How to Win the Battle of the Shipboard Bulge

Today’s blog post is by Judi Cuervo. Judi Cuervo began her freelance cruise writing in 1998 with Porthole Cruise Magazine and since then her work has appeared in a number of regional, national, Canadian, U.K. and Australian publications. A New York City native who met her husband Michael aboard Holland America Line’s Statendam and was married aboard Celebrity’s Galaxy, Judi is Associate Director/Client Services at a major book publishing company.

When: A week following disembarkation from my last cruise.

Where: The locker room at my local gym.

What: I step on to the scale, prepared for the worst, and see that I’ve LOST two pounds!

How?

Hot off the gangway of a decadent 10-day Silversea cruise, I return to discover I’ve actually lost weight. Impossible – I could still taste the luscious desserts. I could still feel the tipsy result of indulging in a bit too much champagne. I could still smell the heady aroma of the gourmet dishes served up in the restaurant and savor the rich cheeses available on the after-dinner trolley. After such an extravagant sailing, could I possibly be two pounds lighter? I was.  

After a few whoops of locker room joy, I examined my behavior throughout the sailing and realized that I just might have stumbled across a few strategies that can help win the battle of the shipboard bulge. Here, I share some of those keys to emerging from Silversea, or any cruise for that matter, without a desperate need for elastic waistbands:

Work Out! Sadly, I’ve found this to be the most vital component of weight control at sea. Each morning, before I even know what the heck I’m doing, I go to the ship’s gym for a 40-minute cardio workout followed by about 20 minutes of weight training.  Kicking off the day with a workout not only helps keep weight gain at bay, but your virtuous start might neutralize a binge later in the day or maybe even prevent one. 

For those who work out regularly, shake up your routine on a cruise! An elliptical junkie at home, aboard my cruise, I varied my routine with the treadmill, Life Cycle, classes of all kinds and, on one particularly lovely morning, an outside run on the jogging track.

Take the Stairs. Until I married a somewhat lazy fellow 10 years ago, I had never ridden a cruise ship elevator. Even now, I often opt for the stairs and race the elevator, frequently arriving ahead of my husband, who is usually sharing the lift with a family who’s youngest child gets his jollies by pressing all the buttons.

Don’t Just See, Do! A tour bus or boat ride may be a convenient way to see the sights, but they do little to burn calories. Instead, zero in on active excursions like hikes through the rain forest or a countryside bike ride. Best of all, active excursions are usually a lot more fun than passive sight seeing.  

Keep it Simple. Many ships supplement their evening menus with “simplicity” entrees like broiled chicken breast, a simple filet or poached salmon. Why not opt for one of these less adorned—though still delicious—selections every once in awhile?

Avoid the Pina Colada! True, there’s something about lazing by the pool sipping a decorative pina colada that captures the whole spirit of a cruise. Consider though, that one Pina Colada likely contains over 500 calories! For the same amount, you can slug down about 6 glasses of white wine.   

Decide if it’s Worth the Splurge. Are you sure you want to waste about 800 calories on peanuts or potato chips? Yawn. Instead, save those calories for something fabulous like linguini with Gorgonzola and walnuts, broiled lobster tail with drawn butter or an awesome dessert. A good rule is: If it’s often offered as buy-one-get-one-free at your local supermarket, seek your splurge elsewhere.