Going on a cruise and Scared!!!

HI Cindy

Don't worry about not logging in while your away, enjoy your holiday. You don't need to eat the calorie laden food on a cruise there's usually lots of healthy salads and fruit to eat at the buffet. the main reason why people put on so much weight on a cruise is that they go to every opportunity to eat. Breakfast, mid morning snack, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, midnight feast etc. If you stick to your usual 3 meals a day you should be fine.

Most of all have fun and enjoy your holiday

Susan x

Which cruiseline are you going on? I have been on Carnival many times, and they have a lot of healthy options. They have their Spa Carnival selection on the menu. Also all cruise ships will have a gym and a track. So you can get a good workout while having a great view of the water!


But don't worry, enjoy your cruise and know that most of what you gain will be water weight. So make sure to drink plenty of water and take the stairs when you can.

Just stay active. Walk whenever you can, do whatever activities they have. When eating, go for veggies and the healthier looking stuff. And remember, its vacation. dont stress to much!

If it's on Carnival, I'd be more worried about completing the cruise!

Lol, sorry, but had to throw that in. I've been on 3 Disney Cruises in the last 15 years so my advice is that you probably will gain if it's your first. Why? Because you'll want to try foods you may have never eaten and most will be high calorie. BUT if you keep up an exercise regimen and try to be active (especially when at sea) then you can keep it down to a minimal gain. But enjoy yourself. Don't get wrapped up into thinking that EVERYTHING you eat has to be futile or you'll miss the enjoyment of the vacation. You can undo what gets done.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I leave next week and have been a bit worried too My answer is walk, walk, walk Take the stairs instead of the elevator, use the running track (most have one), walk the ship to see what all is there, enjoy the views, walk to relax, walk to socialize....just walk You can enjoy the foods in small portions and balance it out by enjoying your walking time We'll see how we do when we get back but let's try not to be so worried about it that it's not enjoyable!

My wife is a travel agent, and I've been on many many cruises. The good thing, is they usually have ample amounts of things like fresh fruit, veggies etc... in their buffets (except for the specific buffets for sliders/dogs/etc..)...

I've also noticed a trend over the past 6 or so years that a lot of the desserts are being made sugar-free now, or low-calorie (which does take away a bit from the taste, but isn't so detrimental as it use to be).

The alcohol however, yea, that can add weight. Depending on how much you drink.

Don't take it too seriously, make sure you add some extra fruit/veggies in your meals to help keep you full, and it really isn't that bad. The last cruise I went on was 7 days, and I only gained about 1lb.....so it isn't going to explode you as long as you have a semblance of control.

I've been on many cruises and it's extremely tempting to eat everything in sight, because it's all (mostly) included and you want to get your money's worth. ;-) Here's a shocking truth most cruisers, both newbie and veteran, don't realize - ***you don't have to eat every morsel of food you're served.*** You won't hurt any of the dining room staff's feelings, trust me. There's certainly nothing wrong with indulging a bit, especially when you have a chance to eat foods you'd probably never prepare for yourself, but you don't need to stuff yourself until you're bloated. Don't be afraid to order those fancy desserts, but share them with someone at your table instead of eating the whole thing. Also, the ship most likely has a small gym with cardio and weight machines, so stick to your normal fitness routine as much as possible. Some classes are a fee, but every ship I've ever been on schedules walking groups early every morning when all the party animals are still sleeping off their food comas and hangovers. (No insult to party animals, of course.) Brisk walking around an entire cruise ship is a LOT of exercise, trust me. As others have mentioned, use the stairs over the elevators as much as possible. So many people would rather wait for elevators that you'll probably get where you want to go faster on the stairs anyway. Shipboard pools are usually very small, poorly designed for laps, and are loaded with people most of the time anyway, so if you're a swimmer, don't count on getting exercise that way. Finally, if you plan to go on any shore excursions, try to do things that involve walking, hiking, etc. rather than sitting on a bus for hours going someplace. I think as long as you're aware of what you're putting in your body and know how you feel when you start to gain a bit, you'll autocorrect that. Finally, don't be scared if you do gain a few pounds! At least it won't be a mystery why it happened, and once you're home you'll probably be able to get back to your desired fitness level pretty quickly. Unless, of course, you decide you just can't survive a single day without Baked Alaska ever again. ;-)

Have a great time! I love cruising and am going on an Eastern Caribbean one next year for my honeymoon.

I have been on 2 and ate like there was no tomorrow...Came home and did not lose or gain a pound but we were active at our stops and on the boat.

My suggestion is eat how and what you are happy with. Me personally, I am enjoying the food without logging.

If it's on Carnival, I'd be more worried about completing the cruise!

I don't care who ya are, that there's FUNNY.

Seriously. Have a great time and don't stress. If I ever get a chance to go on a cruise, I will intentionally gain some weight.

Been on 2...both with Fred Olsen. I didn't log food, although I logged on so as not to lose my count.....was on holiday so relaxed the eating rules a lot :happy: . Sure, there's lots of food available, but plenty of options for you to make healthy choices....and you certainly don't need to eat 24/7 just because it's there. We walked round the deck several times most days and I made the use of the gym on days we didn't go ashore.

Enjoy it....don't deprive yourself but go for damage limitation :flowerforyou: :drinker:

I usually lost weight when I have been on cruises because I'm doing a lot of walking and taking the stairs on the ship because the elevators are usually packed and slow, plus there is usually fresh fruit and veggies already cut up and ready to eat if you need something to hold you over until dinner. And I also noticed that sometimes the desserts look better than they actually taste.