How to Eat Well, Move Well, and Be Well on a 4-Month Cruise

By Chris Rosenbloom, PhD, RD, World Traveler in 2025

Is it possible to eat well, move well, and be well on a long cruise around the world?

Bottom line is yes! We embarked on a 4-month cruise as our 50th wedding anniversary gift to ourselves. We are now a month and a half in, and we are eating well and moving well and being well.

So, what about eating well? With so many delicious options and eating three meals a day, how are we doing?

• Our goal was to maintain our weight, so we brought a scale! Yes, we did pack a scale but quickly found out that it only gives accurate reading when at port. On sea days, the movement of the ship makes accurate reading impossible. But we weigh ourselves in port and have maintained our weight so far!
• We enjoy everything offered on the ship and some nice meals in port but scale back the portions. I ask for half portions at the restaurants and take small portions on the buffet. I like trying new food offerings, but only a taste is necessary.
• Listen to your hunger cues…. after several days I realized I had not experienced hunger! So, I try to pay attention to fullness cues and practice the Japanese concept of hara hachi bun me or eating until one is 80% full.
• Share a dessert…. the gelato station is very popular and even when asking for a small portion, it doesn’t seem to register with the server So, one bowl, two spoons work most of the time!
• Stick with what you know. If you use a food tracker, like MyFitnessPal, continue to use it as the ships WiFi is great, even in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Another passenger sticks with her WW points to understand portions and food options.
• Don’t obsess! We have had amazing meals at the Chef’s Table…5-course culinary offerings with wine pairings. The portions are small, and wine pours are as well, so it is easy to enjoy the meal without feeling stuffed. We had the most amazing Japanese meal a few nights ago, and many other regional cuisines will be featured as we make our way through the South Pacific and Indonesia.

So, we’ve covered eating well, how about moving well? Here’s what works for us.

• Take the stairs. We average about 10 flights of stairs a day, some days more. So that is a good way to keep the quad muscles in good condition.
• Use the fitness facilities. There is a great gym on board with just about all the equipment needed to keep up a fitness routine. On sea days we hit the gym for weight training, stretching, and aerobic exercise. Although, it is a challenge to do some balance exercises when the ship is rocking and rolling!
• Walk the outdoor track. I love walking around the ship…4 laps equal 1 mile but I lose count, so I walk by time. Fifty to sixty minutes of walking goes by quickly while watching the deep blue sea and feeling the ocean wind. We’ve had great weather for walking but occasionally it is too windy and rough, so the gym feels safer!

In our book, Food & Fitness After 50, the pillars of being well include sleep, stress, and social support. It is easy to be well when we are privileged to enjoy a long cruise on the Viking Sky. Rolling seas (or “snoozy swells,” as the captain calls them), makes for good sleep. Social support is easily found among the many passengers we have met and experiences we share as we enjoy all the ship has to offer and bond with people over shore excursions. And stress? Well, it is hard to be stressed when being spoiled by room attendants, surrounded by friendly, engaging staff, interesting fellow passengers, wonderful entertainment, and amazing ports of call.

So, it is possible to eat well, move well, and easiest of all to be well on a cruise!