Shipshape and brisker fashion

Legendary cruise ship buffets needn't spell a four-stone weight gain at disembarking time, as Heather McCracken set out to prove on a three-day Antipodean jaunt

When you're thinking of a healthy getaway, a cruise is not the first option that comes to mind. Think cruise ship, think buffet.
And for many, that's the attraction: indulging in sumptuous food and fine dining.
But can a cruise actually be good for your waistline? That's the challenge I set for three nights on board the Rhapsody of the Seas, a new Royal Caribbean superliner cruising in New Zealand and Australia.
From Wellington to Sydney, on the last three days of an 18-day cruise, I'd enjoy healthy pastimes and good food, while still relaxing - and maybe indulging a little.
The capital puts on a sparkling day for me to board, including a pod of dolphins playing alongside the ship as we cruise out of the harbour.
Heading out to sea, it seems like a good time to make my first call to the buffet.
The ship's Windjammer Cafe is open for all but a few hours during the night, when a snack buffet and room service fill the gap.
The buffet selection is more extensive at lunch and breakfast, but substantial meals are available throughout the day.
I stick to grilled fish and salads, leaving room for a snack of scones with jam and cream in the afternoon - after my first visit to the ship's gym.
On the top deck at the ship's stern, gym-goers enjoy a spectacular, ever-changing view and for my first workout I'm treated to the sight of Wellington slipping away behind us.
At dinner at Edelweiss, the ship's elegant a-la-carte restaurant, I choose the "vitality" options, signalling low-fat choices - with a little help from my waiter, who correctly advises the apple tart on offer is delicious.
But at 11pm I'm confronted by a surprise chocolate buffet: chocolate-dipped strawberries, chocolate truffles, chocolate eclairs, chocolate cocktails, even a giant chocolate Neptune.
My willpower fails. Cruise ship one, me nil.
To redeem myself, day two starts with an early-morning stretching class, immediately followed by a conditioning class.
Most of the other guests have a good 20 or 30 years' seniority on me, but there is no room for complacency. Cruisers are fit. They humble me.
Making the sessions more difficult, the ship is noticeably rolling: it's a little like doing aerobics after knocking back several stiff vodkas.
Feeling seasick, I skip the breakfast buffet and join a "walk-a-mile" session on deck, hoping to walk off my nausea in the sea air.
Four laps of a marked track around the ship's top deck is a mile - and the track is well-trodden, in all kinds of weather.
Still feeling queasy, I finally request complimentary anti-nausea pills and take a break before dining in Brasserie 30 - Edelweiss restaurant in its lunchtime guise, where a popular feature is the made-to-order salad bar.
Afternoon activities (when I'm feeling much better) include a hearty game of crew-versus-guests pool volleyball, and a gym session.
Dress code for the evening is formal, and the glitz and glamour nudges me towards indulging in a dessert of cherries soaked in kirsch with vanilla icecream. Heaven.
The next morning, the sea has a liberal dusting of whitecaps, and I find myself keeping within arm's reach of a railing to avoid stumbling.
At the gym, I'm briefly confused as to how I've managed to accidently set the treadmill on to random hill climb, as it keeps pitching steeply with no warning - until I realise it's not the treadmill moving, but the ship.
Indoor pursuits available in bad weather include table tennis, card games, trivia, bingo, the indoor pool and the beauty spa, where hot-stone massages are among the treatments on offer.
When the rain clears, I finally get my chance at the outdoor rock-climbing wall.
Towering above the stern, the wall opens for several hours a day while at sea, depending on the weather.
When it's dry enough, I strap on my harness and launch myself at the beginner's course.
And then fail. Try again, and fail. It takes only a few minutes to be defeated: once again I've been humbled by much older passengers who have nimbly scampered to the top.
The final night's dinner is punctuated by fond farewells and exchanges of contact details between passengers, but for me, the big finale will come early on the last morning, as the ship slides into Sydney Harbour.
It's an early start, but the coffee is already flowing at the Windjammer Cafe as the ship glides through the harbour in darkness.
As the sun starts to peek over the horizon, the view of the city is glorious - a moment spoiled only by the ship's ever-present piped music playing Who Let the Dogs Out.
I enjoy one more hearty buffet breakfast before packing and going ashore.
I'm not sure that I met my challenge of coming ashore healthier than I went on board. I got plenty of exercise, but was seduced by the fine dining - the scallops and saffron broth and slow-cooked crispy duck and white chocolate cheesecake.
All in all, I'd call it a tie.

* Heather McCracken travelled on the Wellington-to-Sydney sector of an 18-night Australia and New Zealand cruise on Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas. The cost for the total cruise, per person based on twin occupancy, ranges from A$3485 ($4635) for an interior stateroom, to A$4935 for a balcony stateroom, A$6015 for a junior suite and A$14,185 for a royal suite. This cruise will next be available on Oct 31, 2011 and March 6, 2012.
* For further information, go to www.royalcaribbean.com.au or ph 0800 102 123.