Going on a cruise in a week!! Advice?

amylillian
amylillian Posts: 27 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hey everyone!
I've been pretty good about exercising and everything to get ready for graduation and a cruise-- and I know cruises serve massive amounts of unhealthy food. I've never been on one though, and I'm so excited!
I'll allow myself to do some cheating. After all, I'm on vacation! And I'll be swimming and running around all the time I'm sure.. But I still don't want my hard work to be thrown completely out of the window.

Anyway, does anyone have any advice as to how to make healthy choices for meals on a 7 day cruise?

Replies

  • JeanetteButler
    JeanetteButler Posts: 77
    Try to eat healthy during the day and drink plenty of water. Save your calories for the evening formal meals. They are to die for and well worth the wait! You will be surprise how many calories you will burn running all over the ship! Have a wonderful time!
  • AJ_MotherRunner
    AJ_MotherRunner Posts: 175 Member
    I am not sure which cruise line you are going on, but Royal Caribbean has what it called the "Vitality" Spa menu. These are all healthier options. Also lots of fruits and veggies available at all meals. The thing that usually kills me
    >cocktails. I always hit the gym every morning and wear a pedometer. You will be amazed at how many miles you track even on the ship~~~

    MOST IMPORTANTLY!!! HAVE FUN!!! :happy:
  • ladyluch99
    ladyluch99 Posts: 264 Member
    I'm going on a cruise also in a week. I'm going to try to make the best choices I can and exercise but I'm not going to worry myself about it. I will just start back tracking when I return. Afterall, like you said, I'll be on vacation. I'm going on the "Oasis of the Seas" by Royal Caribbean. What cruise are you going on?
  • hazymary
    hazymary Posts: 190 Member
    :smile: I had many of the same concerns...My best advice is to stay away from the buffets!! They have so many healthy options in the dining room. Portion sizes are rather small too. So basically ENJOY yourself. I did 2 weeks of basically eating anything I wanted within reason and I gained 2.2 lbs, which came off the following week. Have a great time.
  • TaraBeFree
    TaraBeFree Posts: 456 Member
    I just came back from a cruise. I found eating in the dining room was the best option for me. My cruise had a healthy menu in addition to the regular one and the food was preportioned. Watch out for the loads of bread available - if that is your thing. I went to the buffet which also lots of healthy choices, but the food wasn't as good and it was too easy to eat too much pasta. We would order fruit plates from room service for snacks instead of heading to the buffet. Have fun and enjoy!
  • vivalawvegas
    vivalawvegas Posts: 13 Member
    The ship should have a gym, so try to squeeze a few formal workouts in. Also, cruise food has come a long way as far as having healthy options. I agree with the previous poster's advice to keep breakfast and lunch in check and splurge at dinner. And don't waste calories on sugary, boozey drinks. If you are going to drink, make it stuff like gin and tonic rather than higher carb options.
  • Linda1053
    Linda1053 Posts: 45 Member
    I assure you you will have a wonderful time. They do offer a good range of foods and there are always alternatives available. I always tried to keep low calories during the day and then more freedom for the evenings. It is just mind boggling when you see all the food and I know it wont be easy it will test your resolve.
  • ladyluch99
    ladyluch99 Posts: 264 Member
    I am not sure which cruise line you are going on, but Royal Caribbean has what it called the "Vitality" Spa menu. These are all healthier options. Also lots of fruits and veggies available at all meals. The thing that usually kills me
    >cocktails. I always hit the gym every morning and wear a pedometer. You will be amazed at how many miles you track even on the ship~~~

    MOST IMPORTANTLY!!! HAVE FUN!!! :happy:



    Although I'm not the "OP", thanks for this information! It'll be my first cruise on Royal Caribbean.
  • Helen6663
    Helen6663 Posts: 16 Member
    Most ships have a choice of restaurants & if you use the buffet style restaurant, you'll have plenty of healthy choices - as long as you have the will power to avoid all the gorgeous 'unhealthy' stuff!

    Also, there is usually a running track, right the way around one deck.

    Good luck & have a fantastic time.
  • formersec
    formersec Posts: 233 Member
    Just because cruise ships serve a lot of food doesn"t mean you have to eat it all. Some cruise lines have eliminated the midnight and late night buffers, and most now have menu options designated as healthy.

    I also found that I was better off not eating every meal in the main dining room. These cruises had a buffet on an upper deck that served cereal and fruit for breakfast and salads and sandwiches for lunch.

    Cruises also offer opportunities to exercise. Most have a fitness room or at least a pool. And you can get exercise simply by sightseeing in port. You can also forego elevators on the ship and take the stairs.
  • femmi1120
    femmi1120 Posts: 473 Member
    If it's buffet style, try to make sure half your plate is fruits/veggies and skip seconds if you're planning on getting dessert.
  • mountainmare
    mountainmare Posts: 294 Member
    We cruise alot--and long cruises. There are many healthy choices but really really watch what you drink. The truth is that if you are used to preparing fresh healthy food you may find cruise food not that good--think of it as wedding banquet food (even on the upscale ships) Face it--they are feed alot of people at one time. The fun of cruising is cruising. We tend to stay the same or lose because there is so much to do--and we just don't think the food is that great.
    The biggest danger of cruising is that you may get addicted to it--I know we did.
  • cmarshel
    cmarshel Posts: 46 Member
    My advice...ENJOY your cruise and vacation!

    My wife and I did our first cruise this past October to the Mexican Riviera and LOVED it...we can't wait to cruise again. Although we made a point of walking the deck each morning for an hour to start the day we didn't log or watch anything. Did I gain weight? Sure did...about 10 pounds on a 9-day cruise. But once home I just continued on my journey...but I have wonderful memories of that vacation and enjoyed every morsel.

    Mentioned above in another post about eating at the main dining room in the evening is definitely true. Besides probably eating less overall vs buffet for dinner they have so many dishes I would have never tried before.
  • Lindaendall
    Lindaendall Posts: 177 Member
    The selection of fruits and salads is wonderful ......be strong. As the others have said, there will be a gym, swimming and running so you can enjoy and have cheats SOME of the time.

    Most importantly - enjoy it. Linda
  • c8linmarie
    c8linmarie Posts: 358 Member
    I'm going on a cruise also in a week. I'm going to try to make the best choices I can and exercise but I'm not going to worry myself about it. I will just start back tracking when I return. Afterall, like you said, I'll be on vacation. I'm going on the "Oasis of the Seas" by Royal Caribbean. What cruise are you going on?

    I was on the "Oasis of the Seas" last September. If you are looking for healthy options, there is a restaurant called "Solarium" (I think...) and their entire menu is healthy. It is recommended that you reserve ahead (a few hours notice should be suffice).
  • amylillian
    amylillian Posts: 27 Member
    I'm going on a cruise also in a week. I'm going to try to make the best choices I can and exercise but I'm not going to worry myself about it. I will just start back tracking when I return. Afterall, like you said, I'll be on vacation. I'm going on the "Oasis of the Seas" by Royal Caribbean. What cruise are you going on?

    I'll be on the Carnival Conquest! So excited
  • runfatmanrun
    runfatmanrun Posts: 1,090 Member
    Enjoy it. Be wary,but eat what you want. Maybe use the exercise facilities or walk the track if they have one but don't let you worrying about your daily intake ruin a good cruise. There are healthy options on any cruise. Have fun.
  • heather1945
    heather1945 Posts: 117 Member
    Take me with you....
  • amylillian
    amylillian Posts: 27 Member
    Thanks for the advice! I've decided to eat less carbs everyday until the cruise.. and I'll just have to make myself eat slowly and stay calm when I see all of the food in the dining rooms-- the food isn't gonna run away, and I'll have 7 days!

    And great ideas in regard to the drinks. I was planning on limiting myself to one fruity drink a day and getting gin & tonic, vodka/soda, and wine the rest of the time. And no more than 3 drinks a day!
  • cohollywood
    cohollywood Posts: 90
    I went on a 7 day Carnival Glory cruise last year in the midst of my diet. I ate everything I wanted - I denied myself nothing - dessert, alcohol, mac and cheese every night - the whole nine yards. I knew that for us, a cruise doesn't happen very often and I wasn't going to have any regrets!! We tried to take the stairs as much as possible. I came back weighing about 7 pounds more than I left, but, I lost it all within a week again. I've heard that happens a lot with cruisers, the weight will fall of quickly. Just have fun!!
  • 2shoes123
    2shoes123 Posts: 204 Member
    Have fun! I went on a Carnival cruise last month. The gym is great - the classes were awesome! If you are interested, sign up early for the classes, they fill up quickly.
  • amandager
    amandager Posts: 49 Member
    Best advice is just to enjoy yourself. On all of my past cruises I would come back having lost weight. There will be lots of options for you to choose from. Just be mindful and watch your portions like you would at home, you'll have enough time throughout cruise to sample different things. You will do so much walking as well to help. Have a year to wait for my next cruise, the Carnival Breeze. Have fun!!!
  • jaireed
    jaireed Posts: 333 Member
    Take me, I'll keep you on track!:laugh: Enjoy yourself! I agree with the person who said eat healthy all day and save your calories for the night. That way you are not eating a lot ALL the time. I also would watch the cocktails, or just have low-cal ones. Most important have fun and when you get back home jump right back into your routine.
  • SewManyBlessing47
    SewManyBlessing47 Posts: 27 Member
    I just return from a 7 day cruise by Royal Caribbean, "Mariner of the Sea". Love it. Very nice ship. I had the same concerns but because you so use to eating health and small portions it just kept going. I still got full fast. Their was a very nice gym also. I worked out each morning w ith hubby. Was nice something we didn't get to do at home because of our schedule. Yes it was lots of food but had had a lot of healthy choices. Cocktail was not a concern for me so I did have that to deal with. I have so much fun. I enjoy myself, didn't worry about pounds. Had NO WEIGHT GAIN. Lol don't be afraid of buffets I look at it as more variety of choices. This new life change is not a diet. It will come natural. If you enjoy working out you will love doing it on the ship looking out at the beautiful water. I'm excited for you!!! I'm ready to go again. This was my fourth cruise. This one was my most favorite. It's a blessing so ENJOY!!!
  • ladyluch99
    ladyluch99 Posts: 264 Member
    I'm going on a cruise also in a week. I'm going to try to make the best choices I can and exercise but I'm not going to worry myself about it. I will just start back tracking when I return. Afterall, like you said, I'll be on vacation. I'm going on the "Oasis of the Seas" by Royal Caribbean. What cruise are you going on?

    I was on the "Oasis of the Seas" last September. If you are looking for healthy options, there is a restaurant called "Solarium" (I think...) and their entire menu is healthy. It is recommended that you reserve ahead (a few hours notice should be suffice).


    Thank you!
  • ladyluch99
    ladyluch99 Posts: 264 Member
    I'm going on a cruise also in a week. I'm going to try to make the best choices I can and exercise but I'm not going to worry myself about it. I will just start back tracking when I return. Afterall, like you said, I'll be on vacation. I'm going on the "Oasis of the Seas" by Royal Caribbean. What cruise are you going on?

    I'll be on the Carnival Conquest! So excited

    Have a wonderful time!!!
  • amylillian
    amylillian Posts: 27 Member
    I'm hoping that if I go swimming, snorkeling, run around and just relax that I'll at least stay the same weight.
  • Lmdaniels
    Lmdaniels Posts: 91 Member
    I'll be cruising with Disney in 2 weeks. Have already decided to work out hard now and be super conscious of my calories until then,because I plan to enjoy EVERYTHING including the exercise facilities and the food when I go.
  • kiminikimkim
    kiminikimkim Posts: 746 Member
    Avoid the buffet at all costs! Choose the dining restaurants instead. They offer varied menus for the healthy conscience and the indulgent.

    Keep logging your food, you'll be fine! I gained 2lbs on my cruise this January, pretty good, considering what I ate.

    I hate jogging but not on the cruise! The air is so pure you can jog twice as long, it's amazing.

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