If you’ve ever wondered how to stay healthy on a Royal Caribbean cruise without missing out on the good stuff, I’ve got news for you — it’s totally possible. You don’t have to live off salad or spend your sea days glued to a treadmill to avoid gaining weight onboard.
Royal Caribbean cruises are packed with temptation. Buffets on every floor. Unlimited desserts. Room service at midnight. Trust me, I’ve been there. The trick isn’t to avoid it all — it’s to outsmart it.
One of the biggest challenges? The main dining room. It’s elegant, delicious, and easy to overdo — but also one of the best places to eat well if you know how to use it right. I break it all down in my Royal Caribbean main dining room experience guide.
In this post, I’m sharing my personal 10 best tips to stay healthy on a Royal Caribbean cruise, even if you still plan to eat two appetizers and say yes to lava cake. Whether you’re cruising for the first time or the fifteenth, these tips will help you feel better, move better, and enjoy every bite without the guilt.
Ready to cruise smarter? Let’s go.
Table of Contents
1. Start with the Right Mindset (Don’t Try to Be Perfect)
Before we get into food choices or gym hacks, let’s talk mindset. If you want to stay healthy on a Royal Caribbean cruise, you’ve got to ditch the all-or-nothing mentality.
This isn’t a boot camp. It’s a vacation.
Don’t aim for perfection — aim for consistency. If you try to be “good” all day, every day, you’ll either burn out or give up halfway through the trip. And then what? Cue the 3 p.m. Windjammer binge followed by dessert #4 at dinner.
Instead, make smart choices when you can, and enjoy the splurges when they matter. That’s the approach I take every time I cruise, and it’s the reason I never come home feeling like I need to “detox” for a week.
Balance wins. Every time.
2. Hack the Main Dining Room: Double Appetizers, Half Desserts
Let’s be real. The main dining room on a Royal Caribbean ship is a dangerous place if you’re watching what you eat — because you can order as much as you want. Two appetizers? No problem. Three entrees? Go for it. Dessert sampler? Say the word.
But if you’re trying to stay healthy on a Royal Caribbean cruise, here’s my personal strategy:
I almost always order two appetizers, especially when there’s a seafood or veggie option to start with. Then I choose one solid entrée, usually something protein-heavy, and when it comes to dessert… I decide if it’s worth it.
If I go for dessert (and I often do), I’ll either:
- Eat just half
- Choose the lighter option like sorbet or fruit-based desserts
- Or skip it and grab something sweet later, like a banana
That way, I’m still enjoying the full dining room experience, without stuffing myself every night. It’s not about restriction — it’s about intention.
3. Buffet Survival 101: Eat Whole Foods, Not Just Free Foods
The Windjammer buffet is heaven and hell rolled into one. It’s easy to load up three plates just because it’s included, but if your goal is to stay healthy on a Royal Caribbean cruise, you need a different approach.
Free doesn’t mean you need it.
The key? Stick to whole foods. That means:
- Grilled meats
- Steamed or roasted veggies (without the creamy sauces)
- Whole fruits
- Simple carbs like plain rice or potatoes
Avoid the overly processed stuff — fried items, butter-soaked casseroles, sugary pastries, and yes, even the tempting bread rolls. I’ll often grab two burger patties without the bun, load up on grilled veggies, and skip the ranch-drenched coleslaw.
Pro tip: Scope out the entire buffet first. Don’t grab the first thing you see. Walk the loop, make your choices, and build a plate that fuels you — not fills you with regret.
4. Ditch the Drinks (Sugary Ones, That Is)
One of the easiest ways to derail your progress? Liquid calories. If you’re serious about trying to stay healthy on a Royal Caribbean cruise, this is a big one.
Soda, fruity cocktails, and even juices can sneak hundreds (or thousands) of extra calories into your day without you even realizing it. That Coke with lunch? 140 calories. Piña colada by the pool? Closer to 500.
Here’s what I do:
- I skip soda completely
- I avoid fruit juices unless I really want one
- I drink tons of water throughout the day
- If I’m having alcohol, I stick to vodka with soda water or a light beer
I’m weird — I can take just one sip of a sugary drink and be satisfied. If you’re the same, great. If not, be intentional about when you splurge.
Cruises offer so many drink options that it’s easy to forget how quickly they add up. Cut out the sugar here and you’ll feel less bloated, more energized, and better rested — guaranteed.
5. Condiment Control: Why Mustard Is Your Secret Weapon
This one flies under the radar, but it makes a huge difference. If you’re aiming to stay healthy on a Royal Caribbean cruise, condiments can be silent saboteurs.
Ketchup, mayo, creamy dressings — they’re all packed with added sugars and calories. That little squirt of ketchup on your burger? It’s loaded with high-fructose corn syrup. And don’t even get me started on ranch.
Here’s the fix:
Use mustard. Seriously. Mustard has:
- Almost no calories
- No sugar
- A satisfying, zesty flavor
I put it on burgers, mix it with vinegar for a DIY salad dressing, and sometimes even dip meats in it. If you’re not a fan of mustard, go for hot sauce or vinegar-based options — just steer clear of the sugar bombs.
It’s the little swaps like this that help you cruise smart.
6. Bananas Over Cake? The Power of Fruit as Dessert
Dessert is one of the biggest temptations on a cruise. It’s everywhere — in the buffet, the main dining room, even delivered to your cabin if you ask. But if you want to stay healthy on a Royal Caribbean cruise, you’ve got to be strategic.
One of the best hacks? Choose fruit over dessert… at least some of the time.
Hear me out. A banana after dinner might not sound exciting, but it gives you that sweet finish without the crash. It’s also packed with potassium and fiber, which your body will appreciate after a rich meal.
Other smart choices:
- Watermelon or cantaloupe from the buffet
- A fresh fruit plate from room service
- Mixed berries from the MDR, if available
This doesn’t mean skipping dessert every night. Just know that you don’t need cheesecake to feel satisfied. A simple piece of fruit often hits the spot — and leaves you feeling light instead of sluggish.
7. Walk More Than Everyone Else (Yes, Skip the Elevator)
If you’re serious about trying to stay healthy on a Royal Caribbean cruise, this is one of the easiest wins on the list.
Take the stairs. Every time.
Britini and I made it a game once — we challenged ourselves to go the entire cruise without touching the elevator. It was actually fun, and we ended up walking miles per day without even thinking about it.
Think about it: on ships like Wonder of the Seas or Symphony, walking from your cabin to the gym or pool can easily be a quarter mile each way. Add in port days, sea-day wandering, and stair climbing between decks and you’re burning serious calories without ever hitting the gym.
If mobility allows, skipping the elevator and walking more than the average cruiser is one of the simplest ways to stay active while still enjoying the food, fun, and shows.
8. Hit the Gym — Even Just for 30 Minutes
You don’t have to lift heavy or run a 10K on the treadmill. But if you want to stay healthy on a Royal Caribbean cruise, getting into the gym just a few times can make a huge impact.
Britini and I aim for at least 30 minutes a day. That might sound intense, but when the gym has floor-to-ceiling windows and you’re watching the ocean roll by, it honestly doesn’t feel like work.
Here’s what helps:
- Go early before the breakfast crowd
- Focus on cardio to burn through buffet calories
- Don’t overthink it — even a brisk incline walk counts
- Mix it up with light weights, core work, or stretching
Every Royal Caribbean ship has a fitness center, and many are way nicer than hotel gyms. The Oasis and Icon Class gyms are massive, and even the smaller ships offer enough to stay moving.
You don’t need to go every day. But doing something active, even every other day, can help you keep your energy high and your guilt low.
9. Rethink Alcohol: Is the Buzz Worth the Burnout?
Look, I enjoy a drink or two on vacation — especially when Diamond perks are covering it. But if you’re aiming to stay healthy on a Royal Caribbean cruise, alcohol can be a trap.
Not just because of the calories, but because of what it does to your sleep, recovery, and overall energy.
I’ve noticed something the older I’ve gotten: a few drinks might feel fun in the moment, but the poor sleep, dehydration, and next-day fog just aren’t worth it anymore. Waking up groggy on a port day? Not the move.
Here’s what I do now:
- I rarely drink on port days
- I alternate water between drinks
- I stick to vodka soda, tequila with lime, or red wine — lower sugar, cleaner feel
- I skip sugary mixers and limit the frozen stuff
You don’t need to cut alcohol completely. Just be smart about when and how much. You’ll enjoy your cruise more if you’re not dragging through it.
10. Don’t Let It Snowball After the Cruise Ends
Even if you don’t stay healthy on a Royal Caribbean cruise — maybe you went all in at the buffet, skipped the gym, and lived on lava cake — that doesn’t mean the damage has to last.
The real trap isn’t what happens on the ship. It’s what happens after.
If you get home, feel bloated, and decide, “Well, I already messed up, might as well keep eating like this,” that’s when one week of indulgence turns into a month-long setback.
Here’s my rule:
Get back on track within 24–48 hours of getting home.
- Go grocery shopping for clean foods
- Get back to your normal sleep and movement routine
- Drink a ton of water
- Don’t weigh yourself immediately — give it a few days to normalize
Gaining a few pounds on a cruise is normal. But letting it spiral is optional. You enjoyed yourself, now it’s time to reset and move forward — no shame, no stress.
Jim’s Take: How I Eat 2 Appetizers and Dessert Without Gaining 10 Pounds
Let me be straight with you — I don’t lose weight on a cruise. But I also don’t come home 10 pounds heavier and needing a juice cleanse. I usually maintain or gain just a little, and to me, that’s a huge win. Especially because I have room to gain a few extra pounds fortunately.
Why? Because I enjoy myself. I order two appetizers. I say yes to dessert. I snack on banana bread in the Windjammer. But I also:
- Walk everywhere — no elevators
- Hit the gym most days, even just for 30 minutes
- Choose whole foods 80% of the time
- Stay hydrated and avoid sugary drinks
- Make small swaps that add up (like skipping the bun, limiting mayo, and using mustard instead)
The big key? I don’t let the cruise turn into a free-for-all. I stay intentional without being restrictive. And when I get home, I get right back to my normal routine so it doesn’t snowball.
You don’t have to be perfect to feel good when you step off the ship. You just have to be aware, consistent, and enjoy it all in moderation.
What’s Your Cruise Food Weakness?
We all have that one thing we can’t say no to on a cruise — maybe it’s the soft serve machine, midnight pizza, or those warm chocolate chip cookies from Café Promenade.
What’s your cruise food weakness — and how do you stay on track?
Drop a comment below and share your best tip, guilty pleasure, or strategy for surviving the buffet without going overboard. I’d love to hear how you try to stay healthy on a Royal Caribbean cruise while still enjoying every bite.
