My sister and I have a Carnival cruise booked for April.

I'm wondering has anybody been on one (we're going to Mexico) and what was the food like. I'm hoping there will be plenty of LC options.

I'm not so worried about the booze becuase I've cut my alcohol intake to almost nothing except a glass of wine or two.

Love to hear your experiences.

I pray to a higher being that I don't get Norwalk


Progress not perfection.

Lisa

I went on one about 9 years ago.

In the main dining hall for the sit down dinner, there was sually a few meat choices and there were always veggies of some sort, but I don't remember what. I do know if there is something you like one night, you can ask your waitor (you have the same one for the entire week) to have it again the next night if you want (or any night, for that matter)

There are buffets with salad bars with meats and cheeses, and there are grills where you can grab burgers and such at lunch time.

The one I went on was out of LA, and went to Puerta Vallart, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas. That's where my love of Cabo began. Oooooooh Cabo, how I love thee.

That's the one we're going on but it's out os San Diego.

Ok--I've got meat, cheese, grill, salads, someone made a note in my journal there is bacon and eggs for breakfast.

Thank the LC angels I'm past the time when looking at that "stuff" would make me crave it, now it just makes me sick to the stomach. Wow! When did that happen

Progress not perfection.

Lisa

Have a BLAST! We're going to Cabo at the end of May, and I am SO counting the days

Long time cruiser here and I was on Carnival a year or so ago.

There is always a giant chunk of roast beef, omelettes to order (your best LC options will be breakfast), and seafood or other meat options at other meals, with lunch being the least interesting. IMO Carnival ships have the least low-carb options because there isn't a lot of food available (besides snack-y stuff) between breakfast and dinner.

That said, you should definitely be able to find something!
Personally--this is just me--I low carbed right up until the moment I set foot on the ship, then decided to just not think about it for the next few days, starting with the first froo-froo drink someone put in my hand. What!? How'd that get there!?

There is pizza 24/7...and it's pretty good I have to say. So between that, alcohol, midnight buffets, etc. I knew LC was out the door for me.

Lucky for me I practice IF--I usually have 2 meals a day and I don't snack anymore.

I'm not a frou-frou cocktail drinker and neither is my sister so I don't see that as a problem.

I don't plan on letting LC fly out the door. I'm very picky as to what I choose to waste my cheats on. I refuse to waste my cheats on medicore food. But hey, that's just me--now give me a banquet of fresh well made exquiste sushi---I'm your girl.

I'm feeling a lot more confident with the replies you guys have given me. I do plan on packing my normal travel LC stuff so I think I'll be more than prepared.

Lisa

Hey! If you want to get together before you leave, holler at me! We could go out to that Brazillian place that has waiters walking around serving hot meat. Sounds dirty! It's a brazillian steak house. Or I could have you and your sister over for a nice dinner/lunch or what have you.

I've heard that cruise lines are usually really, really good about accommodating special diets, you might want to call 'em up and ask!

I busted out laughing with that!

Hmmmm...hot meat and brazillian waiters---have I died and gone to heaven?

I'll PM you when we have all the flights and stuff confirmed.

Lisa

You think they'd have a problem with 6 scalped pizza crusts?

Oh, Brazilian steakhouses are fantastic. In fact, it was at a Brazilian steakhouse on March 16, 2009, my birthday, that I fully committed to ZC, and never turned back since. This birthday will be my 1 year anniversary.

Have fun on the cruise.

Yum indeed. I work in Newark, NJ - which has a large Portuguese and Brazilian section, and lots of fab restaurants. There is a Portuguese Rodizio place just a 10-minute walk from my office and we have occasionally gone there for lunches and special occasions. How can you beat it? All sorts of delicious meats coming around to the table. I love that place.

At any rate I have never been on a cruise in my life, but I am going on the 2010 Low Carb Cruise organized by Jimmy Moore this coming March. It leaves from Jacksonville, FL and cruises to the Bahamas, but it is also a Carnival cruise, and I would guess all the Carnival ships must be relatively similar.

There will not be any special menu for us as far as I know, as the Low Carb group is only making up about 100 of the 2500 passengers on the ship, but we will all be eating as a group. I have no plans to cheat. I'm not much of a drinker so the frou-frou drinks don't tempt me. And pizza sounds good but I would never eat the crust anyway - and the toppings are usually pretty LC. I figure there are bound to be meats and omelets and things. I may not have salads as I'm sure there will be no dressings I could have (maybe plain olive oil?) but cooked veggies with butter might be an option.

I really don't know what to expect. But traveling with a bunch of other low carbers will probably be good reinforcement on what is available to eat that fits with this WOE.

OOOO Merpig--

I wanted to go on that cruise but by the time airfare, hotel going and coming, and the cruise itself, I just couldn't afford it.

I can't wait to hear how it was.

I went on Carnival Halloween 2003. I stayed low carb during the entire cruise and took the stairs everywhere until about day 5/7. The only time I had anything carby was a slice of bread one morning when the seas were particularly rough - it settled my stomach quickly.

It was super easy to stay low carb.

Have fun!

during lunch, they have the big burger/hot dog buffet outside on the Lido deck. all you have to do is grab as many burgers as you want, or have them give you a bunch of patties. toss any buns they give you.
they have salads on the burger bar, chili, french fries, onion rings, fruit, you name it....

there's also a seafood restaurant on the top floor of the ship.
can't think of the name of it, but they serve fish and seafood in all different dishes..

then there is the deli window around the corner from the hamburger buffet. they have brisket, corned beef, nova, cream cheese, sandwich's...
i like to get the plate of corned beef and large dollop of cream cheese.

there is tons and tons of food and all of it is nearly low carb.
it's easy to avoid foods that don't belong in your WOE.

have a good time.

OK--you guys have me totally convinced that a) I won't starve and b) I'll have a plethora of LC choices.