Vegan at the buffet

The last two times we sailed my wife was a vegetarian so we found plenty to each at the buffet areas. Since then she went full vegan.

Does anyone has experience in whether there is much offered in the way of vegan food at the buffet.

I would imagine ordering vegan at the dining room would be possible, but typically we don't dine there a lot.

I did s search for this subject but didn't see anything.

Thanks.

With any kind of dietary restriction, I believe you would be better off eating in the main dining room instead of the buffet.

In the dining room, your wife would order meals the day before from the head waiter. He would know what items are vegan and what items are not. By ordering a day ahead, they would be able to modify some items that are not normally vegan to make them vegan. Princess does a really good job of dealing with dietary restrictions in the dining room.

There is no real way to know what food would meet her needs on the buffet. Some items may contain meat or are cross contaminated with varying cooking methods. I agree with the advice to eat in the MDR IF she is concerned.

There is no real way to know what food would meet her needs on the buffet. Some items may contain meat or are cross contaminated with varying cooking methods. I agree with the advice to eat in the MDR IF she is concerned.

I guess we would trust them if they listed a food as vegan. I can't remember seeing such signage in the buffet but then again I wasn't looking either.

Yes, I agree the MDR is a more sure fire method of eliminating the use of foods she doesn't want to eat.

Ask one of the chefs to walk the food line with you.

I sailed on the Golden Princess for 77 nights as a vegan though I do occasionally have seafood. I always had plentiful options in the buffet. There were usually four special salads each day, and generally at least one (usually two) were vegan. The galley crew is very good at checking on specific ingredients. The oatmeal is vegan, the salad bar is large and soy milk is available on request.

Crystal and Pescado...thanks for your input. As with a lot of people, the food we had was a big part of us enjoying our cruise, and I was concerned she might not have many options.

The last two times we sailed my wife was a vegetarian so we found plenty to each at the buffet areas. Since then she went full vegan.

 

Does anyone has experience in whether there is much offered in the way of vegan food at the buffet.

 

I would imagine ordering vegan at the dining room would be possible, but typically we don't dine there a lot.

 

I did s search for this subject but didn't see anything.

 

Thanks.

Plenty to eat and more options than the MDR.

Princess does a really good job of dealing with dietary restrictions in the dining room.

I’ve been a Vegan for 45 years. Many foods at the buffet are suspect from a vegan point of view. Vegetable soup with chicken stock as an example. Of course, we don’t just eat salad !! Best bet is eating in the dining room. When I first board I contact the Maitre’d as soon as possible. Find out who my head Waiter will be and give him a list of foods I will eat and foods I don’t want to eat. I also like to have a table for two (or as small as possible) as nothing is worse than eating with a table full of meat eaters.

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I’ve been a Vegan for 45 years. Many foods at the buffet are suspect from a vegan point of view. Vegetable soup with chicken stock as an example. Of course, we don’t just eat salad !! Best bet is eating in the dining room. When I first board I contact the Maitre’d as soon as possible. Find out who my head Waiter will be and give him a list of foods I will eat and foods I don’t want to eat. I also like to have a table for two (or as small as possible) as nothing is worse than eating with a table full of meat eaters.

 

 

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Yes you are right, the use of animal products can be easily overlooked even when preparing vegan food for those not accustomed to it.

As a meat eater I would have to disagree with you though. I would think sitting across from a judgemental vegan would be worse. :)

nothing is worse than eating with a table full of meat eaters.

I dunno... genocide's up there..... /s

Personally unless you can plainly see the ingredients/components in the buffet dishes, I'd steer clear. You don't know what stocks, eggs, dairy etc might be used in the preparation of the dishes, at least at the MDR you can make special orders and instructions.

Ask one of the chefs to walk the food line with you.

As helpful as they may be, it is best to deal with a headwaiter at the buffet. He/she will fully understand what you are asking and if not knowing the information about an offering, will seek out the correct answer and not make a guess as to what the answer is.

Obviously eating vegan is challenging on a cruise ship. I do not know, for example, if they have any cake or cookies that do not contain a dairy item as an ingredient.

I’ve been a Vegan for 45 years. Many foods at the buffet are suspect from a vegan point of view. Vegetable soup with chicken stock as an example. Of course, we don’t just eat salad !! Best bet is eating in the dining room. When I first board I contact the Maitre’d as soon as possible. Find out who my head Waiter will be and give him a list of foods I will eat and foods I don’t want to eat. I also like to have a table for two (or as small as possible) as nothing is worse than eating with a table full of meat eaters.

 

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It looks tempting, doesn't it. :D

I’ve been a Vegan for 45 years. Many foods at the buffet are suspect from a vegan point of view. Vegetable soup with chicken stock as an example. Of course, we don’t just eat salad !! Best bet is eating in the dining room. When I first board I contact the Maitre’d as soon as possible. Find out who my head Waiter will be and give him a list of foods I will eat and foods I don’t want to eat. I also like to have a table for two (or as small as possible) as nothing is worse than eating with a table full of meat eaters.

 

 

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I agree with you, I’d prefer not to eat at a table with many people eating multiple courses containing meat. Contrary to what other posters replying to this post seem to think, I do not miss meat, I don’t want to eat it, and I am not judgemental of others who choose to eat meat. If I was sitting at a table with meat eaters, I wouldn’t say a word to them about their choice and hope that they in turn wouldn’t feel compelled to question me about how much protein I get, don’t I miss bacon? etc. etc. Meat eaters probably wouldn’t be thrilled at having to sit at a table with other cultures who are eating cat or dog (totally normal and accepted in some parts of the world)—that’s how I feel about eating meat of any kind. Although we’ve requested a table for two on our next cruise (not for any reasons to do with being vegan), I realize that it isn’t guaranteed and hopefully whoever we end up sitting with won’t pass judgement on us, just as we won’t on them.

I’ve been a Vegan for 45 years. Many foods at the buffet are suspect from a vegan point of view. Vegetable soup with chicken stock as an example. Of course, we don’t just eat salad !! Best bet is eating in the dining room. When I first board I contact the Maitre’d as soon as possible. Find out who my head Waiter will be and give him a list of foods I will eat and foods I don’t want to eat. I also like to have a table for two (or as small as possible) as nothing is worse than eating with a table full of meat eaters.

 

 

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Your point could easily be made without insulting people.

I agree with you, I’d prefer not to eat at a table with many people eating multiple courses containing meat. Contrary to what other posters replying to this post seem to think, I do not miss meat, I don’t want to eat it, and I am not judgemental of others who choose to eat meat. If I was sitting at a table with meat eaters, I wouldn’t say a word to them about their choice and hope that they in turn wouldn’t feel compelled to question me about how much protein I get, don’t I miss bacon? etc. etc. Meat eaters probably wouldn’t be thrilled at having to sit at a table with other cultures who are eating cat or dog (totally normal and accepted in some parts of the world)—that’s how I feel about eating meat of any kind. Although we’ve requested a table for two on our next cruise (not for any reasons to do with being vegan), I realize that it isn’t guaranteed and hopefully whoever we end up sitting with won’t pass judgement on us, just as we won’t on them.

I don't think meat eaters would mind eating with vegetarians at all or even make one comment.

They just enjoy everything. :cool:

As helpful as they may be, it is best to deal with a headwaiter at the buffet. He/she will fully understand what you are asking and if not knowing the information about an offering, will seek out the correct answer and not make a guess as to what the answer is.

 

Obviously eating vegan is challenging on a cruise ship. I do not know, for example, if they have any cake or cookies that do not contain a dairy item as an ingredient.

If you are concerned about cross-contamination, the waiters in the buffet can serve your plate direct from the kitchen instead of from the buffet. Passengers will move serving utensils from one item to another and contaminate dishes from things from other dishes.

Hi, sorry to jump in and hijack the thread but wondered if any recent vegan cruisers on Princess can answer my question.

Last time we sailed w Princess (2016) we couldn't even get dairy-free spread onboard. No dairy-free ice cream. Cheese in a lot of veggie dishes. We dined great in the MDR but buffet was often a struggle, having to find staff to tell if the vegetarian marked soup was indeed vegan or veg served with butter. And the cheese in veggie dishes... or ham in otherwise beautiful salads.

I've recently sailed on the new Carnival Horizon and they could do a vegan burger at Guy's and vegan pizza if I took vegetables from the buffet (and my own dairyfree cheese & vegan salami). Any idea if the veggieburger discussed elsewhere on this forum is vegan too?

Anyone had almond milk? Cruise personaliser only offered soya (disagrees with me) and rice milk, which I find kinda watery. UK sister brand P&O have sometimes even had dairy-free yoghurts and cheese for passengers... so wondered if Princess have picked up on the growing vegan trend.

Trying to plan what I should bring onboard with me :) Any recent cruisers here? We're sailing the Med on Crown, btw. Just in case someone's been on that ship recently. Thanks!

Ask one of the chefs to walk the food line with you.

This is a great thing to do. I have a shellfish allergy, and the chefs at the buffet will walk me around the buffet and tell me what I can or can not have. The know the hidden ingredients in the food. One thing they don't want me taking is the french fries. They tell me they can't be sure if any one fried any thing else in the oil. They will get them from the pool area for me, because they know that there is no shellfish out there.

So, with a vegan diet if the chef knows the ingredients you don't want to eat, they know which food has them. Make sure the chef has a big white hat on.

Yes you are right, the use of animal products can be easily overlooked even when preparing vegan food for those not accustomed to it.

 

As a meat eater I would have to disagree with you though. I would think sitting across from a judgemental vegan would be worse. :)

I'm with you. I always tell vegetarians when they go on a rant about health, I point out to them that vegetarians die too.:evilsmile:

Someone said this; “I ate some vegan with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.”

“Avoiding animals products on a cruise takes the same diligence as it does in everyday life.” - One of my nieces

Someone said this; “I ate some vegan with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.”

“Avoiding animals products on a cruise takes the same diligence as it does in everyday life.” - One of my nieces

Thanks for giving me a chuckle. Elliair

The last two times we sailed my wife was a vegetarian so we found plenty to each at the buffet areas. Since then she went full vegan.

 

Does anyone has experience in whether there is much offered in the way of vegan food at the buffet.

 

I would imagine ordering vegan at the dining room would be possible, but typically we don't dine there a lot.

 

I did s search for this subject but didn't see anything.

 

Thanks.

Mrs Gut has had no problems.

Hi, sorry to jump in and hijack the thread but wondered if any recent vegan cruisers on Princess can answer my question.

 

 

 

Last time we sailed w Princess (2016) we couldn't even get dairy-free spread onboard. No dairy-free ice cream. Cheese in a lot of veggie dishes. We dined great in the MDR but buffet was often a struggle, having to find staff to tell if the vegetarian marked soup was indeed vegan or veg served with butter. And the cheese in veggie dishes... or ham in otherwise beautiful salads.

 

 

 

I've recently sailed on the new Carnival Horizon and they could do a vegan burger at Guy's and vegan pizza if I took vegetables from the buffet (and my own dairyfree cheese & vegan salami). Any idea if the veggieburger discussed elsewhere on this forum is vegan too?

 

 

 

Anyone had almond milk? Cruise personaliser only offered soya (disagrees with me) and rice milk, which I find kinda watery. UK sister brand P&O have sometimes even had dairy-free yoghurts and cheese for passengers... so wondered if Princess have picked up on the growing vegan trend.

 

 

 

Trying to plan what I should bring onboard with me :) Any recent cruisers here? We're sailing the Med on Crown, btw. Just in case someone's been on that ship recently. Thanks!

I think the best way to approach a vegan diet on board (no matter what ship) is to bring your specialty items with you or purchase fresh from each port. I also think it’s wise never to assume anything (stock in vegetarian soup as an example). Given the varied and many posts regarding the hygiene (or lack of it) at the buffet, I think the MDR is your best bet. As I previously posted, I always provide my head waiter with a list of my preferred food items and ask them to “stick to the list” but feel free to be adventurous in the use of them. Also, although somewhat ridiculed by some people, ask for a table for two. While I NEVER discuss the issue of meat eating with non-vegans or vegetarians, it’s just easier than answering the questions that I am inevitably asked like “how long have you been a vegan and why, is it religious etc, etc, etc”.

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