10 Easy Ways to Burn Calories on a Cruise

Apparently, the average person puts on one pound in weight for each day of a cruise!  To help counterbalance the extra calories you should rightfully enjoy on your cruise, I share 10 easy ways to burn calories on a cruise.

One thing that cruise ships do well is cater for people who want to stay active and provide lots of opportunities to burn some of those excess calories.

Eat Little and Often (yes!)

Experts suggest that you can burn more calories by eating smaller meals and snacks throughout the day rather than a few large meals. This means that you should take advantage of the wide variety of restaurants and food venues on a cruise.

There are always lighter options and healthy choices available, especially in the buffet. Just avoid piling your plate high!

Sushi restaurants are becoming increasingly common on cruise lines and offer small plates during lunch and dinner so you can definitely limit the size of your meal. Read about Izumi Sushi on Royal Caribbean and take a look at the menu.

Never Skip Breakfast on a Cruise

Research suggests that if you skip breakfast, you’re likely to eat more calories by the end of the day. This means that on a cruise, you should definitely make the most of breakfast.

The most popular venues where most people head for breakfast are the buffet and main dining room but these can get very busy at peak times. Why not try some of the other restaurants open for breakfast?

On Royal Caribbean ships you could opt for the Solarium Bistro, Cafe 270, Johnny Rockets or the Coastal Kitchen.

On Carnival Cruises, you have a wide choice, including the BlueIguana Cantina and Big Chicken – take a look at the complimentary restaurants available on Carnival’s newest ship, Carnival Celebration.

If you are staying in a suite on Princess Cruises, you can enjoy a leisurely breakfast in Sabatini’s.

If you’re looking for something a little different, you could enjoy the Drag Brunch in Virgin Voyages’ Razzle Dazzle restaurant. This special brunch is held twice per cruise so is definitely worth getting up for.

If you fancy a lazier start to the day, you could always order room service breakfast. Many cruise lines offer room service free of charge so why not take advantage of this? P&O Cruises offers complimentary breakfast in your room, see what’s available to order from the P&O room service menu.

Burn Calories in the Cruise Ship Gym

Almost all cruise ships have a well-equipped fitness suite with multiple exercise machines.  Mornings are typically the busiest time to visit but I have seen people leaving the fitness centre at 9pm at night!

Cruise ship gyms are designed to make visits as pleasurable as possible. Cardio machines face huge floor-to-ceiling windows, there are changing and shower facilities close by and there is access throughout the day.

Cruise ship gyms can be very convenient for those who use a gym regularly. You can keep up your fitness routine and factor time into your day.

If you don’t typically use a gym at home, it can be a novelty – even a luxury, but be careful if you are unfamiliar with pieces of equipment.

Inductions are not usually required to use gyms on a cruise so it’s best to check any guidelines and instructions for unfamiliar exercise machines. The last thing you want is an injury to ruin your cruise.

Interestingly, if you’re taking a cruise on a ship designed for Asia, the gym is likely to be quite small. Cruisers from this part of the world much prefer other forms of exercise, such as Tai Chi, so precious cruise ship space is not wasted on a gym that is likely to be empty for the most part.

Walking and Jogging Tracks on Cruise Ships

Walking and jogging tracks can be found on the higher decks, providing fantastic views whilst you exercise.  You don’t need to be a fitness fanatic to go for a stroll; you can burn up to 40 calories on a 15 minutes brisk walk so little and often is the key.

There’s usually a sign displayed by the track, which indicates how many laps equal a mile. Give yourself a target to do a minimum number of laps (or miles) and enjoy the views.

Burn Calories on a Cruise with Zumba and Fitness Classes

Some cruise lines offer free fitness classes in their daily activities programme. These are organised by the sports and entertainment teams and cater for complete beginners. If there’s something you’ve never tried before, this is an ideal opportunity to give it a go.

Zumba classes (you can burn up to 900 calories per hour!) are offered on the following cruise lines:

• Celebrity Cruises
• Paul Gauguin Cruises
• Princess Cruises
• Norwegian Cruise Line
• Royal Caribbean

Sometimes these classes are held outside, which provides a welcome breeze to keep you cool during the workout.  These classes are great as exercise in disguise!

Dancing and Dance Classes on a Cruise

Dance classes are staple activities for traditional cruise lines, like Cunard and P&O Cruises. You can expect daily classes in dances such as the Merengue and Salsa with professional dance teachers.

You don’t even need a partner to take part in these classes as you can buddy up with a fellow cruise passenger or the dance instructor.

P&O Cruises also offers Fitsteps classes, which is best described as a hybrid of Zumba and Strictly Come Dancing. You take part in a fitness class that uses traditional ballroom and Latin steps. I joined in a class on my P&O Britannia cruise and really enjoyed it.

For a whole list of free things to do on P&O Britannia, take a look at these 50 Free Things on Britannia.

Line dancing is also a popular dance activity with passengers and is offered on a daily basis.

If you simply fancy a good dance, there are no end of opportunities throughout a cruise: sailaway parties, nightclubs, live music, deck parties, silent discos and unhosted dance events.

Sports Activities to Burn Calories on a Cruise

This is not limited to shuffleboard!  Daily sports activities can be found on every cruise ship so whether you fancy trying golf, basketball, volleyball or even surfing, there will be something to join in.  Royal Caribbean now also offer passengers the opportunity to get PADI certified so you can scuba dive whilst ashore.

All these activities can be quite exhausting but the beauty is that you can do as much or as little as you like… and remember, a sun lounger is never too far away!

Take the Stairs when Possible

If you are able, try to take the stairs instead of the cruise ship elevators. Not only are you likely to get to where you want to go quicker (especially if heading downstairs), it’s an easy way to burn calories and increase your step count.

Going up the stairs can be a bit more challenging but you can always stop to enjoy the artwork that’s usually found on the staircases.

Swimming is an Easy Way to Burn Calories on a Cruise

Swimming is a full body workout that is a perfect way to get in a little light exercise during the day on a cruise. If you want to swim laps of the pool, the best times to do that are at the beginning and end of the day or on port days when the Lido Deck and pool area is quietest.

If the cruise ship has an adult-only pool, this is also likely to be a good option for a quiet swimming pool.

Active Cruise Excursions

Cruising takes you to some incredible destinations and there is a wide choice of shore excursions you can do when the cruise is in port. Many include active elements from a basic walking tour to water sports and hiking.

Here are a few active cruise excursions I can recommend:

• Swimming with stingrays in Grand Cayman
• Panathenaic Stadium tour in Athens
• Walk to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa
• Active River Cruise Excursions with AmaWaterways

Final Thoughts

Cruise vacations allow you to indulge in good food and drink, so it’s understandable that you may need to take this into account when packing your holiday clothes – I now pack ‘looser’ clothes for the second half of my cruises for the inevitable weight gain!

There are plenty of ways to burn calories on a cruise. Some involve how you eat and other mean incorporating a little more exercise into your day. However you choose to do it, make sure you enjoy it!