My husband and I were married on a cruise. It was a fantastic all-inclusive getaway. I remember that the biggest attraction for certain Baby Boomers in our party was the 24-hour food service. If food was being served, they had to be there. It didn’t matter if it was breakfast or a midnight buffet. (If we missed a meal, they felt it was important to tell us everything that we missed at the following meal.)
Now cruise lines are trying to make things healthier for their passengers. They’re hoping to lure health-conscious baby boomers (not my parents) and others who fear being trapped at sea with a 24-hour pizza bar.
Royal Caribbean Cruises has introduced the “Vitality” program which includes healthier meals and exercise. Carnival Cruise Lines offers lighter dishes with nutritional information on their menus. Crystal Cruises are making fresh fruits and whole grains larger players in the buffet line.
Mimi Weisband, a spokeswoman for Crystal Cruises says “We’re hoping it will dispel the myth that a cruise experience is just about overeating.”
Personally, I found that there were far too many fun activities I wanted to do and sights to see for me to focus on when and where the next all-you-can-eat buffet was being served.
The meals that we had were balanced, healthy and delicious. Healthy options were everywhere. You could choose the molten chocolate cake or some other rich dessert or a fruit and cheese plate for dessert. Extra servings were always available, whether you wanted extra salad or cheesecake.
Having cruised before the new wave of healthier cruising, I honestly believe that the only threat to a cruise passenger’s waistline is their own self control or lack thereof. If you eat all three meals in the dining room, eat at a midnight buffet, eat whenever you pass a fast food or snack station and then order room service when you finally roll into your cabin then you’re going to be a diet disappointment whether you’re eating pizza and ice cream or broccoli and grilled chicken. Exercise a little self discipline and any cruise can be healthy for you. Heck, if you exercise enough self discipline in your food choices you may even lose weight!
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