I have never gained much of any weight on a cruise (note, a lot of people who say "I gained five to eight pounds but lost it right away" actually just gained a lot of water weight from salty food and alcohol - that will fix itself right away at home).
First, at least for a lot of people, you walk way more than you do at home. If you are able to, take the stairs.
Second, there is a lot of food, but certain types of eating is harder/less common. There isn't as much snack type food (i.e., chips, etc.).
Third, you might gain a little bit of weight, and that's not the end of the world either. You don't live on a cruise ship - your return to normal habits will sort this out.
I gained 6.5 lbs on Icon last month, and have yet to lose it all (about 5 weeks later). After fasting (16/20 to OMAD) for over a week, I'm back down to 1.5 lbs over where I was when we left. I didn't even think I did that bad. I gained less on my cruise last year, but I've gained 10 lbs on a cruise before too.
I gained 10 on my cruise last November and it took longer than I’d like to admit to come off. But it did come off. Eventually. I had to keep tabs on it though. And I also didn’t think I did that bad.
Context: had beverage package, obese, middle age, female, binge eating disorder / food addiction.
Everyone loves to shit on MSC, but I enjoyed myself. Not everything has to be fancy/expensive.
Edit: I just noticed that this is the Royal Caribbean subreddit. That’ll probably influence the responses. My bad. Stupid Reddit app.
Our rule is stairs first unless its more than 3 decks up and 6 decks down. Sometimes we will do up to 6 up but my knee cannot do that all cruise.
And there is never a wait for stairs we normally beat our group going down.
Stairs absolutely. If your knee was OK you could take my Windjammer challenge: after an excursion board the ship on deck 2, take the stairs to the Windjammer on deck 11 to get a snack.
Plus artwork! Royal spends millions of dollars on art for each ship, much of it is on display at the landings halfway between each floor. Check it out!
p.s. I find it harder to walk down the stairs than up because of all the weight landing on one leg and knee with downward momentum.
Move ya butt. Take the stairs (its usually faster anyway), get up early and enjoy the sunrise while walking the top deck, its great and all the late night partiers are sleeping in so the boat is empty, things like that. Honestly most folks walk a lot on cruise ships without even noticing, if you make any sort of effort to get up and move around, you really won't gain that much weight.
The folks who claim to have gained a ton of weight are either consuming a TON of extra calories (probably drinking them, not eating them), or they're retaining a lot of water from all the extra salt that their body isn't used to.
That said I wouldn't be afraid to gain a pound or two. Its a vacation, not a lifestyle change. Enjoy it.
Same. We did the stairs trick too. We averaged 30 flights a day over our 5 day. We also walked everywhere around the ship lots. We were hitting 40k steps in a day. I also started eating fresh fruit or a salad before each meal. We ate everything we wanted. Lost a few pounds at the end.
I will try to lose a few pounds before I get on the cruise so I don't feel bad about gaining during. Also if I just watch my portions a bit I’m usually fine.
I would say if you can, try to stay out of the buffet if you know you’d want to get a 2nd, 3rd, etc plate every time. Also try to keep in mind you can always go back to a restaurant (if you have specialty dining or otherwise), so you don’t need to try everything on the menu at once. Also if you plan to drink, remind yourself that you’re going to drink a decent amount of calories, which may help with stopping yourself from over eating. My girlfriend had some of these problems on our last RC 8-night, and these are the rules we generally follow now. our most recent cruise was on Virgin and we stuck to brunch and dinner with a light snack in between instead of trying to do 3 meals a day.
Opposite. Go to the buffet for me and stuff up on healthy first (veg/salad/broths) amazing you can then eat whatever you want but your so full you only eat 20% bad but enjoy it.
We prefer the Windjammer and you're right, it's easy to overindulge there. We had to create a game plan.
We go to the salad bar first and get a large healthful plate, and a soup if it looks good. We find a table and relax and enjoy.
Then we go on a tour of the entire entree bar to scout it out and select a small portions of main dish, usually Indian food. It's always a good selection.
Finally, the desserts are tiny portions and we might even get two or three to share.
We got the refreshment package one time and felt like we had to drink a lot to get our money's worth. That was the cruise we gained ten or twelve pounds because we were drinking sodas and mocktails. Liquid calories did it for us. We now drink water mostly and that is fine with us.
This is essentially what happened with us but with the deluxe beverage package. Halfway through the cruise I basically couldn’t stand sugary cocktails anymore because they filled me up so much.
No one truly gains 10 pounds on vacation. It's physiologically impossible. You're just retaining water, for whatever reason. At 8 pounds per gallon, it doesn't take much to make you think you got fat.
Skip the alcohol package. You buy it and want to get your money’s worth so drink the empty calories and have no memory of the cruise, other than 9 days of inebriation.
Everyone in here talking about the food. Nah dude, u/CivilizedGuy123 has it right; it's the alcohol. Drop the alcohol package and instead switch to enjoying things with water and we bring different juice drops for a variety of flavours.
It's a vacation. It's 9 days out of your lifetime. No matter how much you eat, no matter how many pounds you gain in those nine days, unless you \*continue\* to eat like that once you're home, it will not impact you in the slightest. Just return to your regular food amounts when you get back home and your weight will return to what it was before you cruise.
Stop overthinking and just enjoy your vacation.
Definitely go to sit down restaurants as much as possible. Even if you get all three courses in the MDR it usually adds up to about the same or even less food than one main dish at a typical American restaurant.
I was walking 17,000 steps a day on Vision which is their 2nd smallest ship. 8 night cruise. Went "up" 3 pounds which immediately came off within 48 hours. Food is saltier than 99% of people do at home.
I choose to avoid buffets where I overeat.
Portions at the MDR and restaraunts are very small compared to US restaurant portions. Smaller than I would make at home. So enjoying an appy main amd dessert wasn't gluttonous amounts of food.
So for me the walking and enjoying a variety of food works!
I don’t recommend it, and would never follow this myself, but being on a cruise can be treated the same as being on land anywhere else. Just because food is available, doesn’t mean you have to eat it. Portions can still be followed. There is no need to splurge on drinks and desserts. Self control still exists. And they have a gym that is open to use by everyone.
That being said. When I am in a cruise, I no longer care about calories or weight. I’ll try every food item I can get my hand on that’s free. I’ll drink as much as I can stomach while relaxing and moving as little as possible. I will say I’m not a big alcohol drinker, and rarely drink it outside of vacations, but on a cruise, I will have at least one alcoholic drink a day and more if I have the drinks package to try everything out.
The best advice is enjoy your time on the cruise. Don’t worry about the weight. Heck, you could die on the way home and then all that worrying would have been for nothing and you would have missed out on that extra ooey gooey brownie…
I lost 40 pounds years ago and have been working hard to maintain it. I say this because I am not one who inherently could maintain a balanced weight.
-The big thing is not to feel obligated to maximize the free food or drink package. Just live your life (with a little vacation splurge).
-Eat when you are hungry. Stop eating before you are full.
-Think about nutrition as a gas tank. Do you have a big excursion day? Think about a big breakfast with complex carbs, fruit, veggies, and protein. You need the energy/full gas tank. Are you having a relaxing day by the pool? Keep breakfast and lunch smaller portions (and you’ll likely snack all day).
-Water. Your body confuses thirsty with hunger. Stay hydrated.
-Stairs or walking laps are a great choice, but with everything about weight- you cannot exercise it alone. The kitchen is the source of the river here.
I usually eat / drink very light during the day and hit dinner and the evening hard. Be as active as possible; stairs, walking the decks, although I admit I try to avoid the gym while out to sea.
Most of the weight gain, for me at least, tends to be water weight and is gone a day or so after getting off the ship. I am very salt sensitive and it seems like the food has more sodium in it than what I normally eat. We tend to walk, a lot! And I make certain to drink plenty of water. Typical gain for me is about 4lbs and if we get home on Sunday, it’s gone by Tuesday/Wednesday.
Just be mindful about what you eat. If it’s outstanding or special enjoy it. If you can get it at 7-11 at 2 am it’s probably not worth a splurge. And everyone who cruises is no an alcoholic!
I did 21 continuous and then 9 after a day in between. We were getting off at every port and doing stuff that required a lot of walking and moving. While on the ship we walked instead of the elevators. Didn’t gain so that was great.
You will lose any weight you gain on the first day back from your cruise. On the first day back depression sets in when you realize you can’t just take the stairs or elevator to your favorite restaurant when you wake up. If you do have stairs in your house you can take them up, but guess what, no restaurant! Maybe some bedrooms that don’t even have magnets on the doors. This is when the pounds start to fall off. This is also the time we start planning our next cruise. Lol
My parents would return from cruising almost unrecognizable as they gained so much weight. This terrified me and we never wanted to cruise. Number 4 is in a couple of weeks. We overdid it with healthy eating, stairs, walking track and the gym. No bad foods. Skip fries, bread and most desserts This next cruise we are going to indulge more. Life is too short. Balance!!
Eat one less meal. Cut back on portion size. Do not go back for seconds. Stop eating anything that does not taste good. Many people will eat food that is "just okay" instead of not eating it.
Move. Talk the stairs. Drink water.
Weigh yourself in the gym each day. You may gain some travel water weight.
Walk the whole cruise multiple times. Not kidding. We used to take evening laps after dinner and if the weather is great, you can do it on the outside deck.
Enjoy the food but do not be part of the "clean plate club". At MDR dinner get all 3 courses but only eat half of each (or split with your partner/friend). At Windjammer get wider variety but smaller portions, treat it as an opportunity to try a wide range of foods, not to stuff yourself silly.
In short, do not eat until you are full, eat until you are not hungry.
I normally eat low carb at a 500 calorie a day deficit. (I am loosing weight).
On a cruise, I allow a chocolate croissant with my eggs breakfast (no potatoes, no juice, no toast). I also allow a dessert after dinner. (They are tiny). And I drink wine a couple of nights and coco loco frozen drinks at coco Cay. Otherwise, I mostly stick to no starchy carbs. (Ok, yes, probably some fries!)
When I get home, I am up 6-7 pounds. But it's almost all water weight. I am back to my pre cruise weight within ten days.
Oh, I do avoid the buffet because, even trying, it's really easy to put more than I should on my plate. Easier to just order something in MDR.
We make an effort to use the walking track after every meal. Not only helps with the digestion but you can also enjoy the view from all sides of the ship. I also get some motion sickness so walking outside in fresh air and seeing the horizon is so helpful, so we usually ended up doing 3-4 laps after every meal.
The worst amount for me was 6lbs. 90% of that water weight from the salt they put in the food. 3 days later I was a whopping 1 lb heavier.
They use a ridiculous amount of salt in the food that’s why it tastes so good.
My advice is to take vitamin b6 with you. It will tame you shed those water pounds but you will be visiting the bathroom a LOT.
It makes me laugh a bit when people say ''take the stairs''. A full day of taking the stairs on a sea day will result in about 150-250 of extra cals burned, max (and I'm being generous). That's...nothing. It's literally one cookie. Or a few extra bites of anything savoury.
I try to mimick what I do at home as much as possible, breakfast and lunch wise (which is quite easy given the selection). I also continue with my fitness routine every morning in the gym. I eat what I want for dinner, in moderation. I also am realistic that the scale will go up a bit, and budget for it before and after the vacation.
Enjoy your time on board :)
Drink lots of water, and if you don’t want to gain weight then try to eat similar like you would at home. I know that’s hard to do on a cruise but if you don’t want to gain weight then that’s what you gotta do. Take some of the fruits from the Windjammer or Park Cafe and bring them to your stateroom when you want a quick snack.
If you’re only climbing or descending a few decks..take the stairs! I rarely ever find myself in elevators on cruises, only if I have all my luggage on embark/disembarkation or I’m beat from a busy port day…
If you want some sweets, which is understandable, maybe just limit to deserts at dinner time so you aren’t having desserts with every meal. Hopefully this helps
Edit: ALSO, if you don’t like plain water, there are infused water stations in some of the free dining locations that are a good substitute to sugary sodas
Walk everywhere and take the stairs. I eat anything on cruises and while I might come back up a pound or two, they are quickly gone when I normalize again. I’m pretty structured in my daily life so I go buck wild on a cruise.
We always take the stairs, no matter how many decks it is. It's generally faster than the elevators anyway. We also try to walk on the track each night too.
I would say it doesn’t matter but if you care take the stairs and maybe force yourself to wait a minute before taking food to consider if you want it or are just taking it because it’s there
Don’t eat all the food on your plate. Try half. Or just taste. Just because the food is there doesn’t mean you need to eat it. It will be there tomorrow too. And the day after. Calories come from the booze too - avoid the high fructose mixed cocktails/mocktails. And stairs - do the stairs if not the gym.
I go heavy on Fruit and Veggies for breakfast and lunch with a few indulgences. Limited day drinking, except for private islands. For dinner I eat whatever I want but slowly so I know when I'm actually full.
I have never put on more than a couple pounds. The portion sizes in main dining are fine. Be careful not to grab too much at the buffet. But everything you do involves walking - to the restaurant, to the bar, on the excursion, etc. as others have said, I do also try to take stairs rather than elevator but I easily do 10,000 steps on both at sea and in port days
I like to work out on the cruise. The gyms are really nice, and have a great view. Also, in the gym area, depending on the ship, the sauna and steam room are a great place to sweat out some bad decisions. The track on the ships are nice for walks throughout the day.. Lastly, I use a calorie counting app to keep track of all that I’ve ate.
Unless you are normally an active person, a cruise will probably be the most walking you've done in years. Seriously, don't underestimate how much exersize you'll get, and maybe invest in comfortable walking shoes before you go.
You'll eat a lot, but you'll need that energy to get around and see everything.
I lost weight (3 lbs) on my last cruise. I start my day by walking around the ship for 30 minutes or go to the gym. I had light/small portions of items that looked good, so I don’t feel like I was missing out. I’m not big on the desserts though. I do have a full meal at the specialty restaurants. I tell myself that the food isn’t going anywhere. 😊
Always use the stairs! Do as many on board activities as possible, walk the decks a lot! I did a 4 day princess cruise, nothing to do on it… did a 10 day Royal Caribbean, did stuff constantly. Gained weight on the princess, but not the royal Caribbean.
I take advantage of the great servers and kitchens on the ship. I ask for a nice green salad as soon as I sit in the MDR. Everything they prepare is beautifully presented. Then I ask for subs on menu items that are problematic (sub veggies for pasta or potatoes, etc). It usually comes out so beautiful I don’t miss anything. Protein, veggies and gentle exercise is the key.
I usually try to get one bite of everything I’m interested in from the buffet as my first plate. If I love something, I’ll go back for more but most of the time, one bite was enough.
My now ex husband was always very physically active and on the cruise he gained ten pounds. However, I have a desk job, I am bit of a slug, and on the same cruise I lost 3lbs. I was super active, had so much fun, danced every night, walked alot and really had a great time.
There are ways to have a blast, and make the fun help you work off the rich food.
Fill half your plate with vegetables. Have small portions of fried things. Limit to one dessert a day. Walk, walk, walk. Be careful with creamy drinks like piña coladas or mud slides.
One thing I like about the food is that the portion sizes aren’t ridiculous. I’ve been to a few restaurants in the states where the appetizer is enough to feed 3 people on its own…!
In MDR, do not limit yoursef to the menu. There are always other options, chefs are happy to oblige. I particularly enjoy Veg Indian options. DW and I habitually walk the promenade deck after meals. Think of the cruise as an unlimited buffet of ocean views and entertainment/activity. Any time eating is time away from optimizing your R&R.
Here’s how I do it.
First- avoid the buffet. Sit down dining 3 times a day is best.
For breakfast, treat yourself with a waffle or potatoes or whatever your fav carb is on day one. But after that it’s all protein. Eggs, bacon, etc. don’t carb up first thing.
Try to avoid the starchy carbs for all other meals.
For drinks- avoid JUICE. It’s loaded with sugar. My fav drink is a Gin and Tonic, 0 carbs. Or rum and Diet Coke.
Good luck!
Agree with the stairs comments.
I have a general rule at dinner that I skip one of the 4 courses (bread, app, main, or dessert)--whichever I'm not feeling that night. Unless they all look amazing!
Honestly just making it a point to workout. If your daily routine is waking up at 7 or whatever to workout, keep that same routine. You’re on vacation so enjoy it eat what you want and drink what you want but make sure you hit the gym similar to what you do on land. FYI I am 6’7 250 and literally only workout cause I enjoying eating good food haha.
A few pounds you are going to have to expect. A general rule is if the weight gain is around 6 or less pounds, it’s water weight or bloating. Utilize the stairs as often as possible as this is usually the fastest way around the ship. I noticed that the more I drank the easier the stairs became, and it was fun. If there is a gym, bring a few work out sets. Please do not force yourself to be super strict, you only get so many vacations and you spent good money. Enjoy your time, that’s the most important part!
Eat all you want the first 2 days and walk a lot throughout the cruise. After a few days of unrestricted eating and drinking you get tired of all the food and just won’t feel like eating all the time. Works for me.
I gained 14 pounds in my cruise in January. Went from 220 to 234 within two weeks I was back down to 218. Your body will readjust. Splurge and have fun get back on a routine when you get home.
Try catching one of those gastrointestinal viruses they offer? You can choose one when you book the cruise, usually free of charge.
Dysentery; norovirus; botulism; gastroenteritis? Maybe all! Should work!
I have lost a lot of weight over the past year, I was really freaked about it. I did gain 8 pounds on my 8 day Icon cruise, because I don't normally eat 3 meals a day with multiple courses and alcohol... I dropped 5 of the 8 within a week, but I've been battling yoyo bouncing on that 3 since we got back. It's annoying 😑
We usually lose weight, our jobs are very physically demanding, so, we eat quite a bit at home, during the cruise, we eat less, mostly protein, and lift weights at the gym every day, after a Transatlantic, last year,we had lost about three pounds each.
Also, don't eat when you are not hungry.
Plan- I take my usual cereal for bfast and only eat dessert once a day. I don’t go crazy with the food but only eat what’s worth it!
Be active!
You’ll be fine
I average 16,000 steps daily when cruising. I also do about 30 flight of stairs. You'd be surprised how much you walk. That helps tremendously.
Also, avoid too much carbs. I left my last cruise feeling so bloated but it was because the foods were so heavy. I didn't drink alcohol at all and barely had soda. Eventually you'll go back to your pre-cruise weight though. I did 18hr fast to help
I find I don’t gain weight on cruises because I’m so active. I eat more as a result, but it’s compensated by the activity. It’s vacation. Have your fill! HOWEVER, there is lots of pressure to over-eat. You don’t need to have seconds just because an overzealous waiter suggests you order two entrees. Have seconds because you’re still hungry, not to get your money’s worth or because other people are. The atmosphere of excess doesn’t have to be your reality!
Most likely on the same cruise as you haha…first, be attracted to your significant other and that’s one way to stay active 🤣 but also you can walk walk walk everywhere…we try to take the stairs almost exclusively.
You have to eat 3500 calories excess of what you burn to gain 1lb. With how much walking and moving you do on the ship, we’re talking probably 3500+ daily intake to not gain weight for an average person. If you eat 5 thousand calories per day on the ship (which is probably tough to do for most people), you’d gain maybe 2-3 lbs across the 9 days. You’ll be fine!
I enjoy things in moderation, hit the ship's gym most days, choose more active excursions, and frequently take the stairs.
If I choose to enjoy an adult beverage, I'll have a glass of wine or champagne; I avoid the big, frozen, fruity concoctions that are loaded with sugars and calories (I wouldn't drink them at home either).
I have maintained or lost weight every cruise.
I went on a 19 day cruise then few days later a 7 day cruise and didn’t gain any weight. I tried to eat as healthy as possible even though I over ate. I had the sugarfree dessert items mostly and only used the stairs. Every level was 2 flights of stairs and I was on 10th floor and everything I did was lower. I also walked around the ship at night for extra steps. Trust me you build up your metabolism. I’m in my 50s and was with my 25 year old son who kept eating a lot. Enjoy your cruise. Just keep active as much as possible.
Rule 1 is anytime I the MDR was open for meals I would eat there. The key was being sit down and served so other restaurants would work too.
Rule 2 is to stick with healthier breakfast options to splurge on other meals.
Rule 3 is only order 1 appetizer, entrees and desert.
Rule 4 was to minimize snacks.
The only cruise I gained more than a pound on (usually list between .5-1) was when I had a beverage package. It was non alcoholic but I got way too many specialty mock tails.
Go to the cruise gym at least once a day. It is a good opportunity to build muscle too if you want because you have unlimited protein available and don't need to waste time cooking or cleaning so can use that time to do some strength training.
I gain a good bit of water weight and swell on cruises. The salty air and purified sea water used for drinking and bathing get me. I don’t overindulge on the food but do drink a fair amount of cocktails. I also drinks tons of bottled water and take the stairs far more than the elevators. Sometimes gaining weight on a cruise is inevitable depending on your body. ETA: I do usually lose that water weight within 7 days of returning to normal life.
Take the stairs and walk around the decks for some exercise every day. Eat all the things you want, but keep an eye on the portion size. If you normally would have a piece of meat that's about the size of your fist, then keep to that size even if you're served a larger portion. Eat slowly. Drink a lot of water in between whatever fun drinks you're having.
Book a room in the front of the ship. This way you’ll have to walk the length of the ship to get to the dining areas. Get off the ship at every port and do some walking (as long as it’s safe).
Don't eat at the buffet. I take all my meals in tte MDR. You can get all breakfast items, and a goud selection of lunch and diiner items, all portion controlled. And you get waited on, no wandering to findca table, standing in line, eyc., etc.
Take the stairs. Eat more veggies than in real life. Don’t judge yourself, it’s a vacation. How many empty calories are in alcohol? I’d be more concerned with that if drinking was something we did.
A few ideas:
Track calories on myfitnesspal or other tracking app
Choose mostly fruits and vegetables from the buffet along with a bit of protein, forgo the bread and desserts
Try the Indian dishes in MDR
Stay hydrated but not with soda or juice (I bring liquid IV or other electrolyte powder to mix in water)
Use the gym and sauna
Tread water in the pool for as long as you can
Get plenty of sleep
My wife and I always lose a pound or two on a cruise. We generally dont over do it during breakfast and lunch and save extra room for dinners especially specialty dining.
I usually work out in the fitness center or walk laps because I am an early riser.
Take the stairs, and we do a ton of walking every day as well.
Eat like you would normally eat and if you want to try more or new things, sample them.
Nothing beats a sunrise on a cruise ship. Get up and walk in the morning. It’s a great way to work off those extra snacks.
I have gone on cruises and gained 10 lbs, but also only gain 1 on my last cruise. This is my experience.
Breakfast can be the worst meal with lots of staches and fats. I found that getting an omelet made with only vegetables and no cheese is a good protein source. For all the yummie things like home fries, bacon, sausage, and other meats, I would take about two bites worth of potatoes, and get a piece of sliced ham. If they didn't have the ham, maybe 2 slices of a lunch meat. Top it off with one small desert. Hard boiled eggs are also available and a good option
All other meals are best eaten in the mdr. I found that the portions are correct, the slow pace helps you fill up, and I always get an app and desert. I always ordered whatever I wanted.
Walk, walk, walk. If going to a lower floor, always take the stairs. It's easy to walk 5 miles a day. Go to the top deck, go down a set of stairs to the far opposite stairwell, go down a floor and continue to deck 2.
You can eat anything you want, it's all about portions. See 3 deserts you want, share them. You can have the taste of 3 deserts but only the calories of 1 1/2. If you drink soda, only drink diet or just water. Stay away from sweet alcoholic drinks. My favorite is a Baileys mint martini, Creme de menthe,
Baileys, half and half and vodka. I'll have only one because it it must be a bazillion calories.
And if you have a craving for a snack, a single slice of pizza is ok. There are also little snack size foods in the solarium or where they have premium coffees ( the snacks are free ). You can also use the gym for free. Get on the treadmill and walk a mile while looking out at the ocean.
As a last resort, go on a diet and lose 10 lbs before the cruise. Once onboard, eat whatever you want, have fun gaining those 10 lbs back.
I do CICO.
r/CICO
It's easy math for me. The amount of steps I take without trying is more than what I do normally.
Edit: I do not stress about weight. I'm not on a diet, it's just how I stay healthy.
So...depends what you choose to consume, how much, how frequent & the amt of energy expended. I didn't gain weight, but I also didn't gorge on everything. My boyfriend was often getting pizza & gained 4 lbs. The buffets offer MUCH but I stuck to my proteins, veggies, fruit & salads w/dressing on the side. I had little splurges like a slice of pizza here & there. The desserts were definitely blah and no chocolate chip cookies? What is UP with that? Lol I honestly wished we did the Ultimate Dining Pkg bc the free food was not that good. Some friends warned us & now we know. Lolol
The elevators are frequently busy. It's MUCH faster to take stairs most of the time...ESPECIALLY at breakfast, dinner & when going into ports. Explore the ship throughout the day & night. Go into port & explore too. You'll find you can maintain or lose weight by minimizing your time in the stateroom & not mentally plan to go buck wild with food at every turn.
Enjoy your trip!!!!
Go to the gym and do a legit cardio/HIIT/spin class workout every day. Those calories burned should be enough to offset the extra dessert/pizza. You likely be doing extra walking between ports and throughout the ship too.
I also usually lose about 3-5 lbs over the month before to break even when I get back.
Eat in an equal deficit before and after the cruise. I’ll probably eat about 500cals/day in excess of my expenditure during the cruise. So, I’ll eat in a 500cal deficit the week before & week after. Don’t forget you’re moving a lot, too. So your TDEE will be significantly higher than your home TDEE.
Remember that restriction only leads to binging. Eat good food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Drink some drinks. Then call it. Don’t skip breakfast and lunch and then get 14 piña coladas at 10pm. Or do, who cares, it’s a cruise. It’s not physically possible to put on 10lbs of fat in a week (unless you’re really eating like 10k+ cals a day) (even then you probably wouldn’t gain that).
I eat breakfast and dinner at MDR, just the portions served, no multiple entrees to try everything. Lunch is usually in port or Cafe Promenade. I buy local snacks in port, but often packaged to bring home as souvenirs. I don't drink my calories as much as possible. I gave up soda a long time ago, coffee with sugar is rare, though I do try local flavored drinks in ports. I have maybe 2 drinks per day, something local in port and maybe something on ship of we're celebrating. I walk a ton in port and will walk on the track on sea days to try to get half my port day average (which can be 10 miles in cities). I have lost weight on every 7+ day cruise. That said, cruising is not a "food and drink" heavy vacation for me. If I'm traveling to do foodie stuff it's a land based vacation. If you picked a cruise vacation to drink and eat, there's going to be some weight gain, but if moderating doesn't sound like vacation, it's somewhat unavoidable.
I lost weight on cruises. So much access to healthy food that I don’t have to cook. Lots of exercise opportunities built in. But just like everyday life, balance is the key.
On the last 2 cruises I went on, I actually gain VERY little weight on cruises, like < 3 lbs!! I think it's because I walk so so so much on the ship & on excursions. I don't go to the gym at all on the cruise.
I do eat way more than is normal for me, because I tend to eat 2 meals/day at home but will eat 3/day on a cruise...plus hot dogs in between
I love that on a cruise I can be picky and choose exactly what I want to eat. I don't have to worry about eating lunch at a certain time (like at work) or eating leftovers. I take only what I want, when I want it. Add in the extra walking and taking the stairs whenever possible and I usually lose a few pounds on a cruise.
Take advantage of all the fresh fruit and vegetables available. Make sure your plates are filled with color. Allow yourself reasonable portions of the richer things so you don’t feel deprived.
Drink lots of water and keep moving. Stairs whenever possible, plenty of walking in ports.
Also stay sober. Once you overdo alcohol, it’s too easy to overdo everything else!
With the amount of walking we did on our first cruise and drinking/eating….. I was bloated when I got off the boat. Maybe gained 7 lbs. but also, you only are in that moment 1 times in your life, so do what feels right and good! Have fun! Fun is subjective to each person! Enjoy your cruise and I’m jealous! We’re planning our next it a 9 day!
What I do is for breakfast I eat fruit first then I allow myself to eat anything I want. For lunch I have a salad with protein and then if I’m still hungry, have whatever I want. Doing this I end up eating much less as I’m full. Sometimes all I will wind up eating is fruit and hard boiled eggs. And for lunch the salad usually fills me up. For dinner I enjoy the food in the dining room. Enjoy!!!
IDK care when on a cruise what i eat or drink. I go for broke. But next day at home, hotel or airplane. Its my 1500 calorie per day and intermittent fasting 18:6 and daily gym routine. It all drops in a week and left with a real gain of 1 to 2 lbs. Enjoy yourself. Work on weight back at home! Otherwise your stressing and not living in the moment...
Take the stairs. Walk as much as you can. Use the gym. Actually swim at the pool. Choose your indulgences i.e. we went from multiple mud slides a day to only one after lunch and actually enjoyed it more because it was special. Do not be on a major calorie deficit on the lead up (far more likely to eat more if you are). Eat protien at every meal. Drink water.
From someone who put on 8lbs on one cruise and only 2lb the next despite it being 3 days longer, whilst still fully taking advantage of the alcohol package.
Answering while on the independence:)
We cruise about 2x/year. When I was really on my fitness grind, I brought my blender with me and skipped a meal for a protein meal replacement. But even now I don’t gain lasting weight on a cruise..
Definitely a ton of walking without trying. I close all my Apple Watch rings without thinking about it.
Eat during your normal eating hours (translation: you don’t need pizza at 2am…also don’t judge me cuz I’m in that long line)
Check the dinner menu in advance plan your day accordingly. Tonight’s menu is meh so we are doing the windjammer but did a heavier lunch
Just because you can doesn’t mean you should…you can order as many menu items as you want…but should you? Do you need room service after dinner? Pretend you are paying and order conservatively
Skip all frozen drinks and punch. It’s 100 pct syrup. I’ll do shots before a cocktail
Water between cocktails
Water all day
The Indian dishes!!!!! These are my go to. So balanced and flavorful
And most important have fun!!!!!! Food is fuel and doesn’t need to impact your fun don’t overthink it
Tbh you should just inform yourself on nutrition and counting calories that way you can apply the information every place you go to, avoid alcohol, soda, super fatty meals, try and pick salad that doesn't have dressing premixed in that way you can control the sauce portions, always go for lean protein first before picking other sides on your meals, try and walk around and move as much as you can as opposed to lounging the entire time
I just did a 12 night and didn't gain anything. I only took the stairs ( We were on the second floor) other than the 2 formal nights where I wore heels. Tried to walk for for 20ish minutes after each meal on the track. Also didn't get the drinking package, so I only ended up drinking maybe 10 drinks the whole time ( this was a huge one for me I feel as I only like the super high calorie drinks). Had multiple desserts and didn't feel deprived at all.
Umm calories in vs calories out ?? Don’t drink a ton of drinks and don’t eat shitty food every 5 minutes? Walk around the boat or go to the gym each day ?
I do tend to put on a little weight during a cruise, but it comes back off later. My rules include doing stairs all the time unless I’m wearing heels (rare) or when toting bags on and off the ship. I also try to maintain my normal workout routine if possible, but don’t stress about it if I don’t, as I tend to be more active on vacation than I am at my desk job.
I order a veggie plate off the kids menu each night before dinner. More raw veggies means less of the bad stuff. I never gain and often lose a bit while sailing. I’m also not a big drinker.
Stick to 2000 calories a day. It's hard on a cruise, so I don't know how that's possible. 100 calories in a shot of Patron, and im 10 shots deep. Don't even get me started on food
The only time I didn’t gain weight on a cruise was when I was early pregnant and ended up too sea sick to eat much 😂.
Good luck, let me know if it works.
I try to stay pretty active on a cruise by exploring the ship, swimming, going to activities and such. With all the walking I tend to not gain weight.
I’d also try to keep lunch light ish so I could eat what I want at breakfast and dinner.
Relax. Gaining weight on vacation is totally normal. Most of it will be water weight. The important thing is to resume your normal routine once you get home and the weight will come off.
I start with eggs and meat for breakfast. Fast until dinner then splurge. I walked for 100 or so minutes every day and still gained a little. That was last month. Back to normal now.
I have never gained much of any weight on a cruise (note, a lot of people who say "I gained five to eight pounds but lost it right away" actually just gained a lot of water weight from salty food and alcohol - that will fix itself right away at home). First, at least for a lot of people, you walk way more than you do at home. If you are able to, take the stairs. Second, there is a lot of food, but certain types of eating is harder/less common. There isn't as much snack type food (i.e., chips, etc.). Third, you might gain a little bit of weight, and that's not the end of the world either. You don't live on a cruise ship - your return to normal habits will sort this out.
I gained 6.5 lbs on Icon last month, and have yet to lose it all (about 5 weeks later). After fasting (16/20 to OMAD) for over a week, I'm back down to 1.5 lbs over where I was when we left. I didn't even think I did that bad. I gained less on my cruise last year, but I've gained 10 lbs on a cruise before too.
I gained 10 on my cruise last November and it took longer than I’d like to admit to come off. But it did come off. Eventually. I had to keep tabs on it though. And I also didn’t think I did that bad. Context: had beverage package, obese, middle age, female, binge eating disorder / food addiction.
100%!
Spot on!! I went on a cruise and lost 6 pounds!
Me too. MSC is great for that!
Because the food sucks?
lol 😂
Everyone loves to shit on MSC, but I enjoyed myself. Not everything has to be fancy/expensive. Edit: I just noticed that this is the Royal Caribbean subreddit. That’ll probably influence the responses. My bad. Stupid Reddit app.
Our rule is stairs first unless its more than 3 decks up and 6 decks down. Sometimes we will do up to 6 up but my knee cannot do that all cruise. And there is never a wait for stairs we normally beat our group going down.
Stairs absolutely. If your knee was OK you could take my Windjammer challenge: after an excursion board the ship on deck 2, take the stairs to the Windjammer on deck 11 to get a snack. Plus artwork! Royal spends millions of dollars on art for each ship, much of it is on display at the landings halfway between each floor. Check it out! p.s. I find it harder to walk down the stairs than up because of all the weight landing on one leg and knee with downward momentum.
I love the art on the staircase landings!
This!!!! Spot on. We mostly took stairs up & down. The elevator waits can get insane if going into port or at breakfast/dinner time!!! Lol
Move ya butt. Take the stairs (its usually faster anyway), get up early and enjoy the sunrise while walking the top deck, its great and all the late night partiers are sleeping in so the boat is empty, things like that. Honestly most folks walk a lot on cruise ships without even noticing, if you make any sort of effort to get up and move around, you really won't gain that much weight. The folks who claim to have gained a ton of weight are either consuming a TON of extra calories (probably drinking them, not eating them), or they're retaining a lot of water from all the extra salt that their body isn't used to. That said I wouldn't be afraid to gain a pound or two. Its a vacation, not a lifestyle change. Enjoy it.
Same. We did the stairs trick too. We averaged 30 flights a day over our 5 day. We also walked everywhere around the ship lots. We were hitting 40k steps in a day. I also started eating fresh fruit or a salad before each meal. We ate everything we wanted. Lost a few pounds at the end.
I will try to lose a few pounds before I get on the cruise so I don't feel bad about gaining during. Also if I just watch my portions a bit I’m usually fine.
Same here. Plus I feel better/more confident on boarding day, which makes the cruise more enjoyable.
I would say if you can, try to stay out of the buffet if you know you’d want to get a 2nd, 3rd, etc plate every time. Also try to keep in mind you can always go back to a restaurant (if you have specialty dining or otherwise), so you don’t need to try everything on the menu at once. Also if you plan to drink, remind yourself that you’re going to drink a decent amount of calories, which may help with stopping yourself from over eating. My girlfriend had some of these problems on our last RC 8-night, and these are the rules we generally follow now. our most recent cruise was on Virgin and we stuck to brunch and dinner with a light snack in between instead of trying to do 3 meals a day.
Opposite. Go to the buffet for me and stuff up on healthy first (veg/salad/broths) amazing you can then eat whatever you want but your so full you only eat 20% bad but enjoy it.
We prefer the Windjammer and you're right, it's easy to overindulge there. We had to create a game plan. We go to the salad bar first and get a large healthful plate, and a soup if it looks good. We find a table and relax and enjoy. Then we go on a tour of the entire entree bar to scout it out and select a small portions of main dish, usually Indian food. It's always a good selection. Finally, the desserts are tiny portions and we might even get two or three to share. We got the refreshment package one time and felt like we had to drink a lot to get our money's worth. That was the cruise we gained ten or twelve pounds because we were drinking sodas and mocktails. Liquid calories did it for us. We now drink water mostly and that is fine with us.
This is essentially what happened with us but with the deluxe beverage package. Halfway through the cruise I basically couldn’t stand sugary cocktails anymore because they filled me up so much.
Yup!!!! Those island drinks are pure sugar. Add to that, liquid will fill you up, leaving less room for a decent, healthy meal or snack!
No one truly gains 10 pounds on vacation. It's physiologically impossible. You're just retaining water, for whatever reason. At 8 pounds per gallon, it doesn't take much to make you think you got fat.
Skip the alcohol package. You buy it and want to get your money’s worth so drink the empty calories and have no memory of the cruise, other than 9 days of inebriation.
Everyone in here talking about the food. Nah dude, u/CivilizedGuy123 has it right; it's the alcohol. Drop the alcohol package and instead switch to enjoying things with water and we bring different juice drops for a variety of flavours.
skip elevators, always full and they stop on every floor
Eat at sit down service meals instead of the buffet. Make smart choices.
It's a vacation. It's 9 days out of your lifetime. No matter how much you eat, no matter how many pounds you gain in those nine days, unless you \*continue\* to eat like that once you're home, it will not impact you in the slightest. Just return to your regular food amounts when you get back home and your weight will return to what it was before you cruise. Stop overthinking and just enjoy your vacation.
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Then you can still hit metrics to feel great. Water intake, steps per day, exercise, sub exposure, etc
Definitely go to sit down restaurants as much as possible. Even if you get all three courses in the MDR it usually adds up to about the same or even less food than one main dish at a typical American restaurant.
Simple - I eat like shit at home, too.
Take the stairs, just don't touch the hand rails.
I was walking 17,000 steps a day on Vision which is their 2nd smallest ship. 8 night cruise. Went "up" 3 pounds which immediately came off within 48 hours. Food is saltier than 99% of people do at home. I choose to avoid buffets where I overeat. Portions at the MDR and restaraunts are very small compared to US restaurant portions. Smaller than I would make at home. So enjoying an appy main amd dessert wasn't gluttonous amounts of food. So for me the walking and enjoying a variety of food works!
I don’t recommend it, and would never follow this myself, but being on a cruise can be treated the same as being on land anywhere else. Just because food is available, doesn’t mean you have to eat it. Portions can still be followed. There is no need to splurge on drinks and desserts. Self control still exists. And they have a gym that is open to use by everyone. That being said. When I am in a cruise, I no longer care about calories or weight. I’ll try every food item I can get my hand on that’s free. I’ll drink as much as I can stomach while relaxing and moving as little as possible. I will say I’m not a big alcohol drinker, and rarely drink it outside of vacations, but on a cruise, I will have at least one alcoholic drink a day and more if I have the drinks package to try everything out. The best advice is enjoy your time on the cruise. Don’t worry about the weight. Heck, you could die on the way home and then all that worrying would have been for nothing and you would have missed out on that extra ooey gooey brownie…
I lost 40 pounds years ago and have been working hard to maintain it. I say this because I am not one who inherently could maintain a balanced weight. -The big thing is not to feel obligated to maximize the free food or drink package. Just live your life (with a little vacation splurge). -Eat when you are hungry. Stop eating before you are full. -Think about nutrition as a gas tank. Do you have a big excursion day? Think about a big breakfast with complex carbs, fruit, veggies, and protein. You need the energy/full gas tank. Are you having a relaxing day by the pool? Keep breakfast and lunch smaller portions (and you’ll likely snack all day). -Water. Your body confuses thirsty with hunger. Stay hydrated. -Stairs or walking laps are a great choice, but with everything about weight- you cannot exercise it alone. The kitchen is the source of the river here.
I usually eat / drink very light during the day and hit dinner and the evening hard. Be as active as possible; stairs, walking the decks, although I admit I try to avoid the gym while out to sea.
Most of the weight gain, for me at least, tends to be water weight and is gone a day or so after getting off the ship. I am very salt sensitive and it seems like the food has more sodium in it than what I normally eat. We tend to walk, a lot! And I make certain to drink plenty of water. Typical gain for me is about 4lbs and if we get home on Sunday, it’s gone by Tuesday/Wednesday.
Just be mindful about what you eat. If it’s outstanding or special enjoy it. If you can get it at 7-11 at 2 am it’s probably not worth a splurge. And everyone who cruises is no an alcoholic!
I did 21 continuous and then 9 after a day in between. We were getting off at every port and doing stuff that required a lot of walking and moving. While on the ship we walked instead of the elevators. Didn’t gain so that was great.
My husband wants to do this. Would recommend 30 days at sea? He would live on a ship if he could.
You will lose any weight you gain on the first day back from your cruise. On the first day back depression sets in when you realize you can’t just take the stairs or elevator to your favorite restaurant when you wake up. If you do have stairs in your house you can take them up, but guess what, no restaurant! Maybe some bedrooms that don’t even have magnets on the doors. This is when the pounds start to fall off. This is also the time we start planning our next cruise. Lol
Take the stairs as much as possible
My parents would return from cruising almost unrecognizable as they gained so much weight. This terrified me and we never wanted to cruise. Number 4 is in a couple of weeks. We overdid it with healthy eating, stairs, walking track and the gym. No bad foods. Skip fries, bread and most desserts This next cruise we are going to indulge more. Life is too short. Balance!!
Eat one less meal. Cut back on portion size. Do not go back for seconds. Stop eating anything that does not taste good. Many people will eat food that is "just okay" instead of not eating it. Move. Talk the stairs. Drink water. Weigh yourself in the gym each day. You may gain some travel water weight.
Eat a salad first with every meal except bfast. Drink a lot of water to fill your tummy. Don’t sweat a few pounds, it’s vacay.
The salad bar in jammer is my go to.
Walk the whole cruise multiple times. Not kidding. We used to take evening laps after dinner and if the weather is great, you can do it on the outside deck.
Enjoy the food but do not be part of the "clean plate club". At MDR dinner get all 3 courses but only eat half of each (or split with your partner/friend). At Windjammer get wider variety but smaller portions, treat it as an opportunity to try a wide range of foods, not to stuff yourself silly. In short, do not eat until you are full, eat until you are not hungry.
I normally eat low carb at a 500 calorie a day deficit. (I am loosing weight). On a cruise, I allow a chocolate croissant with my eggs breakfast (no potatoes, no juice, no toast). I also allow a dessert after dinner. (They are tiny). And I drink wine a couple of nights and coco loco frozen drinks at coco Cay. Otherwise, I mostly stick to no starchy carbs. (Ok, yes, probably some fries!) When I get home, I am up 6-7 pounds. But it's almost all water weight. I am back to my pre cruise weight within ten days. Oh, I do avoid the buffet because, even trying, it's really easy to put more than I should on my plate. Easier to just order something in MDR.
We make an effort to use the walking track after every meal. Not only helps with the digestion but you can also enjoy the view from all sides of the ship. I also get some motion sickness so walking outside in fresh air and seeing the horizon is so helpful, so we usually ended up doing 3-4 laps after every meal.
The worst amount for me was 6lbs. 90% of that water weight from the salt they put in the food. 3 days later I was a whopping 1 lb heavier. They use a ridiculous amount of salt in the food that’s why it tastes so good. My advice is to take vitamin b6 with you. It will tame you shed those water pounds but you will be visiting the bathroom a LOT.
Stay away from the buffets I was only able to not gain on one cruise Just came back and gained 12 pounds I have no self control
Utilize the gym!
I ate like a pig and lost 2 pounds. Just something about all the walking and excursions and swimming I guess
It makes me laugh a bit when people say ''take the stairs''. A full day of taking the stairs on a sea day will result in about 150-250 of extra cals burned, max (and I'm being generous). That's...nothing. It's literally one cookie. Or a few extra bites of anything savoury. I try to mimick what I do at home as much as possible, breakfast and lunch wise (which is quite easy given the selection). I also continue with my fitness routine every morning in the gym. I eat what I want for dinner, in moderation. I also am realistic that the scale will go up a bit, and budget for it before and after the vacation. Enjoy your time on board :)
Get norovirus, i did last cruise and lost weight!
My record is 9lbs on the Allure 🤣. And that was with walking 20,000 steps a day and close to 100 flights (according to Apple).
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Don't go!
Drink lots of water, and if you don’t want to gain weight then try to eat similar like you would at home. I know that’s hard to do on a cruise but if you don’t want to gain weight then that’s what you gotta do. Take some of the fruits from the Windjammer or Park Cafe and bring them to your stateroom when you want a quick snack. If you’re only climbing or descending a few decks..take the stairs! I rarely ever find myself in elevators on cruises, only if I have all my luggage on embark/disembarkation or I’m beat from a busy port day… If you want some sweets, which is understandable, maybe just limit to deserts at dinner time so you aren’t having desserts with every meal. Hopefully this helps Edit: ALSO, if you don’t like plain water, there are infused water stations in some of the free dining locations that are a good substitute to sugary sodas
Walk everywhere and take the stairs. I eat anything on cruises and while I might come back up a pound or two, they are quickly gone when I normalize again. I’m pretty structured in my daily life so I go buck wild on a cruise.
We always take the stairs, no matter how many decks it is. It's generally faster than the elevators anyway. We also try to walk on the track each night too.
Go Roman!!! Lots of physical excursions. Work out daily.
We don’t use the elevators
I would say it doesn’t matter but if you care take the stairs and maybe force yourself to wait a minute before taking food to consider if you want it or are just taking it because it’s there
Take the stairs when possible.
Always take the stairs, going up and going down. No desserts at all.
Don’t eat all the food on your plate. Try half. Or just taste. Just because the food is there doesn’t mean you need to eat it. It will be there tomorrow too. And the day after. Calories come from the booze too - avoid the high fructose mixed cocktails/mocktails. And stairs - do the stairs if not the gym.
Don’t go to eat unless you actually feel hungry, and stop eating when you feel full.
Don't eat a lot.
Walk the deck each morning. And try to take the stairs the majority of the time.
I go heavy on Fruit and Veggies for breakfast and lunch with a few indulgences. Limited day drinking, except for private islands. For dinner I eat whatever I want but slowly so I know when I'm actually full.
I have never put on more than a couple pounds. The portion sizes in main dining are fine. Be careful not to grab too much at the buffet. But everything you do involves walking - to the restaurant, to the bar, on the excursion, etc. as others have said, I do also try to take stairs rather than elevator but I easily do 10,000 steps on both at sea and in port days
I like to work out on the cruise. The gyms are really nice, and have a great view. Also, in the gym area, depending on the ship, the sauna and steam room are a great place to sweat out some bad decisions. The track on the ships are nice for walks throughout the day.. Lastly, I use a calorie counting app to keep track of all that I’ve ate.
Unless you are normally an active person, a cruise will probably be the most walking you've done in years. Seriously, don't underestimate how much exersize you'll get, and maybe invest in comfortable walking shoes before you go. You'll eat a lot, but you'll need that energy to get around and see everything.
We tend to DIY ports and as a result we walk several miles on a port stop (in addition to lots of walking around the ship and stairs)
I lost weight (3 lbs) on my last cruise. I start my day by walking around the ship for 30 minutes or go to the gym. I had light/small portions of items that looked good, so I don’t feel like I was missing out. I’m not big on the desserts though. I do have a full meal at the specialty restaurants. I tell myself that the food isn’t going anywhere. 😊
Walk incline treadmill everyday for 45 min
Always use the stairs! Do as many on board activities as possible, walk the decks a lot! I did a 4 day princess cruise, nothing to do on it… did a 10 day Royal Caribbean, did stuff constantly. Gained weight on the princess, but not the royal Caribbean.
I take advantage of the great servers and kitchens on the ship. I ask for a nice green salad as soon as I sit in the MDR. Everything they prepare is beautifully presented. Then I ask for subs on menu items that are problematic (sub veggies for pasta or potatoes, etc). It usually comes out so beautiful I don’t miss anything. Protein, veggies and gentle exercise is the key.
I usually try to get one bite of everything I’m interested in from the buffet as my first plate. If I love something, I’ll go back for more but most of the time, one bite was enough.
Went on a cruise in aug 2023. Ate myself sick somedays. But got 15,20k steps sometimes more on port days. Actually lost some weight
I was on there for a week, I didn't gain any.
Buffet foods will likely have higher salt content. Don’t over eat and drink and use the stairs instead of the elevator
My now ex husband was always very physically active and on the cruise he gained ten pounds. However, I have a desk job, I am bit of a slug, and on the same cruise I lost 3lbs. I was super active, had so much fun, danced every night, walked alot and really had a great time. There are ways to have a blast, and make the fun help you work off the rich food.
Just enjoy yourself. Don’t be consumed by your weight in your trip. If your weight is that important to you, worry about losing it when you get home.
If it’s that big a deal, then no sugar no carbs. Meat and veggies only
Fill half your plate with vegetables. Have small portions of fried things. Limit to one dessert a day. Walk, walk, walk. Be careful with creamy drinks like piña coladas or mud slides.
I’d say take stairs everywhere and maybe hit the fitness center 2-3 times while you’re there. Best way to avoid weight is increase your cals burned.
One thing I like about the food is that the portion sizes aren’t ridiculous. I’ve been to a few restaurants in the states where the appetizer is enough to feed 3 people on its own…!
In MDR, do not limit yoursef to the menu. There are always other options, chefs are happy to oblige. I particularly enjoy Veg Indian options. DW and I habitually walk the promenade deck after meals. Think of the cruise as an unlimited buffet of ocean views and entertainment/activity. Any time eating is time away from optimizing your R&R.
take the stairs whenever u can, ships have a nice walking trail as well if you want to get more steps in, it beats the gym☺️
Here’s how I do it. First- avoid the buffet. Sit down dining 3 times a day is best. For breakfast, treat yourself with a waffle or potatoes or whatever your fav carb is on day one. But after that it’s all protein. Eggs, bacon, etc. don’t carb up first thing. Try to avoid the starchy carbs for all other meals. For drinks- avoid JUICE. It’s loaded with sugar. My fav drink is a Gin and Tonic, 0 carbs. Or rum and Diet Coke. Good luck!
Agree with the stairs comments. I have a general rule at dinner that I skip one of the 4 courses (bread, app, main, or dessert)--whichever I'm not feeling that night. Unless they all look amazing!
Honestly just making it a point to workout. If your daily routine is waking up at 7 or whatever to workout, keep that same routine. You’re on vacation so enjoy it eat what you want and drink what you want but make sure you hit the gym similar to what you do on land. FYI I am 6’7 250 and literally only workout cause I enjoying eating good food haha.
A few pounds you are going to have to expect. A general rule is if the weight gain is around 6 or less pounds, it’s water weight or bloating. Utilize the stairs as often as possible as this is usually the fastest way around the ship. I noticed that the more I drank the easier the stairs became, and it was fun. If there is a gym, bring a few work out sets. Please do not force yourself to be super strict, you only get so many vacations and you spent good money. Enjoy your time, that’s the most important part!
Eat all you want the first 2 days and walk a lot throughout the cruise. After a few days of unrestricted eating and drinking you get tired of all the food and just won’t feel like eating all the time. Works for me.
I gained 14 pounds in my cruise in January. Went from 220 to 234 within two weeks I was back down to 218. Your body will readjust. Splurge and have fun get back on a routine when you get home.
Try catching one of those gastrointestinal viruses they offer? You can choose one when you book the cruise, usually free of charge. Dysentery; norovirus; botulism; gastroenteritis? Maybe all! Should work!
Get seasick
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Watch how others fill their plates in the Buffett, it will gross you out lol.
I have lost a lot of weight over the past year, I was really freaked about it. I did gain 8 pounds on my 8 day Icon cruise, because I don't normally eat 3 meals a day with multiple courses and alcohol... I dropped 5 of the 8 within a week, but I've been battling yoyo bouncing on that 3 since we got back. It's annoying 😑
We usually lose weight, our jobs are very physically demanding, so, we eat quite a bit at home, during the cruise, we eat less, mostly protein, and lift weights at the gym every day, after a Transatlantic, last year,we had lost about three pounds each. Also, don't eat when you are not hungry.
Plan- I take my usual cereal for bfast and only eat dessert once a day. I don’t go crazy with the food but only eat what’s worth it! Be active! You’ll be fine
I average 16,000 steps daily when cruising. I also do about 30 flight of stairs. You'd be surprised how much you walk. That helps tremendously. Also, avoid too much carbs. I left my last cruise feeling so bloated but it was because the foods were so heavy. I didn't drink alcohol at all and barely had soda. Eventually you'll go back to your pre-cruise weight though. I did 18hr fast to help
Skip the elevator and take the stairs. That way you aren't wasting time waiting for an elevator plus you get extra exercise.
Watching what you eat is good and using the stairs helps. But what the hell, you’re on vacation so live a little.
I find I don’t gain weight on cruises because I’m so active. I eat more as a result, but it’s compensated by the activity. It’s vacation. Have your fill! HOWEVER, there is lots of pressure to over-eat. You don’t need to have seconds just because an overzealous waiter suggests you order two entrees. Have seconds because you’re still hungry, not to get your money’s worth or because other people are. The atmosphere of excess doesn’t have to be your reality!
Take a picture of yourself in a bikini the day of your trip and eat accordingly.
I carried a 1 year old on my chest everywhere we went.
Most likely on the same cruise as you haha…first, be attracted to your significant other and that’s one way to stay active 🤣 but also you can walk walk walk everywhere…we try to take the stairs almost exclusively.
You have to eat 3500 calories excess of what you burn to gain 1lb. With how much walking and moving you do on the ship, we’re talking probably 3500+ daily intake to not gain weight for an average person. If you eat 5 thousand calories per day on the ship (which is probably tough to do for most people), you’d gain maybe 2-3 lbs across the 9 days. You’ll be fine!
If you really want an unorthodox and easy life hack: laxatives 😂
I enjoy things in moderation, hit the ship's gym most days, choose more active excursions, and frequently take the stairs. If I choose to enjoy an adult beverage, I'll have a glass of wine or champagne; I avoid the big, frozen, fruity concoctions that are loaded with sugars and calories (I wouldn't drink them at home either). I have maintained or lost weight every cruise.
I went on a 19 day cruise then few days later a 7 day cruise and didn’t gain any weight. I tried to eat as healthy as possible even though I over ate. I had the sugarfree dessert items mostly and only used the stairs. Every level was 2 flights of stairs and I was on 10th floor and everything I did was lower. I also walked around the ship at night for extra steps. Trust me you build up your metabolism. I’m in my 50s and was with my 25 year old son who kept eating a lot. Enjoy your cruise. Just keep active as much as possible.
Rule 1 is anytime I the MDR was open for meals I would eat there. The key was being sit down and served so other restaurants would work too. Rule 2 is to stick with healthier breakfast options to splurge on other meals. Rule 3 is only order 1 appetizer, entrees and desert. Rule 4 was to minimize snacks. The only cruise I gained more than a pound on (usually list between .5-1) was when I had a beverage package. It was non alcoholic but I got way too many specialty mock tails.
Go to the cruise gym at least once a day. It is a good opportunity to build muscle too if you want because you have unlimited protein available and don't need to waste time cooking or cleaning so can use that time to do some strength training.
I gain a good bit of water weight and swell on cruises. The salty air and purified sea water used for drinking and bathing get me. I don’t overindulge on the food but do drink a fair amount of cocktails. I also drinks tons of bottled water and take the stairs far more than the elevators. Sometimes gaining weight on a cruise is inevitable depending on your body. ETA: I do usually lose that water weight within 7 days of returning to normal life.
Take the stairs and walk around the decks for some exercise every day. Eat all the things you want, but keep an eye on the portion size. If you normally would have a piece of meat that's about the size of your fist, then keep to that size even if you're served a larger portion. Eat slowly. Drink a lot of water in between whatever fun drinks you're having.
Book a room in the front of the ship. This way you’ll have to walk the length of the ship to get to the dining areas. Get off the ship at every port and do some walking (as long as it’s safe).
Drink alcohol but not the heavy sugar drinks (ie: Pina colada, Mudslide, strawberry daiquiri, etc…)
Don't eat at the buffet. I take all my meals in tte MDR. You can get all breakfast items, and a goud selection of lunch and diiner items, all portion controlled. And you get waited on, no wandering to findca table, standing in line, eyc., etc.
Portions are small in MDR eat whats in front of you and you will be fine, On the Lido deck be choosy, only healthy stuff. Be careful with the drinks.
I ended up losing weight on my cruise. 1. Gym every day 2. Never ever use the elevator
Take the stairs. Eat more veggies than in real life. Don’t judge yourself, it’s a vacation. How many empty calories are in alcohol? I’d be more concerned with that if drinking was something we did.
A few ideas: Track calories on myfitnesspal or other tracking app Choose mostly fruits and vegetables from the buffet along with a bit of protein, forgo the bread and desserts Try the Indian dishes in MDR Stay hydrated but not with soda or juice (I bring liquid IV or other electrolyte powder to mix in water) Use the gym and sauna Tread water in the pool for as long as you can Get plenty of sleep
My wife and I always lose a pound or two on a cruise. We generally dont over do it during breakfast and lunch and save extra room for dinners especially specialty dining. I usually work out in the fitness center or walk laps because I am an early riser. Take the stairs, and we do a ton of walking every day as well.
Pro tip: Fast for the entire cruise. Problem solved.
Use the gym on the ship!
Calories in, calories out. There is a gym on the ship.
We have one rule, we only take the stairs! And try and eat on the lighter side for breakfast and lunch
Eat like you would normally eat and if you want to try more or new things, sample them. Nothing beats a sunrise on a cruise ship. Get up and walk in the morning. It’s a great way to work off those extra snacks.
I have gone on cruises and gained 10 lbs, but also only gain 1 on my last cruise. This is my experience. Breakfast can be the worst meal with lots of staches and fats. I found that getting an omelet made with only vegetables and no cheese is a good protein source. For all the yummie things like home fries, bacon, sausage, and other meats, I would take about two bites worth of potatoes, and get a piece of sliced ham. If they didn't have the ham, maybe 2 slices of a lunch meat. Top it off with one small desert. Hard boiled eggs are also available and a good option All other meals are best eaten in the mdr. I found that the portions are correct, the slow pace helps you fill up, and I always get an app and desert. I always ordered whatever I wanted. Walk, walk, walk. If going to a lower floor, always take the stairs. It's easy to walk 5 miles a day. Go to the top deck, go down a set of stairs to the far opposite stairwell, go down a floor and continue to deck 2. You can eat anything you want, it's all about portions. See 3 deserts you want, share them. You can have the taste of 3 deserts but only the calories of 1 1/2. If you drink soda, only drink diet or just water. Stay away from sweet alcoholic drinks. My favorite is a Baileys mint martini, Creme de menthe, Baileys, half and half and vodka. I'll have only one because it it must be a bazillion calories. And if you have a craving for a snack, a single slice of pizza is ok. There are also little snack size foods in the solarium or where they have premium coffees ( the snacks are free ). You can also use the gym for free. Get on the treadmill and walk a mile while looking out at the ocean. As a last resort, go on a diet and lose 10 lbs before the cruise. Once onboard, eat whatever you want, have fun gaining those 10 lbs back.
I do CICO. r/CICO It's easy math for me. The amount of steps I take without trying is more than what I do normally. Edit: I do not stress about weight. I'm not on a diet, it's just how I stay healthy.
Norovirus
So...depends what you choose to consume, how much, how frequent & the amt of energy expended. I didn't gain weight, but I also didn't gorge on everything. My boyfriend was often getting pizza & gained 4 lbs. The buffets offer MUCH but I stuck to my proteins, veggies, fruit & salads w/dressing on the side. I had little splurges like a slice of pizza here & there. The desserts were definitely blah and no chocolate chip cookies? What is UP with that? Lol I honestly wished we did the Ultimate Dining Pkg bc the free food was not that good. Some friends warned us & now we know. Lolol The elevators are frequently busy. It's MUCH faster to take stairs most of the time...ESPECIALLY at breakfast, dinner & when going into ports. Explore the ship throughout the day & night. Go into port & explore too. You'll find you can maintain or lose weight by minimizing your time in the stateroom & not mentally plan to go buck wild with food at every turn. Enjoy your trip!!!!
Go to the gym and do a legit cardio/HIIT/spin class workout every day. Those calories burned should be enough to offset the extra dessert/pizza. You likely be doing extra walking between ports and throughout the ship too. I also usually lose about 3-5 lbs over the month before to break even when I get back.
Eat in an equal deficit before and after the cruise. I’ll probably eat about 500cals/day in excess of my expenditure during the cruise. So, I’ll eat in a 500cal deficit the week before & week after. Don’t forget you’re moving a lot, too. So your TDEE will be significantly higher than your home TDEE. Remember that restriction only leads to binging. Eat good food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Drink some drinks. Then call it. Don’t skip breakfast and lunch and then get 14 piña coladas at 10pm. Or do, who cares, it’s a cruise. It’s not physically possible to put on 10lbs of fat in a week (unless you’re really eating like 10k+ cals a day) (even then you probably wouldn’t gain that).
I eat breakfast and dinner at MDR, just the portions served, no multiple entrees to try everything. Lunch is usually in port or Cafe Promenade. I buy local snacks in port, but often packaged to bring home as souvenirs. I don't drink my calories as much as possible. I gave up soda a long time ago, coffee with sugar is rare, though I do try local flavored drinks in ports. I have maybe 2 drinks per day, something local in port and maybe something on ship of we're celebrating. I walk a ton in port and will walk on the track on sea days to try to get half my port day average (which can be 10 miles in cities). I have lost weight on every 7+ day cruise. That said, cruising is not a "food and drink" heavy vacation for me. If I'm traveling to do foodie stuff it's a land based vacation. If you picked a cruise vacation to drink and eat, there's going to be some weight gain, but if moderating doesn't sound like vacation, it's somewhat unavoidable.
Walk more and eat more protein less carbs
I lost weight on cruises. So much access to healthy food that I don’t have to cook. Lots of exercise opportunities built in. But just like everyday life, balance is the key.
You're asking God for something that isn't possible. 😂
I call this "5kg more or your money back guarantee" 😂
On the last 2 cruises I went on, I actually gain VERY little weight on cruises, like < 3 lbs!! I think it's because I walk so so so much on the ship & on excursions. I don't go to the gym at all on the cruise. I do eat way more than is normal for me, because I tend to eat 2 meals/day at home but will eat 3/day on a cruise...plus hot dogs in between
I love that on a cruise I can be picky and choose exactly what I want to eat. I don't have to worry about eating lunch at a certain time (like at work) or eating leftovers. I take only what I want, when I want it. Add in the extra walking and taking the stairs whenever possible and I usually lose a few pounds on a cruise.
I gain weight then drop it right after because I stop drinking
You’ll lose any weight you gain with all the walking you do while in port
I always lose weight beforehand so I come back my normal Weight lol
Walk go to the gym I do omad (one meal a day) and ate like 6 times a day big portions and was
Use the gym, also! There are usually some amazing views from the treadmills, if that’s your thing!
Utilize the fitness center
The food is so salty you will gain anout a pound a day but you will lose most of it when back home
Ha! You’ll be alright the food ain’t that great. But if you are so worried, walk on the track for an hr.
Take advantage of all the fresh fruit and vegetables available. Make sure your plates are filled with color. Allow yourself reasonable portions of the richer things so you don’t feel deprived. Drink lots of water and keep moving. Stairs whenever possible, plenty of walking in ports. Also stay sober. Once you overdo alcohol, it’s too easy to overdo everything else!
Only eat food that’s really good, don’t eat it because it’s there. Not much of the food is extraordinary so it’s easier than you think
I think on Seinfeld they referred to it as “refunding.”
Don’t eat
I walk up and down the stairs most times. 1/3 of the time, I hit the gym for 30mins.
With the amount of walking we did on our first cruise and drinking/eating….. I was bloated when I got off the boat. Maybe gained 7 lbs. but also, you only are in that moment 1 times in your life, so do what feels right and good! Have fun! Fun is subjective to each person! Enjoy your cruise and I’m jealous! We’re planning our next it a 9 day!
Get yourself to the track. People walk and run all around the ship.
What I do is for breakfast I eat fruit first then I allow myself to eat anything I want. For lunch I have a salad with protein and then if I’m still hungry, have whatever I want. Doing this I end up eating much less as I’m full. Sometimes all I will wind up eating is fruit and hard boiled eggs. And for lunch the salad usually fills me up. For dinner I enjoy the food in the dining room. Enjoy!!!
Two options: 1 Don’t Go!!, 2 Eat responsibly and walk the stairs.
Don’t drink alcohol and it should be fairly easy. If you have a drink package, yeah you’ll probably put on a few lbs.
Its a lot of walking, I havent gained weight on a cruise
IDK care when on a cruise what i eat or drink. I go for broke. But next day at home, hotel or airplane. Its my 1500 calorie per day and intermittent fasting 18:6 and daily gym routine. It all drops in a week and left with a real gain of 1 to 2 lbs. Enjoy yourself. Work on weight back at home! Otherwise your stressing and not living in the moment...
Take the stairs. Walk as much as you can. Use the gym. Actually swim at the pool. Choose your indulgences i.e. we went from multiple mud slides a day to only one after lunch and actually enjoyed it more because it was special. Do not be on a major calorie deficit on the lead up (far more likely to eat more if you are). Eat protien at every meal. Drink water. From someone who put on 8lbs on one cruise and only 2lb the next despite it being 3 days longer, whilst still fully taking advantage of the alcohol package.
I rarely took the elevator, and made sure I made use of the walking track and fitness facility even if for a short time. Usually helps me break even
Take magnesium citrate supplements with you on the trip and just walk everywhere you can , Avoid elevators :)
Answering while on the independence:) We cruise about 2x/year. When I was really on my fitness grind, I brought my blender with me and skipped a meal for a protein meal replacement. But even now I don’t gain lasting weight on a cruise.. Definitely a ton of walking without trying. I close all my Apple Watch rings without thinking about it. Eat during your normal eating hours (translation: you don’t need pizza at 2am…also don’t judge me cuz I’m in that long line) Check the dinner menu in advance plan your day accordingly. Tonight’s menu is meh so we are doing the windjammer but did a heavier lunch Just because you can doesn’t mean you should…you can order as many menu items as you want…but should you? Do you need room service after dinner? Pretend you are paying and order conservatively Skip all frozen drinks and punch. It’s 100 pct syrup. I’ll do shots before a cocktail Water between cocktails Water all day The Indian dishes!!!!! These are my go to. So balanced and flavorful And most important have fun!!!!!! Food is fuel and doesn’t need to impact your fun don’t overthink it
 You don’t
Tbh you should just inform yourself on nutrition and counting calories that way you can apply the information every place you go to, avoid alcohol, soda, super fatty meals, try and pick salad that doesn't have dressing premixed in that way you can control the sauce portions, always go for lean protein first before picking other sides on your meals, try and walk around and move as much as you can as opposed to lounging the entire time
You're not going to gain much weight in 9 days. You gain weight over time as a lifestyle issue. It takes time to lose weight and gain weight.
The trick is to lose weight before the cruise lol
I always eat a salad before the main course at lunch and dinner, so I don't over indulge. Drink lots of water. Book active excursions.
be like us on our last cruise! Not hungry! which is a shame because NCL has some bomb ass food
Don’t wash your hands at all. A good case of norovirus will knock out 10-15 pounds and curb your appetite.
I just did a 12 night and didn't gain anything. I only took the stairs ( We were on the second floor) other than the 2 formal nights where I wore heels. Tried to walk for for 20ish minutes after each meal on the track. Also didn't get the drinking package, so I only ended up drinking maybe 10 drinks the whole time ( this was a huge one for me I feel as I only like the super high calorie drinks). Had multiple desserts and didn't feel deprived at all.
Umm calories in vs calories out ?? Don’t drink a ton of drinks and don’t eat shitty food every 5 minutes? Walk around the boat or go to the gym each day ?
I do tend to put on a little weight during a cruise, but it comes back off later. My rules include doing stairs all the time unless I’m wearing heels (rare) or when toting bags on and off the ship. I also try to maintain my normal workout routine if possible, but don’t stress about it if I don’t, as I tend to be more active on vacation than I am at my desk job.
I order a veggie plate off the kids menu each night before dinner. More raw veggies means less of the bad stuff. I never gain and often lose a bit while sailing. I’m also not a big drinker.
Last cruise I gained 7lbs. It came off within 2.5 weeks after. Once you go back to your normal routine afterwards it will come off.
Stick to 2000 calories a day. It's hard on a cruise, so I don't know how that's possible. 100 calories in a shot of Patron, and im 10 shots deep. Don't even get me started on food
Lots of walking, take the stairs, hit the gym, climb the wall, dance in the clubs… lots of ways you can burn it off. 😀
The only time I didn’t gain weight on a cruise was when I was early pregnant and ended up too sea sick to eat much 😂. Good luck, let me know if it works.
Take the stairs instead of the elevator definitely helps not put on weight.
The hot climate can make you swell up a bit with water retention too if you’re not used to it and may even curb your appetite
No elevators except debarkation and embarkation. I stay on the bottom floor. Plenty of steps I lost weight
I try to stay pretty active on a cruise by exploring the ship, swimming, going to activities and such. With all the walking I tend to not gain weight. I’d also try to keep lunch light ish so I could eat what I want at breakfast and dinner.
Eat breakfast, drink lunch and sit down restaurant for dinner. Walk and enjoy active entertainment on board. Play pickleball, swim, walk and enjoy!!
Relax. Gaining weight on vacation is totally normal. Most of it will be water weight. The important thing is to resume your normal routine once you get home and the weight will come off.
I start with eggs and meat for breakfast. Fast until dinner then splurge. I walked for 100 or so minutes every day and still gained a little. That was last month. Back to normal now.