Vegan at the buffet

[pseudoswede]

On 6/17/2018 at 7:04 AM, MsPoppadom said:

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!

 

How was your vegan experience on Princess? Definitely interested in hearing if they now offer vegan spread, ice cream, and cheese. My wife prefers almond milk in her coffee. While my daughter outgrew her milk allergy, she still prefers rice milk with her morning breakfast cereal.

[antsp]

On 3/15/2018 at 2:48 AM, heddyjan said:

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.

 

Are you sure there is nothing worse than eating with a table of meat eaters. If the ship sank wouldn’t that be worse

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[heddyjan]

One is by choice and the other is not !!!!

[kywildcatfanone]

They will have vegetarian options in the buffet, and in the DR.

[NavyVeteran]

On 6/17/2018 at 11:51 PM, heddyjan said:

 

 

 

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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I see no problem with sharing a table with others in the MDR. You don't even have to tell them you're vegan unless you want to. This is a dietary restriction treated the same as any other restriction - it doesn't matter whether the restriction is based on a fool allergy, a religion belief, or something else. With the one-day notice, they are able to modify items to suit your restrictions. When I'm sitting at a table with someone ordering from the head-waiter, I don't pay attention to what they're ordering, and I don't discuss their dietary restriction unless they bring it up.

 

 

If you have a significant dietary restriction where cross-contamination could be a problem, you should never serve yourself from the buffet - even with a chef telling you what is in what dish. You would need to order your meal from a chef who would put it on you plate in the kitchen. Passengers often move serving utensils from one item to another in the buffet, so cross-contamination can occur after the food items are placed on the buffet.

 

 

[Mo Jito]

Cruised on the Golden Princess last summer with two vegans. They had lunch most days at the buffet. The chefs helped identify vegan items. They ate a lot of Indian food, which they both love, and enjoyed the salad bar and fresh fruit. They also enjoyed oatmeal with plenty of dried fruit and nuts added at breakfast.

 

In the MDR they met with the head waiter each night to review the next day’s menu and he would help them find options that could be prepared vegan. They didn’t get much variety in desserts; lots of fruit and sorbets. (TBH they cheated with non-vegan desserts in the buffet!)

 

There was no vegan ice cream available and I don’t think there was almond or coconut milk available- maybe soy? So they either drank coffee black or cheated with cream.

 

All in all, they had plenty to eat and it was all good. But a couple years ago we cruised NCL and they had amazing vegan meals prepared for them every night, including a great variety of desserts. Don’t know if we just lucked out with a great head waiter and chef on NCL and a less accommodating team on Princess, or if this is typical for both lines.

[heddyjan]

Bottom line ..........nobody starves on a cruise ship.

[Wiszo]

On 3/15/2018 at 1:19 PM, schlot said:

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

Love it!!!!

[heddyjan]

Not all vegans are “judgemental”.

“The guilty fleeith where no man persueth”.

 

[MsPoppadom]

17 hours ago, pseudoswede said:

 

How was your vegan experience on Princess? Definitely interested in hearing if they now offer vegan spread, ice cream, and cheese. My wife prefers almond milk in her coffee. While my daughter outgrew her milk allergy, she still prefers rice milk with her morning breakfast cereal.

We had a great experience on Crown... not so much the MDR (Royal were better) but the buffet on Crown was fab and in the end I asked for a meeting with the Food & Bev Director as their offering was great. They were even able to produce a vegan cake at dinner and I always had an option in the buffet too (mostly the same but better than on ships where there was nothing).

 

I have a blog post on the Crown and should have an IG story folder too... along with foods I have obtained on Marella and MSC since our Crown Princess sailing.

 

No non-dairy spread, cheese or ice cream onboard though. Did have an option of almond or soy milk each day. That was back in 2018 though, but I haven't heard from anyone that things have improved. Even MSC have gotten worse.. there was only butter avail on the Med in late 2019 though they previously had vegan spread. 

 

My old Crown post is here ;)

(hope link works... otherwise if you go on my blog vegancruiser . co . uk and look at Princess entries you will find it there) 

 

vegancruiser.co.uk/cruise/cruise-vegan-princess-cruises-crown-princess/

[Justalone]

New to cruising.   Is Kosher available?  Dining room or at the buffet?

Edited January 17, 2020 by Justalone

[MsPoppadom]

26 minutes ago, Justalone said:

New to cruising.   Is Kosher available?  Dining room or at the buffet?

 

Depends on a cruise ship and how orthodox you are. Generally if you insist on Kosher MDR meals many order Kosher-certified ready meals and I hear they are served heated, still sealed and with disposable cutlery to avoid cross contamination.

 

I once spoke to a food and bev director on Princess where they had ordered a set of new pots & utensils to use for a family requesting Kosher meals - but none have a separate Kosher galley. Many have a separate allergen aware galley part, like one for gluten free guests. And some people dine vegan because there is no meat and dairy, but would you be happy with that? Contact dietary needs team of any cruise line you're considering to find how they cater for Kosher diners 🙂 Princess team are better than most, knowledgeable on the catering unlike some HO service teams.

[MixerDave]

On 3/14/2018 at 10:48 PM, heddyjan said:

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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Oh the horror - I guess you avoid the nightclubs because of leather shoes.  Also, my belt is leather, and my wife's purse is leather.

[Carolmarol68]

1 minute ago, MixerDave said:

 

Oh the horror - I guess you avoid the nightclubs because of leather shoes.  Also, my belt is leather, and my wife's purse is leather.

MixerDave I feel like people probably avoid you for other reasons besides your leather items.

[kywildcatfanone]

On 3/14/2018 at 10:48 PM, heddyjan said:

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.

Good grief.  Not helping the stereotype at all. 

[MixerDave]

9 minutes ago, Carolmarol68 said:

MixerDave I feel like people probably avoid you for other reasons besides your leather items.

Quite the contrary - and you don't see the sarcasm in what I said - after the poster said this "as nothing is worse than eating with a table full of meat eaters" he is the one to avoid!!!