My Vegan Experience on the RCCL's Allure of the Seas

[ahecht]

Great review - thanks for posting this!

My wife is a vegetarian and I'm happy to know that she'll have plenty of options when we cruise on the FOS in May.

 

Note that Freedom of the Seas has had new menus since August, so most of the Main Dining Room options will be different (for example, they no longer offer vegitarian Indian dishes on a regular basis). You can see pictures of the menus at http://s654.beta.photobucket.com/user/clamett/library/?albumview=slideshow

[Tkriger]

Great info for those who choose to eat that way.

 

But...

 

If we were meant to be vegetarians, why does meat taste so good? =p

 

I might have to bring my P.E.T.A shirt* on my next cruise.

 

 

 

 

*People for the Eating of Tasty Animals

[Mapleleafforever]

Great info for those who choose to eat that way.

 

But...

 

If we were meant to be vegetarians, why does meat taste so good? =p

 

I might have to bring my P.E.T.A shirt* on my next cruise.

 

 

 

 

*People for the Eating of Tasty Animals

 

I think I have the same shirt.

[SPacificbound]

Great info for those who choose to eat that way.

 

But...

 

If we were meant to be vegetarians, why does meat taste so good? =p

 

I might have to bring my P.E.T.A shirt* on my next cruise.

 

 

 

 

*People for the Eating of Tasty Animals

 

That is a really dumb comment.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

That is a really dumb comment.

 

My sentiment exactly. In fact, I found it quite offensive in a thread by and for vegetarians and vegans.

[Oakman]

A HUGE "Thank You" for this very informative review. I, like you, try to do the best I can with food choices when I am faced with dining situations that I have little or no control over. For those who question the Vegan lifestyle, think of the helath benefits. I have been able to completely eliminate all medicines I took for high blood pressure, cholesterol, and high triglycerides since begininng a plant based diet 1 year ago this month. All of my numbers are now normal or below.

We have been planning sailing on Royal again (especially Oasis or Allure), but have had such luck on Carnival with our vegan choices that we have been hesitant. You have now made our choice much easier. Thanks again!!!

[Arubamoose]

I am a die hard meat and tasty bits eater whereas one DD is a vegetarian and the other is a vegan.

 

In my household - I have taught my children to respect other people's choices in life. They don't make comments or try to change my way of thinking and I don't make comments or try to change their way of thinking, especially in a public forum.

 

It is called respect and I see that it is in short suppy in our society these days.

 

And no - we are not serious all the time. I still wave bacon under my daughter's nose to torture her.

[celle]

Thank you, OP, for taking the time to post your experience.

 

I am vegetarian and my daughter is vegan. We have cruised together several times.

 

I have never had any problem eating a vegetarian diet on board. My DD always notifies Special Needs before cruising and then talks to the maitre d' once she arrives on the ship.

 

It does help if you are clued up about your diet in advance, as the crew sometimes have trouble understanding it.

 

DD usually defines her veganism as "nothing that comes from an animal", or "mostly fruit and vegetables."

 

Neither of us has had any trouble following our chosen diets on board ship.

[seaweaver1]

"I have never seen a bread recipe without eggs or dairy. Not to say it couldn't happen but I wonder, if similar to Badsealegs, you were told it was vegan just to make you feel better."

 

Really? Are you a baker by trade? Bread is traditionally flour, water, yeast and salt with maybe a little oil for richness. Yes, many breads contain animal products, but they are not necessary.

 

Good point regarding the feel good factor, however. Unless you're on a "vegan cruise", it's unlikely that all meals served will be vegan. Unless, of course, you limit yourself to whole fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

[Let'sGo!]

To the OP: Thanks for taking the time to post your experiences. I'm not vegan or even vegetarian, but I do on occassion choose the vegetarian options on menus. The descriptions and photos you posted looked delish!

 

It's very encouraging to see how well RCCL is trying to cater to the various requests. Most land-based restaurants wouldn't even try to go so far!

 

Ann

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

To the OP: Thanks for taking the time to post your experiences. I'm not vegan or even vegetarian, but I do on occassion choose the vegetarian options on menus. The descriptions and photos you posted looked delish!

 

It's very encouraging to see how well RCCL is trying to cater to the various requests. Most land-based restaurants wouldn't even try to go so far!

Ann

 

Fortunately, restaurants are doing much better now than they used to. They have a long way to go, but they are making a better effort than before.

[monkeyinhat]

I never thought of asking for olive oil for the bread. Thanks for that! Oh and how I long for mexican food and slobbering over those pix. May have to do that class just to have ritas. Celebrity had a mexican station on there and Oh I loved the grilled corn and salsa thrown on stuff. They also have a make to order pasta station

 

I am not vegan, but a no animal whatsoever vegetarian.

I didn't request special just ate off menus. and it was the old menus. have to say that I got very tired of Indian food nearly every night

but never ever went hungry. The apps, soups, fruits, salads and desserts were so good the main courses didn't matter as much .

 

My friend is a gluten free vegetarian. now boy that throws 'em :)

 

Thank you for this report

[anandaindonesia]

Your posting helps to prepare me for the Allure.

We are both vegetarians (not vegans, though).

Thanks a bunch.

[cruisingfor5]

One day we were growing tired with the usual offerings at lunch so I decided to head to Johnny Rockets after seeing they had their streamliner option on the at sea menu – the streamliner is a soy boca burger served with lettuce,tomato, pickles, sautéed onions and mustard and it hit the spot! My girls both had it without all the toppings but it sure was good.

Also, on the Allure we had the additional option of Rita’s Cantina which we decided to try one day (and ended up going back again) – this option was worth the cover charge and we loved the options we could create that were vegan as their refried beans and rice were both vegan. My daughter was also able to ask for their black bean soup without the cheese and I got many orders of the grilled asparagus without the sour cream. We’ll all miss (inc the non-vegans) Rita’s on other ships:

 

 

 

Is the burger and bun vegan or just vegetarian? Alot of veggie burgers are not vegan and same goes for the buns. Just checking. thanks

[happy trailer]

Is the burger and bun vegan or just vegetarian? Alot of veggie burgers are not vegan and same goes for the buns. Just checking. thanks

 

You have resurrected a thread which was started five years ago, and last replied to over three years ago. In general, with a thread that old, chances are most if not all the information will be out of date and likely no longer applicable. For this thread, that is indeed the case, especially if you are a dedicated vegan.

 

As an example, when I cruised Allure two years ago, I was told by the main Windjammer chef that there was no vegan wheat pasta at all on the ship, and that all the cooked vegetables in the Windjammer, no matter how they wee cooked, were mixed with butter. He also pointed out the one type of bread in the WJ which was vegan. As far as the meal at Johnny Rockets, other vegan cruisers have more recently posted that the burgers are grilled on the same grill as the regular meat burgers, thereby making them unacceptable to a dedicated vegan.

 

I have found the RCI is the most difficult line of it's type to cruise as a vegan, and unfortunately also finding them actually getting less accommodating over the years. Two years ago there were two nights with vegan entrees available by request on two different cruises I took, but on a cruise I took last year on a third ship when I asked if they knew which night those entrees would be served they were insistent in denying that RCI offered those selections at all on any ship!

 

For more up to date information, please do a search on the RCI board for posts containing the word 'vegan.' Check those posts by date, and you will get a better idea of current vegan dining options.

[cruisingfor5]

Thank you Ruth

 

I have never cruised Vegan yet so exploring different options. I will do more investigating.

[Sprasa03]

One day we were growing tired with the usual offerings at lunch so I decided to head to Johnny Rockets after seeing they had their streamliner option on the at sea menu – the streamliner is a soy boca burger

 

I am so so glad to hear this because I don't remember seeing a veggie burger on pictures of the menus - my cruise is next year so I'm researching. I know my hubby wanted to come here and i was bummed cause I didn't think they had a veggie burger. This made my day!