Help with low carb/low sugar drinks

[Fixit2010]

Hi

I am booked on a cruise later this year and need some advice.

I've been given as part of my deal a classic drinks package.

Can I ask, for people that have to watch their blood glucose levels and on low carb diets or lifestyles, what generally is fairly safe to drink from that package?

I want more than tea/coffee/water but I am careful with what I eat or drink. I don't normally drink at home and save that for my cruises but this is my first cruise where I have to be careful.  I used to like a couple of ciders but that is a big no.  Any advice for both alcoholic and soft drinks?  This is new territory for me.  

 

[didicruiser]

Best alcohol choices are Vodka,gin and tequila;

have the least sugar. You can add one of these with diet tonic water or seltzer. Ask for a weak drink to minimize sugar. 

[barbeyg]

I am sailing on RCI next weekend, currently eating low carb, and plan to continue on the cruise.  My go-to drink is going to be a glass of ice water, a shot of good vodka and Mio water enhancers.  If you guys don't have Mio there, it's a flavored water enhancer, sweetened by Splenda.  I don't use Splenda normally, but will for that week.  Great flavors.  My favorites are Tangerine Orange and Strawberry Watermelon.   Mix water, vodka and Mio all together.  The ships don't have Mio, I bring with me.  Other than that, vodka martinis and occasional Bloody Mary/Bloody Caesar -- not too many of these because most tomato juices have some sugar.  

 

And don't forget dry champagne and wines.  Dry Champagne has about 1 gr carbs, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc all have about 3 per glass, and Pinot Noir has 3-4, Cabernet has about 4 gr.

Edited May 5, 2023 by barbeyg

[hcat]

club soda with lime, white wine, diet ginger ale

[Fixit2010]

Do they keep diet cans of sprite on board?

Vodka Martinis sound nice ... shaken or stirred?

 

Edited May 5, 2023 by Fixit2010

[nurse1944]

I drink rum & coke zero during the day time & rum & sprite zero in the evening when caffeine might interfere with my sleep.  Also dry white wines are great.

[Vettegal2]

I recently cruised while watching my sugar as well.  To add to the above suggestions, I brought with me from home a small squeeze bottle of liquid Stevia (or can do Monk fruit etc). I kept in my little purse for coffees or beach bag for pool bar.  

As for alcohol, I would order a Mojito and ask for NO simple syrup then add a few drops to sweeten.  I also did skinny margaritas with club soda, lots of lime and then added my drops.  I also did martinis or vodka on the rocks with lemon or twist.  You can still enjoy and be careful!

[Mark_K]

Pretty much any liquor - bourbon, gin, vodka, etc. - is carb free.  Mix it with a diet beverage of some sort.  Stay away from any alcoholic drink that includes liqueurs, Kailua, etc. Michelob Ultra is 2.6 grams per can and is in the Classic package. Sauvignon Blanc is the lowest carb white wine around 3 grams per 5 oz.

[soniam]

Vodka with club soda and a twist of lime. Some flavored vodkas are zero carb too. I don't know what brand they have on the ships, so you might want to find out in advance. I know most of the flavored Stoli, Grey Goose, Svedka, Smirnoff, and Absolut are carb free. Some of the Deep Eddy and Ketel One flavored are NOT carb free.

 

EDIT: If it's colored, it's probably not carb free.

Edited May 5, 2023 by soniam

[Fixit2010]

Thanks, there seems to be more choice than I thought.  I am not a heavy drinker, probably a couple of drinks in a day and some diet soft drinks.  I do like the sound of a rum and zero.

[thebutlerdidit]

I don’t count carbs, but I’ve had a sugar free rosé several times that I enjoyed. All I recall is that it was from Italy. 

[hcat]

3 hours ago, Fixit2010 said:

Do they keep diet cans of sprite on board?

Vodka Martinis sound nice ... shaken or stirred?

 

very hard to get diet sprite!

[Cap_D]

If it helps, most of the flavorings for drinks (not just coffee) are Monin brand.   So, one can look up the nutritional info,.  Alhere is some Vitamin water bottles somewhere on the ship.  

[Mark_T]

4 hours ago, Cap_D said:

Alhere is some Vitamin water bottles somewhere on the ship.  

Those are not in the Classic package though…

[sptrout]

Nothing to do with cruise drinks, but for home if you like wines; checkout Dry Farm Wines.

Very good wines from Europe, mainly France, that all have no more that 1 carb per 6 oz serving and less than 12% alcohol. We have been buying wines from them for a few years and have been totally satisfied. Not cheap, but not many low carb wines that are good. 

 

https://www.dryfarmwines.com/

 

[bebe08]

I really enjoy a white wine spritzer .  Dry white wine is very low in carbs, and adding club soda witth extra lemon or lime makes it a very refreshing drink.  

 

You can also get almond milk onboard.  I have ordered lattes made with almond milk.  Although sometimes it is sweetened vs unsweetened.

 

 

[JackE]

I ask for club soda with just a splash of cranberry juice and lime. Not terrible for sugars and carbs.

[Fixit2010]

It seems vodka is a good choice or a clear rum but its what to mix it with that is more of a challenge.

[SRQbeachgirl]

Vodka and Coke Zero with a squeeze of lime is my go-to low carb drink.

 

 

[Alsmez]

In my experience, diet tonic water is very difficult if not impossible to find on board. The selection of diet sodas is also very limited. If there is a specific mixer you like, bring a case onboard with you. Otherwise, learn to love seltzer! I often order Bombay Sapphire on the rocks with a lime wedge, then pour in Perrier to taste (ask for a large glass). 

[Fixit2010]

Is it worth then upgrading from the classic package to the premium just for premium carbonated water?  I am guess probably not but lets say in 2 weeks I would use 20 bottles of carbonated water plus the service charge. I don't think the difference in price is going to be that much more for the cost to upgrade.  What do they charge $5 per bottle?  

[the wandering two]

I'm sure the bar tenders would give you a glass of soda water along with your drink of choice. 

Mio is similar to Robinson's Mini no sugar added squash that we have in the UK.

[Fair Play]

I am prediabetic so I understand your concerns. Dieticians are a good resource to confirm. Carbs vs sugar advertising is target market dependent.

I am no expert yet have learned a lot thru training in the "alcohol sector". Generalized summary in this post, available from the supplier's web pages or health links.

 

Wine - Many Old World drier wines (eg. France, Italy) have higher alcohol % (13-14%) = generally less residual sugar remaining. Type of grape is not always a reliable indicator. If they stop the fermentation process earlier, more sugar remains. Popular process in some Blends from North America making them approachable to a wider variety of customers. 

Few random Examples: Australian Cab Sauv 14.5% with 3g/l sugar, French dry Rose 13% with 2 g/l (1/2 tsp), Prosecco 11% with 18g/l, Italian Moscato 5% with 114g/l (27 tsp)

Read the wine label for % of alcohol (traditionally 13-14% is a better zone). Most cruiseship servers have no idea, a skilled Sommelier will be a great help. Spritzers are lovely!

Beer - as another poster mentioned, there are a few low carbs on the market. Good options.

Hard Alcohol options - most plain are 0 carb & 0 sugar (distilled), just calories from alcohol - straight up, with a cube, diet mixers or carb soda with a slice of lemon or lime. Unfortunately, fruit juice is sugar.

Coolers/Ciders - most are quite sweet, a few low sugar out there now using substitutes.

Liqueurs - sadly, have very high sugar, dairy contains some glucose. Eg. Amaretto per Oz = 109 Cal with 11g sugar or carbs/Oz 

 

Classic package has a few fairly decent wines (good French Rose during our last cruise). If you enjoy straight hard alcohol, you may decide to bump up a level or pay xtra by the glass as we did for a few Martinis. Not sure if you can change during the cruise if Classic is not likeable enough.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

 

 

 

 

[Fixit2010]

Thanks Fair Play, that is really useful.  Im still fairly new to this and it's a minefield trying to understand what is "safer" and what is not. 

[Mark_T]

6 hours ago, Fixit2010 said:

I don't think the difference in price is going to be that much more for the cost to upgrade.  What do they charge $5 per bottle?  

... about £18 per person per day...  you'd be better off just paying for the 20 bottles of water...