Celebrity Silhouette - vegetarians, glutten-free, special diet, what on earth happened to the MDR?

[PTC DAWG]

1 minute ago, zitsky said:

I followed a mostly Jewish diet as a Christian.  But I wouldn’t die if I ate shellfish.  Poster is asking were there as many people with food allergies 50 years ago?  Why was it not better publicized?

That was my point exactly.  Maybe my comments were out of line, I apologize if so.  I meant no offense. 

Edited October 10, 2023 by PTC DAWG

[lynnespace]

38 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

I grew up in the Southern US, I honestly don’t remember anything like I’ve read in the last 10-15 years of the different allergies, etc…not trying to troll.  Y’all carry on, I suppose everyone I ever knew is just lucky not to have issues. 
 

I get some of the religious preferences…my Grandmother would not eat lamb because it had cloven feet..I do remember that.  
 

I have also read that all the additives we have been putting in our food the last 20 or so years have taken a toll on immune systems etc..

Alright I apologize for calling you a troll.  "Special food demands" sounded to me like this was an optional thing and people were just being picky and unreasonable.

 

I personally have never demanded anyone make anything special for me, if there's nothing available I just don't eat. Or I have something earlier/later, or don't go there. Not a big deal. I also don't care what anyone else eats, no skin off my back.

 

You can't please everyone with a menu. I'm not sure where the bar is, but X used to meet it for me personally and now doesn't, and I think that's a change worth mentioning. 

 

I'm just a layperson but the way I understand it there are actually more allergies than in previous times. Hopefully an actual physician will answer because I am in no way qualified to opine on that topic and I don't have allergies.

 

 

[PTC DAWG]

4 minutes ago, lynnespace said:

Alright I apologize for calling you a troll.  "Special food demands" sounded to me like this was an optional thing and people were just being picky and unreasonable.

 

I personally have never demanded anyone make anything special for me, if there's nothing available I just don't eat. Or I have something earlier/later, or don't go there. Not a big deal. I also don't care what anyone else eats, no skin off my back.

 

You can't please everyone with a menu. I'm not sure where the bar is, but X used to meet it for me personally and now doesn't, and I think that's a change worth mentioning. 

 

I'm just a layperson but the way I understand it there are actually more allergies than in previous times. Hopefully an actual physician will answer because I am in no way qualified to opine on that topic and I don't have allergies.

 

 

We are beyond all good.. 🙂 

[lynnespace]

1 hour ago, prmssk said:

As someone who is allergic to dairy, I noticed similar issues with the icons on the menus (and the buffet) on my Eclipse cruise in May and my waiter confirmed there were not always right. Fortunately, my waiter was really good about making sure never to serve me anything with dairy and getting my pre-order each night.  The only night I had problems was the one night the head waiter decided to take over getting my order (which was a bit odd because that is who I usually work with instead of the waiter). 

 

I provided feedback on the ship and in the survey about the mislabeling because I do think that is a huge issue.  

Oh rats, fears confirmed. I really relied on those labels. I am very lucky I've never really had to work that hard to figure out what to eat but I guess time to start.

 

I think it's better to have no sign at all than to have one that's wrong. I mean if you can't trust the sign on the menu can you trust what they say? Who did they consult when making up the menus and deciding what icon to put where, and hopefully that's not the same person I'm asking what's in the food? (I'm not expecting a serious answer here, I know that they do double-check carefully when asked. It just seems unnecessary to have to do that, when they're supposedly clearly marked.)

 

Thanks for passing that feedback on to Celebrity, I appreciate that!

[Mike45LC]

On 10/9/2023 at 11:23 PM, cublet said:

Hello,

 

I was with a vegetarian friend some years ago in Eclipse. It then had a creperie on 5 (now sushi). He carefully ordered his crepe and when delivered contained some small items of meat. When this was complained about, the creperie chef said 'yes, he had seen the order but thought he could improve on it'.

For several years, I have been unwilling to use the made-an-omelette station because somehow ham was added to my omelette.  I just won’t risk another screw-up.

[lostchild]

On 10/9/2023 at 3:27 PM, lynnespace said:

 

 

The thing that's wrong is the icons. Fish isn't a vegetable 🤨 

 

You do you -- enjoy your lunch! 

 

I asked my coworker one time that he said he is vegetarian (which he is mostly as he eats a LOT of veggies) but he also eats fish.  He said fish is not meat because Jesus ate fish.    So, whenever I met someone who said they are vegetarian, I usually asked them if they eat fish.   And a lot of them do.   I guess there are a lot of vegetarian fish eaters out there!

[Lena11033]

lol I always thought the definition of a vegetarian was no meat/fish. If you eat fish you are a pescatarian 🤔

[PTC DAWG]

16 minutes ago, lostchild said:

I asked my coworker one time that he said he is vegetarian (which he is mostly as he eats a LOT of veggies) but he also eats fish.  He said fish is not meat because Jesus ate fish.    So, whenever I met someone who said they are vegetarian, I usually asked them if they eat fish.   And a lot of them do.   I guess there are a lot of vegetarian fish eaters out there!

Fish is meat for sure..

[phoenix_dream]

On 10/9/2023 at 6:36 PM, Ex-Airbalancer said:

There are pills for that 😁

Pills only work so well. I can vouch for that. But intolerance is way different than allergies and the like. At most eating some dairy might cause some unpleasant digestive tract issues, but not put me in the hospital like an allergic reaction might.

[Newcruiser2024]

On 10/10/2023 at 11:47 AM, PTC DAWG said:

As a child of the 60’s, I don’t remember all these ailments, conditions or special food demands..were they around? 
 

I know my Schools certainly didn’t have special dishes growing up. 

I am gluten free due to Celiac Disease. It wasn't that it didn't exist, it just wasn't diagnosed. Anyway, I appreciate someone's tip about having a laminated index card for staff. I think I will do the same.

[lynnespace]

9 hours ago, lostchild said:

I asked my coworker one time that he said he is vegetarian (which he is mostly as he eats a LOT of veggies) but he also eats fish.  He said fish is not meat because Jesus ate fish.    So, whenever I met someone who said they are vegetarian, I usually asked them if they eat fish.   And a lot of them do.   I guess there are a lot of vegetarian fish eaters out there!

I disagree with that definition of vegetarian. But let's go with it for a minute. If Celebrity did decide to go with that definition, most of the fish dishes would be marked as vegetarian, and they aren't.

 

There was more wrong than that one icon. That's just the only menu I have a picture of, sadly. It became a kind of game after a while... spot the bad one.

 

 

[prmssk]

7 minutes ago, lynnespace said:

I disagree with that definition of vegetarian. But let's go with it for a minute. If Celebrity did decide to go with that definition, most of the fish dishes would be marked as vegetarian, and they aren't.

 

There was more wrong than that one icon. That's just the only menu I have a picture of, sadly. It became a kind of game after a while... spot the bad one.

 

 

It was more than one icon on my Eclipse cruise.  I personally was focused on the dairy free symbols  and found a few mistakes plus my waiter caught one I wouldn't have known about.  I was really glad to have a knowledgeable waiter.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

8 hours ago, lynnespace said:

I disagree with that definition of vegetarian. But let's go with it for a minute. If Celebrity did decide to go with that definition, most of the fish dishes would be marked as vegetarian, and they aren't.

 

There was more wrong than that one icon. That's just the only menu I have a picture of, sadly. It became a kind of game after a while... spot the bad one.

 

 

Which definition is Celebrity suppose to use ? 
From the Mayo Clinic website 

Types of vegetarian diets

 

Vegetarian diets vary in what foods they include and exclude:

• Lacto-vegetarian diets exclude meat, fish, poultry and eggs, as well as foods that contain them. Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, yogurt and butter, are included.
• Ovo-vegetarian diets exclude meat, poultry, seafood and dairy products, but allow eggs.
• Lacto-ovo vegetarian diets exclude meat, fish and poultry, but allow dairy products and eggs.
• Pescatarian diets exclude meat and poultry, dairy, and eggs, but allow fish.
• Vegan diets exclude meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products, as well as foods that contain these products.

[prmssk]

53 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Lacto-ovo vegetarian diets exclude meat, fish and poultry, but allow dairy products and eggs.

If you go to a restaurant anywhere (cruise ship or on land) with entrees marked vegetarian, this is the generally accepted definition that is used.  Those vegetarians that are excluding dairy or eggs, ask more questions.  And vegans look for a vegan symbol (at restaurants/places that have it) or ask more questions.

[NMTraveller]

1 hour ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Pescatarian diets exclude meat and poultry, dairy, and eggs, but allow fish.

I could be Pescetarian but I eat eggs.

 

Perhaps Vegetarian who eats fish is more accurate?

 

When you cut out options on the MDR menu it is tough for those with special diets as they were already limited and Celebrity just limited us more.

Edited October 12, 2023 by NMTraveller

[lynnespace]

6 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Which definition is Celebrity suppose to use ? 
From the Mayo Clinic website 

Types of vegetarian diets

 

Vegetarian diets vary in what foods they include and exclude:

• Lacto-vegetarian diets exclude meat, fish, poultry and eggs, as well as foods that contain them. Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, yogurt and butter, are included.
• Ovo-vegetarian diets exclude meat, poultry, seafood and dairy products, but allow eggs.
• Lacto-ovo vegetarian diets exclude meat, fish and poultry, but allow dairy products and eggs.
• Pescatarian diets exclude meat and poultry, dairy, and eggs, but allow fish.
• Vegan diets exclude meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products, as well as foods that contain these products.

The generally accepted one they've been using themselves for 15+ years now? Same one I've been relying on and had no problems with for all prior cruises?

 

I am not really into explaining my diet. If you want to learn more, you are welcome to do so on your own time.

 

Geez, it sounds like some of you want to point to international veggie law or something. I'm not going to get dragged into arguments, my point was there's a change and for me, it wasn't a good one.

[KforKitty]

Rather than start a new thread, I hope you don’t mind if I jump in on yours.  I’m getting a little concerned about the limited range of vegetarian options offered by Celebrity in the MDR.  We are sailing on Eclipse in January 2024 with our daughter who has been veggie for around 8 years (since mid-teens).  
 

She includes eggs and diary in her diet, but no fish.  My concern is that it seems that there is only one veggie option which is often pasta based. Whilst she does eat pasta, I know that on a 14 day cruise it’s going to get old very quickly.  She also does not like dishes where mushrooms are the main ingredient.  It’s her first cruise, and I wondered whether I should be lowering her expectations?

 

Thanks

 

Catherine

[upwarduk]

On 10/12/2023 at 2:40 AM, Newcruiser2024 said:

As a child of the 60’s, I don’t remember all these ailments, conditions or special food demands..were they around? 
 

I was brought up in the ‘40’s as a war baby.

We had to eat what was put in front of us.

I never saw a banana until the ‘50’s and to this day do not like nuts as we couldn’t get them. Many foods didn’t come off rationing until the early ‘50’s.

It was 10 years ago that I became Lactose Intolerant and I have no idea why.

[D. B.]

On 10/9/2023 at 6:11 PM, lynnespace said:

Yes yet another food post, but I haven't seen it discussed from this angle before. Apologies if I'm rehashing old news.

 

I sailed on the Silhouette sailing 29th of August from Southampton around Iceland, 11 nights. It's been a while and I've been debating whether to post this, but I'd like to hear your thoughts. I've been on 11 cruises with Celebrity, this one first cruise post-pandemic. So I’m not as well-traveled as many of you, but I do have some experience with the line.

 

I’ve loved X’s food in the past and have had no complaints as a vegetarian, but this time was different.

 

Menu items were marked as “vegetarian” that were definitely not vegetarian. And items were not marked “vegetarian” that actually were vegetarian (salads, mostly -- I had to verify with the waiter each time). Seems like no one was paying attention to those little icons. I’ll post a picture so you can see what I mean. (Mahi-mahi is fish.. that's pescatarian, not vegetarian.) 

Some days there was no vegetarian option on the MDR menu at all, and we left hungry. We finally figured out on day 4 that there's a special "vegan" menu that you have to request. Everything on there was underwhelming.

 

It seems like they've decided to lump vegetarians and vegans into the same category and offer just one option for both. No shade to vegans, I’m just not one.

 

The regular menu options weren’t better. Mushroom spaghetti that looked like something the dog threw up. Like.. just brown spaghetti noodles with a congealed sauce. Not even my pasta-loving spouse could stomach it, whom I've never seen turn down pasta.

 

The only vegetarian option for lunch one day was exactly the same only vegetarian option that was served the night before for dinner. Not even changed up at all, literally the same dish. (I can eat leftovers at home, you know?)

 

One night we had a horrible experience with an appetizer. The waiter had given us the vegan menu and knew we were vegetarian. The appetizer had pork in it, which we only found out after biting into it. Yep, they had an appetizer named exactly the same thing on both menus, one with meat and the vegan version without.

 

We were talking with another couple and she was gluten-free and had had a bad reaction to one of the dishes. I don't have her experience, but when I left the conversation she was suspicious that the dish she was served wasn't gluten free after all.

 

Hopefully this post helps some of the vegetarians / gluten-free / allergic / special diet people out there – I would recommend you double check every meal. Usually I could trust the menu, but not this time. I was not happy about biting into pork, I imagine it would be so much worse if one didn't eat pork for religious reasons.

 

Weirdly, in the second half of the cruise the food improved considerably so I'm not sure what happened there.

 

I feel like Celebrity lost something that set them apart and really made them special. Would rather be charged more than repeat that experience, honestly. I know the pandemic hit them hard, but maybe I’m alone in being willing to pay higher prices if that’s what’s needed to get the food back to something I’d enjoy eating.

Well at least Nobody has demanded that X list the Calories?(yet)

[lynnespace]

5 hours ago, KforKitty said:

Rather than start a new thread, I hope you don’t mind if I jump in on yours.  I’m getting a little concerned about the limited range of vegetarian options offered by Celebrity in the MDR.  We are sailing on Eclipse in January 2024 with our daughter who has been veggie for around 8 years (since mid-teens).  
 

She includes eggs and diary in her diet, but no fish.  My concern is that it seems that there is only one veggie option which is often pasta based. Whilst she does eat pasta, I know that on a 14 day cruise it’s going to get old very quickly.  She also does not like dishes where mushrooms are the main ingredient.  It’s her first cruise, and I wondered whether I should be lowering her expectations?

 

Thanks

 

Catherine

Feel free to jump on in, we're glad you are here.

 

Yes I rarely saw more than 1 option on the regular menu in MDR. The way I found out the vegan menu existed was there were 0 options one night and I asked the waiter. She might be happy with the vegan menus. I didn't take pictures of those, sorry 😞 Yes I got sick of pasta and mushrooms and I love both!

 

Hopefully others with more recent experience can advise. I cannot afford to go on cruises every week to report back (wouldn't that be nice).

 

The way I understand it is that Celebrity revamped their MDR menus In Aug and at least on my sailing, all of the joy of being vegetarian there is now gone. 

 

That cruise I did not dine in Speciality Dining or Blu or Luminae so I cannot speak to those. I did go to the buffet, but very rarely, so someone with more experience will have to chime in on that. There is a salad bar at the buffet with beans for protein every day, so no one will starve. The Spa cafe had some good options, but tiny portions and they are only open limited hours. 

 

I hope your daughter enjoys her cruise!

[lynnespace]

3 hours ago, upwarduk said:

I was brought up in the ‘40’s as a war baby.

We had to eat what was put in front of us.

I never saw a banana until the ‘50’s and to this day do not like nuts as we couldn’t get them. Many foods didn’t come off rationing until the early ‘50’s.

It was 10 years ago that I became Lactose Intolerant and I have no idea why.

This has nothing to do with Celebrity but you reminded me of some cruising + banana trivia.

 

Bananas have a weird history. If you were able to in the 1930s you could cruise on United Fruit's "Great White Fleet" (which was as racist as it sounds) to the banana-producing regions. They did plantation tours and banana tastings. That cruise tourism helped banana consumption skyrocket. Bananas became so important that the CIA started a war in Guatemala which eventually overthrew the government (which was slightly less inclined to exploit banana workers than previous administrations). Funny that a war made them scarce and then another war ensured they stayed plentiful. 

 

So there is my little bit of trivia on bananas and cruising, I hope you enjoyed it. 

[Cap_D]

 

The entire food program was far from perfect, but has now been gutted with no thought other than the savings.  Had they given it any other thought they'd have attempted to market it.  Instead Laura in her webinar can't even address it because they have nothing positive to say.  They are far from being able to tell us what's in the food, because it's not a priority or even something they care about. (How a hospitality company doesn't care about food is mind boggling).  One path they could take is to take food transparency to the next level, and instead they are circling the drain. 

 

On this thread's topic, for all the cost cutting and presumably uniformity Celebrity has implemented, there's no good reason why ingredient and allergen info shouldn't be made available.  Not everything is even made from scratch, and the food that is hopefully isn't at the discretion of whoever is making it and what they want to toss in it (yes, I know that happens even with strict controls).  Plenty of restaurants manage to do this, and the penny pinchers gutting the menus are making it easier to do than ever before since there are less items and a desire to control costs.  That said, Celebrity cant, or doesn't want to, get it's new limited menus uploaded correctly, acknowledge the cuts or that food is premade (e.g., doubtful  cookiegate dough was made onboard with raw ingredients, soft serve and ice cream uses a premade base, granola is from food service supplier, fries are frozen (and non-U.S. origin)) etc.  

 

There's more transparency and attention to allergen issues at the American Airlines lounge than on Celebrity.  

[wineoclock]

On 10/10/2023 at 4:47 PM, PTC DAWG said:

As a child of the 60’s, I don’t remember all these ailments, conditions or special food demands..were they around? 
 

I know my Schools certainly didn’t have special dishes growing up. 

I was watching one of these ancestry programs and the archivist said that on death certificates ‘failure to thrive’ often could be coeliac, while a ‘choking fit’ could be anaphylaxis.
 

There was one more that they said but I can’t remember! 

[wineoclock]

On 10/12/2023 at 2:40 AM, Newcruiser2024 said:

I am gluten free due to Celiac Disease. It wasn't that it didn't exist, it just wasn't diagnosed. Anyway, I appreciate someone's tip about having a laminated index card for staff. I think I will do the same.

I’m gluten free but not coeliac. I don’t eat gluten as it affects my rheumatoid arthritis. Eating it means I can’t walk for a week or more and I’m in severe pain with swollen joints. 
 

This was all done under hospital supervision. There was a study at my consulting hospital and it was found that over half the rheumatoid patients reacted badly to eating gluten. Some were also diagnosed with coeliac- unsurprisingly as both are autoimmune conditions. 

[D. B.]

I Should stop reading this stuff.

I never knew Food could be so complicated?

My parents survived the Great Depression after 1929 AND WW II food rationing and I grew up in the 1940’s and have been so misinformed all these years I just enjoy anything I Don’t have to cook or clean up after!