The moment that you board your ship, there’s going to be food literally everywhere. And for the next however many days that you’re on board, you’ll be surrounded and tempted by it all day long. There’s a reason that the average person gains 10 pounds on a cruise…and it’s because the food is plentiful and delicious! (Seriously – the ice cream machine is open 24/7 and is the pizza restaurant!)

But when you’re living a low carb lifestyle, there are more foods out there that you can’t consume than ones that you actually can. While this used to be a big ordeal, cruise ships have a much better handle on the keto diet and low carb living. Before you book and board your next cruise ship, check out these simple tips for staying on your keto diet while taking a cruise.

Tips for Eating Keto on a Cruise

Being prepared ahead of time and being in the low carb mind frame is what you need to get started. After that, these diet tips will help keep you on track.

• Pack your own healthy snacks

Did you know that you can bring snacks on board the cruise ship as long as they are sealed? Take away the temptation of sneaking down to the dining room in the middle of the night and pack your own healthy snacks instead.

All the rooms on the ship have their own mini-fridges so you can pack vegetables, fruit, protein drinks and anything else that you need to have on hand with ease. It’s much better to load up your stateroom with goodies and stay the course than bog your body down with loads of carbs and sugar.

• Scope out the buffet options before getting in line

I don’t know why but there’s a lot more pressure to fill your plate with food when you’re in line and moving from one course to another. If you separate yourself from that pressure and put eyes on food before getting in that line, you’ll be able to stay stronger to saying no to the pasta and other carb-loaded dishes.

• Always eat a salad first

If you make yourself a commitment to eat a salad before anything else on the ship, you’ll make certain that you’re filling your body full of great nutrients and vegetables that are certain to keep you on track.

• Skip the drink options and say no to the alcohol

This isn’t actually all that hard to do on a cruise because soda and alcohol aren’t included in the price. Even in saying that, you’ll have to be strong because there are always offerings of “sips” and meet and greets that you can attend to score a free drink or two.

Save yourself the calories, carbs, and money and stick to drinking water instead. If you do want to indulge in a diet soda or other low-carb beverage, just bring it directly with you when you’re boarding the boat. As long as they’re sealed and not in plastic bottles, you can bring on your own beverages and drinks as well.

• Tell your waiter in the main dining hall that you’re low carb

If you’re looking forward to attending some of the nice dinners at night and skipping out on the buffet, you’ll have the chance to eat some really amazing food. Plus, during these meals, you’ll have your own dedicated waiter that will serve you and your table every time you attend. Personally, this is my favorite option.

All you need to do is communicate to him or her that you’re low carb and they’ll be able to give you great recommendations or help guide you on what to choose. The hard part is deciding out of all the options that are presented but I can assure you that their nightly menus are full of amazing choices.

Speaking of menus, the menus do change daily in the main dining hall so there’s a chance that you’ll be able to stay on your Keto diet and be able to treat yourself nightly to steak, pork, chicken, and a wide variety of other keto-friendly meals.

• Alter the food on your own

I found myself doing this quite often on the cruise and it really wasn’t that big of a deal. If I wanted some meat that was on a sandwich, then I just ate the meat off the bread and didn’t consume the rest.

There was also an amazing taco and burrito place on our cruise that made the best looking recipes, ever. Most people were splurging on these giant taco bowls filled with goodness and I knew that it was going to put me over the top. All I did was order mine “naked” (which means I didn’t get the tortilla bowl) and instead had it with some lettuce and turned it more into a salad.

It was amazing, I was fully satisfied and I stayed on track with my healthy low-carb lifestyle! I also had prosciutto with melon, so delicious!

While there might be times where you feel as though you’re missing out on some great food and flavor, the truth of the matter is that there are really a lot of great keto food options on cruises. The buffet lines do a really great job of labeling the food and letting you know exactly what it is so you aren’t going to be taking chances on food only to find out that it isn’t what you thought it was.

Is it possible to stay on the Keto diet when you’re taking a cruise? Absolutely. Just follow the simple tips above and you’ll have no problem eating low carb and living your best keto-friendly life.

And more than likely, you’ll be getting off that boat weighing in at the exact same weight that you did when you got on! That’s a true cruise victory if you’re asking me!

Do you have any other tips for eating keto on a cruise?