My family went on a holiday cruise… for 6 days! And, I have to admit I was a little worried about eating and gaining a number of pounds, because I had heard how great the food was and that there was a 24-hour buffet! GASP!
I was feeling anxious about being trapped on a luxury boat before we even boarded, so while we waited in the port to board, I used my iPhone to sign up for a 70.3 (half ironman). Well, I was a little bored just sitting there! But now that the deed was done and I had signed on the dotted line (by pressing Accept on my phone), I thought I better get in shape and NOT gain any more weight or it will be a very long rebuilding cycle.
Don’t worry, though, if you are ever on a cruise, because staying in shape was easier than I thought. Check out what I did.
Onboard Spin Classes
So I walked around the first day on the Disney Cruise Line (which was awesome) and I walked into the Spa & Salon, gazed at the spinning bike and treadmill facing the ocean, and somehow I knew I would be just fine.
“Increase 3 times!” What? “Increase 3 times!” Nick, the spin instructor, was yelling at me as I was gazing at the ocean outside. Why in the heck was he keying on me? Oh yea, I was the only one that showed up that first day! Darn.
Nick, originally from Macedonia, took me through 3 major beatings on the spin bike and trashed my legs, probably more than I wanted, but it felt really good anyway. His being a professional cyclist in Europe for many years didn’t hurt either!
Onboard Treadmill
After every hour-long spinning class, I made it a point to get over on the treadmill and run at least 2-4 miles just to get my legs underneath me. Man,that hurt for a mile or two, but finally loosened up. If you guys have never tried this, it’s a definite must in the “oh my god my legs hurt” field.
Run in Port
When we were on Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, the crew led an early morning 5K across the beautiful, tropical place. This was a great way to stay in shape (get my land legs under me!) and also experience each port in a new way.
Pull the Tri
To add to my workout after the 5k, I then went back aboard to spin for an hour. After that, I would again debark and head for the endless beach. There I had about a 2000 meter crystal clear ocean swim….nothing better in the entire world! (And it was in an area the call “Serenity Bay” which is an adult-only area of solitude on the private island. Nice!
So, if you think you’ll get out of shape or as large as a house while on a cruise, don’t worry. A cruise definitely has what you need to help you stay right where you need to be. In addition to what I mentioned, there were plenty of ab classes, weight machines, and even yoga classes right on the beach. And, with the children’s activities provided by the crew and counselors, you will have plenty of kid-free time to exercise all you want!
By the way, we were the first to see Disney’s brand new huge ship, the Dream. Here it is in Castaway Cay’s port a week ago.
Swimmer Joe's Blog 
Tasha
January 5, 2011
Way to go Joe! I am so impressed and proud of you! You must have made others feel a tad guilty! You got off to a great start for the New Year! Congrats!!!xo,Tasha
swimmerjoe
January 5, 2011
Oh yea, forgot to write about having a fever the entire time, and sick as can be! OH well, felt good.
Randy Everatt
January 6, 2011
This is a very well written and entertaining story Joe. I believe Disney woud love this alot. The best is that he keyed on you and you were the only one. Did others show up for later classes?
swimmerjoe
January 6, 2011
Yes, a few did….it was fun stuff!