From VEGETARIANS, to ALL CRUISE LINES - with love

[Emjay65]

Vegetarians want to cruise and love to eat too.

 

 

 

Most vegetarians, due to the limited food items they will eat, like to have VARIETIES.

 

 

 

By nature, to keep their appetite fresh, vegetarians tend to be more creative in selecting their day to day meals.

 

 

 

It's not enough just to have pasta everyday, or indian curry everyday, or garden salad every meal. Variety and creativity is the key.

 

 

 

We all like to have choices. To limit our choice to just one entree - even if it is tasty - makes us feel 'less happy' than our fellow cruisers.

 

 

 

Hope you'll understand.

 

 

Oh I couldn't agree more - although I could have taken more than 2 curries in a fortnight.

On MS Ryndam we had more pasta than we've eaten in Italy

We were the only people on our table ever to have an inedible meal (described as aubergine Parmesan it was as far from Melanzane parmigiana as I've ever head - crumbed and fried aubergine which had already been fried, served with a small dab of tomato sauce - I ended up with a mouthful of fat, which as a veggie I'm really not as sustained to).

 

My biggest gripe is value for money. On our last formal night, while others enjoyed steak and lobster, we had pasta in pepper sauce. Not only deeply unoriginal, but a far cry from a 'celebratory meal'. Made worse as we'd tried (and failed) to book into The Pinnacle for our anniversary and were told that we'd get a treat in the MDR anyway!

 

Put together with the Lido staff serving vegetables with the same serving spoons/tongs as meat - including bacon and sausages which we complained about and saw no improvement in behaviour - we were very disappointed at this archaic treatment.

 

The food experience is the thing that has ensured we won't cruise again

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Emjay65]

Easy, sail on HAL. In addition two the two (really good) vegetarian options on each dinner menu, they have come up with an entire vegetarian menu. You can request both the regular and the vegetarian menu the evening before and choose what you want for the next day. The vegetarian menu does not change.

 

VEGETARIAN MENU

Select one option from each section to be served the following evening.

 

Appetizers

Lemon and Spinach Ricotta Dip

Vegetarian Mezza Plate (vegan) - Baba Ghanousch, hummus, tabbouleh

Vegetable Terrine - broccoli, carrot, zucchini, tarragon sour cream

Strawberry and Bucatini Bruschetta

Vegetarian Sushi Roll (vegan) - avocado, cucumber, red pimento

Portabello Mushroom and Chipotle Quesadilla

Vietnamese Vegetable Spring Roll (vegan)

Curried Vegetable Empanadas

 

Soups

Asian Noodle Soup (vegan)

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup (vegan)

Pasta Fagioli (vegan)

 

Salads

Tossed Fresh Garden Greens (vegan)

Spicy Lentil and Garbanzo Salad (vegan)

 

Entrees

Baked Cheese Polenta with Mushrooms Artichoke Hearts

Asparagus, Carrot and Zucchini Tart

Baked Vegetable Lasagna

Vegetable and Bean Chili - with sour cream

Pad Thai Noodles (vegan)

Vegetable Jambalaya (vegan)

Spinach Palak Curry

Sweet and Sour Vegetable Tempura (vegan)

Grilled Vegetable and Tofu Kabob (vegan)

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately we didn't get a separate menu but were advised we'd get a better selection if we chose self service in The Lido

 

And afternoon tea was a disaster

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Emjay65]

For the cruise lines, VARIETY is the biggest challenge with vegetarians -at least when it comes to the VARIETY OF Vegetarians.

 

 

 

One eats no red meat, but eats fish or poultry.

 

Some will not eat red meat or poultry, but fish is OK.

 

The next one eats no red or white meat, but eats sauces made with meat and fish stocks.

 

The next one eats no meat or fish, but loves chicken, butter, and eggs.

 

One eats pasta but no fish, and will not eat cream sauces - but eats butter and drinks milk.

 

The next one will eat fish but not shellfish. No milk, but butter is OK.

 

Some will eat chicken, but will not eat a soup made with chicken stock.

 

Some will eat chicken stock, but not beef stock.

 

One insists on vegetarian pasta, and then requests extra cheese on top of it.

 

One insists on soy milk at every meal, but loves a latte with plenty of steamed cow's milk.

 

 

 

The next one is a strict vegetarian who eats no animal products, but does not want the same old boring vegetables, mushrooms, fruits, and salads. "Make me something different", they say. Unfortunately, they rarely have any suggestions as to exactly what those different foods might be. We are currently trying to import vegetables from the planet Mars to make them happy.

 

 

 

Nearly all of you want ice cream. ICE CREAM IS NOT A VEGETABLE.

 

 

 

The variations are endless - and they drive cruise ship chefs crazy.

 

My favourite vegetarians are the ones who force the staff to jump through many hoops for the entire cruise and then we catch them eating a steak on the final night.

 

 

 

Their explanation? They were just experimenting with a fad diet and just couldn't pass on that great looking steak.

 

 

 

If you claim to be a vegetarian and we do not seem to be taking you very seriously, at least you will know why.

 

 

BruceMuzz I have to disagree - the bottom line is no vegetarian eats red or white meat or fish.

 

A Vegetarian diet is based on grains, pulses, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits with, or without, dairy products and eggs. I agree not every veggie follows the same rules but basically there are only three different types of vegetarian:

1) Lacto-ovo-vegetarians eat both dairy products and eggs; this is the most common type of vegetarian diet. Many lacto-ovo vegetarians will only eat free-range eggs because of welfare objections to the intensive farming of hens.

2) Lacto-vegetarians eat dairy products but avoid eggs.

3) and the strictest are vegans who do not eat dairy products, eggs, or any other products which are derived from animals.

 

Some people may be vegetarian for religious reasons. Jains, for example, are either lacto-vegetarian or vegan, while some Hindus and Buddhists may choose to practice a vegetarian diet.

 

Some people choose not to eat red meat - this does not make them vegetarian.

 

Some people are pescatarian - which means they eat fish but no meat.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[capncarp]

Emjay65, good overview!

DW has used the phrase "like Buddha" when trying to convey her "no meat" wishes at Chinese restaurants. I would guess that asking for food suitable "for Jains" would make the correct communication for Vegan food at an Indian or Pakistani restaurant.