You Cruise, You Lose

The Italy-based MSC Cruises is launching a Dukan Diet-themed cruise in late January designed for passengers who want to to “shed kilos, tone up and tan.” The 11-night cruise (Jan 30 to Feb 10, 2012) has been created especially for French-speaking guests aboard the flagship MSC Fantasia, pictured above.

Guests will have the chance to meet Dr. Pierre Dukan himself at a private onboard party. 

Dukan is an MD, nutritionist and "food-behavior specialist" who created the protein-based diet after 20 years of research. The regime became widely known--and wildly popular--in France in the year 2000, with the release of Dukan’s book, I Don’t Know How to Get Slimmer.  (According to the Dukan website, it “has remained the number one diet there ever since.”)  The Dukan Diet Book, as it’s also known, has been published in 32 countries, translated into 14 languages and sold ten million copies. The book was released in the UK in May, 2010 and in the US in April, 2011.

A team of nutritionists, dieticians and a Dukan-trained physician will be onboard to give advice and care throughout the cruise, which departs Genoa and calls at Barcelona, Casablanca, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Funchal (Madeira), Malaga and Civitavecchia (Rome). Even shore excursions and walking tours of the famous ports where Fantasia docks will be part of the structured program.

At the start of the cruise, guests will receive a diet kit and personal health assessment, then get advice on diet and sports training. They’ll also be invited to daily workshops, culinary demos, cooking lessons and seminars.

I write about the cruise industry often and enjoy seeing how clever companies keep creating new theme cruises to lure first-time passengers and keep regulars coming back. From what I can tell, this is the first cruise in which Dukan has been involved.  And whether you like the diet or not, I think this is a great idea: a week to focus on weight loss and fitness while enjoying the amenities of a beautiful ship. I know quite a few people who would love to cruise but say they’re concerned about the overeating, so for them this could be a win-win. Good for MSC Cruises for the idea and good for the passengers lucky enough to go. And good for Dr. Dukan, who is probably making a bundle!

The Fantasia holds 4,000 people but MSC says it’s too soon to know how many will sign on for this particular package. Prices range from 759€ to 2779€ per person (double occupancy), based on cabin class. For more info on the cruise, click here. Meanwhile the Dukan Diet book is on Amazon US here and Amazon UK here.