A Maintainer's Vacation - Trip Recap
 

Well, we're back from our gorgeous week in the Caribbean. We left the day after Thanksgiving and spent the last week reading, lounging, and, well, eating.

I did, though, have a few rules. First, we always took the stairs unless we were wearing heels. That meant an average of 40-50 flights a day (all the main entertainment stuff was on deck 4, we were on deck 11, and the spa/gym/pool were on 12-14). Second, if we could, we walked while in port. We walked 4 miles from the pier to 7 Mile Beach in Grand Cayman, another 4 back from downtown Cozumel to the port, and the big one, a 3.5 mile hiking excursion in Honduras (and it was STEEP...so steep, you needed a walking stick just to help you balance and keep from slipping...weight limit: 250 lbs, so I couldn't have done it before). So there was a LOT of exercise going on in the ports, just to avoid cabs and to see the non-touristy areas.

I also went to the gym twice, on sea days. There is something so incredibly cool about lifting weights or being on the elliptical while watching the sea roll by outside giant picture windows. And they had so much good equipment that I can't access at home - wanted to take advantage! In fact, I lifted the day before we left, which ended up being a bad decision...note to self, don't lift if you're going to be sitting for hours on a plane the next day. Your muscles will get stiff and you'll have trouble getting back up. :o

Our room came with daily fresh fruit, bottled water, and herbal tea, so we had hydration and easy snacks available. Our assigned restaurant was a specialty restaurant that featured lighter and healthier foods...they had the most AMAZING soups I'd ever had, all made of vegetable purees, perfectly seasoned, with no cream or excess butter. There was also a little spa cafe with lovely light breads, fruit, yogurt parfaits, and egg white omelets. Everything we ate was unbelievably amazing. When we needed a quick lunch from the buffet, there was a massive salad bar, so we took full advantage, filling our plates with at least 2/3 salad before taking a little bit of something else we'd want to try.

I'm not in any way going to imply sainthood. I had ice cream 4 times during the trip, and we had cookies and tea before bed twice. We took a cooking class in Cozumel, and you can bet I tried the guacamole, tamales, and quesadillas we made in the class. In Costa Maya, we reserved an all-inclusive beach resort, where we drank (margaritas and mai tais and Corona...oh my!) and were fed until stuffed by our host. I would say I ate something with sugar every day, and I ate every chocolate that they left on my pillow. In airports, we didn't have a ton of time between flights, so we had some convenience foods and snack items going on. And of course, the alcohol...cocktails, wine with dinner, etc.

I didn't deny myself things I wanted. I also didn't eat very much of anything heavy, having little tastes but not overdoing it.

The end result? My scale is .4 lbs LIGHTER than when I left, and still well below redline. And I think I might go a bit lower, given all the airport food/sodium/etc that still needs to work itself out.

So that was what my vacation looked like - so happy to have found balance and maintained while still having a really, really good time.

I attached a photo of me at the top of my hike in Honduras.

That sounds beautiful, particularly the part about working out looking over the sea. Glad to hear you had a great time and got back safe and sound. Living proof that vacation doesn't have to mean stressing about weight gain and overindulging constantly. I'll keep your good choices in mind when I set off to Germany for the New Year...

So glad to read this, Amanda, as I remember you posting when you found this particular cruise, with its spa-cuisine-like option, and how excited we all were to hear of it. (Can you tell us again the name of the cruise line/offering?)

It sounds perfectly blissful.

And like a completely sustainable lifestyle during vacations. Nothing punishing or self-denying about it at all.

(Oh, yes, reading ... I remember reading ... actual books ... as I recall, used to luxuriate in doing that, too, way back in the time Before the Internet. :-( )

What a story! All that joy, cooking classes, and good food, yet no weight gain. Have to reset my notion that cruises have to be food orgies.

Congratulations for doing it in style.

Thanks for the recap! Your trip sounds wonderful. You did amazingly too!

I also am interested in the cruise line and other specifics. My dh and I love to cruise!

I'm still catching up on sleep, but man, it was so fun.

We were on a Celebrity Solstice Class ship (specifically, the Eclipse, but Aqua Class is available on all three ships in the Solstice family - Solstice, Equinox, and Eclipse). The "Aqua Class" stateroom gave us the access to the healthy restaurant (soooooo good. Gorgeous, healthy food I'd love eating even if I didn't want to eat a healthier option. Steaks in appropriate sizes! Veggies! Reduced sugar/not so sweet desserts!), to the spa relaxation areas (steam room, sauna, heated loungers, aromatherapy showers) and a concierge to book your appointments, to fruit/delicious herbal tea/bottled water/evening canapes in the room, to a healthier room service menu, and to upgraded toiletries/linens/pillows/aromatherapy in room. We also had On-Demand yoga videos in the room, which was neat.

The food being SO delicious made it easy to stay on plan. Nothing in the other dining rooms appealed to me so much as the food at Blu - gorgeous, freshly prepared fish, 4 oz filet mignons, lobster tail, duck breast, etc, with gorgeous salads to start. The portions were small enough that you could order 3 courses and still not be overly stuffed. I can't describe how awesome it was enough :D

Wow, Amanda, what a great, great trip! And you look amazing! Many cheers for you--it sounds like life at its best!

Jay

Sounds great! I love the picture!

fabulous :) welcome home!

:) I live in Cayman and that's no easy walk, especially in this heat!....good going!

Amanda, sounds like an awesome trip! I saw your photos on facebook, you and your DW look like you had a great time and you both look amazing!

This post is seriously, so awesome. It gives me hope for maintaining myself, once I get to goal. I love how you enjoyed yourself, but remained healthy, no excuses!

The spa package sounds like a dream! Sauna? Aeromatherapy shower? Fresh fruit? Now THAT'S vacation.

Thank you for your post. DH&I are taking an Alaskan cruise next summer for our 30th anniversary. I will be on the look out for spa menus.

Was this a dream or for real, sounds like an amazing trip!