For the past couple of years, I’ve had the privilege of joining nearly 100 people on a cruise ship during the cold days of winter as we set sail for a luxurious trip to much warmer climates on the beaches of Mexico, relaxing in [...]]]>
2010 Low-Carb Cruise sailing to the Bahamas on Carnival Fascination

For the past couple of years, I’ve had the privilege of joining nearly 100 people on a cruise ship during the cold days of winter as we set sail for a luxurious trip to much warmer climates on the beaches of Mexico, relaxing in comfortable surroundings, and having a truly amazing time with people who all had one thing in common–we absolutely love and adore healthy low-carb living! Our first low-carb cruise in February 2008 was so much fun meeting up with fellow low-carbers that we just HAD to do another one for January 2009. For this year’s cruise we decided to invite some of my low-carb expert friends to join us and it was so magical that I’m itching to go back again.

And we are in 2010…it’s gonna be bigger and better than ever before!

After leaving out of Galveston, Texas port on the Carnival Ecstasy for our first two low-carb cruises down to Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico, we decided to switch destinations and boats for The 3rd Annual Low-Carb Cruise. This time around, we will be leaving out of Jacksonville, Florida port on the Carnival Fascination making our way to luxurious stops in Key West, Florida and Nassau, Bahamas. This will be a pretty nostalgic trip for me and my wife Christine because we went on a cruise down to the Bahamas for our honeymoon way back in 1995. It’ll be the perfect celebration of our 15 glorious years of marriage together. I CAN’T WAIT!

But, what about everyone else? What’s the allure of coming on a cruise like this other than getting to meet some new low-carb friends who you’ve only known online up until now (which is really neat in and of itself, by the way!)? I’m so glad you asked because this year’s list of guest speakers was THE highlight of the cruise (well, that and this karaoke low-carb parody song Dr. Eric Westman and I performed–oh the memories made!).

With that in mind, I’m privileged to announce the first exclusive look at the special speakers we already have lined up to come with board the Carnival Fascination with us on The 3rd Annual Low-Carb Cruise in March 2010:

DRS. MIKE & MARY DAN EADES

The king and queen of livin’ la vida low-carb and passionate defenders of this way of eating, the Eades are probably the last remaining and most famous of the high-fat, low-carb diet authors from earlier this century. Noted for their Protein Power work, these two are constantly working on new projects to educate people about healthy low-carb living. By the time we go on this cruise, their new book The 6-Week Cure for the Middle-Aged Middle: The Simple Plan to Flatten Your Belly Fast! will be out and no doubt they’ll be sharing more about it and what’s going on in their lives with all of us. I’m honored they accepted my invitation to come with us on the 2010 cruise.

DR. ERIC WESTMAN

After having such a moving experience on the 2009 cruise, Dr. Eric Westman said he wouldn’t miss coming back again in 2010. Known for his commitment to quality research on the subject of low-carbohydrate nutrition at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, Dr. Westman also runs the Duke Lifestyle Medicine Clinic there helping real patients overcome obesity, diabetes, and other health issues related to their diet. A humble and kind man, he is certainly a rare breed when it comes to a physician and researcher. I proudly call him a friend and look forward to sharing all of his knowledge and wisdom with the low-carb cruise passengers who come.

DR. WILLIAM DAVIS

You’ve heard him speak on my podcast show and now he’s gonna be coming LIVE on the cruise to the Bahamas with us–Dr. William Davis from “The Heart Scan” blog! This cardiologist is on the cutting-edge of sharing some of the most amazing technology regarding heart health, including the promotion of regular heart scans so you can Track Your Plaque build-up as well as pushing high-dosage Vitamin D supplements for improving health. I’ve been positively influenced by the work of this man and I know all of us will be in for a treat when he comes with us on the cruise.

DR. JAMES E. CARLSON

Another repeat guest from the 2009 cruise, I have so much respect for what Dr. James E. Carlson is doing on behalf of high-fat, low-carb eating and I am confident you will learn much from what this man has to say. Author of an explosive book entitled Genocide: Why Your Doctor’s Dietary Ignorance Will Kill You, the man pulls no punches with his matter-of-fact speaking style. Spending time with him and his soon-to-be wife Monica on this year’s cruise was a lot of fun and I have no doubt in my mind 2010 to the Bahamas will be just as good!

JACKIE EBERSTEIN

How can you have a low-carb cruise and not have who is arguably the #1 authority on the Atkins diet on board with you? She’s registered nurse Jackie Eberstein from Controlled Carbohydrate Nutrition and I’m so excited that she’ll be coming back again to share about her experiences working directly with the late, great Dr. Robert C. Atkins for three decades. The talk she gave this year about the complementary medical practice that Dr. Atkins ran was sensational and I have no doubt in my mind that next year will be EVEN BETTER!

KARLY PITMAN

Finally, another one of my favorite podcast interviews was with Karly Pitman from First Ourselves. Unlike all the other special guest speakers who will be coming with us on the cruise in 2010, Karly is not a researcher, medical professional, or dietitian. She’s a mom who understands what it’s like for women to live in the real world keeping track of the family, the home, and everything else. Karly’s message of hope and inspiration to remember to take care of yourself first is one we will all benefit from when she shares with us.

PRETTY AMAZING GUEST SPEAKERS, HUH?! Well, that’s who we have coming…SO FAR! A few others have been asked and I’m waiting to hear back from them to confirm. Obviously, I’ll let you know when I find out for sure. I am thrilled beyond imagination about this next cruise and anticipate we will be having a very large crowd of enthusiastic low-carbers this time around. If you missed out in 2008 or 2009, then don’t let the 2010 Low-Carb Cruise to the Bahamas pass you by!

Once again, we have the wonderful direction of our cruise director Becky Gandy leading the way organizing the cruise for us. She’s a godsend for doing this because I don’t have the time or patience to deal with putting something like this together from an administrative standpoint. And anyone who has gone on the first two cruises knows just how hard Becky worked to make them the spectacular successes that they were! This next one will be no different and she’s already kicked into high gear with keeping you in the loop about what’s happening.

Please visit our official Low-Carb Cruise Facebook page and join in if you are even remotely interested in going. This will be a great way to get your questions answered by Becky, me, or any of the other Cruise Assistants. Also, there’s a Low-Carb Cruise Community Forum set up so you can get to know your fellow passengers BEFORE getting on the ship together. Of course, we’ll also be talking about it at my low-carb discussion forum quite often, so feel free to share your questions and comments about the cruise there.

Okay, now that you know the who, what, where, why and how, it’s time to tell you about the when and the how much. And I think you’re gonna like it!

Departure from the Jacksonville, FL port will be on Monday, March 1, 2010 at 4:00pm. They generally let you begin boarding early at around noon, although at this year’s cruise there was a two-hour delay getting on the ship. That’s not normal but you should try to arrive early enough so you don’t miss sailing off. We’ll be going to Key West, FL on Wednesday, March 3rd and then Nassau, Bahamas on Thursday, March 4th. The Carnival Fascination will return to Jacksonville, FL port bright and early at 8:00am on Saturday, March 6, 2010. Are you getting excited yet?

Alright, so you’re ready to join us, but are bracing for the cost, huh? Well, if you haven’t been on a cruise before or it’s been a long time, lemme tell you–it’s TOTALLY worth the price of admission and you DEFINITELY get your money’s worth! The 3rd Annual Low-Carb Cruise to the Bahamas costs just $371.46 per person based on a double occupancy inside room. And, surprisingly, Oceanview rooms are just $50 more per person at $421.46. We’ve stayed in both of these kinds of rooms the past couple of years and the room with a window (Oceanview) is WAY cooler. Of course, you won’t be spending much time in there, so it’s your choice.

Something else that was a pleasant surprise the past couple of years is the book company we use called Vacations To Go gave each cabin a $75 credit that can be spent like cash on board the cruise. So it’s like you get a slight refund of your trip instantly when you set sail. And this year we also got a refund from Carnival for part of the fuel surcharge we paid that amounted to about $100, so you won’t have to spend as much extra money for activities and fun on the ship. That was a wonderful thing on the 2009 cruise.

If you’re ready to book this trip now, then CLICK HERE and follow the instructions about putting down your deposit and information. However, you can find out more about the trip, read frequently asked questions, take a closer look at the Carnival Fascination ship, add travel insurance to your trip, and so much more simply by visiting the Low-Carb Cruise page at Vacations To Go.

One final note: Although this is a cruise designed to gather together a bunch of people dedicated to the healthy low-carb lifestyle, ANYONE and EVERYONE is welcome to come including spouses, children, and friends who may or may not be into low-carb diets. We’d love to have you and don’t be surprised if you learn something from the guest speakers who will be giving mini-seminar presentations during the week. And the food served on the cruise is not necessarily catered to low-carb living, although I proved you can easily eat low-carb on a cruise.

Hope to see you in Jacksonville come March 1, 2010!