You’ve made your New Year’s resolution, you’ve gotten your bathing suit ready for your cruise.  It’s time to relax, enjoy, and par-tay!  But with the endless days of lounging by the pool and unlimited 24 hour buffets, they say the average cruiser puts on 10 pounds in a week.  Yowza!  That’s not cool.

When I cruised with Carnival, I was determined to walk off the ship not having to wear stretchy pants, and my strategy worked!  I only gained one pound.  Not bad for all the desserts I indulged in.

Here’s how to have some fun without taking home any guilt.

Staying Fit While On A Cruise

Sneak In Some Exercise

One of my biggest tips for sneaking in some exercise (and it’s also a time saver skipping the elevators) is to take the stairs.  I’m not gonna lie, the first two days my legs were pretty sore as the constant up and down going between decks was a lot more stair climbing than I’m used to.  But, it was nothing a little time in the hot tub couldn’t fix.  I think we averaged around 8 to 10 flights of stairs a day, just by taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

If you’ve got an exercise routine you’re used to, Carnival has a pretty well equipped gym for lifting weights or taking a spin on a stationary bike or treadmill.  We also walked laps around our stateroom floor and figured out with timing that it’s roughly a quarter of a mile.

Have a Strategy When It Comes To Food

Here’s where it gets tricky because you’ll want to taste EVERYTHING!  The amount of choices on a cruise ship is overwhelming, so I recommend coming up with a plan so you can try all the different restaurants and buffets you want throughout the week rather than being tempted to try them all in a day. Plan out what night you’ll eat where, so that way you’ll know you won’t be missing out.

Also, make your indulgences count and be extra choosy what you eat during the day.  Skip the bread and dessert at lunch and save those calories for a fruity umbrella drink or multi-course dinner.  Something else I found really helpful was ordering a light breakfast to our room in the morning.  You can start the day with some healthy choices like toast, yogurt, and fruit and not have the temptations at the buffet.  Plus, nothing beats sipping coffee on your balcony overlooking the ocean in the morning.

Take A Spa Day

The spa is a great place to unwind during your day at sea.  In addition to traditional relaxation massages, there are so many treatments available for detoxing and encouraging wellness.  After a morning of pampering and taking care of yourself, it seems easier to make healthy choices for the rest of the day.

Another perk at the spa and fitness center are all the free health and wellness seminars offered throughout the cruise.  We took one about detoxing and learned quite a bit about our body’s pH and foods that help keep it in balance such as hot water with lemon.  After that class, I’ve been sipping hot water with lemon every morning.  Starting off doing something simple that I know is good for me certainly sets the tone for making healthy choices throughout the rest of the day.

This post was created as part of my collaboration with Carnival. As always, all of the opinions, thoughts, and ideas in this post are my own.