must2cruz Posted September 1, 2012 #1 Share Posted September 1, 2012 We are booked on the Star this February. Can any fellow vegetarians share their dining and food experiences with us? Any and all info will be appreciated. This will be our 9th cruise. We have cruised with RCCL, NCL and CCL. Thank you. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valleyvillage Posted September 1, 2012 #2 Share Posted September 1, 2012 If you are lacto-ovo there will be lots of options. Just about every menu has one vegetarian offering. The buffet has lots of vegetables and usually an Indian vegetarian dish. I am vegan so there are fewer options but they are always ready willing and able to help with soy milk, etc. Have a great cruise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairportNY Posted September 1, 2012 #3 Share Posted September 1, 2012 Just got off the Dawn 8/24 to Bermuda, I am lacto/ovo and had no problem. Always at least one option in each dining room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AttilaTheFun Posted September 1, 2012 #4 Share Posted September 1, 2012 The NCL dinner menus normally note which dishes are vegetarian. You can also sometimes make special requests, such as no meat on the panini in Blue Lagoon. My friend is vegetarian (eats seafood though) and had no trouble on our cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shera1209 Posted September 2, 2012 #5 Share Posted September 2, 2012 I just got back from the Star last week, and I am also a vegetarian. Here were the options: Aqua/Versailles - There are always two vegetarian options each night. Spaghetti is offered every night, and the other option changes per night. One night I had mushroom ravioli, and another night I had some sort of sweet potato tart amazingness. Buffet - There was plenty here... salad, cheese pizza, pasta, egg salad sandwich, rice, potatoes, stir fry... even a vegetarian station at dinnertime. We also had breakfast every day here, and there was eggs, hashbrowns, cereal, fruit, toast, bagels, waffles, pancakes... plenty. Blue Lagoon - Nothing vegetarian on the menu, but I asked for tomato instead of proscuitto on the panini, and that was fine. We didn't go to any of the specialty restaurants, but you can find the menus online. Hope this helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AttilaTheFun Posted September 2, 2012 #6 Share Posted September 2, 2012 FYI the dining room menus can be found here: http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-star-menus.html They are from the Star, but NCL has been using the same menu fleet wide for years. I remember Blue Lagoon having spinach & artichoke dip and maybe mozzarella sticks, but no vegetarian entrees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unboringuy Posted September 2, 2012 #7 Share Posted September 2, 2012 If you are lacto-ovo there will be lots of options. Just about every menu has one vegetarian offering. The buffet has lots of vegetables and usually an Indian vegetarian dish. I am vegan so there are fewer options but they are always ready willing and able to help with soy milk, etc. Have a great cruise! I'm vegan also. Did you find that NCL was very accommodating to your dietary needs. Princess has always been very good in this regard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
must2cruz Posted September 2, 2012 Author #8 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Thanks everyone! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaireAndMike Posted September 3, 2012 #9 Share Posted September 3, 2012 I never had a problem but most often in the MDR I only had one choice of entree. Fortunately, it was always good, especially the ravioli that someone above mentioned. I understand that I'm the one who limits my options by choosing to not eat meat and I am fine with that, but my other concern is that I am also allergic to shellfish. I don't eat seafood but I've gotten very sick from cross-contamination several times so because of this, I'm scared to do the teppenyaki (sp?). I've been to Kabuki and Benihana when I was younger and not had a problem but I don't want to get "sick at sea." But back to the original question, even with my self-restricted diet I was still able to eat way more than I should have! (I am not vegan, I do eat eggs and dairy - for now, anyway). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaireAndMike Posted September 3, 2012 #10 Share Posted September 3, 2012 Oh! The other thing I was going to mention! My family thinks I'm a freak for my non-meat-eating ways so I have never been comfortable asking for special consideration. On one of our excursions, lunch was provided and I didn't bother swinging by the shore excursion desk to request a vegetarian meal (honestly I didn't even know that I could have) so imagine my surprise when they were passing out the food and THREE people had veggie sandwiches! My lunch was a bag of ships and a soda because I have been made to feel so timid about making special requests. I was floored that NCL would've done that for me had I asked. So always ask! Don't be timid like me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
must2cruz Posted September 4, 2012 Author #11 Share Posted September 4, 2012 That's really helpful. We are a family of 4 and all of us are vegetarians. Still do eggs and dairy. Our extended family now accepts this, even at Thanksgiving. Thanks for your information too. :) Oh! The other thing I was going to mention! My family thinks I'm a freak for my non-meat-eating ways so I have never been comfortable asking for special consideration. On one of our excursions, lunch was provided and I didn't bother swinging by the shore excursion desk to request a vegetarian meal (honestly I didn't even know that I could have) so imagine my surprise when they were passing out the food and THREE people had veggie sandwiches! My lunch was a bag of ships and a soda because I have been made to feel so timid about making special requests. I was floored that NCL would've done that for me had I asked. So always ask! Don't be timid like me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slidergirl Posted September 4, 2012 #12 Share Posted September 4, 2012 One thing I noticed through this thread that the vegetarian offerings seem to be carb-heavy (pasta, pasta, pasta). Sure, I can whip up a mean salad at the buffet. I did appreciate the Indian offerings at the buffet, also. I can get my protein fix at breakfast with some eggs. I can get a little bit of protein if I get the veggie burger when offered at lunch at the grills. But, if I go into the MDR for lunch or dinner, what proteins are offered for vegetarians? I want a balanced meal, not just carbs. If I wanted an entree-sized salad, could I ask my server if they could just combine several salads onto one plate? I got rather tired of pasta as my one choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbt518 Posted September 4, 2012 #13 Share Posted September 4, 2012 One thing I noticed through this thread that the vegetarian offerings seem to be carb-heavy (pasta, pasta, pasta). Sure, I can whip up a mean salad at the buffet. I did appreciate the Indian offerings at the buffet, also. I can get my protein fix at breakfast with some eggs. I can get a little bit of protein if I get the veggie burger when offered at lunch at the grills. But, if I go into the MDR for lunch or dinner, what proteins are offered for vegetarians? I want a balanced meal, not just carbs. If I wanted an entree-sized salad, could I ask my server if they could just combine several salads onto one plate? I got rather tired of pasta as my one choice. I'm not a vegetarian but I think if you just wanted 2 salads for your lunch or dinner they'd do that for you no problem. I like to limit my starch intake at dinner (so I can eat dessert! :D) so I've asked for extra veggies and no potato or rice with an entree and they haven't had any problem with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeriv79 Posted September 4, 2012 #14 Share Posted September 4, 2012 My fiancee has not been impressed with the vegetarian options on the cruises we've been on. She always says, "I find it hard to believe on a ship of 2500 people, that I'm the only vegeterian". She does the best she can with what is available. Every post cruise survey, we let them know about it so hopefully, they will eventually add more options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iron9er Posted September 4, 2012 #15 Share Posted September 4, 2012 Thanks for the menu link! Hmmm....my wife is vegan. This may be difficult (it always is). Celebrity was really good about finding something just for her, I wonder how NCL will be? I guess with the variety of restaurants we should be able to find something for her. And if not, the Indian Food in the buffet will have to do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sauer-kraut Posted September 5, 2012 #16 Share Posted September 5, 2012 You can always asked for a plate/dish of steamed veggies at dinner in the MDR this isn't listed on the menu but they are available!! If you are concerned about dishes, speak with the Maitre 'd/Hotel-Bev Manager and ask about getting other vegetarian dishes for your meal. You might have to give up some freedom on when you want to eat or where, but the staff can be made aware and perhaps they can accommodate your request if you order a day ahead of time (like some other special dietary needs people). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
must2cruz Posted September 5, 2012 Author #17 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Thanks again everyone. This all helps! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slidergirl Posted September 5, 2012 #18 Share Posted September 5, 2012 You can always asked for a plate/dish of steamed veggies at dinner in the MDR this isn't listed on the menu but they are available!! If you are concerned about dishes, speak with the Maitre 'd/Hotel-Bev Manager and ask about getting other vegetarian dishes for your meal. You might have to give up some freedom on when you want to eat or where, but the staff can be made aware and perhaps they can accommodate your request if you order a day ahead of time (like some other special dietary needs people). Therein lies my issue. Eating vegetarian or even vegan doesn't mean we want a plate of steamed veggies as our dinner in the MDR. Vegetarian dining is mainstream now, not just a "special dietary need." Sorry, just a mini-rant. Just as a well-balanced carnivore dinner has proteins, starches, and veggies, so should a well-balanced vegetarian dinner. It wouldn't be that tough to produce some veggie protein entrees, or be able to provide the Indian vegetarian offering in the MDR as well. I don't expect a full vegetarian menu, just more than the pasta dishes. We shouldn't be relegated to the buffet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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