I spent a week on board beautifully decorated MSC Preziosa flagship cruising around the Mediterranean sea and I had to experience myself if one of the preconceived notions of getting fat on board a cruise is true.
But it is not that difficult not to gain weight on a cruise. It all depends on you.
6 tips on how to stay fit on board a cruise:
1. ditch lifts, take steps instead – each time I was on my own I climbed the steps, both up and down. Trust me, going up to the 15th deck from the 5th where the reception was, or 6th or 7th where most of the restaurants and entertainment were was a bit challenging, especially after a huge meal. The first day I walked around 1,000 steps and then I stopped counting them but it is the easiest exercise you can do when cruising. I am so happy I listened to my friend Dan who gave me this tip when we spoke about what to expect on board a cruise.
Who wouldn’t like to take these beautiful staircase instead of a boring lift??
take the steps, no lift policy on board a cruise
2. there is a gym, personal trainer or yoga classes in the MSC Aurea spa so no excuses, you can hit them any time during the day, or even more times if you feel like (or if your belly fat shows you should).
3. jogging or fast walking around the decks – I saw a bunch of people jogging around the swimming pools. The ship is 333 m long and 38 m wide so there is enough space for you to go around a few times.
4. healthy food – as a person who LOVES eating and really eat at least 5 times per day, if not 6, healthy food was what I was most excited about. Already every night I was looking forward to the following breakfast where I could choose from cereals, many different berries, fresh fruit, green tea, fresh orange juice, coconut and nuts. Then in my cabin in the Yacht club I had a basket of fresh fruit every day and I did eat my favorite fruit. Buffet lunch offered many healthy options, you could make your own salad with olive oil and then get fresh fruit too (even some exotic varieties).
a lot of fruit on board MSC Preziosa
Alright, pizzas, pasta, sandwiches, soups and all the other delicious meals were there too but it was possible to get a bit of those and still make the salad the biggest part of your lunch. And dinners … well, 3 to 5 course dinners were on the plan every single night for us, it didn’t change the fact you could opt for fish, soup, salad or something light and healthy.
To make sure passengers can get the perfect combination of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, the MSC’s nutritionists created ”Deliciously Healthy” daily meals in the main restaurants of the Golden Lobster and l’Arabesque.
fresh berries for breakfast on board MSC Preziosa
5. excursions – you will walk during many excursions once you disembark in the port. I’ll take that as an extra walking. Sometimes it is possible to do sport activities in the ports. Get on one of them if necessary.
6. swimming – a number of pools allows you to spend hours swimming, even if the weather is not warm enough for a dip, there is always at least one indoor pool on board a cruise where you can spend calories gained from the Italian pasta you had for lunch or a yummy dessert from last night dinner.
Swimming on board a cruise possible any time
MSC Preziosa and other cruises do offer hours of finger-licking cuisine but if you want to stay fit, there is always a way. It all depends on your strong will and how much you really want to stay fit on board a cruise! Remember, no lift policy!
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