Vegan success on Solstice

For vegans who are considering Celebrity, but are concerned about food availability:

I was on the Dec 18-26 sailing of Celebrity Solstice, and not only was there a separate vegan menu, but found the crew well informed about vegan dietary requirements, and eager to keep me well fed :)

At the time of my booking, I had my travel agent inform Celebrity that I was a vegan (you can do this on your own if not using a travel agent), and on the day of embarkation, I introduced myself to the maitre d'. He smiled, took out a vegetarian menu, and went over it with me, discussing which dishes I could eat as is, and which the chef could modify for me (and how he would do so). The dishes I chose would be my dinner that night, and he told me that each evening I would be shown the vegetarian menu for the next night, and place my order in advance. (Note: I don't eat sweets, so asked to be served melon and berries each night for dessert, however I was told that desserts would be prepared without honey.)

I switched tables, but it wasn't an issue, because the vegetarian menu was linked to my room number, not my seating assignment (during the cruise I met someone who was on a low sodium diet, and who had open seating, and he also had no issues).

To my surprise, on the third night, the fancy vegetarian menu was replaced with a printed sheet that was headed 'vegan menu'. It was actually more a vegetarian menu, but when I pointed that out to the maitre d', he told me that the chef would prepare any dish on it to match vegan requirements.

There were always 2 or 3 choices for each course, and all were delicious (except for one night, when the dish I chose was so spicy (and I love spicy foods) that it burned my lips at the first bite, and I gave up after a few more bites! :eek:)

The lunch buffet also was a delight- the first day, I was spotted looking around with an empty plate, and was approached by a maitre d'. When I told him I was a vegan, he asked what type of food interested me, and I pointed out that the Indian section looked inviting (there was an 'Indian curry' station each day, with several selections). He placed a call to the chef in charge of that station, who happily pointed out the dishes that were prepared vegan (they were delicious!).

The next day at the buffet (and each day following), a maitre d' found me,

and patiently and pleasantly made sure I found plenty to eat. What a delight!

BTW- in addition to the hot foods, each day at the buffet there were both a salad station which contained a rotating selection of about 20 different cut vegetables, beans, and grains, and also a fruit station with a selection of cut melon as well as a huge bowl of fresh fruit salad, and also several whole fruits. There was also another area with dried fruit and nuts.

It was so nice to not only have no issue with food, but to have such delicious meals that I'm planning (and looking forward to) cruising Celebrity again and again.

Kudos, Celebrity!

Thanks for the great post! On my last cruise with Celebrity, I traveled with a vegetarian and we were also VERY impressed with the way they handled dietary needs. In fact, it was one of the things we made sure to point out on our comment cards about the MDR waitstaff. We found the vegetarian dishes to be tasty, and the staff was thoughtful about helping with choices. I'm glad to hear the service was also excellent for the even more restrictive vegan diet.

Good for Celebrity!

Thank you so much for this feedback! I also am a vegan, but I will go vegetarian if I have to. It is great to hear that they understand the difference and that you were very happy with your options!

Glad to hear that things on the Solstice worked well. For those who have not done these Solstice-type ships, below is one of my favorite places on the ship. Fortunately, it doesn't get too crowded. More details for the Solstice below from my live/blog.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 53,917 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

The Solarium was one of our favorite areas. Food and drinks were nearby and it was very relaxed and sophisticated. Quieter, too, as it is an adults-only area. Two hot tubs here. Not crowded, especially in the evenings. Nice art and design with this facility. Wonderful setting for relaxing and watching the outside water/shore views, enjoying subtle inside action, etc.:

Going on our first cruise in April (14 night Exotic Carribbean on Constellation) for our honeymoon, my future wife is really happy to hear that they are catering to these special dietary needs, as she is vegetarian. One more reason to look forward to cruising.

We were on that cruise as well Ruth and can endorse the vegan offerings in Blu. We are not 100% vegan yet but the creative offerings at Blu nudged me closer.

Oh my gosh, I'm even more excited about our cruise after reading this. We are on the Summit, 11 February. Most of the threads I found were very old.

Question to strict vegetarians or vegans: did you sit at a table with omnivores? Was there an option not to? I know it seems anti-social, but as an animal rights activist I cannot imagine sitting next to someone digging into flesh or eating a lobster. They told me they can probably make up a table of veg*ns if we request as soon as we board. If anyone happens to see this and is going on our cruise, post a message and we can connect!

Thanks all!

Ruth, I just noticed you are Israeli! My son lives in Haifa--3.5 years now. You're a better man than I, since you don't eat sweets. But I wonder for those of us who do, were there actual vegan desserts? Like baked goods or ice cream? My husband's birthday is the 3rd day of our cruise and I'd love him to have some cake! Even if it's not the one I usually bake him (vegan German Chocolate, it's awesome!)

Thanks!!

We are in select dining and plan to dine at a table for 2...perhaps you could request that if they are not able to seat you with just veg*ns...

I don't know what select dining is. But yes, we plan to get a table for 2 if we can't be with other veg*ns. I'd rather have some socializing if possible though!

They told me they can probably make up a table of veg*ns if we request as soon as we board. If anyone happens to see this and is going on our cruise, post a message and we can connect!

To the Roll Call for your cruise; suggest that you stop by, introduce yourself to your fellow cruise mates, and repost your inquiry where it is more likely to be seen by others who will be sharing your specific sailing...

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1407446

To the Roll Call for your cruise;

There's no verb there, but if you are suggesting I post on our Roll Call, I have done that. But knowing how my people roll, anyone searching for veg things may see this too. Celebrity Summit February 11 2012.

Glad to hear that things on the Solstice worked well. For those who have not done these Solstice-type ships, below is one of my favorite places on the ship. Fortunately, it doesn't get too crowded. More details for the Solstice below from my live/blog.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 53,917 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

The Solarium was one of our favorite areas. Food and drinks were nearby and it was very relaxed and sophisticated. Quieter, too, as it is an adults-only area. Two hot tubs here. Not crowded, especially in the evenings. Nice art and design with this facility. Wonderful setting for relaxing and watching the outside water/shore views, enjoying subtle inside action, etc.:

 

Almost want to book a cruise today! :) Your picture captures the relaxing atmosphere of cruising.

Andrea, I see you are fairly new to Cruise Critic -- it's quite common to start a sentence in the "title" and continue it in the body of the message, as Xport did --

He wrote "Here's a link" and "to your Roll Call" -- we tend to do that a lot.

In another post you wrote that you didn't know what Select Dining is. It is an alternative to Traditional, fixed dining times. It allows you to go to the dining room at a time of your choice, which could be the same each night or a different time each night. If that option appeals to you, contact your TA (if you booked with one) or Celebrity to see if that option is available to you. It frequently sells out quickly, so you might not be able to sign up for it on your particular cruise. If you do Select Dining, you must pre-pay your gratuities. If you do Traditional Dining, you pay your gratuities via your on-board account. With Select Dining, it is fairly easy to get a table for two. With Traditional Dining, you would most likely be seated with omnivores, as there are no strictly Vegan or Vegetarian tables in the MDR.

Thanks Cruisestitch. I noticed most people don't use titles at all, so for sure I didn't notice that above the quote.

We're not interested in select dining I don't think. By the time we get back on the boat and cleaned up, we'll be ready for dinner at 8:30. I know they don't have dedicated tables for veg people. But Celebrity told me it shouldn't be a problem to make a table up as long as we ask for it as soon as we board at whatever the ship version of Customer Service is.

That's good to hear.

My friends were on the Solstice Sep 05, 2011 and they were told that there is no vegan menu & they had to eat vegetarian.

So maybe after all the complaints, something was done about it.

Cruisingly Yours

For vegans who are considering Celebrity, but are concerned about food availability:

 

I was on the Dec 18-26 sailing of Celebrity Solstice, and not only was there a separate vegan menu, but found the crew well informed about vegan dietary requirements, and eager to keep me well fed :)

I'm so glad you had a good experience! I'm going to save your post and keep it to give to anyone who asks me about vegetarian/vegan food and cruises!

That's good to hear.

 

My friends were on the Solstice Sep 05, 2011 and they were told that there is no vegan menu & they had to eat vegetarian.

 

So maybe after all the complaints, something was done about it.

 

 

Cruisingly Yours

I'm sorry and surprised that your friends had that experience.

Do you know if they had contacted Celebrity in advance, and notified them that they were vegans? When I identified myself to the maitre d the afternoon of embarkment day, he was expecting me, and had the vegetarian menu at his side, ready to review it with me to see what dishes could be made vegan.

At no time, whether in the MDR or at the buffet, was I told that there were no vegan choices- quite the opposite!

I'm so glad you had a good experience! I'm going to save your post and keep it to give to anyone who asks me about vegetarian/vegan food and cruises!

Great! That's why I posted :-)

I'm sorry and surprised that your friends had that experience.

 

Do you know if they had contacted Celebrity in advance, and notified them that they were vegans? When I identified myself to the maitre d the afternoon of embarkment day, he was expecting me, and had the vegetarian menu at his side, ready to review it with me to see what dishes could be made vegan.

 

At no time, whether in the MDR or at the buffet, was I told that there were no vegan choices- quite the opposite!

I am a bit skeptical as well. I've had the opposite experience in all my contact with Celebrity. In fact, when I called them I spoke to a vegan representative just by chance and she said Celebrity is totally on top of this.

Hi Ruth! Glad to see you back on. Did you see my messages at the top for you?

For vegans who are considering Celebrity, but are concerned about food availability:

 

I was on the Dec 18-26 sailing of Celebrity Solstice, and not only was there a separate vegan menu, but found the crew well informed about vegan dietary requirements, and eager to keep me well fed :)

 

At the time of my booking, I had my travel agent inform Celebrity that I was a vegan (you can do this on your own if not using a travel agent), and on the day of embarkation, I introduced myself to the maitre d'. He smiled, took out a vegetarian menu, and went over it with me, discussing which dishes I could eat as is, and which the chef could modify for me (and how he would do so). The dishes I chose would be my dinner that night, and he told me that each evening I would be shown the vegetarian menu for the next night, and place my order in advance. (Note: I don't eat sweets, so asked to be served melon and berries each night for dessert, however I was told that desserts would be prepared without honey.)

 

I switched tables, but it wasn't an issue, because the vegetarian menu was linked to my room number, not my seating assignment (during the cruise I met someone who was on a low sodium diet, and who had open seating, and he also had no issues).

 

To my surprise, on the third night, the fancy vegetarian menu was replaced with a printed sheet that was headed 'vegan menu'. It was actually more a vegetarian menu, but when I pointed that out to the maitre d', he told me that the chef would prepare any dish on it to match vegan requirements.

 

There were always 2 or 3 choices for each course, and all were delicious (except for one night, when the dish I chose was so spicy (and I love spicy foods) that it burned my lips at the first bite, and I gave up after a few more bites! :eek:)

 

The lunch buffet also was a delight- the first day, I was spotted looking around with an empty plate, and was approached by a maitre d'. When I told him I was a vegan, he asked what type of food interested me, and I pointed out that the Indian section looked inviting (there was an 'Indian curry' station each day, with several selections). He placed a call to the chef in charge of that station, who happily pointed out the dishes that were prepared vegan (they were delicious!).

 

The next day at the buffet (and each day following), a maitre d' found me,

and patiently and pleasantly made sure I found plenty to eat. What a delight!

 

BTW- in addition to the hot foods, each day at the buffet there were both a salad station which contained a rotating selection of about 20 different cut vegetables, beans, and grains, and also a fruit station with a selection of cut melon as well as a huge bowl of fresh fruit salad, and also several whole fruits. There was also another area with dried fruit and nuts.

 

It was so nice to not only have no issue with food, but to have such delicious meals that I'm planning (and looking forward to) cruising Celebrity again and again.

 

Kudos, Celebrity!

Thats good to hear. Special meals are important to many and its good to see X delivered. :)

Question to strict vegetarians or vegans: did you sit at a table with omnivores? Was there an option not to? I know it seems anti-social, but as an animal rights activist I cannot imagine sitting next to someone digging into flesh or eating a lobster. They told me they can probably make up a table of veg*ns if we request as soon as we board. If anyone happens to see this and is going on our cruise, post a message and we can connect!

Thanks all!

I am vegetarian (graduating slowly to vegan), my daughter is vegan and my husband is an omnivore.

Unfortunately, I eat every day with the omnivore. We have developed a sort of mutual tolerance and don't push our convictions on each other.

Ruth,

May I ask you what you would have for breakfast? We've got our own set of dietary restrictions which leaves us for few choices in the morning. It's so that I've been reading up on the vegan diet. Thank you.

Ruth,

 

May I ask you what you would have for breakfast? We've got our own set of dietary restrictions which leaves us for few choices in the morning. It's so that I've been reading up on the vegan diet. Thank you.

I usually eat several pieces of fruit for breakfast; sometimes with a handful of almonds and/or some bread or crackers. ( I eat a LOT of food during the day!)

On the ship, I would often order a bowl of mixed berries and a couple of bananas from room service (you can write that request on the room service order tag you hang on your door at night); when I ate breakfast in the buffet, there was always a selection of cut melon, whole oranges and apples, and a huge bowl of delicious fresh fruit salad. There often was also nuts, dried fruit, and stewed fruit in another area. There is a nice selection of breads, and you can ask one of the servers to find out which are vegan.

I never ate at the Aqua Spa cafe, but I would imagine they would also have several things you could choose from.

Also, because I wasn't sure what the vegan food situation would be on the cruise, I boarded with a few pounds of nuts and dried fruit, and 2 pints of blueberries (which kept well in my mini bar fridge). It turned out, of course, that I could have managed fine without them.

BTW- I didn't check to see if they were available at breakfast, but here in Israel we often eat fresh vegetables in the morning, so if the terrific salad bar that I enjoyed at lunch was also available at breakfast, that would be a great choice, too.

(I never ate breakfast in the dining room, but I'm sure I would have been fine. I avoid processed foods as much as possible, but there probably were packaged breakfast cereals available, too,)

HTH!

Hi Ruth! Glad to see you back on. Did you see my messages at the top for you?

Yes, I did :-). I live in the Jerusalem hills, so a bit of a distance from Haifa.

BTW- I'd appreciate your letting us know how your Summit cruise went (food wise) ; I'm considering booking her for a mid-April cruise.

Re: The discussion about tables, etc..

I found the lighting in the MDR low enough, and the conversation at my table lively enough, that I barely noticed what my table mates were eating. In any case, it wouldn't cross my mind to request a vegan/ vegetarian only table -

Oh, my! Think of all the lovely people I'd have missed out on getting to know these past 30 years if I put that limitation on my choice of dining companions!