Loser cruise on Princess: "The Biggest Loser," that is

When "The Biggest Loser" was first announced for TV, we feared it would be an ugly reality program using overweight people as punchlines. But to the contrary, it's a positive show, encouraging participants and viewers to embrace healthy lifestyles and celebrate their successes. So we were delighted to hear an episode aboard a Princess cruise will air on October 4, 2006.

Today's cruise ships offer the full gamut of eating choices, from not-so-healthy comfort foods to tasty-and-wholesome spa cuisine. So in this new season three episode, the series' contestants sail aboard Sapphire Princess to test their ability to make healthy eating choices away from their homebase ranch.

As part of the show, contestants work out in the Lotus Spa gym, use the ship's pools and running track, and dine in the various Sapphire Princess restaurants. They even face off against the midnight buffet.

We'll all have to watch the show to see how they fared, but my guess is they did just fine.

Princess Cruises operates a fleet of 15 vessels, which sail to the Caribbean, Mexico, Europe, and throughout the world. The 2670-passenger Sapphire Princess sails to Alaska, Asia, Australia, and the South Pacific. The "Biggest Loser" segment was filmed during the spring of 2006 aboard a Pacific coastal cruise.