Cari Fit

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Tips For Traveling on Carnival Breeze

I recently got back from another amazing vacation with Carnival Cruises. This time my family and I went on the Carnival Breeze. The Breeze is one of their bigger ships and has lots to offer everyone including families, fitness enthusiasts, spa lovers and even foodies. I had an amazing time and want to especially thank crewmember Ivana – who went out of her way to make us feel special! She was truly amazing and she made us feel right at home!

I’ve traveled quite a bit on Carnival and I can say that they are my favorite cruise line. In my experience (myself and close family members have traveled on many different cruise lines) – Carnival is the most fun and definitely have more things to do for kids. This was my second time on the Breeze – so I wanted to share some of my top tips if you are thinking of cruising on the Breeze – or other Carnival Cruise.

Book your trip early. We sometimes wait too long and are surprised by how many of the rooms are already sold out. So, book your trip as soon as you decide to go. Carnival is also really good about allowing you to cancel without penalty (date restrictions apply) or use your deposit towards a future cruise.

Pack lightly and take advantage of storage in the room. For my first few cruises, I always packed way too much! Then, I realized that I was either in workout clothes, bathing suits or evening attire. So, now…I usually pack about 5 mix and match workout outfits that can also double as bathing suit cover ups (tanks and shorts are great for this) and that I can also wear out on excursions (there is usually a lot of walking). Then, I usually pack 2-3 bathing suits and a 1 good cover up dress. For the evenings – we love dining in the dining room (see below) so I have fun planning outfits for this. Also, in the evenings they have photographers set up all over the ship ready to take your photos- so it’s fun to dress up! I usually bring 5-6 new outfits but sometimes will rewear my dark jeans or top (to layer) and then 2 “formal” outfits that are usually dresses or rompers. Also, the less you pack – the more room you’ll have in your stateroom. The staterooms are surprisingly laid out well though and take advantage of the drawers, closets and cabinets for your things and store your suitcases under the bed.

Getting ready for dinner in my stateroom

You may want to bring a stroller. Check your itinerary and also what excursions you plan on doing. Some cruise terminals are very long (like in Cozumel) – where you have to walk quite a far way before you get to your excursion check-in point. Also, if it’s in summer and super hot – strollers with sun shades can be great for little ones. However, if you aren’t getting of the ship much or are taking a smaller boat directly from the ship – you may be able to leave your stroller at home. Just do some research first.

Eat most of your dinners in the dining room. The evening dining on board is really a great experience and the food is fabulous. I have to admit – before I started cruising, I expected most of the dining to just be so/so and very limited. That’s not the case on the Breeze (or other Carnival ships). The chefs on board have many years of experience and come from all over the world. The dishes are very creative with great presentation and above all – taste amazing. I was fortunate to get a private tour of the galley and tasting with Senior Sous Chef Davide and Executive Chef Shiva. I want to give special thanks to them for allowing me to sample all of the wonderful dishes! The food is very creative and there is something for everyone – foodies, vegans and healthy eaters.

With Chefs Davide and Shiva

      

A sample of the evening’s appetizers

Definitely visit the steakhouse. – The small extra charge is way worth it. The Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse on the Breeze has a cool modern atmosphere and they really go above and beyond to make your dining experience special. I had the lobster tails with baked potato and it was fabulous and still healthy. Don’t miss the amazing presentation of the “Art at the Table” dessert. The chef comes to your table and basically creates a piece of art on a large board with fruit syrups, jellies and candies for paring. Then, the finale is when you crack open a chocolate ball with your spoons to reveal a surprise! Highly recommended!

         “Art at the Table” dessert

              With Fahrenheit 555 Chef Brendan                       

Take advantage of the gym and outdoor fitness equipment. I did a mix of workouts including indoor gym workouts (treadmill and free weights) but then also ran on the outdoor track and used the outdoor gym stations (body weight machines and boxing bag). They have mini golf and basketball too! Sometimes it’s hard to fit in workouts in between all the fun things to do, but you will feel so much better about yourself – even if you just take 20 minutes a day.I did most of mine early before my kids woke up. Then, I didn’t feel so bad about indulging in some of the amazing desserts on board (hello chocolate melting cake!). Check out my other post for sample workouts to do on board a cruise ship.

Mini Golf!   

Fitting in my workouts!

If you have kids – make sure to reserve the Dr. Seuss breakfast. This is such a fun event where they transform one of the dining rooms into a Dr. Seuss wonderland with red, fun table decorations, an ice sculpture, special appearances from Dr. Seuss characters and of course…a very special breakfast. Although the “green eggs and ham” weren’t appealing to me – they had many other fun items for the kids as well as “normal” things for the adults like eggs your way, turkey bacon and more.

Play with your kids at Camp Ocean. If you don’t want to leave your kids at Camp Ocean (which is amazing and super fun) or they don’t want to stay – you can play with them during “family play” times. Just check the schedule for available times when you can go.

If you get sick, they have you covered. I can sometimes be a worrywart – so  I like to know where I can go if one of my kids or myself gets sick on vacation. Luckily – they have a full staff of onsite doctors and nurses there on the ship to help. They can even work with your insurance.

Tips For Dining on Carnival Cruise, Plus My Behind The Scenes Tour Of The Galley

I recently got back from a Carnival cruise with my family and we had a great time. Last time I went, I blogged about how you can stay fit on a cruise – since they have so many options. But, this time around – I wanted to focus a little more on the food. Even if you have never been on a cruise before – you may have wondered how do they feed so many people and also is the food in the dining rooms any good? I have to say that yes, their food (and staff) are on par with the best restaurants on land. On my last cruise I got to have a special tasting and behind the scenes tour which really made me appreciate all of the hard work and creativity that goes into the dining experience on board.

I had the pleasure of getting to know our Maitre d’ on our ship Mr. Csaba Varga Attila and he invited us to have a special tour of the galley (aka kitchen area) during our cruise. Not only did we get a private tour – but they prepared a special tasting of the entire menu for that evening’s dinner, including all options for starters, main courses and desserts. When we first arrived we were greeted by the Chef de Cuisine Mr. Ramesh and Food Manager Mr. Milind along with Mr. Attila. They gave us a little introduction about how many meals they have to prepare each day (2,000 in each of the 2 dining rooms – including breakfast and dinner) and how they go about creating tasteful and innovative menus that will please everyone.  There are so many cruisers (3,000+ on many ships) and they have to make meals appealing to everyone from the health fanatic to the foodie. So, they offer a huge variety meal options including vegetarian, vegan, nut-free and gluten free. I am a pretty healthy eater and loved sampling all the creative vegetarian options like the beet carpaccio. But, my Dad (who was also with us) is a big foodie and loves meat – so he really enjoyed sampling the ox tongue and other more decadent items. Every night they have at least one vegetarian option, but you can also make special requests for allergies and preferences.

Being able to go to the galley, meet the chefs and have a private tasting was a real treat. I want to especially thank Mr. Attila for giving us the tour and making our dining experience wonderful. Also, thanks to the rest of the carnival dining staff and chefs for making my family’s cruise extra special!

Tips For Dining on a Cruise:

  • Introduce yourself to the Maitre d’. He can help arrange your table so you can sit with family and friends and also alert the chef and waitstaff if you are celebrating something or have questions about dining.
  • If you have any special dining requests – ask your waiters. They can have the chef prepare something special for you – even if it’s not on the menu. For my baby, they would bring out special purees of veggies and other baby-friendly options. For me, I asked for plain grilled chicken and steamed veggies some nights when I had too many treats during the day!
  • They are kid and baby friendly – so don’t be afraid to bring your little ones. They have highchairs, kids menus, crayons, etc. Our waiters even tried to entertain our little ones by making animals out of napkins and telling them jokes. Also, some nights they do performances and get dressed up and dance around and it’s a lot of fun.
  • Try the “port of call specials”. Each day you are at a new port – they will have special menu that samples some of the local cuisine and they do a great job creating these specialty foods.
  • It’s still easy to over-eat in the main dining rooms at dinner even though their portion sizes are not super big. You are able to order an appetizer, salad/soup, entree and dessert and can even have more than one of each. Try to follow the 80/20 rule. Order 80% healthy and then the other 20% splurge on a small appetizer or dessert. Also, for dessert – they almost always offer fresh fruit and/or a sugar free option. You could order fruit and then split their famous melting chocolate cake (aka “Micky Mouse” cake).
  • Other more casual options are always available for dinner, but I highly recommend dining in the dining rooms at night – it’s a real treat.

 

How to Stay Fit And Healthy On A Cruise

Cruising has come a long way from endless buffets of fried fatty foods and deserts, crowded staterooms and non-existent gyms. Now days you can take a cruise and actually come back a healthier person! A couple of months ago I went on a Carnival cruise with my family and we had an amazing time. One of the best parts was that I was able to stay fit and healthy and returned feeling refreshed instead of regretful. Now, I know that most people aren’t too concerned with weight gain when cruising – but I’m here to tell you it IS possible to keep the big LB’s off and maybe even tone up a little. The best part is that Carnival actually makes it easy if you just put in a little effort and get creative. Below are some tips on how you can make your next cruise a healthy one for you and your family.

We decided on the Carnival Breeze ship because it’s a newer ship and visits a couple of places we haven’t been before. If you haven’t taken a cruise in awhile you definitely need to check out Carnival’s fleet. Most are new or have been completely renovated and there is literally something for everyone. Most people look forward to the food and the drinks on vacation and Carnival doesn’t disappoint in this area. However, I was pleasantly surprised by all of the healthy food and drink options, the fitness facilities (who knew they offered spin classes on the water?!) and creative outdoor workout spots (you do crunches while watching dolphins swim by!).

Take advantage of the fitness facilities.

Most ships have great gyms and fitness centers with a variety of equipment. Carnival not only had a great gym but they had a spin studio, yoga studio and even a fun outdoor gym that the whole family can use. The gym was super nice with a lot of cardio equipment, weight machines and a free weights area. They also had a ropes course, mini golf and other fun things to get your family involved. Just make it a goal to explore a new fitness area (or class) each day.

Be active as much as you can.

Even if you are not a gym person you can still find ways to burn calories and stay physically fit. The ship has a walking path that you can use to take a walk around the boat (try a sunset or sunrise walk for a nice view) or go for a jog. If you are a runner – you can even get in your own mini 5k. Also, you can make the pools a place to get fit. The pools are small – so it may be hard to swim laps unless you go during a less busy time like early in the morning – but you can still use it to burn some calories. You can do things like tread water, do tricep dips on the edge (in the water), do leg raises (for core) and lateral shoulder raises (pressing up against the water is great resistance). If nothing else – just go exploring the ship. If your family is with you, you could even do a fun scavenger hunt or see what fun things you can find.

Make the buffet your BFF.

The words Buffet and Healthy usually don’t go hand in hand. However, I was really surprised by all of the heathly things I could find on Carnival’s Breeze. They also mixed things up daily and had a variety of new healthy choices throughout the week – so I never got bored. Just be sure to watch portions and unlimited items. This is one of the hardest to do while cruising. The buffet areas are packed with tasty treats almost all day long – so temptation is always there. What I did was make sure I filled up on heathy items like veggies, fruits, plain baked chicken or fish (no sauce) first and then if I wanted a small treat I would get one. Not into buffets? They have a variety of specialty restaurants (some like the Steakhouse have an extra charge) that offer a la carte items and you can request that your chicken be cooked without butter or ask for a vegetarian option. They were more than happy to accommodate my requests and one of our waiters even pointed out the healthier items for us one night. A fun fact – the cruise ship staff are all very fit and health conscience. Some are working on the ship for 6-9 months at a time and their health is their priority. They even have a gym for the crew members to use.

Make your room a fit haven.

I was surprised how roomy the staterooms are. Yes – they are very small but for a cruise ship they aren’t too bad. Plus, Carnival does a great job making it a very usable space and there are plenty of storage areas and spaces for your things. You can organize your workout clothes by the day of week have itall ready to go each day. You could even squeeze in a workout in your room if you wanted. I loved being outside – so some mornings I would do a quick set of squats, shoulder presses and bicep curls out on my balcony. I also recommend stocking your room with healthy snacks such as fruit (you can bring some back from the buffet), carrot sticks, protein shakes (bring your own shaker bottle) and nuts.

Chose a more active excursion.

Carnival has lot of fun excursions to choose from. They are also categorized by activity level – so if you are fit and healthy you can choose one that’s a little more active. Some require more walking (wear comfortable shoes) and some activities are just more challenging like horseback riding, zip lining or scuba and snorkel.

Change your mindset.

Make it more of a healthy spa trip vs. an indulgent trip. I like to start my trips with a healthy mindset and treat my trips and cruises like a healthy spa trip vs. an indulgent vacation. If I start off thinking about staying fit, enjoying new fruits and veggies, trying a new fitness class and then rewarding myself with a spa treatment – I’m less likely to return home feeling bloated and out of shape.

I hope these tips will help you enjoy your next cruise even more and help you return felling fit and healthy! Comment below and share some of your tips for cruising!

 

This post was sponsored by Carnival but all opinions are my own.Â