Dalila Roglieri on Joy, Science, Cruising, & the Pursuit of Wellness
Dalila Roglieri knows that not every passenger boarding a cruise thinks of themselves as a wellness traveler. The registered nutritionist and former professional tennis player has spent more than 15 years working across clinical nutrition, sports nutrition and luxury hospitality, and now leads the development of Crystal’s Wellness at Sea program.
“Sometimes it can feel like, ‘I’m going on a cruise. I would like to drink wine. I would like to eat food. I don’t want a doctor looking at my plate,’” Roglieri said.
That was part of the challenge she wanted to solve: “I wanted to design a program that would specifically meet the needs of wellness enthusiasts. But at the same time, I wanted to make sure that all the other passengers onboard could enjoy the program as well and not feel intimidated.”
And, according to Roglieri, many of them do join in.
“We start with maybe 40 guests that are specifically on board because of wellness. At the end of the cruise, we have 100 guests taking part in the program, because it becomes a positive vibe between all our guests, and they start encouraging themselves to be part of the program.”
That idea — making wellness feel approachable rather than intimidating — runs through much of Roglieri’s work with Crystal.
From the Court to the Cruise Ship
“I was a professional tennis player,” she said. “Then I realized I could not play professionally for my entire life. And I had my passion for nutrition, so I studied nutrition.”
She earned a degree in nutrition biology from the University of Urbino and went on to pursue further study in sport nutrition and oncology nutrition. She established a private practice in Bari, Italy, and her professional background includes work with Kellogg, Danone and other food and hospitality companies.
One of the key relationships in Roglieri’s career began with Cristina Levis, now CEO of A&K Travel Group.
“I actually had the luck to meet our current CEO, Cristina Levis,” Roglieri said. “She was at Silversea before. We had an interview together, and she introduced me to luxury hospitality because they were looking in this period for a nutritionist for their wellness project.”
What began as a short assignment turned into a much longer chapter.
“It was, at the beginning, like one voyage. But then it became four years.”
“So, after four years, full time working on the ship, it was enough for me.”
She returned to Italy, focused on her private practice, and continued building her expertise.
Years later, after Levis had moved to the parent company of Crystal, the two reconnected.
“Our CEO called me back saying that A&K bought Crystal,” Roglieri said. “And she just told me, ‘Would you like to be our Wellness Ambassador and be in charge of the entire design of the project?’”
“For me, it was a fantastic opportunity.”
“I feel grateful to have the opportunity to be in charge of the entire program. In this moment, I can really use my qualification as a wellness specialist on cruise lines and as a nutritionist for the project.”
Finding the Right Balance
Wellness is one of those words we hear everywhere now.
But Roglieri’s definition comes from years of listening to patients.
“Wellness for me means a balance between different core pillars, which are nutrition, physical activity, mental well-being, and education in longevity science.”
Passengers do not have to approach all four pillars in the same way.
“Maybe on one cruise we work on the nutritional side,” she said. “On another one, we start working on mental well-being. Of course, we have passengers that come onboard and follow all the different core pillars.”
Passengers take part in an AquaFit class during a Crystal Wellness Retreat. Credit: Crystal Cruises Passengers take part in a yoga session aboard a Crystal cruise ship. Credit: Crystal Cruises A sound bath session aboard a Crystal cruise ship. Credit: Crystal Cruises
While balance is central to Roglieri’s definition of wellness, nutrition remains at the center of her own expertise. But she is quick to give the chefs their due.
“Chefs are the masters of the flavors, of the creativity and dishes,” she said.
Her job is to bring nutrition science into that creative process.
“For balancing the recipes from a nutritional standpoint, we needed a program in which I could make sure that, for instance, fat, sugar, carbohydrates were in line with the nutritional needs of our guests,” she said.
“We have everything in a database with all the recipes nutritionally balanced.”
She added that Crystal has developed more than 500 plant-rich recipes connected with the wellness program.
Fruit- and herb-infused waters are featured as part of Crystal’s wellness culinary offerings. Credit: Crystal Cruises A vegan Green Goddess Buddha Bowl is labeled with calories, carbohydrates, protein, and fat as part of Crystal’s wellness culinary offerings. Credit: Crystal Cruises Crystal’s Chickpea Potato Tagine, featured among the line’s wellness culinary offerings. Credit: Crystal Cruises
In practice, that means some back-and-forth with the chefs.
“When one balancing correction was not providing the result in flavor that they wanted, they would tell me that was not possible. Then we would go back to the recipe, adjusting it until we were both agreed on the result.”
There is science in the process, but there is still a plate at the end of it. It has to taste good.
Living Longer, Living Better
Longevity is one of the four pillars Roglieri includes in her definition of wellness, but she is well aware the term has become fashionable.
“Everything is longevity now,” she said.
Rather than use it as a catch-all, Roglieri prefers to talk about education in longevity science.
“I call it education in longevity science because we provide passengers lectures in different themes and topics related to longevity.”
For Roglieri, the point is not simply living longer. She pointed to mobility as a simple example of what that can mean.
“It’s not only important the years we add in our life, but how well we live these years. It’s different if you cannot walk and if you can walk well when you are 70, 80 or 85 years old.”
The subject also changes from one retreat to another.
“On each Wellness Retreat voyage, the longevity expert changes, the topics change, because we have wellness enthusiasts come aboard cruise after cruise,” she said. “Every Wellness Retreat voyage — even if the philosophy and the core pillars are the same — is not the same.”
Putting the Joy in Wellness
Roglieri does not think wellness should feel reserved for people who are already immersed in it. She has noticed that some programs can send exactly that message.
“When I look at them, I already can see that most of them are directing their attention to the people that are already fit. They already eat well,” she said. “This can be a choice, but as I was saying before, it can also sometimes intimidate.”
Her advice for passengers is simpler.
“Just enjoy it. Enjoy the program in general, enjoy the possibility to introduce wellness while traveling.”
That approach can take different forms.
“We are tailoring also voyages for pickleball enthusiasts.”
Roglieri said programming includes a professional coach, on-court and off-court training, fitness classes connected to the sport and a pickleball night party.
One of her own activities, the Blind Tasting Experience, takes a different approach.
“It’s a funny competition between teams in which guests taste ingredients blindfolded,” she said. “We have so much fun because guests really get competitive.”
A passenger takes part in Crystal’s Blind Tasting Experience. Credit: Crystal Cruises Dalila Roglieri leads blindfolded passengers during Crystal’s Blind Tasting Experience. Credit: Crystal Cruises
“They don’t guess ingredients that they usually eat almost every day. With their eyes covered, they cannot realize that they are eating something like spinach or a tomato.”
For Roglieri, that enjoyment is not separate from the purpose of the program.
“The joyful part of the program is as important as the scientific part.”
Next Up, SANCTUM: Crystal’s next Wellness Retreat sails in October 2026, roundtrip from Lisbon aboard Crystal Serenity. The voyage will feature SANCTUM, a music-led mindful movement practice, alongside nutrition consultations, fitness, yoga, sound healing, and longevity programming.
