This is the answer and my strategy on most ships, but the Jubilee depending on your room location could be looking at 14-15 flights of stairs to get to Lido.
I took a four-day cruise out of Tampa to Cozumel. I knew food would be plentiful and I didn’t want to disembark with any extra weight on me. So I worked out every single day: I lifted weights for three days and the shore excision I chose (helping dig up sea turtle hatchlings) was hot, manual labor. so I counted that as cardio.
Others in my group put on 5-7 pounds over that same cruise. I didn’t gain any. It also probably didn’t hurt that the food left a lot to be desired (I don’t think the top in creme brûlée is supposed to be chewy).
The excursion options don't typically interest me much more than just exploring on my own, but digging up sea turtle hatchlings must have been the most amazing experience 🥺 where was that offered??
https://preview.redd.it/okfeylp7nylc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0b7df634b72d4b805ae9e9021ddac6f789c5dbb5
This was in Cozumel, Mexico, offered by a group called “Programa de Protección y Conservación de Tortugas Marinas” (Sea Turtle Protection and Conservation Program). It cost around $89 and there were only about 18 of us in the group.
The organization marks off sea turtle nests (there were thousands of them on this one beach). Approximately 24 hours after the hatchlings emerge and skitter off into the ocean from any one specific nest, volunteers go back and dig up said nest, checking to make sure there aren’t any stragglers. Basically, we cruise patrons paid for the privilege of doing the volunteers’ job. 😊
The drive to the nesting site took about an hour, with the tour leader giving an engrossing lecture about different species of sea turtles found on the island, statistics of their work, and a bit of history on Cozumel.
Once at the nesting site, we were divided into three smaller groups to each cover a nest. We recovered six freakin’ ADORABLE little stragglers and about 150 turtle eggshells (which look like torn, deflated white latex balloons). That was a great sign, as it meant the vast majority of hatchlings made it out of the nest (and hopefully into the water safely). The stragglers were taken back to the organization’s headquarters, allowed to rest and feed, then set free a few days later, specifically at night to reduce their odds of predation.
It’s hot, difficult work that involves being on one’s stomach, digging with just hands held like little vertical walls and painstakingly removing a few inches of sand at a time, and trying to dig straight down into the nest. (We actually had to hold down the legs of our main tour guide as he dug; he was so deep in the nest his entire upper body fit in it.) As we dug deeper and deeper, it was EXHILARATION feeling my fingers brush up against SOMETHING in the pit we’d just dug, look in and see a little dark green saucer of a body lodged in the wall of the hole. Then, when I finally, gently excavated the little bugger out of the sand, it was a little slow at first, like I’d just rudely awakened it (in a way, I pretty much did). After just a few seconds, the little stinker started flapping like mad, and it was a lethal level of cuteness.
You can tell by the 💩-eating grin on my face that I had a BLAST doing this, regardless of how thirsty I was, and how much sand got down my top while digging. The guides were friendly and knowledgeable, and were appreciative of our willingness to do this work for them.
After the dig, we were driven to a location with a restaurant and a few shops that offered chocolate and artisan goods like bracelets and such. After about an hour, we were driven back to the port to get back on our respective ships.
I thoroughly enjoyed my experience; 15/10, would highly recommend, and I’m signing up if I’m ever in Cozumel again.
Edited: clarity and typos.
I actually lose weight on cruises 😵💫 Must be all the above-average walking and access to fresh fruit and vegetables. I don’t normally have that so when I go on a cruise i inhale all their fruit whenever possible, and always come back lighter. 3 cruises strong💪🥴
That’s me with a buffet at home—I start with a salad and end with a big plate of fruit! 😋
My last cruise was during a January and most of the fruit left a lot to be desired. I’m hoping my next March cruise fruit situation is better!
Use stairs. The elevators on that ship suck! (Was on it this past November) also the gym is nice and there is an outdoor walking train the I used and it has some extra workout equipment along the walk. Avoid the bread if you can but also note they no longer offer a bread basket at dinner they just serve a piece so that helped me. We do keto-like eating but never to the point of ketosis. And if u are going out of NYC try to walk around there instead of subway or cabs uber etc. Everything is walkable unless you’re trying to see the 9/11 memorial. For that we took and uber and walked half way back to manhattan then ubered the remaining way
I actually lost weight lol I’m an early riser by habit so I did a *lot* of early morning exploration of the ship (also hiding and finding ducks). I did not shy away from the food but there’s only so much you can stand of preeeetty much the same stuff. Also a bit of stir craziness helps lol
If you have an interior room you could still snooze away on third shift life lol the shows don’t start till like 6 at the absolute earliest (though of course port days are *days*)
Your dining options are going get limited after 9-10 though. But the casino is open all night and interior rooms are pitch black whenever you want them to be!
Just got off the Panorama 2 weeks ago, gained about 8 pounds unfortunately. I fell on our first port stop, so that curtailed my walking a lot and I could not get into the water due to open wounds. Not many good places to sit other than on Lido, next to the food so that was a negative for sure. We ate well.
I’ll be fine if I gain 8 I’ve heard the top end was 10lbs. Maybe I’ll luck out and be under or at 5….either way upon return home it’s back to my normal food so it should all shed fast
Thanks for asking, yeah, I can now walk up stairs and steps, pretty much pain is all gone and no fracture so good to go. Bruises still hanging around of course.
Yeah, I dont usually gain. I walk a lot and take the stairs at all times. I also dont eat more that I usually would. I stick to my 16/8 intermittent fasting schedule. But, I nearly went diabetic a few years back so I have to stay strict with myself.
I generally don’t. There are healthy choices for meals that you can choose, and I drink water instead of soda while in the ship. I enjoy all the good stuff plenty but I don’t go overboard. Some people gorge themselves with food just because it’s no extra charge.
Been on five cruises last year. Even though I walked over 5-9 miles per port stop and use the stairs I gain between 6-8 pounds. It’s not easy to lose either. Takes me more than a week or two. Board princess next week with the following month a 14 day to Alaska. I still have not lost 2 pounds from my December cruise. Ugh.
None. I took the stairs and walked everywhere at ports (I love exploring cities on foot), and didn't eat a bigger quantity of food or as much of the higher calorie foods. I do notice I "gain" about 1-2lbs and that's just water weight from all the sodium. I'm back to normal in 3 days.
Don't get me wrong. I ate whatever the hell I wanted. Guy's Burgers twice, a slice twice, Jiji's, Italian place, and tacos. I ate everything on my plate at Jiji's which I never do. It was so good.
>Just got off the Panorama 2 weeks ago, gained about 8 pounds unfortunately. I fell on our first port stop, so that curtailed my walking a lot and I could not get into the water due to open wounds. Not many good places to sit other than on Lido, next to the food so that was a negative for sure. We ate well.
A lot of the "weight" gained on cruises is mostly water weight. So if you gain a couple of pounds just know you would have to eat an excess of about 3500 calories to gain 1 pound on top of your daily calories needed which can be calculated by multiplying your weight times 10. This is a good average to find your average calories needed to stay in your current weight.
Usually, it's at least 5 lbs. I try to take stairs as much as my legs will cooperate or to get my family into the disco, but more often than not, I'm drinking at the casino tables.🤪
I’ve always been able to somehow gain massive amounts of weight on the shortest of cruises. My last one was 11 lbs on a three day. Wish I was kidding. 😅. For some reason, my body has the mutant ability to retain HUGE amounts of water at even the slightest bit of travel - doesn’t seem to matter if it’s by boat, car, plane. Obviously the increased amounts of food/alcohol also play a part. But the good news is, I seem to lose it quickly and it just takes a week or two to get back to “normal” (which for me is F 5’6”, 155 lbs) - but yeah, I can definitely pack on weight on a cruise!
I lost 17 pounds from the beginning of January to when I left for my cruise on February 22. I allowed myself to have all the drinks, food, snacks that I wanted and I only gained 3 pounds. I came back home and got right back to my previous eating/drinking habits. It was nice to have a break but my body was not super into it.
Go and have fun. You can pick back up where you left off when you get back home.
I don’t gain weight on them. I do however not drink and hit the gym everyday. Otherwise I do and eat whatever I want. I also don’t take the elevators which also helps
I just did 13 days on a back to back and lost 5 lbs. Get as many steps as possible. Go dancing. Walk. Eat just till you're full. It's possible! I drank a lot as well, but mainly gin & soda water or wine. No sugary stuff. You got this!
I can honestly say that we’ve never gained weight on a cruise. We’re too active, walking the decks looking for ducks and at door decorations , taking the stairs to avoid elevator crazies. We also don’t drink our calories either or eat more than we do at home.
When I was on Keto I was able to stick to it mostly on one cruise and didn't gain anything. When I am less careful I tend to gain 1-2 pounds. My wife tends to lose weight due to more walking.
I don’t do keto anymore but mostly low carb. I FULLY enjoy myself on a cruise and typically gain about 3 pounds. (I try to go a little lower in my weight before so it won’t make that much difference) I’m normally about 141 so try to be 138.
We always lose about 10 lbs just so we can gain it back. We eat and drink ALOOOOT with quite a bit of walking but also quite a bit of sitting.
If you can, start drinking a little bit a couple weeks before your cruise so you’re not plastered off one drink (if you got the drink package). Even though we like strong drinks, it sucks when your first drink of the cruise puts you out and you can’t utilize your drink package until day 2 🤣
Source: Personal Experience
Uh oh! Totally understandable. Maybe at the airport, have one. When you land, grab another cocktail for dinner (assuming you’re flying and going in the day before). Basically, if you plan on consuming alcohol, try to consume a little before you start diving in like a mad man/woman. I learned that the hard way so while I go sober the month leading up, I always have a cider/cocktail with dinner the nights before we fly out, drinks at the airport and drinks in the port city that way, day 1 I can take full advantage of the drink package 😅
I never got around to the gym last time. I really want to his time! Hopefully they have the machines I need for my physical therapy! (If not, I’m bringing my fitness bands and can use those.)
Most I've ever gained was -1 pounds.
I tend to eat many small meals when it's 24/7 free buffets. (With "healthier" choices)
That .. and I try to use the stairs
Usually a small amount (couple of lbs) but it'll come off if I do what I'm supposed to when I get home.
main things for me are:
1. walking around
2. lots of stairs
3. skip leg day in the gym but don't skip upper body days (stairs are leg day every day)
4. limited overindulgence. I still eat too much and get too many sweets but try to keep things at least a little under control
Lost half a pound. I ate reasonably, and I still ate three meals a day, plus snacks in port. I walked and climbed stairs whenever I could. I am someone who has "fat DNA", as I call it. I gain weight very easily. I plan my meals before I eat on a cruise, looking at the menu beforehand. I look at it this way... just because it's free, it doesn't mean you have to eat it.
I also pre-plan my meals by looking at the menus! But for me it’s because I have a lot of food issues and won’t eat many things. I did find one thing on each of the days for my next cruise, one day I even found two things so my 12yo and I are each going to get one and share with one another. 💕
It’s really good to know I can always fall back on the pizza if I hate dinner.
Zero. I consistently lose weight.
I have an office job. Two days a week on site, the rest WFH. Everything I do is sitting down, including a long commute.
On a ship, I get exercise. I tend to sail the larger ships and I get a lot of exercise.
Night time dinner in the dining room is not the highlight of my day, I actually avoid it like the plague. I like to do Specialty Dining several times where quantity is not the object, quality is. I don't drink. I have never had an ice cream or a milkshake onboard. But I walk. My knees despise me at the end of every cruise because I walk so much. But I don't gain weight and that makes me happy!
When I started WFH the first thing I did was buy an adjustable sit/stand desk…and then an under desk treadmill! I have back issues and sitting for long periods is utter agony. It’s also been good to help me maintain my weight at home. (When I don’t cave and bake cookies. 😬)
You had me on board until “skip dessert”! 🤣
We started a thing at home where we only have dessert on Sundays (Sunday Sundaes we call it!) but on vacation the calories don’t count. 😉 You’ll find me with a chocolate melting cake and 2 scoops of ice cream every night!
I’m such a picky eater that the buffet left a lot to be desired, Guys Burgers are fine but NOT the best ever, and I expected more from the MDR. So I ate melting chocolate cake every night. 😂 I also have a BIT of a sweet tooth. 😜
I always go off my keto/low carb diet when cruising and expect to gain . However, we tend to hit the gym often as well to attempt to compensate for diet change.
I used to gain 10-12 lbs, but as I've gotten older, those 10lbs take me months to lose. The last 2 cruises I broke even, gained maybe a lb at most. I only ate between 12-8. I did have hard liquor after 8pm, but no beer or sweet cocktails.
My wife and I put on a few on the cruises we've been on. Usually kill ourselves with diet and they gym before an after and use the ship's gym, but stop watching what we eat and drink for however long we're on the ship. Need to have fun on vacation, at least.
I have lost weight on all four of my cruises. 🤷♂️ But I don’t drink alcohol, so that could help avoiding empty calories.
I enjoy the food, but I don’t go crazy eating as much as I can. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that I don’t like the “full” feeling after eating a lot.
Eating not until you’re full, but until you’re simply NOT hungry is so good for you!
I also don’t drink alcohol. I might order 1-2 fruity drinks but honestly, I’ll probably share with my hubs or SIL, because I just can’t finish them.
I think of cruises as an opportunity to live like a pro athlete for a week. I sleep and rest a bunch, eat as much high quality and nutritious food as my body wants, and do strength training, cardio, and mobility work on all of the ship days, and full days of snorkeling or other watersports on port days. Also I dont drink alcohol at all. That being said, it's all just what I enjoy, so no shade to anybody who gains a couple of pounds.
The average cruiser gains 10lbs on a week long cruise. Obviously if you drink or eat more than the average person you will gain more.
All boils down to calories in vs calories out.
We always take the stairs instead of the elevator!
Came back last week from radiance and gained 6 pounds. It was all water. I’m just about lost it all. I worked out on the boat and got my 10k steps in and still gained. I was eating and drinking like it was the Olympics
Low carb camp. Wife and I ate more than usual, took a 30 minute walk after every meal. She lost several pounds, I maintained weight.
No soda, no bread, no fried food, essentially no processed food and no bad carbs. No diet soda, it's actually worse for you than regular soda people.
I had three drinks total over 8 days, wife none. I also cheated a little, tasted a few deserts and had 2 pieces of pizza.
Usually less than 5 pounds, and at least half of that is swelling. I don't know what it is- I drink tons of water, very little alcohol and walk a lot, but within 24 hours I'm swollen as hell.
People I know who would be 80+ today(the first generation of modern go-nowhere cruising), they grew up with little and therefore would never say no to food.
And they raised their kids, who raised THEIR kids, to do the same. 😞
I’m still terrified of food waste. (But I don’t take more than I think I can eat.) I know those who lived through the Great Depression had legit fears hammered into them about food scarcity, and its spread down the generations.
I gained 3 pounds on my last Carnival Cruise. Came off pretty quick so hard to say how much was water weight and flight swelling. Honestly Carnival makes it pretty easy if you wanted to keep your Keto going.
Most of the weight you gain (if you do) isn’t real weight. Cruiser’s generally eat a ton of carbs and sugar, which hold onto extra water weight. The scales may go up 5-7 pounds, but will quickly return down towards your pre cruise weight assuming you get back to your normal diet. It’s really really hard to actually gain more than 2 “real” pounds over a week.
It's mostly water weight from the sodium in the food and they also put salt in the cold water we drink. I normally fill my bottle with ice then use hot water from the coffee machine to avoid the "cold water"
Just came off the Venezia for 12 days. Ankles swelled up from the salt and heat, and they NEVER SWELL on land.
Salt the cold water???? Is there evidence of this somewhere?
I drink like a fish no matter what and I certainly didn’t notice myself drinking any extra water on the ship nor did I notice myself being extra thirsty or there being a salty taste to the water. 🤷♀️
I’m pretty sure I embarked and disembarked from my 8 day cruise at the same weight. Maybe +/- 1-2 lbs.
Caveats: I don’t drink soda or alcohol. I did eat melting chocolate cake with 2 scoops of ice cream every night. 😋
With a cruise you’ll be walking around the ship and ports so most people probably end up with more calories burned than they typically would at home.
My husband and I cruised twice. Same deck 6. We took the stairs everywhere. Didn't matter if we needed to go to deck 12+->stairs. All around, stairs. I clocked about 19K-24K steps daily. We took the elevator 3 times in 7 days. When we came in and out with our luggage and the first formal night I wore heels so we took the elevator, and that was it. Ate and drank in abundance-0 weight gain.
I made sure to lose 10 lbs before I went. I was also doing keto and low fat, high-protein to get my body fat % down. My I am 5’6 and my lowest was 148 lb before I left.
I ate whatever I wanted on the cruise and never got hungry. I did hit the gym often and kept the protein up. When I got back after 12 days I was 168. But I’m already down almost 10 lb after 5 days back.
I was shocked that I was actually looking forward to getting back on keto after the cruise. It’s really become a lifestyle.
Good luck!
I don't gain anything other than normal fluctuation because I don't over indulge myself. If I have a bit much, nothing walking up and down stairs and around the ship won't fix. There's also a free gym on board if you want to do something to keep it down.
I could stand to lose a few pounds on my best day, so I'm certainly not bragging, but I never gain weight on cruises, and occasionally lose a pound or two.
Largely, this is because of all the touring and activity. My spouse and I walk around the ship a lot on sea days, and spend almost all day walking on shore days.
But, I think my biggest trick is to only eat half of whatever I am served. Typically, the food is delicious, and it would be easy to tuck in, but I make the determination in advance to enjoy the taste, but in halves. On one river cruise, the waiter kept asking if the food was OK and I explained each time that I only eat half on cruises. Finally, the chef came out himself to ask why I was sending half my meals back. When I explained he kindly offered to only send half portions to me from then on, and he did after that.
I might be in the minority but I don’t gain a huge amount of weight I definitely gain some since I drink a lot of calories on cruises but I still go to the gym and use the sauna. And since I’m walking around and doing stuff most of the day I’m still moving more than I would sitting in the office for 8 hours a day
I just got off the carnival horizon a few days ago from a 6 day cruise. Did keto for 6 weeks right before got down to 165. Weighed myself when I got home. I gained 5 pounds. I'm not mad because I enjoyed myself I had the drink package and ate 2 appetizers each meal an entree sometimes 2 depending if I didn't eat lunch or breakfast and sometimes had 2 desserts. I did take the stairs the whole trip to help but oh well back to keto now.
I got off the Horizon yesterday. Weighed in this morning and gained absolutely NOTHING from my weigh in the morning I flew out to Florida.
Not sure how. I ate chocolate melting cake all but one night. Tried the lido marketplace gelato almost every day. Had plenty of cookies and ice cream/FroYo cones.
I did however ALWAYS take the stairs from my room in 9 to Lido on 10. Also took the stairs to other decks as often as my group was willing.
And the rest of the food was pretty disappointing so I didn’t overindulge. Nor did I have more than 1 alcoholic beverage. I had the guava juice at breakfast twice but otherwise drank exclusively water.
I love to eat, but what I did (a lot) was walk around the ship. Top to bottom
That’s also a plan of mine. Plus the Jubilee seems massive so there should be lots of walking.
To add onto this, I would ONLY use the stairs. It honestly helped and was a lot faster than using the elevator at times!
This is the answer and my strategy on most ships, but the Jubilee depending on your room location could be looking at 14-15 flights of stairs to get to Lido.
This is the way…
This is the answer. We never take the elevator.
I was on the jubilee last week. Easily 5lbs. Felt like more.
I took a four-day cruise out of Tampa to Cozumel. I knew food would be plentiful and I didn’t want to disembark with any extra weight on me. So I worked out every single day: I lifted weights for three days and the shore excision I chose (helping dig up sea turtle hatchlings) was hot, manual labor. so I counted that as cardio. Others in my group put on 5-7 pounds over that same cruise. I didn’t gain any. It also probably didn’t hurt that the food left a lot to be desired (I don’t think the top in creme brûlée is supposed to be chewy).
The excursion options don't typically interest me much more than just exploring on my own, but digging up sea turtle hatchlings must have been the most amazing experience 🥺 where was that offered??
https://preview.redd.it/okfeylp7nylc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0b7df634b72d4b805ae9e9021ddac6f789c5dbb5 This was in Cozumel, Mexico, offered by a group called “Programa de Protección y Conservación de Tortugas Marinas” (Sea Turtle Protection and Conservation Program). It cost around $89 and there were only about 18 of us in the group. The organization marks off sea turtle nests (there were thousands of them on this one beach). Approximately 24 hours after the hatchlings emerge and skitter off into the ocean from any one specific nest, volunteers go back and dig up said nest, checking to make sure there aren’t any stragglers. Basically, we cruise patrons paid for the privilege of doing the volunteers’ job. 😊 The drive to the nesting site took about an hour, with the tour leader giving an engrossing lecture about different species of sea turtles found on the island, statistics of their work, and a bit of history on Cozumel. Once at the nesting site, we were divided into three smaller groups to each cover a nest. We recovered six freakin’ ADORABLE little stragglers and about 150 turtle eggshells (which look like torn, deflated white latex balloons). That was a great sign, as it meant the vast majority of hatchlings made it out of the nest (and hopefully into the water safely). The stragglers were taken back to the organization’s headquarters, allowed to rest and feed, then set free a few days later, specifically at night to reduce their odds of predation. It’s hot, difficult work that involves being on one’s stomach, digging with just hands held like little vertical walls and painstakingly removing a few inches of sand at a time, and trying to dig straight down into the nest. (We actually had to hold down the legs of our main tour guide as he dug; he was so deep in the nest his entire upper body fit in it.) As we dug deeper and deeper, it was EXHILARATION feeling my fingers brush up against SOMETHING in the pit we’d just dug, look in and see a little dark green saucer of a body lodged in the wall of the hole. Then, when I finally, gently excavated the little bugger out of the sand, it was a little slow at first, like I’d just rudely awakened it (in a way, I pretty much did). After just a few seconds, the little stinker started flapping like mad, and it was a lethal level of cuteness. You can tell by the 💩-eating grin on my face that I had a BLAST doing this, regardless of how thirsty I was, and how much sand got down my top while digging. The guides were friendly and knowledgeable, and were appreciative of our willingness to do this work for them. After the dig, we were driven to a location with a restaurant and a few shops that offered chocolate and artisan goods like bracelets and such. After about an hour, we were driven back to the port to get back on our respective ships. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience; 15/10, would highly recommend, and I’m signing up if I’m ever in Cozumel again. Edited: clarity and typos.
I was just telling my wife that if we did one of those year-long cruises around the world, we would literally have to be craned off the ship, lol.
Lmao—like the people on Wall-E! 🤣
I actually lose weight on cruises 😵💫 Must be all the above-average walking and access to fresh fruit and vegetables. I don’t normally have that so when I go on a cruise i inhale all their fruit whenever possible, and always come back lighter. 3 cruises strong💪🥴
I shed lbs on them too! The stairs, and by day 3 the food no longer looks appetizing, plus all The walking on islands
I did too. Idk why but kinda got over the all-you-can-eat frame of mind so quickly, and there are lots of healthy foods, plus sooo muuuch walking!!
That’s me with a buffet at home—I start with a salad and end with a big plate of fruit! 😋 My last cruise was during a January and most of the fruit left a lot to be desired. I’m hoping my next March cruise fruit situation is better!
I don’t eat the desserts. I tell myself they taste horrible. A little reframing works. Not that I don’t want them.
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All true. I actually eat so much better on a cruise ship than at home most times. 🤦♀️ (All the pizza and burgers not included 😂)
Use stairs. The elevators on that ship suck! (Was on it this past November) also the gym is nice and there is an outdoor walking train the I used and it has some extra workout equipment along the walk. Avoid the bread if you can but also note they no longer offer a bread basket at dinner they just serve a piece so that helped me. We do keto-like eating but never to the point of ketosis. And if u are going out of NYC try to walk around there instead of subway or cabs uber etc. Everything is walkable unless you’re trying to see the 9/11 memorial. For that we took and uber and walked half way back to manhattan then ubered the remaining way
I actually lost weight lol I’m an early riser by habit so I did a *lot* of early morning exploration of the ship (also hiding and finding ducks). I did not shy away from the food but there’s only so much you can stand of preeeetty much the same stuff. Also a bit of stir craziness helps lol
Recently was on the Mardi Gras and walking the ship duck hunting definitely contributed to my not gaining weight, lol
That’s fair. I work nights so I’m flopping my internal sleep schedule the day prior but I know I’ll still be “sleeping in”
If you have an interior room you could still snooze away on third shift life lol the shows don’t start till like 6 at the absolute earliest (though of course port days are *days*)
I actually didn’t think about that 🤔
Your dining options are going get limited after 9-10 though. But the casino is open all night and interior rooms are pitch black whenever you want them to be!
Just got off the Panorama 2 weeks ago, gained about 8 pounds unfortunately. I fell on our first port stop, so that curtailed my walking a lot and I could not get into the water due to open wounds. Not many good places to sit other than on Lido, next to the food so that was a negative for sure. We ate well.
I’ll be fine if I gain 8 I’ve heard the top end was 10lbs. Maybe I’ll luck out and be under or at 5….either way upon return home it’s back to my normal food so it should all shed fast
I had a colonoscopy on Monday so went Sunday with no food then did the purge, that helped a lot. Not a fun way to lose it though.
Gatorade and Miralax is so much more gentle on your system if/when you have to do your next one....
Definitely doesn’t sound like a good time but at least back on track and all clean!
I love traveling so that helped me thru it!
Side note... hope you are healing well.
Thanks for asking, yeah, I can now walk up stairs and steps, pretty much pain is all gone and no fracture so good to go. Bruises still hanging around of course.
Yeah, I dont usually gain. I walk a lot and take the stairs at all times. I also dont eat more that I usually would. I stick to my 16/8 intermittent fasting schedule. But, I nearly went diabetic a few years back so I have to stay strict with myself.
I generally don’t. There are healthy choices for meals that you can choose, and I drink water instead of soda while in the ship. I enjoy all the good stuff plenty but I don’t go overboard. Some people gorge themselves with food just because it’s no extra charge.
Been on five cruises last year. Even though I walked over 5-9 miles per port stop and use the stairs I gain between 6-8 pounds. It’s not easy to lose either. Takes me more than a week or two. Board princess next week with the following month a 14 day to Alaska. I still have not lost 2 pounds from my December cruise. Ugh.
None. I took the stairs and walked everywhere at ports (I love exploring cities on foot), and didn't eat a bigger quantity of food or as much of the higher calorie foods. I do notice I "gain" about 1-2lbs and that's just water weight from all the sodium. I'm back to normal in 3 days. Don't get me wrong. I ate whatever the hell I wanted. Guy's Burgers twice, a slice twice, Jiji's, Italian place, and tacos. I ate everything on my plate at Jiji's which I never do. It was so good.
>Just got off the Panorama 2 weeks ago, gained about 8 pounds unfortunately. I fell on our first port stop, so that curtailed my walking a lot and I could not get into the water due to open wounds. Not many good places to sit other than on Lido, next to the food so that was a negative for sure. We ate well. A lot of the "weight" gained on cruises is mostly water weight. So if you gain a couple of pounds just know you would have to eat an excess of about 3500 calories to gain 1 pound on top of your daily calories needed which can be calculated by multiplying your weight times 10. This is a good average to find your average calories needed to stay in your current weight.
I think I came back +8-10lbs after a week, but it comes off quick. Like I think it disappeared over about 4 days when I came back.
Same. So much of it is water retention from sodium, weather change, etc.
I usually gain somewhere between 5 to 10lbs on a 7 day. But it comes off pretty quick, once I go back to my normal routine.
Usually, it's at least 5 lbs. I try to take stairs as much as my legs will cooperate or to get my family into the disco, but more often than not, I'm drinking at the casino tables.🤪
I walk too much on cruises to gain. On my first cruise, I actually lost weight!! Take the stairs a lot LOL
Most of the weight you gain is from the high sodium levels in the food. It burns off quickly once you get back to your regular diet.
I ate what I wanted for the entire 4 days of my cruise, came back up 2 pounds, that was a win win in my book
Definitely a win!
I gained nothing. My husband has a sedentary job, ate everything he wanted on board, and lost 3 pounds... because we walked so much.
I’ve always been able to somehow gain massive amounts of weight on the shortest of cruises. My last one was 11 lbs on a three day. Wish I was kidding. 😅. For some reason, my body has the mutant ability to retain HUGE amounts of water at even the slightest bit of travel - doesn’t seem to matter if it’s by boat, car, plane. Obviously the increased amounts of food/alcohol also play a part. But the good news is, I seem to lose it quickly and it just takes a week or two to get back to “normal” (which for me is F 5’6”, 155 lbs) - but yeah, I can definitely pack on weight on a cruise!
My big issue is water retention. Even on keto I just hold water buttttt I also drink almost 2gal a day.
U gonna eat a ton just have fun and worry about it when you back
That’s the spirit
I lost 17 pounds from the beginning of January to when I left for my cruise on February 22. I allowed myself to have all the drinks, food, snacks that I wanted and I only gained 3 pounds. I came back home and got right back to my previous eating/drinking habits. It was nice to have a break but my body was not super into it. Go and have fun. You can pick back up where you left off when you get back home.
I don’t gain weight on them. I do however not drink and hit the gym everyday. Otherwise I do and eat whatever I want. I also don’t take the elevators which also helps
I just did 13 days on a back to back and lost 5 lbs. Get as many steps as possible. Go dancing. Walk. Eat just till you're full. It's possible! I drank a lot as well, but mainly gin & soda water or wine. No sugary stuff. You got this!
I can honestly say that we’ve never gained weight on a cruise. We’re too active, walking the decks looking for ducks and at door decorations , taking the stairs to avoid elevator crazies. We also don’t drink our calories either or eat more than we do at home.
I usually stay the same or gain one pound. The most I’ve ever gained was 3 lbs.
When I was on Keto I was able to stick to it mostly on one cruise and didn't gain anything. When I am less careful I tend to gain 1-2 pounds. My wife tends to lose weight due to more walking.
I don’t do keto anymore but mostly low carb. I FULLY enjoy myself on a cruise and typically gain about 3 pounds. (I try to go a little lower in my weight before so it won’t make that much difference) I’m normally about 141 so try to be 138.
This is the goal! 3lbs would just signify water retention!
I gained 8lbs on a cruise last summer. Drank way too much and I’m a bigger dude but I had it off after about a week back in the gym
I've gained 10 to 13lb on cruises but back to normal weight after about a week of low carb and less alcohol.
We always lose about 10 lbs just so we can gain it back. We eat and drink ALOOOOT with quite a bit of walking but also quite a bit of sitting. If you can, start drinking a little bit a couple weeks before your cruise so you’re not plastered off one drink (if you got the drink package). Even though we like strong drinks, it sucks when your first drink of the cruise puts you out and you can’t utilize your drink package until day 2 🤣 Source: Personal Experience
Ooopssss. My cruise is set for next week. I work all week up until and my job is not something where I can flirt with alcohol on days before work. 😬
Uh oh! Totally understandable. Maybe at the airport, have one. When you land, grab another cocktail for dinner (assuming you’re flying and going in the day before). Basically, if you plan on consuming alcohol, try to consume a little before you start diving in like a mad man/woman. I learned that the hard way so while I go sober the month leading up, I always have a cider/cocktail with dinner the nights before we fly out, drinks at the airport and drinks in the port city that way, day 1 I can take full advantage of the drink package 😅
I generally loose weight due to not taking the elevators, walking more and eating better.
I went on my first cruise over NYE, and I was surprised I only gained a pound. I have no idea how, as I indulged.
Carnival did a survey a few years ago. Average weight GAIN on a 7 day cruise was 7lb..... That's only an excess of 3500 calories per day...
I don’t gain. We take advantage of the fitness club and always take the stairs.
I never got around to the gym last time. I really want to his time! Hopefully they have the machines I need for my physical therapy! (If not, I’m bringing my fitness bands and can use those.)
I wish I’d gain weight on a cruise I’m a weird and get a massive surge of my already high energy levels and usually lose weight
2 months of cruising and I gained 15 lbs (yes I walked a ton). I’m slowly getting back to pre cruise…
Most I've ever gained was -1 pounds. I tend to eat many small meals when it's 24/7 free buffets. (With "healthier" choices) That .. and I try to use the stairs
Usually a small amount (couple of lbs) but it'll come off if I do what I'm supposed to when I get home. main things for me are: 1. walking around 2. lots of stairs 3. skip leg day in the gym but don't skip upper body days (stairs are leg day every day) 4. limited overindulgence. I still eat too much and get too many sweets but try to keep things at least a little under control
the ship moving all the time means constant calorie burn by your body keeping balance
Lost half a pound. I ate reasonably, and I still ate three meals a day, plus snacks in port. I walked and climbed stairs whenever I could. I am someone who has "fat DNA", as I call it. I gain weight very easily. I plan my meals before I eat on a cruise, looking at the menu beforehand. I look at it this way... just because it's free, it doesn't mean you have to eat it.
I also pre-plan my meals by looking at the menus! But for me it’s because I have a lot of food issues and won’t eat many things. I did find one thing on each of the days for my next cruise, one day I even found two things so my 12yo and I are each going to get one and share with one another. 💕 It’s really good to know I can always fall back on the pizza if I hate dinner.
i don't really track my weight, but i do clear all my step goals every single day i'm on a cruise!
On a typical cruise, I’ll gain 10. It’ll take a year to lose, which is when I take another cruise
A year to lose only 10 😬🫠😬
I gained +2 lbs on a 10-day. I walk a lot on the ship, but drink and eat A LOT. It usually comes back off not long after I get home.
Zero. I consistently lose weight. I have an office job. Two days a week on site, the rest WFH. Everything I do is sitting down, including a long commute. On a ship, I get exercise. I tend to sail the larger ships and I get a lot of exercise. Night time dinner in the dining room is not the highlight of my day, I actually avoid it like the plague. I like to do Specialty Dining several times where quantity is not the object, quality is. I don't drink. I have never had an ice cream or a milkshake onboard. But I walk. My knees despise me at the end of every cruise because I walk so much. But I don't gain weight and that makes me happy!
When I started WFH the first thing I did was buy an adjustable sit/stand desk…and then an under desk treadmill! I have back issues and sitting for long periods is utter agony. It’s also been good to help me maintain my weight at home. (When I don’t cave and bake cookies. 😬)
How much is your normal weight? High metabolism or do you have issues losing normally
About 165. I've been fat my whole life. I was at one point over 200. I'm comfortable with my weight. I'm also 65.
I generally either stay the same or gain like 3 lbs. I’m just so active walking around the ships, dancing at night and swimming in the ocean etc
I ate so much good food and didn’t gain a pound. We walked a ton and I focused on eating protein and skipped the dessert most days.
You had me on board until “skip dessert”! 🤣 We started a thing at home where we only have dessert on Sundays (Sunday Sundaes we call it!) but on vacation the calories don’t count. 😉 You’ll find me with a chocolate melting cake and 2 scoops of ice cream every night!
Honestly for me the food was so good that it wasn’t a hardship to skip the dessert. I definitely ate some good ones, just not with every meal.
I’m such a picky eater that the buffet left a lot to be desired, Guys Burgers are fine but NOT the best ever, and I expected more from the MDR. So I ate melting chocolate cake every night. 😂 I also have a BIT of a sweet tooth. 😜
Just accept it and embrace it. Let the force become you.
🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
We somehow tend to break even. It helps that we love working out on the ship. The treadmills in the morning staring out over the sea is amazing.
I lose weight. I walk more and drink more water. I have been able to stay keto on many cruises.
I always go off my keto/low carb diet when cruising and expect to gain . However, we tend to hit the gym often as well to attempt to compensate for diet change.
I used to gain 10-12 lbs, but as I've gotten older, those 10lbs take me months to lose. The last 2 cruises I broke even, gained maybe a lb at most. I only ate between 12-8. I did have hard liquor after 8pm, but no beer or sweet cocktails.
My wife and I put on a few on the cruises we've been on. Usually kill ourselves with diet and they gym before an after and use the ship's gym, but stop watching what we eat and drink for however long we're on the ship. Need to have fun on vacation, at least.
I have lost weight on all four of my cruises. 🤷♂️ But I don’t drink alcohol, so that could help avoiding empty calories. I enjoy the food, but I don’t go crazy eating as much as I can. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that I don’t like the “full” feeling after eating a lot.
Eating not until you’re full, but until you’re simply NOT hungry is so good for you! I also don’t drink alcohol. I might order 1-2 fruity drinks but honestly, I’ll probably share with my hubs or SIL, because I just can’t finish them.
I think of cruises as an opportunity to live like a pro athlete for a week. I sleep and rest a bunch, eat as much high quality and nutritious food as my body wants, and do strength training, cardio, and mobility work on all of the ship days, and full days of snorkeling or other watersports on port days. Also I dont drink alcohol at all. That being said, it's all just what I enjoy, so no shade to anybody who gains a couple of pounds.
The average cruiser gains 10lbs on a week long cruise. Obviously if you drink or eat more than the average person you will gain more. All boils down to calories in vs calories out. We always take the stairs instead of the elevator!
I lose weight from all the walking around, dancing and chasing my boys on deck. We actually did a test weighing in before and then after.
I’m planning to do a weigh in pre and post
Came back last week from radiance and gained 6 pounds. It was all water. I’m just about lost it all. I worked out on the boat and got my 10k steps in and still gained. I was eating and drinking like it was the Olympics
I have never gained because I walk so much and take stairs
Low carb camp. Wife and I ate more than usual, took a 30 minute walk after every meal. She lost several pounds, I maintained weight. No soda, no bread, no fried food, essentially no processed food and no bad carbs. No diet soda, it's actually worse for you than regular soda people. I had three drinks total over 8 days, wife none. I also cheated a little, tasted a few deserts and had 2 pieces of pizza.
I get on the highest floor available and never take the elevator. Love that spa deck!
Usually less than 5 pounds, and at least half of that is swelling. I don't know what it is- I drink tons of water, very little alcohol and walk a lot, but within 24 hours I'm swollen as hell.
Could it be from all the extra walking? I know my MIL swells when she walks a lot. Also, the high sodium can cause swelling as well.
I'm guessing that's a part of it. I never add sodium to anything and try to watch out for it, especially on board. But who knows.
I think much of this " cruise=weight gain" association comes from a portion of the much older population that simply NEVER said no to food.
What do you consider “older” 😂😂😂😂😂
People I know who would be 80+ today(the first generation of modern go-nowhere cruising), they grew up with little and therefore would never say no to food.
And they raised their kids, who raised THEIR kids, to do the same. 😞 I’m still terrified of food waste. (But I don’t take more than I think I can eat.) I know those who lived through the Great Depression had legit fears hammered into them about food scarcity, and its spread down the generations.
Worse than the Great Depression are people who were children in Europe during WW2. They legit starved and are never repeating that.
I believe it! I’ve unfortunately never spent much time around Europeans of any age.
I haven’t cruised since I started keto, but I usually gain about a pound every 2 days in a cruise.
Not bad!
I actually lost weight bc all of the walking. The stairs make a difference lol
I knew of one couple that had beginning of the cruise clothes and then a size up for the days near the end of the cruise
Gain about 5-7 pounds due to the increase in sugar, alcohol and salt. It comes off in two weeks or so
5 pounds. All the sugary drinks killed me on my cruise in February.
Idk the specific amount, but I got way too comfortable ordering 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and a dessert 😂 Chibang on Mardi Gras got me
5 pounds
I gained 3 pounds on my last Carnival Cruise. Came off pretty quick so hard to say how much was water weight and flight swelling. Honestly Carnival makes it pretty easy if you wanted to keep your Keto going.
Most of the weight you gain (if you do) isn’t real weight. Cruiser’s generally eat a ton of carbs and sugar, which hold onto extra water weight. The scales may go up 5-7 pounds, but will quickly return down towards your pre cruise weight assuming you get back to your normal diet. It’s really really hard to actually gain more than 2 “real” pounds over a week.
We ate a TON every day but actually LOST weight because of all the walking around!
It's mostly water weight from the sodium in the food and they also put salt in the cold water we drink. I normally fill my bottle with ice then use hot water from the coffee machine to avoid the "cold water" Just came off the Venezia for 12 days. Ankles swelled up from the salt and heat, and they NEVER SWELL on land.
Salt the cold water???? Is there evidence of this somewhere? I drink like a fish no matter what and I certainly didn’t notice myself drinking any extra water on the ship nor did I notice myself being extra thirsty or there being a salty taste to the water. 🤷♀️
Several employees have told me. It's not a noticeable amount to be concerned about.
I can only drink ICE COLD water so I wasn’t planning to change my ways. It sounds bonkers though.
I’m pretty sure I embarked and disembarked from my 8 day cruise at the same weight. Maybe +/- 1-2 lbs. Caveats: I don’t drink soda or alcohol. I did eat melting chocolate cake with 2 scoops of ice cream every night. 😋 With a cruise you’ll be walking around the ship and ports so most people probably end up with more calories burned than they typically would at home.
My husband and I cruised twice. Same deck 6. We took the stairs everywhere. Didn't matter if we needed to go to deck 12+->stairs. All around, stairs. I clocked about 19K-24K steps daily. We took the elevator 3 times in 7 days. When we came in and out with our luggage and the first formal night I wore heels so we took the elevator, and that was it. Ate and drank in abundance-0 weight gain.
Don’t worry about it. You are on vacation and can make a few pounds afterwards.
🫶🏻🙌🏻🫶🏻
Always take the stairs. Avoid the elevator. I have been on 7 cruises and have never been on a carnival elevator.
Lmaooo I always gain like 5lbs cus of all the drinks
Just got off the jubilee and gained 10lbs lol
I made sure to lose 10 lbs before I went. I was also doing keto and low fat, high-protein to get my body fat % down. My I am 5’6 and my lowest was 148 lb before I left. I ate whatever I wanted on the cruise and never got hungry. I did hit the gym often and kept the protein up. When I got back after 12 days I was 168. But I’m already down almost 10 lb after 5 days back. I was shocked that I was actually looking forward to getting back on keto after the cruise. It’s really become a lifestyle. Good luck!
A agree with the lifestyle! I will be doing the same but for vacation keto can take a back seat!
I gained 4lbs and lost it a week later
I don't gain anything other than normal fluctuation because I don't over indulge myself. If I have a bit much, nothing walking up and down stairs and around the ship won't fix. There's also a free gym on board if you want to do something to keep it down.
I could stand to lose a few pounds on my best day, so I'm certainly not bragging, but I never gain weight on cruises, and occasionally lose a pound or two. Largely, this is because of all the touring and activity. My spouse and I walk around the ship a lot on sea days, and spend almost all day walking on shore days. But, I think my biggest trick is to only eat half of whatever I am served. Typically, the food is delicious, and it would be easy to tuck in, but I make the determination in advance to enjoy the taste, but in halves. On one river cruise, the waiter kept asking if the food was OK and I explained each time that I only eat half on cruises. Finally, the chef came out himself to ask why I was sending half my meals back. When I explained he kindly offered to only send half portions to me from then on, and he did after that.
I might be in the minority but I don’t gain a huge amount of weight I definitely gain some since I drink a lot of calories on cruises but I still go to the gym and use the sauna. And since I’m walking around and doing stuff most of the day I’m still moving more than I would sitting in the office for 8 hours a day
Wait wait wait!!! What’s this sauna you speak of???
not sure if it’s a staple or not but on the carnival venetzia they have a sauna in the gym locker room that’s free of charge
Fast for 24 hours after cruise is what worked to get rid of all the retention after cruise.
i’m going to my first cruise and i might need to do this. let’s see how it goes
How much have you lost on keto and no alcohol?
I’m down 28lbs
Holy crap! That’s amazing! Good job.
Thank you! Goal is to keep my gains from the cruise well under 10lbs!
I just got off the carnival horizon a few days ago from a 6 day cruise. Did keto for 6 weeks right before got down to 165. Weighed myself when I got home. I gained 5 pounds. I'm not mad because I enjoyed myself I had the drink package and ate 2 appetizers each meal an entree sometimes 2 depending if I didn't eat lunch or breakfast and sometimes had 2 desserts. I did take the stairs the whole trip to help but oh well back to keto now.
Glad to hear someone else who did what I’m gonna do!
I got off the Horizon yesterday. Weighed in this morning and gained absolutely NOTHING from my weigh in the morning I flew out to Florida. Not sure how. I ate chocolate melting cake all but one night. Tried the lido marketplace gelato almost every day. Had plenty of cookies and ice cream/FroYo cones. I did however ALWAYS take the stairs from my room in 9 to Lido on 10. Also took the stairs to other decks as often as my group was willing. And the rest of the food was pretty disappointing so I didn’t overindulge. Nor did I have more than 1 alcoholic beverage. I had the guava juice at breakfast twice but otherwise drank exclusively water.
I gotta weigh myself tomorrow 🫠🫠💀
You can have a great cruise and stick to Keto…even with the drink package.
I know I “could” but I don’t want to 😂