Give me your best tips for healthy and delicious eating on Equinox!

[It_Is_Me]

My husband and I are excited to be traveling on Equinox on May 4th.  I've found that I feel best when I limit my eating of sugar and processed carbs.  I'll definitely be splurging a bit on vacation, but not at every meal.  Please give me your best tips for healthy and delicious foods that might be available on my cruise!  We are not Aqua Class, but I'm considering placing a Move Up bid but not sure it is worth the $650 per person minimum bid.  

 

[Northern Aurora]

It will be no problem to find delicious salads and soups on Celebrity.  The MDR and Oceanview cafe (buffet) will have lots of options.

[3boyz2keep]

We always enjoy the variety of seafood on board that we usually don't have at home. It's a healthy indulgence.

 

[Georgia_Peaches]

We got off Solstice in March and it was my first cruise EVER where I didn’t gain weight. DH and I had cut sugar and processed carbs from our diets as well so cruising was going to be a true test of will. I have to say, much of the urge to over indulge was gone. 
Here’s what we did:

1.  Stayed away from the buffet

2.  Fruit and bacon for breakfast (room service) we were in a suite

3. lunch at noon, dinner at 8 so plenty of time between meals 

4. cheese plate around 4

5.  Only had dessert twice

6.  Shared a plate of fries on a sea day (so not to feel deprived)

7. Got gelato after returning from a port day

8.  Avoided sugar drinks like mudslide and the like but drank pretty much what we wanted except no beer

 

Our dinner meal was our splurge of the day. We basically ate what we wanted, sometimes even sharing an entree for the table. We passed on the bread most of the time. We still ate some of our favorites like lemon tarts from el bacio.  
 

just keep in mind that a lot of the food, especially the desserts, looks better than it is and if you remind yourself of that, the temptation goes away. 
 

please report back on your strategy and result!

 

Have a great cruise!

[DaKahuna]

@It_Is_Me  The only thing I do not see mentioned yet is to try the Spa Cafe.  They have light and healthy offerings.  You may want to consider having your lunches there instead of the buffet or MDR. 

 

[gold1953]

I never gain on a cruise as I feel so vibrant when I eat healthy! Lots of common sense choices everywhere including the buffet

[rodndonna]

I normally HATE buffets, but on our recent (and only) Celebrity cruise I actually really liked it - the abundance of offerings for healthy eating (we are non-meat eaters with indulgence in fish when out) was really nice.

 

 

 

[Chocolatemom2]

If physically able take the stairs instead of the elevator and visit the gym a few times. There will be plenty of fresh fruits and veggies available I’m sure. And more than likely you can have the meat portion of an entree without the sauce or with it on the side if there is one. 

[tomcruiser1234]

Healthy low carb choices are certainly available on Buffett or in MDR. 

 

Portion size is of course is a must   

 

Choice of alcohol   For us wine is just not always the best choice. Over straight liquor on the rocks. Also pick the times to indulge.  No point in drinking all day.   Enjoy in the evening during shows and after

 

Diet sodas and limit the sugar mixers with drinks 

 

However it is a vacation so you’re not gonna be perfect.  Be responsible but have a good time 😊

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

7 minutes ago, tomcruiser1234 said:

Portion size is of course is a must  

 

My biggest tip for that with the buffet is use a salad-sized plate for everything, not just the salad. Smaller surface = less food put on there.

[cruisinfly]

Regarding Aqua Class, most people book this class specifically for Blu. (My next cruise is Aqua Class.) I don't think the meals in Blu are any "healthier" than any other dining areas on the ship...it's just what you choose to order. The food in Blu is great and the small-dining experience is preferred to the large MDR, but you can choose healthy options everywhere and the food in the MDR is usually really good.

 

Other things you get in Aqua Class are access to the Persian Gardens (meh), a fancier shower-head (ok), a couple of other minor things, and a bottle of wine if you request it (have the drink package).

 

The $650+ pp upgrade cost would not be worth it in my opinion because you do not get the all-included package with move-up. When I booked my current cruise in Aqua Class, the all-included benefits actually made it "cheaper" than booking a regular balcony. I also happened to hit a day while monitoring the price post-booking where they had a price-drop (before final payment) that lowered the cost even more.

[miched]

Blu isn’t really healthy dining.  It was described to me as clean cuisine.  They serve a lot of things that aren’t considered to be healthy for you.

 

There are many choices of food available.  .  
 

The buffet has a lot of choices.   There is a salad bar.  That can be a healthy option but it depends on what you put in the salad.   Bacon chips, processed cheese, salad dressing and etc.    Is a Caesar salad better than the tuna salad or chicken salad and a smoothie from the Spa Cafe?  
 

There is a made to order stir fry station in the buffet.  

Is eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, waffles, hash browns, biscuits and gravy healthier than muesli, fresh fruit, smoked salmon, cream cheese and a bagel?  
 

It is all available for breakfast in the buffet.  

A slice of pizza with a beer to go with the salad?

 

It  is up to you to decide what you think works for you.  
 

Have you ever gone into a restaurant and looked at the calorie count of what you would choose over something that you thought was high calorie and surprised that it wasn’t?   Many things that we would think is better isn’t.

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

 

 

[xamsx]

3 hours ago, It_Is_Me said:

My husband and I are excited to be traveling on Equinox on May 4th.  I've found that I feel best when I limit my eating of sugar and processed carbs.

Got off the Equinox in March. Honestly? The desserts look beautiful, but the taste does not match the appearance. You will have no issue avoiding sweets.

[Vagabond Knight]

3 hours ago, It_Is_Me said:

We are not Aqua Class, but I'm considering placing a Move Up bid but not sure it is worth the $650 per person minimum bid.  

 

We've been in Aqua Class a number of times and don't really consider Blu to be any healthier than the MDR or the Oceanview... it's more of matter of your selections in any of these venues. 

[It_Is_Me]

Such great tips!  Thank-you!  I had forgotten about the Spa Cafe (we enjoyed it on a previous cruise).  I am also excited to hear about the stir-fry station in the buffet.  I didn't recall that from previous cruises.

 

Many times the fruit offerings are whole apples, whole oranges, cut grapefruit, melons, and pineapple.  Any tips for getting fresh berries or fresh mango (my favorites)?  

[Random Cruizer]

I took my first cruise ever last summer on the Equinox, and I didn't gain any weight at all.  I took the stairs, never the elevator.  I didn't eat any bread. I only had alcohol a few times on the whole trip, I would eat a couple bits of my desert.  I had a treat from al brachhio (or however you spell it) a few times. I didn't eat between meals. I also walked up on the top deck every morning at dawn for 30 minutes to an hour.  Oh, and I ate almost exclusively in the MDR or had Raw on 5 for an ala carte lunch.

Edited April 19, 2023 by Random Cruizer

[horseymike]

There are lots of choices. Moderation works well. We have noticed that we actually walk quite a bit 

during an Equinox cruise going from point a to point b for different reasons, also the outside deck on level 5 makes for a pleasant walk during good sea/weather conditions. Even though it doesn’t go all the way around the ship , you can go to the end , cut through the ship and come out on the opposite side. Enjoy your cruise on the Equinox, great ship , wonderful crew.

[Coco54]

Hi.  We and another couple will be on this cruise.  We are in Aqua.  We have never done Aqua, so we shall see. we were able to get a great all inclusive sale deal!  I know the buffet at lunch has excellent salad bars, and I love their pasta bar. The spa cafe has some really good choices. It's just about making the right choices.  There are plenty of options for healthy!  It's their ice cream that kills me on their cruises!!!!

Edited April 19, 2023 by Coco54

[markeb]

I haven’t seen anyone mention Indian food. At least in August, Equinox had a nice selection, including a few vegan dishes, of Southern Indian food at the OVC for lunch. Had some really nice Dahl, for instance. It was hidden, probably next to the General Tso’s chicken 🙄, but was very good. Too much sodium I’m sure…

 

Something else to watch for.