no fans. Now, while there may still not be any fans, but that’s something that I’ve seen so rarely that I have just given up, it is certainly chilly in there. When you’re working hard away at your spin bike, you’re going to be a lot more comfortable than you would be most other places.

Virgin Voyages Exercise Facilites Offer Something Nice To Look At

I really love not looking at a blank white wall while I’m using the treadmill or elliptical. With Virgin Voyages exercise facilities, it’s a lot better than that! Take a look at this view.

This is certainly better than a blank white wall.

That’s from just one of the dozen or more treadmills in the gym. No boring wall, no TV with the sound turned off, just a gorgeous view of a port or endless sea. Of course you can bring your headphones and listen or watch whatever you want on your phone or tablet as well.

But you don’t have to stay inside to get some exercise, Virgin has equipment and activities outside as well. There’s stations on deck with punching bags, ropes, parallettes of various sorts, even a basketball court/pickleball court (you can put the net up and down in the middle). But my favorite is the running track on the very top deck.

This is the woderful view in store for you from the track on the top deck. Virgin Voyages exercise track is a step above other cruises.

Many cruise ships advertise that they have a track that you can run on and, while that is true, it’s not exactly what you might want. Most of these spaces are just a ring around the ship and people go walking on it or just traverse from one point to another outside. People use the space, but not necessarily for exercise. This makes for a muddled run to say the least. You’re always dodging people and trying not to get tangled up with someone who has no idea they’ve just become an impromptu obstacle course for you. It’s not their fault, it’s the design of the ship.

Virgin said begone to that idea and built a track above the deck and it’s the only thing to do on it. It doesn’t go anywhere, it’s out of the way, and it’s very clearly a fitness space. And the view, well, there’s just nothing quite like it. Six laps makes a mile and you can go as long as you want.

Now, it can be a bit breezy up there (when you’re sailing you’ve got a minimum of a twenty-knot headwind) and a bit sunny in the Caribbean, but it’s worth it. I spent a lot of time up there, running and walking both. My wife and I would take brisk walks when the sun got low and enjoy a bit of fitness as we watched a gorgeous sunset before dinner each night (we cruised in winter, so sunset was around 6:45).

Vacation Fitness Made Better

The Virgin Voyages exercise facilities are nice, with panoramic views, and the equipment is top-notch. But what if you’re the type of person that likes group activities? Don’t worry, Virgin’s got you covered there too.

No, not that type of activity. I’m talking about fitness classes.

Sailors on Virgin have a variety of classes available to them. There are yoga classes that take place outside on deck 17 as well as HIIT (high intensity interval training) sessions in various workout studios. Not to mention the ubiquitous spin class or the retro fun VHS workout class, which draws inspiration from the 80s and 90s VHS workout tapes so many of us remember.

These classes take place at various times of the day, including in the morning, so if you like to start your day with a good sweat, you can. I did the VHS Workout one morning and had a blast doing it. I’ve never done a workout class before, but it was fun and brought back memories of classic TV ads.

Yes, this really is a workout. Virgin Voyages exercise offerings are a lot of fun!

What to Learn More About Virgin?

We sail and discuss Virgin often! Check out articles including Everything to Know About Virgin Voyages New Loyalty Program and Virgin Voyages – Learn More and Restore Work Life Balance With A Month Long WFH Cruise and Virgin Voyages Full Review – Virgin Remarkably Sets A New Bar and Food and Drinks on Virgin Voyages. And of course there’s Why I Love Virgin Voyages and You Need To Try Virgin Voyages Unique Adult Only Cruise!

The post Virgin Voyages Exercise Facilities Made It Easy to Stay Fit appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

In 1985, Premier Cruise Lines partnered with Disney to make a cruise. Since then, more and more family and kid focused cruises have come online. But I’m an adult and I don’t have kids of my own and I don’t really want a cruise loaded with a bunch of kids running between wave pools. Fortunately for those of us wanting a kid-free vacation, Virgin Voyages decided to buck the trend. They are an adult only cruise and it’s a great decision. 

The biggest thing is that it makes Virgin Voyages, a very new player in the world of cruising, stand out by offering something different. Without kids on the ship, it allowed Virgin to design a more relaxed, adult focused atmosphere in a lot of ways. We’ve already sailed with Virgin twice because of how nice it is and here’s why. 

Tons Of Options For Food

I know I said that I don’t have kids of my own, but I am the oldest of 5 and I’m the oldest by A LOT. With that sort of age difference, it meant that I helped raise all my younger siblings. Changing diapers, making meals, keeping them clean, picking them up from daycare – I was another parent. One thing I know about kids is that they often like eating the same foods day after day. It’s why buttered noodles and chicken nuggets are on every kids’ menu. As an adult, though, you probably want a little more variety in your meals or at least a little more choice.

Adult tastes are better met on an adults only cruise.

The dining experiences, plural, is where Virgin definitely shines. Unlike many other cruises, a main dining room does not exist. Nor does the buffet (thank God!). I was delighted to see that Virgin Voyages flipped the script on cruise cuisine and offered something I really looked forward to. As an adult only cruise, menus on Virgin are designed with adult tastes and desires. 

Onboard, there are over 22 places to eat – all of them offering a different menu. Everything from quick service counters to sit-down breakfast and dinners is part of the dining experience on Virgin Voyages. The dinners at any of the 6 sit down restaurants feel, and taste, like top-notch date night destinations. The bars are WELL stocked, with excellent selections and variety. 

Everything I just mentioned, except alcohol, is included in your fare. There are no specialty dining restaurants, which cost extra on other lines – often between $60-$100 MORE to eat at one of them. There are a few menu items with an up charge, such as a tomahawk steak, but those are quite rare. 

What Is The Atmosphere On An Adult Only Cruise

It’s hard to pin the atmosphere of a Virgin Voyages cruise as any one thing. Let me give you an example of a typical day at sea to illustrate. 

On a sea day, I’d typically wake up at around 8:30, handle my morning ablutions and go to breakfast by 9AM. Razzle Dazzle had my favorite breakfast menu, so I went there most days. I’d order a refreshing smoothie and drip coffee and then dig in to a delicious buckwheat waffle. By 11 I would be on the outdoor track for a couple miles then switch to a rowing machine for another 30 minutes. 

There’s a more concerted focus on providing excelent fitness options on Virgin Voyages adults only cruises.

After cleaning up, my wife and I would go grab some lunch from one of the various counter service restaurants. Lunch was followed by a magician performance in a champagne lounge and then we played video games in the free arcade until the speed puzzle game. We would rest in our room for a while before dinner, which was typically a relaxed hour and a half affair. The evening closed out with us going to a diva show and then singing karaoke in a private booth. 

A day like that is equally relaxing and exciting and can’t be summed up in a single sentence. More than anything, the general ethos of Virgin seems to be, come on board and relax. If relaxing means the gym, they have a wonderful one. For those who prefer lounging in the sun, you can spend your whole day doing that. People who like parties have plenty to choose from. None of those things dominate the ship but they, and many more things besides, are all available.  

I’ve seen a lot of online chatter trying to discern what a Virgin Voyages cruise is like. I think that’s because there’s a question mark for a lot of people about what “adult only cruise” means. The answer is that an adult only cruise means a mix of sophistication, childish indulgences, and a heavy dose of recharging your batteries. Virgin’s passengers are a diverse bunch, just like the world really is. What we all wanted on the ship was a little “me time” and some nice people to be around. 

Not Having A Dress Code Is Incredibly Relaxing

Another way that Virgin distinguishes itself is there is absolutely no dress code. Well, okay, you do have to wear clothes, but there’s nothing dictating the style. You also can’t wear your swimwear in restaurants, for the very practical reason of Virgin not wanting to soak their seats in pool water. If you want to glam it up for the evening, go for it! Perhaps a tank top, shorts, and thong sandals are more your speed, that’s cool too. Just wear what you want! 

Virgin Voyages is serious about making you feel comfortable, so if you want to wear pajamas up to The Galley restaurants, feel free. I’ll admit, at first, whenever I left my room, I would be dressed like I was going out and running errands or going to a casual dining place. After a day though, I really got into it and began to truly relax. I wore my pjs around in the mornings and shorts with a tank to dinner. I felt more comfortable that way. Other people wore smoking jackets and evening gowns while out for their meals. 

Dressing how you feel is a very liberating thing that I think a lot of us don’t fully appreciate. Being able to just wear what I was comfortable in made me so much calmer. I know it’s seems like a small thing, but I was chatting with a woman one morning at breakfast and I think she hit the nail on the head with this. She was so happy that she could wake up in the morning and she didn’t put on her mom clothes.

What to Learn More About Virgin?

We sail and discuss Virgin often! Check out articles including Everything to Know About Virgin Voyages New Loyalty Program and Virgin Voyages – Learn More and Restore Work Life Balance With A Month Long WFH Cruise and Virgin Voyages Full Review – Virgin Remarkably Sets A New Bar and Food and Drinks on Virgin Voyages. And of course there’s Why I Love Virgin Voyages!

The post You Need To Try Virgin Voyages Unique Adult Only Cruise appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

Recently, I was on a cruise through Norway, during the cold parts of the year. It was an amazing trip, but I am SO glad that I brought an Olympic swimming pool worth of moisturizer. The cabins were so dry that the ship nurse advised me to wet a towel and hang it in our room to help humidify it.

Could the SmartDevil be one of the best travel humidifiers? I loved it’s compact and efficient design.

The towel wasn’t a bad idea, and it did help a bit, but it didn’t move the needle significantly. That room was still painfully dry. We even took to standing in the artic air on deck to get a little moisture in our lungs. That got cold fast.

I loved the trip and wanted to go back immediately (yes, I’m an annoying “I love snow!” person). But if I went back, I knew that I needed more than a towel to keep me from suffering. I figured that there had to be a travel humidifier. How could we have a thing called a Cybertruck and not have portable humidifiers?

Slim pickings

When I started looking for the best travel humidifier, it looked glum. While we have small humidifiers, some very small, most of them appear to be crap. I found some neat concepts that could be stuck right into a glass of water and were battery powered. Howeverm the reviews were strongly negative on all of them. Indeed, most of the available products were cheap looking, made by companies that sold a mish-mash of unrelated goods, which is never a good sign.

The good news is that I was able to find three products that seemed strong. They had strong customer reviews and were made by companies in the business of making home products.

The Homedics Portable Humidifier
The SmartDevil Small Humidifier
The Pure Enrichment PureSpa XL

From left, the SmartDevil, the Homedics, and the Pure Enrichment.

Breakdown, Specs, and Initial Thoughts

On paper, these products present some interesting differences

The Pure Enrichment PureSpa is much larger in capacity and size than the other two and should be able to humidify a room more effectively. The downside is that it’s not exactly luggage friendly, but it’s still feasible to fit it in a carry-on. Right out of the box it feels very nice and looks well made. Turning it on reveals an ambient light that’s nicer than I expected. Frankly I didn’t think I would care about it at all, but it’s pretty enough that it adds to the overall value.

The SmartDevil is quite compact and easy to pack in any luggage, but with the smaller size comes no claims about coverage. It too has a light as part of its features, although it doesn’t change color like the PureSpa. But if you like having a small light to guide you in a dark room, then it’s perfect. Perhaps the most surprising thing is that the SmartDevil feels sturdy. Yes, a hard fall onto tile or cement floors would likely crack it, but I think this thing can take few hits.

Meanwhile, the Homedics is even smaller than the SmartDevil, capable of fitting in a cupholder. It’s also battery powered, unlike the SmartDevil, so the Homedics is the ultimate in portability. While its coverage and humidifying power is likely to be the weakest, that portability gives it an edge that the others don’t have. The battery also allows it to be put in places that don’t have easy access to an outlet. That might not seem like a concern, but if you’re a frequent traveler, you know how often hotel rooms or cruise cabins don’t have convenient power outlets.

It’s not all rosy with these three though, they each have their problems. Both the Homedics and the SmartDevil come with USB-C cords included, but not a wall connection. I would like to say that’s surprising, but these days including necessary components is not a given. To use either you’ll have to provide USB power, meaning bringing a separate charger or USB hub –like this. Although both included cables were of decent quality, they weren’t very long. I’d recommend that you purchase a 6ft / 2m long USB-C cable – I’ve got several and they are a worthy investment. Here’s the exact one I use. Like I said earlier, because of the battery, having a long USB cable is less of a problem with the Homedics. It’s still a downside with the SmartDevil though.

Another issue with both the SmartDevil and Homedics is that their size necessitates a wick style water basin. This means that a cotton wick draws water up from a basin into the aerosolizing chamber. These wicks will need to be changed from time to time and it is an ongoing cost. That mechanic also means that there are internal components exposed to water that will be impossible to clean without breaking the device apart. In my experience with humidifiers, you need to clean things out and this design makes it very hard to do.

When looking for the best travel humidifier, I didn’t love these cotton wicks but I also didn’t have much choice.

You could likely disinfect the device by running a dilution of white vinegar through it while it’s running, but I couldn’t find that recommended by the manufacturer. It will make everything smell like vinegar though, so only do so when prepared. To be clear, there are other cleaning instructions that recommend vinegar, just not this specific use.

Similar cleaning concerns also come up with the PureSpa, this time with the tank. I’ve owned several different ultrasonic basin humidifiers. One of the things that is essential to do with these is disinfect the tank and basin. Doing so with the basin is easy, but the tank is much harder. The fill cap for the tank is the size of a quarter, which means manually cleaning it and rinsing the disinfectant out is very difficult. Not impossible, but a pain. I’m sure that they could have fitted a larger fill cap to this if they wanted.

The offset hole is the fill hole. It’s small size makes it hard to clean.

Testing

To find which one is the best travel humidifier, we’re going to be running each of these through two sets of tests. We will be using the same room in each test, a bedroom that’s near 150 sq. ft. We will run the humidifier in the room over a period of 4 hours and monitor the change in humidity over that time.

In between each test we will allow the room to return to a baseline humidity level and temperature as before. This will vary between each test as the ambient humidity and temperature changes, but we will do our best to keep it close.

We will also run a test with the humidifiers very close, within 2 ft. of the hygrometer (that’s the device that measures humidity). This is because both the SmartDevil and Homedics show multiple examples of the humidifier being used that close to the user, which implies that is how they intend it to be used. We will use a 2 hr. run time for this test.

I didn’t expect one of the best travel humidifiers to also be so RGB.

Results

After running all the tests, here are the results.

The Pure Enrichment outperforming the others in the whole room test is not surprising at all. It is multiples times larger in capacity than the other two and it is intended to be used for humidifying a small room. Nor is it a shock that the smaller two options would struggle to move the humidity very much in the room. They did move it up, but I think that in a room this size they struggle to make much of an improvement. Perhaps in a smaller room they would be able to do more.

Conclusions

The Pure Enrichment is the only device in my tests that had a significant impact on humidity, increasing it by 5% over 4 hours. The Homedics moved the needle by 2% over 4 hours which, considering its size, is rather impressive. Yet, that increase wasn’t replicated in the 2ft test, where it didn’t change humidity at all, so that shift in the 4 hr. test could have been down to environmental factors. Of course, the same could be said for the 2ft test results.

I’d hoped that one of the smaller units would make a more noticeable bump than they did, but they still showed some promise. The SmartDevil may not have changed humidity much, but it did push it up each time. And, although the Homedics had mixed test results, it still managed a positive shift in humidity.

Still, there’s no arguing that if you really need to guarantee humidity, then get yourself a Pure Enrichment.

The major downside here is its size. Yes, it will fit in a carry-on roller-bag and that was something I was surprised to find. I looked, unsuccessfully, for hours for another comparable humidifier, in terms of tank volume, that would also fit in a roller-bag. I found similar volume humidifiers, but their dimensions always made fitting them into the bag a challenge to say the least. Sure, you might get a weird look from security when they see it’s a humidifier, but your sinuses will thank you.

If you don’t want to carry something that large, and I don’t blame you there, then either of the smaller devices should at least improve the humidity. I can’t say that either the Homedics or SmartDevil blew me away with their performance, but their size and portability were fantastic. I used to drive for hours at a time in the winter, hundreds, sometime thousands of miles each week for an old job. The Homedics, I believe, could have made those drives more comfortable. Its battery powered and fits in a cupholder, and that’s something I didn’t see anything else capable of.

Best Overall

The Pure Enrichment PureSpa takes home the medal here for best travel humidifier. It combines a large tank capacity, serious humidifying power, and the capability to fit inside carry-on luggage in one device. Yes, it is much larger than the other two and will take up a lot of space in the aforementioned luggage. However, I’ve traveled a lot in winter and been so terribly miserable from dry air that this is a tradeoff I’m willing to make.

This one is going in my bags on any trip longer than an overnight in winter.

Most Portable

If portability is your absolute top qualifier for what makes the best travel humidifier, there’s no question – get the Homedics. You simply can’t beat the battery and the fact that it fits in a cup holder. I still have some concerns with long term use and keeping it clean, but I can see solutions to that. I would not use this as an every day humidifying solution, but it does make a compelling offer for a travel solution.

Best Compromise

The SmartDevil is a surprisingly potent device. After my testing was complete, a family member asked me if they could use this as a bedside humidifier. I said sure and they’ve been quite happy with it since. The tank capacity makes a big difference over the Homedics for a long term humidifying use. With near double the capacity, you don’t need to fill it as often and that means more time to do other things before refilling.

The post The Best Travel Humidifier for 2024 appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.