Exercise on a Cruise

marasw
marasw Posts: 75 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So my husband, my dad, and I are going on an 11 day cruise in Australia to see the total solar eclipse in early November. (We are astronomy nerds!) This will be my 6th or 7th cruise so I am already pretty familiar with what there generally is to do on a cruise but I have, up until this point, always ignored the fitness stuff. I know there is a gym and I know there is a track for walking/jogging, but I'm wondering if there are other ways I can spice things up and keep moving during those 11 days because believe me...I am planning to EAT as much as I humanly can, and I sure won't be worrying myself with "is this low cal" >:3 So the plan is to keep moving so I don't TOTALLY destroy my progress in 11 days.

Anyone have any tips from experience for working out and exercising on a cruise ship? If it makes a difference, the ship is the Dawn Princess :) Thanks!

P.S. I just remembered one of the shore excursions we are signed up for is a "strenuous" hike so that should help :D

Replies

  • raeleek
    raeleek Posts: 414 Member
    I do know cruises pride themselves on the food they serve but I also know there are A LOT of fresh fruit and veggie options.

    What about a good walk or jog around the deck. I don't exactly what your ship will be like but the ones I have been on have had an upper deck that is mainly used for physical activity.

    Try to get some activity in daily and eat as well as you can but also HAVE FUN!

    Go dancing with your hubby, go to the ship gym, swim, hike, play shuffle board! lol

    What a great experience! Enjoy it and don't worry too much about your calorie intake/weight. When you get back you can hit it like gang busters!

    Safe travels!
  • reoccurringkind
    reoccurringkind Posts: 1
    I love cruises! I always take the stairs instead of the elevator to get in some exercise.
  • raeleek
    raeleek Posts: 414 Member
    Also, LOVE the cosplay! :heart: :heart: :heart:
  • sarahharmintx
    sarahharmintx Posts: 868 Member
    I have only been on one cruise. I ate the hell out of it. I took the stairs whenever possible and ended up losing weight. I dont know anything about your particular ship but stairs saved me. We were on level 1 and food was on level 9. Stairs.
  • dsn1118
    dsn1118 Posts: 15 Member
    We're going on our second cruise in November, the first one was a year ago. We stayed off the elevator. I started keeping track of how many flights of stairs I did per day and lost track after 20!
  • Vince_1964
    Vince_1964 Posts: 359 Member
    We went on a 7-day in June - usually walked the track in the morning and we never took the elevator (except when hauling luggage on the last day). Didn't track my food during cruise, but I really didn't overeat - we only ate from the buffet at lunch (while at the pool). All told, when I got back from cruise, I'd gained 1-1/2 lbs from precruise weight. That was easy to take it back off when we got back home.
  • katbean12
    katbean12 Posts: 45 Member
    i was on a cruise in July.. the dining room actually had a 'vitality menu' which was low calorie- from appetizer to desert.
    also, there was a snack section in the ship in the solarium where few people went for food- but that particular section served vitality menu like items. whole wheat wraps, fruits, salads etc..
    i actually found it almost easier to eat well while cruising than when in regular life mode.

    i liked walking/jogging on the track of the ship each morning as we were reaching the ports, great views made the exercise most enjoyable.

    and whilst sight seeing all we did was walk practically everywhere.. i didn't really gain any weight on my 10 day get away.

    Have fun! I love cruising!!
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
    I've never been on a Princess cruise, but I've been on many others and have never gained a pound. :) Here are some tips:

    1. Never take the elevators. You will get a ton of exercise walking the length of the ship and taking the stairs everywhere.
    2. Usually the gym is beautiful, with huge windows facing the water. Take advantage of it! I know I could never afford to go to a gym that nice at home.
    3. The gyms also have classes that are inexpensive, so do those if they appeal to you. Yoga at sea is especially challenging. :)
    4. Even if you don't end up going to the gym, don't worry about it. Between the shore excursions and the ship you'll be walking a lot more than you normally do.
    5. There are tons of healthy options for food. My cousin always says she loses weight on cruises because she can eat things like nice salads and seafood that she normally can't afford.
    6. Dine in the formal dining room as often as you can. The portions are controlled (very reasonably-sized in my opinion) and the experience is more satisfying because it's stretched out over a couple hours. Save the buffet for occasions when you're short on time, and avoid the really bad stuff when you're there.

    Have fun!
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
    Oh, I forgot to mention that I love the track on the top deck. I'm not a runner but I try to power walk it when I have a free hour or so. And cruises always have a lot of opportunities to dance, which is a great calorie-burner!
  • Alynus70
    Alynus70 Posts: 3
    Push up's, sit up's, swimming, and walking up and down the swim steps a lot. =-)
  • fefe0201
    fefe0201 Posts: 49 Member
    Oooooh I am going on a cruise next August, round the med, am sooooo excited it will be my first ever cruise, planing on running round the track every morning!!! Sorry I'm no help just excited hehe
  • Gramps251
    Gramps251 Posts: 738 Member
    We managed to not over eat and work out every day. Running on a treadmill when a ship is rocking is kind of odd but we managed.

    Have a great trip.
  • beattie1
    beattie1 Posts: 1,012 Member
    I'm excited too - and so glad I saw this topic. We're going on a two week cruise in a fortnight's time and I've already packed my case. I'm looking forward to some lovely food, but we've made a pact to skip lunch whenever we're in a port and go sightseeing instead. I've got my swimming cossie packed and will check out the gym onboard & see what's on offer there, but I AM expecting to gain a bit while we're away.

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