If you’re reading this and have cruised before, you probably know alllllll about the endless amount of DELICIOUS food and drinks that you can consume while aboard.
For kids, it’s all about ice cream and pizza. For adults, we’re talking about steaks, lobster, chocolate melting cake (our favorite), mojitos, icy-cool margaritas… And who are we kidding? Adults love the ice cream and pizza too! There’s always something new to try, and a new restaurant option on board to discover. It’s easy to plan your whole day simply around eating!
We decided that on this trip we were going to find ways to keep fit, while still FULLY enjoying our Carnival cruise experience (we’ll never say no to a chocolate melting cake). While we probably still came home a little heavier, here are 5 ways that we put in a little extra effort to avoid too much weight gain…
1. ALWAYS TAKE THE STAIRS. This may seem like a lot, considering the Lido deck is on the 9th deck, our room was on the 6th, and our dining room was on the 3rd… but we only took the elevator TWO times during our entire 7-day cruise. Once when we got on the ship with our bags, and once when we got off. With how many flights of stairs we climbed during our trip, we believe this one rule made quite a difference. It’s not always easy climbing all those stairs, but when you reflect on all of the delicious and decadent food you’ve been consuming, you should find some inner motivation. Even if you can’t take the stairs every time, we suggest making a conscious effort to choose the stairs more often.
2. ONE CHEAT MEAL. We decided on this cruise that we would only have 1 meal a day where we indulge. While we’re the first to admit that we did not succeed at this every single day, we stayed strong a good 5 out of the 7 days. On our last cruise, Bobby would order huge portions at breakfast, would snack all day (a whole pizza could be a “snack”), and then order enough for 3 people at dinner. This time, we tried to limit this habit to happening just once a day. The rest of the day, we’d stick to fresh fruits, veggies, protein, and healthy fats. That way when the extravagant dinners rolled around and we were enticed by the fancy entrees, we didn’t feel guilty ordering two. And one of every dessert. Just to try.
3. WHEN ON LAND, WALK! Take the opportunity to stretch your legs at ports by walking to your destination! (Obviously use your judgment, as this may not always make sense depending on where you are!) While we were relaxing on Magens Bay in St. Thomas, we decided to go get a cold treat from Famous Delite Dairy Bar, a local shack with amazing milkshakes. Located a mile from the beach, it would’ve been easy to hop in a cab and be there in 2 minutes. But, since we were on our way to get milkshakes, we decided to walk instead. Not only did it make the milkshake a little more guilt-free, but we saw some beautiful scenery and laughed the whole way up the hill. That being said, if you have time, explore on foot. It’s worth it!
4. UTILIZE THE GYM. That’s right. We work out on board. The Carnival Glory has a state-of-the-art gym that we used as much as we could. That being said, if a gym isn’t your style, there’s also a basketball court and running track, both with panoramic views of the Caribbean Sea. You simply can’t beat it!
5. KEEP MOVING. We purposefully jam-pack our days with activity, and are always on the go. While soaking in the sun is definitely a big priority when it comes to cruising, we never let that be our whole day. We aim to find multiple activities to engage in, and purposefully stagger them among various parts of the ship. We found that we were easily walking 5+ miles each day on board, simply by going from one activity to the next!
This post was created for Away We Go with Carnival, the destination for getting in the getaway state of mind.
