How Many Pounds Have You Gained After A Disney Cruise?

[disneyfan888]

I think most of us have been there. Getting on a scale after a Disney Cruise can be painful and sometimes may require therapy, but having support can help ease the guilt and the added pounds.

I thought it would be interesting to get everyone's perspectives on this. I have heard a little bit of everything from family and friends. The "I am on vacation, so I will eat whatever I want." To, "Because I am on vacation, I have to watch out how much I eat."

We certainly do not have the "I must eat everything" mind set, but since we are on vacation, we like to try new things and enjoy ourselves. We have had some cruises where we have gained little to nothing, but on most trips we have left the boat a couple of pounds heavier.

We have a 13 nighter coming up in May, so we definitely have to be careful. I am not able to use most machines at the gym, but I will certainly try.

So, if you don't mind sharing, How many pounds have you gained after taking a Disney Cruise and how long was it?

 

[luv2cruisedisney]

I have ranged from gaining 3 to losing 2 on various 7 nighters. Depends how conscious of what I am eating and how active I stay.
I try to always use the stairs and always get a good brisk walk in at port

 

[KCBelle]

I have done okay on 7 night cruises and gained around 3 lbs that came right off. I take the stairs and walk laps since I know I'm less active in general on a cruise. I also try to make good choices most the day and splurge only at one meal rather than live it up all day long. I gained 15 lbs once after a week at WDW. I had the dining plan so ate tons of food and drank regular soda, I kept thinking "oh I'll walk it off in the parks". Apparently not LOL.

 

[disneyfan888]

I have done okay on 7 night cruises and gained around 3 lbs that came right off. I take the stairs and walk laps since I know I'm less active in general on a cruise. I also try to make good choices most the day and splurge only at one meal rather than live it up all day long. I gained 15 lbs once after a week at WDW. I had the dining plan so ate tons of food and drank regular soda, I kept thinking "oh I'll walk it off in the parks". Apparently not LOL.

I think the walking bit certainly plays a roll on how much one eats. The dining plan can be killer too
I try and walk as much as I can too. I found that reducing or flat out avoiding sugary drinks works wonders too!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

So, if you don't mind sharing, How many pounds have you gained after taking a Disney Cruise and how long was it?

Except for my first cruise, I find I actually lose weight while cruising. I just don't go crazy eating everything I see, and I use the stairs mostly.

 

[CamColt]

I usually gain 1 lb per day on vacation. A good chunk of it comes right off once i get back to the reality or working out every day and watching what I eat, but there usually is some that stays on for a while.

 

[kylaura]

5 pounds, mainly from water weight from beer. We take the steps and don't eat much of the junk food, there is too much good, healthy food to eat, at Cabana's and the dinner restaurants. At least one soft serve ice cream though

 

[DWillowBay]

I FEEL like I gain 20 pounds...but it's usually 5. I count that as a blessing because I eat so differently on the cruise than in "real life". Yum!

 

[IrishEye]

Normally lose weight while on a cruise, the meals are actually fairly well balanced. Also find we are pretty active, moving around a lot on the ship, swimming and walking while off. The exceptions are the Trans Atlantics and the Panama Canal, have to watch it on these, too many opportunities to eat.

 

[Neptune's Fork]

Almost 10lbs but comes back down pretty quickly after returning to normal routine.

 

[FigmentSpark]

I didn't gain anything... but, I took a lot of stairs, walked around the ship a lot, and wandered around looking for the kids. I ate what I wanted, but I forgot to eat ice cream and the desserts weren't my favourite. Also, I probably eat more carbs at home, whereas on the ship, I gravitated to proteins, veggies and fruit I don't get at home. It all worked out for me.

 

[aggiedog]

I either lose a few or stay the same. Like a PP said, between all the walking and the easier healthy choices in the restaurant, it hasn't been an issue for me.

 

[volfan1978]

I think I gained 6 lbs on my last cruise, which was a 4 nighter on the Dream. We sailed concierge and our room was right across the hall from the lounge, so pigging out on snacks in there all day was the culprit in my case. Some of those little snacks were addictive! I mean, how am I supposed to walk by a rice krispie treat covered in chocolate and not smash it immediately?

 

[TinkBell10]

I always feel like I bloat up with water weight vs. actual fat pounds. My pants are tighter at the end of the cruise, but just around my waist. And my face and hands feel puffy. This happens no matter how much water I drink. But, once I'm home, things get back to normal quite quickly.

 

[mevelandry]

Zero. The food in the MDR, buffet and counters goes from "okay" to "good".

However, if you eat in Palo or Remy every day, you might have a problem. LOL

 

[SDJEL]

I gained 8 pounds after my first cruise. It took a long time to come off. I’m much more careful now and I rarely gain more than a pound or two. I have found that all the walking around is helpful. I agree with the other posters that I’m careful during the day and then I can enjoy a splurge and dessert at dinner.

 

[KalamityJane]

I lost weight on the 15 night transatlantic

 

[mareed]

I gained 0 on the most recent 14 night Panama Canal cruise, and really ate whatever I wanted. I ate at least 1 dessert every night at dinner, but during the day, I was more likely to eat the yummy pineapple rather than dessert. Always took the stairs, and also danced a lot with the dancers onboard the longer cruises. I find that I'm much more active onboard than in my daily life at home. I do much better at stopping eating when I'm full on the ship than I do at home at restaurants because I feel I need to eat it all since I paid for it.

 

[dclpluto]

Anywhere from 7-10 pounds on a short 7 night cruise. Usually it comes off in 2 and a half weeks after the cruise.

 

[OKW Lover]

In our early cruising years it was common for us to gain ~5 pounds over the course of a week long cruise. However now its actually more likely that we will maintain or even drop a couple. Its simply a mater of recognizing that even though its vacation it doesn't mean you must eat everything in front of you at every opportunity that presents itself. That, combined with a bit more physical activity on board and on shore excursions, pretty much balances out for us.

Making good menu choices does not mean you are missing out on anything special. If something really tempts you your server will be happy to bring you both the good choice and the tempting choice. Then you can try some of the tempting item but still eat the good choice for the meal.