How To Stay Healthy On A Cruise In 15 Easy Ways (and Still Indulge)

If you’ve been on a cruise, you’ve experienced it firsthand – walking off the ship several pounds heavier.

I was shocked on my first one when I walked off not being able to fit into my pants.

How did that happen? I’ve only been on here for four nights.

It can happen.

Cruises are a time to unwind, make amazing memories and take advantage of the extraordinary amount of food and alcohol!

Except on a cruise, all of this happens within a space of a week. It means your health can go downhill very fast.

We cruised the Western Caribbean for five nights on Carnival Vista. This was the first cruise I’ve been on where I walked off feeling great and weighing the same. In fact, my pants may have been a little looser.

This time I was prepared. I proved that you can have a great family cruise vacation with a little indulgence and still walk off the ship feeling healthy and happy.

In this guide, I’ll show you the steps I took to staying healthy on a cruise…

How To Stay Healthy On A Cruise

Here’s how you can stay healthy on a cruise, yet still indulge and have a memorable time.

1. Ditch the elevators and walk

On our first full day at sea on the cruise, I walked a total of 10 miles…10 miles!!! That was 23,679 steps.

Our lives are so sedentary these days with most people commuting to work by wheels and then sitting down at a desk all day. We aren’t moving enough to keep our weight steady. If you’re not making your 10,000 steps, the weight will creep up.

I only caught the elevators once, and that was when we had to get our suitcases off the boat. It will take much longer to wait for the elevators anyway as most people are riding them.

Ditching the elevators gifts you many stairs to walk up and down. Don’t be afraid. Not only will it help to keep off the weight, but it will also improve your cardio and strength.

The restaurant was at the other end of the ship to our cabin and nightly shows, which meant we were walking back and forth along the length of the ship several times a day.

Bear in mind, choosing to walk everywhere, and clocking up those miles, is not an excuse for you to practice gluttony. You’ll just cancel out all the work you’re doing.

2. Swap the buffet for the restaurant

Every time I walked into the buffet and saw the long lines, quality and quantity of the food I questioned why on earth so many passengers chose to eat here.

I’m not a buffet person at all and being gluten free, it’s often too difficult…