Cruise to Lose

Cruise to lose.

No, I'm not talking about Bingo, one-armed bandits or Texas Hold 'Em.

I'm talking about a few pounds we all seem to be carrying around these days.

"Wait a minute," you're probably saying. "I've heard about those cruises, where formal meals are followed by buffets before having some ice cream or pizza."

Yes, on any given cruise you'll see some folks without any self-control. If you want to gain weight on a cruise, you certainly can, and your waiter will be more than happy to assist you.

However, a cruise can also take you to a lower number on your bathroom scale.

How?

First, just planning a cruise and putting it on your calendar can motivate you to drop a few lbs. Anticipating days by the ship's pool or on a beach, you'll be more likely to watch what you eat, hoping to look better in your bathing suit.

Once the cruise arrives, you'll discover far more opportunities to exercise than you'll find at the office or in front of the TV. Beautiful gyms, ocean view jogging tracks and swimming pools all beckon you, but simply choosing to take stairs instead of waiting for elevators will quickly add heart-pumping exercise to your regime. Royal Caribbean has rock-climbing walls on all their ships, and some have ice skating, surfing and, on the new Oasis of the Seas, zip lining. Line dancing classes and racing between trivia games and art auctions may seem more fun than exercise, but they add up.

Of course, the port days give you lots of chances to explore wonderful new worlds on foot. You might want to go golfing, horseback riding, snorkeling or bicylcing. You decide what kind of port experience you have, so make it active.

When you've overdone it a bit, pampering spas await you with whirlpools, saunas and optional services like massages and herbal wraps. You may be surprised to find experts offering advice on diet and weightloss in optional seminars. Maybe you'll learn your gut can be slimmed by anti-oxident rich wraps more effectively than through endless crunches. I've seen many people transformed by a day at the spa. Some ships have special classes of rooms geared toward people who are looking for a spa experience at sea, like Celebrity Equinox's Aqua Class, which not only has special spa priority but also their own dining room, Blu, to isolate these health conscious cruisers from the general populace for dinner.

The regular dining room experience on a cruise, of course, is always a highlight. Because the well-balanced meals are served in courses, you will probably find that you eat less than you would at home but are far more satisfied. Cutting out your usual evening snacks in front of the TV will net lower calories.

If you can manage to limit yourself to three meals a day, and then maybe tea time or one other snack, then with all your vacation exercise, you can probably lose weight. To increase the effect, take advantage of the low fat, low carb or spa selections found on most menus.

After you return home and your friends tell you how great you look as a result of relaxing and shedding a few pounds, you will be inspired to carry your progress forward, but just to be sure, book another cruise while onboard, mentioning I am your travel agent so I can help improve your overall deal if possible.

So, when do you want to start losing weight? "Better service leads to better trips."