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I gained very little weight after 19 days eating onboard the Island Princess. It’s an impressive accomplishment. Every meal on a Princess Cruise includes expertly prepared, appetising, and flavorful food. Whether or not you have been on a Princess ship before, prepare to leave this page hungry, and with the tools to enjoy eating onboard without gaining weight.

Gluttonous, continuous eating onboard is possible, and sadly, I think it was the goal of a few of the passengers. We, however, opted to stick to three meals a day (plus morning coffee and an occasional afternoon tea). With few exceptions, all food is included in the cost of the cruise. The Island Princess had three themed restaurants that had a cover charge, plus passengers pay additional for espresso coffee drinks, soft drinks, bottled water, and alcohol.

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My best tips for eating healthy on a cruise ship are below, but first, let me tempt you with a bit of food porn:

A dinnertime favorite, I loved this scallop dinner when I sailed with Princess Cruises.
This scallop meal is one of my favourite dinners. I know my photos are heavy on seafood, as that is what I like. There are meat, chicken, and vegetarian options on the cruise ship menus.
Eating onboard a cruise ship can be healthy too. I ordered a side of vegetables with dinner on the Island Princess.
Although not on the menu, I frequently requested a side of vegetables. Eating healthy on a cruise is always an available option.
Chocolate covered strawberries, and champaign on the Island Princess
We were greeted in our cabin with beautiful flowers, chocolate covered strawberries, and champagne.
A chocolate dessert on the Island Princess
I can’t always stick to the diet.
A latte served on a Princess Cruise Ship
I know, I am a bit of a coffee snob. Therefore I opted to purchase a coffee card that gave me a discounted price for 15 espresso coffees during the cruise. This is a cafe-latte. If you are like me, remember to ask for it in a glass mug, or it will come in a takeaway container.
Handmade pizza served at lunch time at a specialty restaurant on the Island Princess
One of the daily lunch options is handmade pizza at the Italian restaurant that charges a cover at dinner. There is no extra charge for this, and it is as good as it looks.
British Pub lunch, and eating onboard option on the Island Princess
This meat pie is served at a British Pub speciality restaurants, but with no extra charge at lunchtime. On the pub menu are also traditional items like fish and chips or bangers and mash.
Healthy eating onboard a Princess Cruise ship
Healthy eating onboard is always an option. I started most mornings with a fruit plate. This one is a bit more elaborate than most as it was served in a speciality dining room that normally offers breakfast only to those passengers with suites.
Antipasto started our dinner at one of the specialty restaurants.
We opted to try dinner at Sabatini’s speciality restaurant (cover charge). Antipasto started our meal, which was a called “Trattoria,” a tapas style meal offering small samples of a huge variety of foods.


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The antipasto above was followed by hot appetizers, pasta, a lobster tail dinner, and then these three desserts. Now I understand why people pay extra for specialty restaurants. The handmade attention to every detail, and delicate flavors, makes this meal worth the extra money.
The antipasto above was followed by hot appetisers, pasta, a lobster tail dinner, and then these three mini desserts. The handmade attention to every detail and delicate flavours makes this meal worth the extra money.
Paella at its best onboard the Island Princess
Mouthwatering and blissful, paella on the Island Princess perfectly matched my memories from our home exchange in Spain.
Cheese tray available on the Island Princess from room service.
Room service is available 24/7. This cheese tray also arrived with a plate of individually wrapped crackers.
Galley tour onboard the Island Princess cruise ship
On average there are 24,000 meals prepared daily. We took a galley tour and were pleased to see the kitchens are immaculate with stainless steel walls and ceilings.
Caribbean shrimp severed as an appetizer onboard a Princess Cruise ship
As we passed through the Caribbean some of the cruise ship menus reflected the local cuisine.
The sweet tray at afternoon tea on Princess Cruises
The sweet tray at afternoon tea. There are also finger sandwiches, cookies and my favourite – the fresh, hot scones served with jam and cream.

Are you wondering, how I cruised for 19 days, without gaining too much weight? 

Sorry to say it, there is no secret, it’s the same as everyday life. Calories in versus calories out.

It was 19 days from Florida through the Panama Canal and up to Vancouver.

Best tips for eating healthy on a cruise

  • Order a side of steamed vegetables with your dinner, even if it is not on listed on the cruise ship menu, they will make it for you.
  • Similarly, order a plate of fresh fruit with your breakfast.
  • Drink water, rather than soda throughout the day.
  • If you don’t want to gain weight on the ship, you need to make healthy choices and get some exercise. The latter is easier, as there is both a gym and a walking track.
  • Join some of the active onboard options like Zumba, line dancing, ballroom dancing, swimming pools, basketball court, and a 5K breast cancer walk.
  • Personally, I upped my daily walking goal. Using my Fitbit Alta HR I strived for 15,000 steps per day before I allowed myself dessert. There is an outdoor walking track, so breathing the sea air, it is easy to get in the extra steps.
  • Find more tips for cruising on princess here.
  • I actually lost weight on a 15-night cruise on the Azamara Quest, but I don’t recommend the method used. Unfortunately, Azamara served me foods I was allergic to on five of fifteen days, leaving me chained to my toilet, and losing weight. 

Experience Culinary Delight and Amazing Itineraries When You Set Sail with Princess Cruises! Book Princess Cruises Today, Only at CruiseDirect.com!

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Eating onboard a cruise ship with gaining weight is a challenge especially with all the delicious options available.

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Tempted? Could enjoy 19 days eating onboard without gaining weight? Will you eat less, exercise more, or just worry about it when you get home?

Disclaimer: In addition to VIP treatment onboard the Island Princess we were provided with many complimentary extras, including speciality dining. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

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Comments

  1. if you adjust your camera setting to accommodate for tungsten light it will make a world of difference when shooting “food porn”.

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  2. Good article! We went on an Alaskan cruise to celebrate our 45th anniversary (almost at 51 now) and I didn’t gain any weight at all. I didn’t conscioulsy try not to but I just wasn’t interested in eating all the time, especially the junk that was readily available. I did enjoy my daily latte though. 🙂

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  3. Had to drop in to read this article! My husband and I have only been on one cruise and we had lost a good amount of weight before getting to the ship. Even with all my good intentions, the food was so good and all those buffets round the clock – we totally lost it! Next time…I plan to be much more intentional about eating in moderation and getting exercise. And there is so many options to exercise that there’s no excuse not to!

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  4. When I travel, I don’t usually gain weight and don’t tend to watch what I eat. The walking keeps all of that in check I have to worry when I get back to my regular semester routine, and it’s easier to eat junk food then cook a meal. (Although, I’m working on that!). I’m not so sure how I would do on a cruise with all those temptations. All of the dishes you’ve posted here are drool worthy. I would have to make a plan, and part of that would be to make the ships walking track my best friend. I’d also get in some swimming. I’m a bit of a coffee snob, too, so I can see myself opting for the coffee card.

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  5. I waited to read your post last becasue it looked so enticing 🙂

    Hmmmm…. I think I’d have to up my exercise intake so that I could splurge. I am a coffee snob too. 😀 I love that you said that. What a fun post, but now I am hungry. 😀

    So glad you found me over at my blog.

    Lisa at Life Thur the Lens

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  6. So funny to see a food porn post, with that title! Actually all very sensible things you have to say, brilliant tips for travellers, as it can be hard! Thank you!

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    • Dare I tell you, it is . . . everything is delicious, and should you happen to order something that isn’t to your preferences, they will take it back and get you something else.

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  10. I have always wondered how to handle a cruise with all that beautiful food, I dont think I would take up exercise, just take loose fitting clothes and “try” to eat small portions, that said, it still might not help. Karren

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  11. Great advice Rhonda. We’ve been on two cruises (one on the Sapphire Princess) and we have witnessed how much passengers “pig out” on these cruises. Anybody would think they were starving!! My husband and I like to watch what we eat and exercise daily to keep the weight at bay, however on both cruises I have put weight on – but not a lot!

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  12. All the meals look so appetizing. Attracted by the meat pie at the English pub, though. And the caribbean meal as well.
    All of these photos are delightful. Now I’m ready for a cruise 😀

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  18. Wow, that is quite a parade of food. We took a seven day Alaskan cruise and all went well. The food was great, but we stayed active enough to maintain our weight. I would recommend cruising to anyone. It is a wonderful way to travel.

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    • We did an Alaska cruise a few years ago, and I think I over ate. I have learned a bit of self discipline since then. But as you can see, I didn’t go hungry, nor did I cheat myself out of the treats I wanted.

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  20. Wow, all the beautiful and delectable food. On my 8 day cruise, I try not to gain anymore then 5 lbs. It’s very difficult but it can be done. What amazes me are those people that pile up their plates with food and goodies and then leave the plates close to full and leave the room. That really gets me angry. It sounds like you & your hubby are enjoying this cruise. Good for you Rhonda. See ya later my friend.

    Cruisin Paul

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    • Wow, that’s more than half a pound per day. I worked way too hard taking it all off to do that right now. We didn’t eat in the buffet very often, so I didn’t see too many of the people piling the food

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  23. Our cruise ship had a wonderful gym. Nothing like running on a treadmill while watching the waves. Plus there are so many offshore excursions where you can spend some calories.

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  24. I agree. Hubby and I want on a 17 day cruise to Hawaii and back. We exercised every single day and made good choices. I gained two pounds. I was happy with that.

    Have a fabulous day. ☺

    Reply

  25. Hi Rhonda – it all looks wonderful … and yes we can choose carefully – not get carried away and take advantage of the exercise options … love all the photos … it is mind over enjoying some deliciousness but not stuffing ourselves unnecessarily … I wonder what they do with the left overs?

    The whole looks to be an amazing experience … and I’m looking forward to seeing more – cheers Hilary

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  27. 24,000 meals a day?! Holy cow! And all the food looks spectacular! I’d end up twice as big as when I boarded. I’m trying not to be super jealous, but with your awesome pics and details every few days, it’s getting harder and harder! 😉

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    • That is exactly what I thought. It sure is more than 3 meals per day, per person – again going back to those on the ship that are there to stuff themselves. As for our trip, the blog point here is only about 2/3 of the way, there is a few more really interesting destinations to come.

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  28. Your pictures look absolutely amazing! And it actually reminds me of an all you can eat buffet we liked to go to in Japan. The food was fantastically prepared, with specialty dishes that were brought out every 30 minutes or so. If you took your time, you could sample a small but of everything without stuffing yourself too full.

    I know when my parents went on their cruise, their temptation wasn’t the limitless food, it was the open bar. They went on an Alaskan cruise and when they came back they said, “Once you’ve seen one iceberg, you’ve seen them all. We mostly just drank.” I remember thinking that it must have been a waste, except they didn’t end up paying for it. 😛

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    • Neither our Panama Canal cruise, nor our Alaska cruise a few years ago had an open bar. Too bad your parents didn’t love Alaska, I know I did. They probably should stay out of the Panama Canal as well – as the locks might not be interesting enough to hold their attention.

      Reply

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