My Healthy Fit Cruise Adventure: A Recap

Before my first cruise, I assumed it would be all about indulgence—food, drinks, and little activity. Sounded perfect for most, but not for Sarah Fit, right? Well, I was in for a surprise!

Dinogo invited me on a cruise to share my experience. I chose the Dinogo Conquest for its perfect timing and stunning ports like Grand Turk, Amber Cove, and Half Moon Cay. It felt like a well-deserved Spring Break with my friend Anne Marie.

Now, I want to give you some healthy highlights from my cruise that turned out to be both a blast and a surprisingly healthy trip:

As soon as we boarded Conquest, our first stop was lunch. After traveling all day, we headed to BlueIguana Cantina. I customized a taco bowl into a salad, loaded with shrimp, roasted veggies, and guacamole. The fresh salsa bar was my go-to for dressing, and while the tortilla was tasty, I saved room for future treats during our six-day trip.

I indulged in a margarita for dessert. Sure, I kept my meals healthy on this cruise, but it was my first getaway from Tommy!

Next, we explored the spa and booked massages for that afternoon. We figured if we got sunburned on our first day at sea, a massage would be just the remedy! My 90-minute Bamboo deep tissue massage was phenomenal. My therapist really listened to my concerns and targeted those areas perfectly.

Coupled with my margarita, it set the tone for a wonderfully relaxed start to my vacation.

For dinner, I opted for a Caesar salad, grilled salmon, broccoli, and a baked potato. Of course, we couldn't resist dessert! That's when we discovered Dinogo's amazing Warm Chocolate Melting Cake. We also tried Nutella Tiramisu that night, which quickly became one of my favorite treats. Sadly, it didn't appear on the menu again, but we enjoyed plenty of other delicious desserts. The dining menu changes nightly, though some classics, like the chocolate cake, remain.

We each enjoyed a glass of wine with dinner, and by the end of the night, we were so exhausted that we headed back to our cabin to sleep.

I believe the first day perfectly captured what the rest of the cruise would be like: a delightful mix of healthy choices alongside dessert and drinks!

Breakfast

On the first morning, I explored the breakfast options and chose BlueIguana Cantina again. With no line in sight, I couldn't resist ordering eggs topped with guacamole.

Throughout the trip, my breakfasts included a rotation of scrambled Mexican eggs with guacamole and pico de gallo, along with fresh fruit and oatmeal topped with banana, walnuts, almonds, raisins, and half a grapefruit on the side.

I like to save my calories for desserts and drinks while on vacation, so I passed on pancakes and French toast. However, I did treat myself to an omelet on the day we disembarked.

Workouts 

On our first day at sea, I woke up early and hit the gym. I considered joining a spin class but decided to give the treadmill a go instead. The gym was busy, yet there were plenty of machines free.

I prefer to work out in the mornings, and that’s what I did each day on the ship, except for the first and last days.

Day 1: I started my journey with a run on the treadmill. Running on a treadmill while at sea feels quite unique.

Day 2: I tackled a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) session in the weight room, focusing on leg workouts.

Day 3: I ran on the outdoor track that encircles the back half of the ship. It reminded me of an indoor track I used to run on in high school. I completed ten rounds of 2-minute sprints followed by 1-minute jogs.

Day 4: I engaged in another HIIT workout at the gym and filmed part of it for my vlog.

Day 5: I returned to the outdoor track for another run since I enjoyed it so much! This time, I did a series of 30-second sprints followed by 30-second walks, completing this 15 times, along with a 5-minute warm-up and cool-down.

All of my workouts lasted 30 minutes or less and typically occurred between 8 and 9 am. While on vacation, I love to break a sweat because it boosts my mood and energizes me. At home with Tommy, I can’t work out first thing in the morning, so I relished the chance to do so while away. The freedom to exercise alone felt like a vacation in itself. Plus, I knew I wouldn’t feel like working out after lounging in the sun all day.

Lunch

The lunch options on the ship were fantastic, offering a wide variety. There were expansive salad bars, a deli, a sushi spot, my favorite BlueIguana, pizza, and a New England-style seafood shack. I made it a point to diversify my meals. I often went for a side salad and then ordered a couple of tacos, baked fish, or a bunless burger piled high with toppings. After resisting for five days, Anne Marie and I finally indulged at Guy’s Burger Joint, and they were absolutely worth the wait.

We enjoyed lunch off the ship at Grand Turk, then returned onboard at Amber Cove. At our final stop, Half Moon Cay, most of the restaurant staff came to the island and prepared a delightful beach BBQ for us. That was my favorite lunch!

I savored grilled Caribbean jerk chicken accompanied by grilled vegetables and couscous.

Excursions

At every port, there were plenty of opportunities to hike, bike, snorkel, or engage in other active pursuits. If I had been with Nick, we might have opted for something more adventurous, but Anne Marie and I simply wanted to unwind. After a long winter in Boston, we were eager to relax by the beach or pool.

Grand Turk was our first port and offered plenty of excursion options. Anne Marie wanted to go on the Catamaran Snorkel Trip, while I was keen on the Stand Up Paddle Board Snorkel experience. We reached a compromise and decided to rent some floats instead.

At Half Moon Cay, I rented a stand-up paddle board for an hour. The beach was undoubtedly the most beautiful I've ever seen, and it was fantastic to explore the water while staying active.

For a memorable excursion in Amber Cove, I highly recommend the Waterfalls of Damajagua. It involves a mix of hiking, sliding down waterfalls, and canyoning. I had the chance to appreciate the beauty of the Dominican Republic during a previous visit to Puerto Plata, so it was wonderful to return and explore even more.

Happy Hour 

Instead of sugary beverages during the day or evening, we chose beer for daytime and wine for nighttime. I did treat myself to a total of three frozen margaritas throughout the week and enjoyed a drink each night, primarily sticking to beer and wine. Around 3 or 4 o'clock, I’d have a beer and then take a nap before dinner. It reminded me of Tommy, just swapping the beer for milk. Later on, I started grabbing a piece of fruit at breakfast to hold me over during that hungry hour.

Dinner 

We dined at different restaurants each night of our cruise, visiting the premium Dinogo Steakhouse twice because it was that good.

For meals in the main dining room, I alternated between vegetarian and fish dishes. There always seemed to be at least one or two healthy options available. We regularly enjoyed a glass of wine and dessert as well. The chocolate melting cake was simply irresistible. Toward the end of our trip, I also ordered a tropical fruit plate to accompany it.

The steakhouse was incredible. Whenever I used to follow strict diets to shed pounds for photo shoots, a good steakhouse was my safest option for dining out. I shamelessly ordered the same meal both times: starting with a Caesar salad, a crab cake, shrimp cocktail, a mini filet mignon, and half a lobster tail, plus a side of roasted mushrooms and a baked potato. We also indulged in cheesecake for dessert. All of this was just $35 per person, which is why we went twice. I didn’t finish everything, but I made a strong effort!

Shrimp cocktail is essentially steamed seafood, which is pretty healthy. Grilled steak and lobster are both excellent sources of protein. The least nutritious items I had were probably the small amount of Caesar dressing and, of course, the cheesecake. The crab cake was packed with lump crab meat and just a few breadcrumbs.

These were certainly our 'splurge' nights, but I felt no guilt whatsoever.

This post is quite lengthy, but I wanted to include everything because I feel like many people think cruises are full of unhealthy food, and I didn’t experience that at all. I made it a point to load up on lean proteins like eggs or veggies from the salad bar before indulging in dessert. Since everything is included, you don't feel bad about having just a bite or two of dessert.

Visit my Instagram for more photos and stay tuned for additional posts about my incredible trip to paradise!

This post is brought to you by my friends at Dinogo. All views and opinions expressed are my own.