Love to eat on a cruise? How do YOU do it?

[Travel R]

The perfect day of eating:

 

Home Run Breakfast

1st Base - Early Room Service

2nd Base - Windjammer Buffet

3rd Base - MDR Breakfast

Home Plate - Park Café

 

Lunch

Early Lunch in Port

Windjammer

Room Service

 

Lunch Sea Days

Windjammer

MDR

Room Service

 

Afternoon Snack

Park Café

Ice Cream Machine

 

 

Grand Slam Dinner

1st Base - Early seating at MDR

2nd Base - Stop off at Windjammer

3rd Base - Specialty Restaurant

Home Plate - Room Service

 

 

Late Night Snack

Park Café (although only a small snack)

 

 

But seriously - I have never done any of these, although on one cruise I did hit a triple for Breakfast - Park Café - Windjammer - MDR

[woodswoman]

The post above made me laugh. My son is 9 and frequently eats breakfast, second breakfast, lunch, linner, dinner, and bedtime snack. We are cruising July 6... I'll let you know if he manages to conquer your perfect day of cruise eating.

 

 

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[Travel R]

The post above made me laugh. My son is 9 and frequently eats breakfast, second breakfast, lunch, linner, dinner, and bedtime snack. We are cruising July 6... I'll let you know if he manages to conquer your perfect day of cruise eating.

 

 

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Good luck to him!

[laurenpie]

I love to eat, and I'm thin and eat relatively well at home so I can go silly on the yummy food when I am away.

 

We live in Australia and LOVE American food, so we make the most of it when we are away, and continue to splurge when we are on a cruise :)

 

I don't generally eat a lot for breakfast, just can't eat much in the mornings - usually head to the buffet, might have a croissant/pancake or a bit of fruit

 

Have lunch at either buffet or MDR, then burgers and chilli cheese fries for afternoon snack, sushi before dinner, then dinner in the MDR, and pizza at night.

 

Granted, last cruise we did in 2010 didn't have a lot of choice compared to what the next cruise we are doing has. So I'll put a few extra's in there some days - we have been know for a 1st lunch, 2nd lunch etc. ;)

Edited June 4, 2014 by laurenpie

[stnic_ca]

Last year (my first cruise), I lost 50 lbs before embarking. With all that work I had put in, I had the best intentions of eating what I wanted, but exercising everyday. I kept up with it for 3 of the 8 days. After formal night, I pigged out.

 

Breakfast was always full. Grits, Bacon, juice, toast, pancakes....u name it.

 

Lunch was usually a burger, chicken strips or deli sandwich. Though I was addicted to the stir fry station....just not the line.

 

Dinner was usually buffet. I did have it in the MDR the first night, both formals and the last. And when I did I always ordered multiple dishes and tried stuff I had never eaten before. I was mad on lobster night though. I ordered 3, being greedy. The first was delish. The second was mush...I sent it back. By the time the replacement came back, my body realized it was full. LOL

 

Dessert was usually cheesecake or my favorite cookies and hot cocoa topped with vanilla ice cream. DANGEROUS.

 

I'm an avid dancer...soul brotha #1...so after sweating in the nightclub and dancing to my favorite hip hop songs, I'd hit up the pizza stand, before hit the hay.

 

Needless to say I came home 10lbs heavier (I think it was bloating from the salt water). LOL. Took a month to get it back off......

 

Next cruise...4/2015! Can't wait. Neither can my belly.

 

 

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[stnic_ca]

I love LINNER. LOL

 

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[QJenk]

On a cruise, I do everything I wouldnt normally do, with no regrets, until after that is. So, in other words, each and every day, I pig out.

 

Breakfast-Buffet/MDR

 

Lunch- Buffet/Port food

 

Dinner-Pig out in the MDR

 

Midnight snack- In reality its about 3 am usually when I have been in the night club dancing and sweating away. I grab me 2 slices of pizza before I go to bed

 

I do go to the gym every other day, and always use stairs to kind of balance all of this out. But like I said, there are no regrets on the cruise. Only when you step off the cruise and back into reality

[mykidsluv2cruz]

First three days I would classify my pattern as completely out of control. (Room service breakfast (fruit, danish and coffee) Breakfast at the buffet (Bacon a must!) Buffet lunch (salad, plus a small taste of everything I would not eat at home),Ice cream cones by the pool, Dinner in the MDR with dessert; Pizza as a late night snack.

By day four this madness is completely over (who can keep up with this?)I scale down significantly to the way I would normally eat at home (with the exception of the ice cream cones!)

I do keep up with my daily excercise routine (Gym in the morning- walking the laps in the afternoon and of course still manage to gain about 3-4 pounds)

[Velvetwater]

I have a bit of a buffet problem if theres one nearby so thats always on...saying that though I have no clear pattern of eating on holiday.

 

Breakfast - I always have a cuppa but thats the only constant. One day it might be bacon and eggs on a bagel and the next it might be fruit and a croissant. Some days it might just be some yoghurt and fruit or an omlette.

 

 

Lunch on sea day - A selection of buffer things to try little bites of everything from all stations. I do mean to try the dining room though next cruise.

Lunch on port day - Always something local with some local snacks so I get to try lots. I try not to have anything heavy.

 

Dinner - Most of the time it will be a formal dinner but if I am sleepy I happy to get some more buffet. If I am having dinner it is always 3 course often with an extra starter if I cannot choose. I also like getting the fruit plate to take back to my room for refreshment.

 

Supper- After a few beers I get snacky before bed so I like the grill/pizza place or maybe a nice sandwich and milkshake.

 

As you can see....supper is where I fall down with the calories :D

Edited June 30, 2014 by Velvetwater

[mysweetness]

I try to go in with a plan ..... walk as much as possible, go to the gym, no dessert at lunch, lots of fruit and salad everyday.

That plan last for a couple of days, then I usually go a little crazy with the chocolate and I feel kind of awful..

Then back to salads at lunch and the idea that I am on vacation and I can treat myself, but make sure it's something I really want and is totally delicious!

[missou]

I rarely gain weight on a cruise even though I eat more than I do at home. I usualy take a stateroom on the lower deck and use the stairs 99% of the time. I always have two desserts after dinner, but never take fatty foods except when I go to Johnny Rockets on my occasional Royal Caribbean cruises. I take a lot of water, ask for a low sodium diet and indulge in the fruit departement. I do eat more on a cruise but I also move a lot more too.

[ducklite]

I rarely gain weight on a cruise even though I eat more than I do at home. I usualy take a stateroom on the lower deck and use the stairs 99% of the time. I always have two desserts after dinner, but never take fatty foods except when I go to Johnny Rockets on my occasional Royal Caribbean cruises. I take a lot of water, ask for a low sodium diet and indulge in the fruit departement. I do eat more on a cruise but I also move a lot more too.

 

I hate to tell you and all the others, but taking the stairs burns less than 200 calories even if you go up six flights six times a day. Going down stairs burns no calories other than regular walking, which might be an extra 40 calories a day. Unless you are completely sedentary at home, taking the stairs is going to cover two pieces of fruit, that's about it.

[Amerryscot]

I don't go to the buffets. I have breakfast, lunch and supper in the MDR. On Thomson ships, the MDR portions are quite small, so it is fine to have a five or six course meal.

[psychtobe]

I eat an egg white omelet for breakfast with lots of veggies; some toast and especially with smoked salmon etc if they have it; and some low glycemic index fruit (like berries or apples). Usually the buffet, or room service.

 

I'll snack mid morning with a cookie or a yogurt.

 

Lunch on a cruise is mostly a huge salad. I'll add something savory, but won't eat most of it. MDR because the salads are better.

 

Mid afternoon I'll have a fruit or something. We eat early dinners so...

 

Dinner - eat mostly what I want. Usually dessert.

 

late night - my weakness. Unlike at home I am up late enough to get hungry so I can easily eat a savory rich snack like pizza.

 

I have a glass of wine each day and maybe a beer. Otherwise water and diet soda, no juice.

 

In port we'll eat seafood sometimes, or snacks at markets. And there are exceptions to the above - every 3-4 days I'll have a more substantial breakfast.

 

I really like hearty foods with spice, like Indian, Mexican, Ethiopian, etc. So anything like that on the menu may cause me to deviate.

 

Oh and one night per week we'll do a specialty dinner and I'll have a steak and an enormous dessert.

 

I do run every other day, and try to do some weights as well. I'll probably add a little biking this cruise since we're gone so long.

Edited September 1, 2014 by psychtobe

[LynnTTT]

It seems that lately we are starting to more and more really immense people on cruises. Let me state right now that I am at least 30 lbs overweight and we are foodies. However, one thing that amazes me is the buffet. Folks, it's all you can eat. You really don't have to get a plate and pile it 5" high with top off with five rolls and carry it back carefully to your table. I probably use 5 plates per meal.

My husband did laugh at me one time.

It was a sea day on a transatlantic, so I do spend a lot of time just walking around. In the afternoon I told my husband " I walked through the buffet area about 4 times between 12 and 2 and I swear I saw that fat guy in the funny T-shirt there every single time!!"" My husband pointed out to me that the "fat guy" could say the same thing about me!!

[mysweetness]

Ducklite,

 

Very impressive packing ....and the best thing is that you don't have to think about what to wear on board because you don't have too many choices.

I really like that...I'll try to follow your lead on The Eurodam this Fall.

 

thanks

[bangzoom6877]

We are cruising again in July, and i plan to do my usual...indulge whenever I can! I follow weight watchers the rest of the year, I'm at a healthy weight, and I exercise regularly. I do not stop exercising on a cruise. I'm in the gym every other day, bright and early, on the elliptical and doing some weights as well. I still gained 8 pounds on my last cruise, which was 8 nights. The exercise makes a difference though...the cruise before my last one, I couldn't work out because I was only 3 months post-op from neck surgery on my spine. So my physical therapist said not to do any exercise that week. It was a 7-night cruise and I gained 11 pounds...and I ate the same way I did last year. So the exercise did make a difference for me vs. remaining sedentary the whole cruise.

 

I also go right back to weight watchers as soon as I get home. It is taking longer to take off the vacation weight than it used to (I'm 37 now), but it does come off.

[tipsygirl]

We are retired and take 3 to 4 cruises a year. Just got back from a 2 week cruise, with no weight gain. We love to eat good food and only sail with lines that can satisfy our taste buds. Our main limitation is to not eat anything that is not worth the calories in terms of taste. No eating just to eat. I am on a gluten free diet and thus am restricted from eating most breads and breaded fried foods, and have lost my taste for these after many years eating this way. My husband eats gluten free most of the time as well. So we enjoy lots of protein at every meal and few grain based carbs. But if there is well prepared risotto or gluten free pasta available we are happy to have it. Not too big on desserts, but we do love dark chocolate. We made friends with one of the waiters on our last cruise and he arranged for us to have chocolate truffles every night as our dessert treat. We also visit the gym regularly, take the stairs often, walk a lot in port, and dance after dinner as often as we can. We do love our wine, but avoid hard liquor. Often substitute Perrier with lime for a pre dinner cocktail.

 

 

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[xboxwoman]

Breakfast buffet doesn't change much, and I eat sparingly (sparingly for me) ;)

 

I do have a eating disorder, where I can just keep going and going until my grandmother drags me away from the buffet... :eek:

These days I somewhat am able to control myself..

 

I love Princess cruise food, I only go cruising for the food!

 

10 days to go for my next cruise by the way :D

[lovely_serenity]

I eat 'til I'm full, shake a little, and then keep eating :D :D :D

[cruznjan]

I tend to walk more when l'm vacationing. On the screen ship I use the stairs a lot, and I walk around the jogging track. I walk as much as I can on shore.

[galensgrl]

To start my cruise day I like Eggs Benedict or a bagel with salmon & cream cheese for breakfast, so I usually get one of those choices at the Lido or MDR, and I always start with some fruit, water, and coffee. Husband invariably gets a ham and cheese omelet and breakfast potatoes. Neither of us do much with muffins, pastries, toast etc. Also we seldom get dessert at any meal because for some reason we find desserts seldom taste as good as they look. So if we get dessert it's a scoop of sherbet or ice cream. Since we usually get breakfast we tend to keep lunch light - we grab a late lunch at a restaurant in port on port days, or sea days we will grab a bit of soup and some salad or 1/2 a sandwich or enjoy a bite if they're doing a BBQ by the pool. We make a point to walk a lot, in port we walk everywhere we can, and on sea days and some port days we will walk around the promenade deck for an hour or so. On the ship I take the stairs always, hubby's bad knees make him seek out an elevator most of the time, we meet up at our destination. He can walk all day and do okay, but stairs are just so hard for him, poor love. Since we've been cruising we have always taken dinner on the ship, whether it's a specialty restaurant, MDR, Lido or room service. It's kind of a "yes we're home for the night" ritual for us, we do so enjoy the ship when we cruise. But usually when we are cruising we like the full dinner experience, and it's so nice having everything prepared for and served to us. Having cruised before, we have learned to pace ourselves because if we ate everything that looked good we would be rolling home, kind of like we did after our very first cruise lol :D

 

Lorie

[bangzoom6877]

I eat 'til I'm full, shake a little, and then keep eating :D :D :D

 

Lol, love this! :)

[lovely_serenity]

Lol, love this! :)

 

;) it works LOL

[Crew News]

I do my best to restrict potatoes, potato chips, beef, gravy, whole milk, cream soups, butter, pastries, bread, waffles, and pastas). I can cheat once in awhile during the cruise with Chateaubriand, waffles with fruit compote, ice cream cone, and a chocolate croissant.

 

Breakfast of eggs, bacon, yoghurt/granola parfait, and fresh fruit.

Lunch starts with a fresh salad, clear soup, and an entree/Asian dish.

Snack is chicken wing appetizers or a chocolate chip cookie.

Dinner is clear soup, salad, entree (eat half), and dessert (eat half).

Late snack of cheese and fresh fruit.

 

With the above dining regimen, numerous excursions, and a few laps around the ship each day, I lost two pounds during the last 14-day cruise.