Blue World Voyages is a new cruise line dedicated to sport, wellness and ‘personal discovery’ that will launch in summer 2021, promising holidays for the health-conscious. Anthony Pearce reports
Blue World Voyages will launch an as-yet-unnamed 525-guest ship, which it says will meet the growing demand for guests who want to stay healthy while travelling.
The cruise industry, which is experiencing 6.5 per cent annual growth, has already tapped into the wellness industry, now worth US$4.2 trillion, with the likes of AmaWaterways and MSC Cruises offering fitness-themed itineraries.
Although the sector is increasingly pitching its cruises at a younger, more active audience, Blue World Voyages will become the first entirely dedicated to what it calls “active lifestyle cruising.”
“Blue World Voyages was created for health-conscious individuals, sports and fitness enthusiasts, and those in search of personal improvement,” says Gene Meehan, chairman and founder of Blue World Voyages.
“Our focus on active lifestyle cruising is not an option or an add-on; it forms the core of our overall cruise travel experience, deeply embedded in every aspect of the product, from ship design and onboard programmes to dining options and itineraries.”
The operator said that its first ship will dedicate an entire deck to sports, exercise and wellness, including golf and football simulators, batting cages, a functional training centre, yoga and spinning.
A second full deck will be given over to spas and rejuvenation, and will feature a relaxing therapy tub, indoor and outdoor treatment rooms, and a solarium.
There will be three pools, including, when docked, a seawater lap pool that will be lowered directly into the ocean adjacent to the vessel for guests to swim in.
Blue World Voyages promises locally sourced “farm-to-table” cuisine, noting that it has “thrown the traditional cruise buffet overboard”. 
Active shore excursions will include snorkeling, scuba diving, hiking, kayaking, golfing, biking and running.
Guests will also be encouraged to attend lectures and presentations, which will range in subject matter from meditation to global adventures to natural wonders.
The inaugural season, in 2021, will begin with a tour of the Mediterranean, calling at Italy, Greece, Spain, France, Portugal, Corsica and Croatia.
The ship will also boast 40 luxury one- and two-bedroom residences, which will be sold under the direction of co-founder Fredy Dellis, former president/CEO of the World at ResidenSea.
The residences will be priced between US$2.4 million and US$3.4 million and are slated to go on sale over the next few months.