Any Vegan cruiser tips?

Two of our kids became Vegan about a year ago. They convinced me to serve an entire Vegan meal for Christmas Eve. With the exception of one dish and one appetizer, everything was pretty yummy. I don't consider myself to be a hard-core Vegan (like my kids), but I have tried very hard to be as Vegan as possible and slide into Vegetarian food from time to time. Not sure how "Vegan" I'll be able to be on our upcoming cruise. Last time I ate meat was on Christmas Day.

Trust me, I don't shame anyone for eating meat at all. I'm trying it to see how it affects my health. So, for the cruise has anyone had any problems obtaining quality Vegan foods? I've always hated milk, probably because I was allergic to it as a small child. I love the non-dary drink with Almond Milk, coconut milk and hazelnut. It's awesome on cereal. Would I be allowed to bring any of this onto the ship, or do they have anything available of similar quality?

Have you searched 'vegan'?

I am a Vegan cruiser. If going on a ship with American Table I'd skip MDR most nights. Guys has a vegan veggie burger, skip the meat at Mongolian and burritos and they're vegan. We also did the chefs table last week and it was amazing.

Hoping I have time to post a full review tonight

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AussieOmni - I was wondering about the Chef's Table for veg heads! What's the process for getting a veg meal for that event?

They have an Indian vegetarian dinner in the dining room every night - it's supposed to change nightly, but I'm not sure it does on every ship. The ones I've had have always been vegan, but they may have paneer sometimes. Not sure.

I find the dining room to be pretty accommodating if you talk to them about the next night's dinner at the previous one. You can special order all kinds of things, you just have to discuss it. Believe it or not, I've also found the steakhouse to be very accommodating. My husband loves his filet, so we go there. I tell them I'm a vegetarian and usually the chef comes out and we talk about what I'd like to eat. Had some wonderful meals there. When I make my reservations, I always tell them I'm a vegetarian and I remind them when they're seating us.

Best thing to do is to contact Carnival's Special Needs desk. They will set it up for you and your family to have vegan entrees and selections in the MDR and to point out Vegan friendly dining options in other venues. There are any number of posts on vegan experiences on Carnival ships in this forum. But check out Curt Jerome's threads on the "Friends of Cruise Critic" boards.:)

I'm not a vegan. IMO vegan as practiced in the US is a socio-political choice, not a health choice. Vegan as practiced in other cultures is a religious requirement concocted by certain elites to control religious observance and establish cultural hegemony and fit in with geographical constraints and agricultural practices at the time. Similar to Jewish and Islamic prohibitions on pork and shell fish. Nothing to do with health or well being. But that's my view, your mileage may vary.

Nevertheless, I'm in full support of those who wish to practice these eating habits to have an opportunity to do so, without ridicule.

And thus I'm glad that Carnival recognizes these choices and bends over backward to accommodate.

Have a great cruise and enjoy your dining selections.:)

I'm wondering the same thing as I've been vegan (again) for two months. My plan for my upcoming cruises is to be vegetarian. That opens up a world of pasta dishes with dairy sauces etc. It's just much more flexible. I've never seen milk alternatives like soy and almond on board.

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I am a Vegan cruiser. If going on a ship with American Table I'd skip MDR most nights. Guys has a vegan veggie burger, skip the meat at Mongolian and burritos and they're vegan. We also did the chefs table last week and it was amazing.

 

Hoping I have time to post a full review tonight

 

 

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Guy's has a veggie burger now? Is that only on some ships? I haven't seen that.

On our last cruise in December, I brought a case of Almond Milk. The local grocer sells cases of Almond milk cartons. It was no problem at allot bring it on when we boarded. Also, the coffee bar offers soy milk as an alternative to regular cow's dairy.

Vegan is a little harder on a cruise ship simply due to the many passengers being served at once. I have found as a vegetarian it was not as difficult to enjoy every meal. That said...there are some very good vegan choices, some already mentioned...

The Indian fare offered in the dining room is incredible. As is the Indian selection on the buffet - you may have to hunt around or ask where they've put it, for some reason it seems to be kept separated from the rest of the buffet.

If your ship offers it...the made to order Mongolian Wok is worth the wait - veggies galore (you choose what and quantity), and they offer tofu as a protein source - you may need to ask for the tofu - they do have it, don't be shy about asking.

Soy milk is available - room service, the buffet, the dining room, and the (paid) coffee cafe all have it - in the dining room, let your service team know on day one, and they will have it each time from then...it may take a little long the first time.

If your ship has Cucina de Capitano (Italian restaurant) at lunch it is no extra charge, and you can order marinara sauce (no meat products) as well as several pasta choices. At dinner there's a nominal per person price - and again, there is marinara as a sauce option.

The pizza stand will make vegan pizza, and I personally have brought a few extra veggies from the buffet and had them add them to my veggie pizza (during buffet time, not when the buffet is closed).

And of course there's salad, unfortunately the selections of toppings are pretty meager, but I'm also someone who will put hot veggies on my salads, so I get them too add.

You can absolutely ask for no butter or sauce, and steamed veggies in the dining room. Not an issue, not a problem. A baked potato with some steamed veggies that I mix together is a personal go-to.

The fruit is pretty darn good on a ship, there's a good selection, and as goofy as this sounds, the best pineapple I've eaten (outside of Maui) is on cruise ships.

There are many choices for vegans on the buffet for breakfast, you're just going to have to be aware, and hunt. There's always a variety of boxed cereal, and soy milk.

There is peanut butter available at the breakfast buffet. I enjoy it on the gluten free bread/toast (I'm not GF, but it's yummy...lots of seeds and nuts).

Veggie burgers might have cheese in them, so if you're a strict vegan, they're off limits. You can ask.

Never be concerned about asking for something or what the ingredients are. I have found the crew all to be incredibly helpful. :)

I just came back from a 3 night cruise on Carnival Liberty - February 2-5, 2017. I am Vegetarian & my husband is Vegan. The staff of the Liberty did an absolutely incredible job of meeting our requests.

We love to sit down & be waited on so ate in the Main Dining room each night. My husband loves Indian food so the every day Vegan option for him was acceptable. We were told by the head waiter that all the Indian food was prepared without dairy. Try to stop in the MDR on Embarkation day to speak with someone on staff, the head waiter or someone at the desk. Confirm your dietary restrictions/requests. There are some items on the main menu that can be prepared vegan (& vegetarian) by substituting the stocks for vegetable based ones.

We were only on a 3 night cruise, but our waiter would show us the menu for the next night & ask if there was anything on there we were interested in (besides the Indian AND the changing vegetarian option each day). He would see if it could be prepared Vegan for us (soups/apps/etc), also there was Chef's Choice. The 2 night the Veg option was Eggplant/Zucchini Parmesan, which could be prepared Vegan.

We requested Vegan Panckaes & Tofu scramble for breakfast. We asked our waiter about breakfast & he noted it on our cabin/table assignment. We also asked for the same thing to be served at the Green Eggs & Ham breakfast on the Sea Day.

The Mongolian Grill was good, but be careful with the sauces, they aren't kidding about the spice with the peppers next to the names.

The Pizza Pirate will make you a cheeseless pizza upon request. However, the only topping that was available was mushroom. Skip the line & walk right up to the person preparing the pizzas and request directly.

We didn't ask about the Veggie Burgers at Guy's, but I we did eat the french fries and top them with the onions and mushrooms from the toppings bar. I asked for a bun and made a vegetable sandwich, didn't even need the burger.

Didn't eat at Blue Iguana, it wasn't open in the late afternoon when we wanted to eat there, but I also didn't know the status of the beans & rice (whether they had animal products in them or not). Lines we long otherwise & I didn't have the chance to ask.

The salad bar is standard, but it nice to have many fresh options available at the buffet including fruit. If you would like soy milk in the dining room or buffet, just ask. It might take a few minutes, but they will find it & bring it to you.

We ordered morning room service as a wake up call. Requested soy milk on the Room Service Menu...Just write it in along with the quantity you want for beverage, coffee, cereal, etc. (write in soy milk next to cereal so they don't bring you the carton of cow's milk.)

You can 100% bring your own alternative milks on board. We brought a squeeze bottle Hampton Creek Vegan Ranch dressing, we forgot the Just Mayo, but the Ranch worked great! We brought to dinner and to lunch.

Don't be afraid to ask for available options, we lucked out with a fabulous waiter in the MDR who know the answers to all the questions.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Vegan Pancakes, Scrambled Tofu, Fruit, Tortilla

Guy's Burger Joint Fries, toppings & plain bun, we brought Hampton Creek Vegan Ranch from home.....Vegan pizza in background.

My husband has some more food pics on his phone (of the Vegan options) mine are mixed with the Vegetarian. I can post them if anyone is interested. If you're vegetarian however, you WILL NOT have any problems filling your belly.

My daughter has been Vegan for 6 years and has never had any problems on the cruise. Everyone is very helpful. Did the steakhouse last cruise-the eprestbof us are not vegan. They prepared her a wonderful meal.

I'm so glad I came across this tread! We will be cruising in September and my daughter is vegetarian. Should I let them know that beforehand or will there be options without having to alert them?

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I'm so glad I came across this tread! We will be cruising in September and my daughter is vegetarian. Should I let them know that beforehand or will there be options without having to alert them?

 

 

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There is a vegetarian option every night on the Main Dining Room menu. Plenty of options around the ship (& room service). Unless there are specific items she doesn't like or avoids, you would not need to contact ahead of time. However, it's nice to have it noted on your table assignment as they will be able to alert you that certain items contain beef or chicken stock, etc.

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YouTube has been my friend for the lines that we've sailed on. I've not gone hungry yet. Contact the special needs desk prior to your cruise and meet with the maitred.

Have fun!

Anjie

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Great thread. My oldest daughter is vegan since summer 2013 for health reasons. Debilitating Migraines. I want her to enjoy dining on our family Christmas cruise. She's hard core serious but very nice about it and wouldn't want to bother anyone.

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Guy's has a veggie burger now? Is that only on some ships? I haven't seen that.

We asked for it they don't post it on the menu and I verified that it is vegan.

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AussieOmni - I was wondering about the Chef's Table for veg heads! What's the process for getting a veg meal for that event?

 

 

 

They have an Indian vegetarian dinner in the dining room every night - it's supposed to change nightly, but I'm not sure it does on every ship. The ones I've had have always been vegan, but they may have paneer sometimes. Not sure.

 

 

 

I find the dining room to be pretty accommodating if you talk to them about the next night's dinner at the previous one. You can special order all kinds of things, you just have to discuss it. Believe it or not, I've also found the steakhouse to be very accommodating. My husband loves his filet, so we go there. I tell them I'm a vegetarian and usually the chef comes out and we talk about what I'd like to eat. Had some wonderful meals there. When I make my reservations, I always tell them I'm a vegetarian and I remind them when they're seating us.

We contacted Carnival before hand and the MD. We got a call from the steakhouse early in the cruise confirming they were vegan and they took care of it when I get all my photos ready I'll do a separate thread on Chef's Table vegan.

I see lots talking about Indian. Usually there's Rains which isn't vegan and having our as the ONLY vegan option most nights is not cool, we found Lido better.

Echo the Hampton Creek suggestion, we spent much of the cruise thinking we should have. Also the Bagels are vegan so we brought our own cream cheese and for pizza some vegan pepperoni.

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@AussiOmni - re: Indian

Did you mean raita? Luckily my husband loves Indian food the option was great for him. He looks forward to it. The Maitre D assured us that the mains were dairy/egg free. They also removed the raita from his plate. I had Indian the last night and it was good, but of course a bit spicey. However, I don't think I could eat it every night (mouth on fire) & would special request if wanting a MDR experience.

We sailed as a vegetarian/vegan couple only, so we avoided the Steakhouse altogether. If we were with a group we may have considered it. It's good to know we can to remain part of the group.

We only dined buffet/Lido as midday/lunch or late eats as I like the service aspect of MDR.

It seems from all the posted experiences that Vegan can be accommodated in all locations. That's great news!!

--> Anyone know about the beans & rice at Blue Iguana?

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You can also order any of the soups and appetizers for entrees. Many of them are vegetarian even vegan.

One evening DH couldn't find an entree he wanted so he ordered an appetizer, a soup and a salad for his entree. He's not vegan or vegetarian - he just couldn't find an entree that tickled his fancy.

Question about the Indian dinner. Does the entrée change each night? I know the sides don't, but I wasn't sure if you got a different curry each night.

Thanks!

The three ramekins change nightly, not always a curry. There is a menu at the hostess station.

The meal comes on two plates. I'll take the three ramekins off their plate and place them around the other plate. Two tops do not have a lot of extra room.

Note-A few of the entrees contain paneer. Always assumed they are milk based.

Some nights the rice seems like a rice pudding (no idea what's in it). Most nights basmati rice is served.

On the longer cruises there will be an Indian buffet one day.

For the Mongolian Wok, I was told a couple of years ago by the person preparing the food that the only vegetarian sauce was the black bean sauce. I didn't care for it. Prior to that I got the szechuan which I love. Please tell me he was wrong!

Thanks Sadie! I think the rice is coconut rice - they use coconut milk to make it. That's what I had when I ordered the dinner the last time. It does make it way richer.

On the Miracle this Saturady - plan on ordering the Indian dinner the nights we're in the dining room, especially now that I know the entrée changes.

Thanks Sadie! I think the rice is coconut rice - they use coconut milk to make it. That's what I had when I ordered the dinner the last time. It does make it way richer.

 

On the Miracle this Saturady - plan on ordering the Indian dinner the nights we're in the dining room, especially now that I know the entrée changes.

Here's a pic of night 1 & night 3 from last weekend. Just the main plates. My husband said it was different each night, he ate it all 3 nights. I only ate it the 3rd night since I'm vegetarian & ate the vegetarian menu option for first two nights. Everything was delicious. He just always reiterates the no dairy, just in case. You xan always order something else if you are 100% satisfied. Our waiter always checked to make sure it wasn't too spicey or if we needed anything in addition.

Night 1

Night 2

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We asked for it they don't post it on the menu and I verified that it is vegan.

 

 

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Did you have to wait a long time for them to cook it?