If you are looking for a vacation like no other, then you definitely will want to consider taking a cruise. The choices are endless. You can choose a shorter cruise, such as a three day cruise or if you like you can choose a much longer cruise consisting of ten or more days. Cruise ships offer all inclusive, luxury vacations that are sure to please people of all ages.

In fact the fact that they are all inclusive is one of the most appealing features of a cruise. You simply pay one price and everything else is included. However, if you choose to do an excursion while on land, you will need to pay an additional charge. The only other thing you will probably have to pay for is any alcohol should you want to drink. But your meals, rooms and Broadway style shows are all included in the price you pay upfront. Guests like knowing that if they don’t want to spend another penny once onboard, they don’t have to.

Once you step onto a cruise, you will quickly realize just how spectacular this vacation really is. You will be surrounded by scenery that you will not find anywhere else. Each ship caters to specific needs. There are some cruise lines that cater more to the younger crowds or families with young kids. On the flipside, there are cruise lines that cater more to the refined crowd who are looking for a peaceful getaway.

Some of the larger cruises offer several different pools for you to sit back and relax in. They also offer rock wall climbing, ice skating, shuffleboard and much more. The ships also generally include spectacular shows and first class dining. On most ships you will find a health spa where you can book a relaxing massage or plan to have your hair done for that special formal dinner. You can find something to eat just about 24 hours a day.

If you are traveling with kids, amenities that fit their needs are very important. Some cruise lines will offer camps that the kids can attend. The camps are run by trained counselors. If you are traveling with infants, there are often babysitting services or nurseries where the young children can be placed so that Mom and Dad can have some adult time. Often there are events for teens also. Many of the ships will have hip teen clubs where the teenagers can get a break from their parents, while hanging out with friends.

The onboard cabins range greatly in size. The smaller your room, the less expensive it will be. Also, if you are looking to save money while cruising, you may want to consider booking and interior room. However, if you are looking for a once in a lifetime experience, consider booking a room with a balcony that has breathtaking views.

Cruise ships are very popular amongst people of all ages. The ships cater to the needs of everyone on the ship. So no matter what type of vacation you are looking for, whether it is an adventurous vacation or one that is calm and relaxing, you are sure to find it amongst one of the many cruise lines.

To learn more about cruise ships visit http://www.discount-cruise-deals.com, a popular website designed to help you get the most out of your cruise vacation. You’ll also get tips on finding discount cruises where you can enjoy a great trip for much less than you would normally expect to spend.

There is hardly any other creed in the world of fitness and weight loss that can mess with the so called “fat burning zone”. You are told this zone is the ultimate method to burn your fat and thus drop weight. Good night, fellas…

So what is the “Fat Burning Zone”?
In gyms, on television or sports articles in magazines and anywhere else, it is customary that people trying to lose body fat (often reduced to “weight loss”) are required to perform their cardio workouts at a certain heart frequency (heart beats per minute). This “fat burning zone” usually is set around 120 to 130 heart beats per minute.

This is how “experts” justify the fat burning zone
It is a fact, that your body uses more fat as energy source the more slowly you do your workout. The more intense your workout gets, the more glucose is used instead of fat to provide energy for your activities. So this sounds good? You do cardio at a slow pace (at a lower heart frequency) and fat is primarily used and burnt. Until now, there is nothing wrong in the above explanation, but regarding fat loss, burning fat is not important at all! And all we want is to lose fat!

What do you mean by: “burning fat” is not “losing fat”
Burning fat is just the chemical process happening when your body tries to provide energy for your activities. Losing Fat on the other hand really means dropping weight by eliminating body fat. Your body uses fat and glucose to provide energy, but when using fat (actually fatty acids) it does not necessarily mean sending your body fat to hell.

Prepare for the light…
As everybody already learned at school, the only thing that decides about putting on weight or dropping it is your energy balance. Yes, it is all about calories. Calorie intake is less than calorie consumption - fantastic, you lose weight (by eating less than you need). Calorie consumption is higher than calorie intake - great, you lose weight again (by doing sports, etc.).
Now you know it is all about calories, why in hell should you do slow cardio workouts then?
You didn’t get it? Here is an example:

Test 1: Non intensive workout
When running at a heart frequency of 120 (the “fat burning zone”), about 75% of the energy is provided by burning fat, 25% by glucose. Because a workout at 120bpm is not very intense, assume you burn like 280kcal in one hour (this applies to a 155lbs person, running at about 5mph).
So about 210kcal are “gone” due to burning fat, and only 70kcal due to burning glucose.

Test 2: Intensive workout
When running at a heart frequency of 160, about 50% of the energy is provided by burning fat and 50% by glucose. Because a workout at 160bpm is much more intensive, assume you burn like 500kcal in one hour (this applies to a 155lbs person, running at about 8-9mph). Because half the energy was obtained by fat burning, about 250 “fat calories” are eliminated.

Now it’s getting interesting.
Fact #1: As far as only calories (please, please, understand this now and forever) count when trying to lose fat, workout 2 is more than twice as effective as workout 1 (500kcal vs. 280kcal)!

Fact #2: Even if your trainer or whatever “expert” was right (and they are not!), you would burn more fat (which actually is of no interest in a weight loss sense!) when doing the more intense workout number 2 (250 “fat calories” vs. 210 “fat calories”)!
Did you get that? Even if your story tellers were right about “burning fat = losing fat”, you would burn more “fat calories” in the second workout.

Good night my friend. And enjoy your “fat burning zone” workout tomorrow…

This article shows you the importance of calories. For a good weight loss or diet start, try to determine your daily needed calories. You could use this calorie intake calculator provided by the author of this article.
The author is webmaster of the Washboard Abs Website and Blog. Check out this website to find more info about weight loss and fitness issues.