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

[Cruise a holic]

I have both vegans and pescaterians in my family- as well as carnivores!  Not fun planning meals- however on a cruise- they all find food to eat.  We do travel in suites, so luminae has been wonderful, and enjoy the speciality restaurants.  We haven't had any real problems.

[Newcruiser2024]

For those of you that have never experienced a food allergy or sensitivity God Bless you, consider yourself lucky. No, these ailments were not widely heard of 50 years ago, as were a lot of things. Due to advances in technology and education we are a lot more aware of everything now.

[prmssk]

19 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

My suggestion is to talk to your waiter and/or the head waiter on the ship.  They can get her the vegan menu and if she still isn't finding enough to eat that she likes, they can even do a special order for her with advanced notice.  Even with some of the glitches this year (like mis-markings on the menu - don't trust the symbols), I have still been impressed with how Celebrity handles dietary restrictions as long as you communicate with the staff.

[CaroleSS]

looking at things from the other side.......
 

As some have mentioned before, many allergies have cropped up in recent years. This makes eating out difficult for the individual and difficult for the restaurant planning meals for patrons. 
 

From the restaurant's vantage point, they must have options for multiple allergens. Planning meals around those has to be difficult (nod to @Cruise a holic)

 

Think about a kitchen that has to feed 3,000-5,000 people 3 times a day. They have to have varied menus to accommodate everyone's taste....that alone is a feat! Now factor in reduced budgets and the plethora of dietary restrictions and you quickly find yourself unable to please anyone! Cooking at home is easy as you know what items you can have and what you can't and you plan your menus accordingly.....but the cruise ship has lots of people with differing tastes and restrictions.
 

While correct labels are helpful, even on this thread the definition of "vegan" is in question. Unfortunately each person with a dietary restriction has to be responsible for ensuring their needs are met. X can't offer the same options and variety you get at home. Flame away, but they can't seem to satisfy people with NO restrictions!

[bikerunner]

20 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

First night specifically ask for the Vegan menu.  Also speak to the Asst Matre De as they will make sure she will have plenty of choices to choose from.  I travel with a Vegetarian, I am not and we never have issues finding multiple choices in the MDR or even the Specialty restaurants or the Chefs table.  They have gone above and beyond especially on the Chefs tables preparing a Vegetarian Menu for her to enjoy.   Many complaints I have heard on the boards is mainly because the person never asked or spoke up about their restrictions on diet.  

[Cruise a holic]

1 hour ago, Newcruiser2024 said:

For those of you that have never experienced a food allergy or sensitivity God Bless you, consider yourself lucky. No, these ailments were not widely heard of 50 years ago, as were a lot of things. Due to advances in technology and education we are a lot more aware of everything now.

I have a niece with a very severe peanut and other food allergies.  She and her parents always walk around with epipens.  Sometimes her reaction is so severe, that she requires an ambulance to take her to the ER.  So cross contamination is always a danger when eating out.  A cruise ship is no exception.  You must notify the ship staff and physician when boarding of any life threatening allergies.

[rj59]

Very few cruise lines handle vegetarians and vegans, and the menus they provide are fairly lackluster. EmmaCruises on YouTube is vegetarian, and she posts photos on her blogs of menus and how she eats on ships--she said Azamara is the best for vegans and vegetarians.

 

One solution is to ask for an Indian vegetarian menu, which I've had on HAL and Carnival but not on Celebrity. It will be mostly vegan, unless they cook with ghee butter. But with a lot of Indian waitstaff and probably Indian chefs and often head chefs, that's a more reliable way to get good, varied vegetarian foods, and you get skilled chefs cooking what they're best at, and they take a lot of pride in impressing passengers with skilled Indian cooking. It's a favorite of mine at home too, since little microwaveable packets of varied Indian dishes are easy to find, as well as vegetarian Indian dishes at Trader Joe's. If you're not comfortable with that, then I'd get most of your food from the buffet, with salads and made-to-order pasta, and the sushi place will have vegetarian rolls or California rolls or vegetarian ramens (or with lobster). 

[lynnespace]

2 hours ago, rj59 said:

Very few cruise lines handle vegetarians and vegans, and the menus they provide are fairly lackluster. EmmaCruises on YouTube is vegetarian, and she posts photos on her blogs of menus and how she eats on ships--she said Azamara is the best for vegans and vegetarians.

 

One solution is to ask for an Indian vegetarian menu, which I've had on HAL and Carnival but not on Celebrity. It will be mostly vegan, unless they cook with ghee butter. But with a lot of Indian waitstaff and probably Indian chefs and often head chefs, that's a more reliable way to get good, varied vegetarian foods, and you get skilled chefs cooking what they're best at, and they take a lot of pride in impressing passengers with skilled Indian cooking. It's a favorite of mine at home too, since little microwaveable packets of varied Indian dishes are easy to find, as well as vegetarian Indian dishes at Trader Joe's. If you're not comfortable with that, then I'd get most of your food from the buffet, with salads and made-to-order pasta, and the sushi place will have vegetarian rolls or California rolls or vegetarian ramens (or with lobster). 

There is no "Indian vegetarian menu" on Celebrity. Celebrity has a vegan menu and a MDR menu that might have a vegetarian option. 

 

 

[MadManOfBethesda]

On 10/19/2023 at 1:02 AM, lynnespace said:

There is no "Indian vegetarian menu" on Celebrity. Celebrity has a vegan menu and a MDR menu that might have a vegetarian option. 

 

 

I'm on the Reflection right now. There is no vegan menu; however, I've been given a special vegetarian menu each evening for the next night in which to order items to be prepared vegan.

[lynnespace]

On 10/21/2023 at 8:20 PM, MadManOfBethesda said:

I'm on the Reflection right now. There is no vegan menu; however, I've been given a special vegetarian menu each evening for the next night in which to order items to be prepared vegan.

That is great news; I am glad they changed it. Thank you for letting me know!

[neverlaysup]

On 10/18/2023 at 7:05 PM, rj59 said:

One solution is to ask for an Indian vegetarian menu, which I've had on HAL and Carnival but not on Celebrity. It will be mostly vegan, unless they cook with ghee butter.

Our waiter in Luminae last month was and Indian chef and he would make special vegetarian dishes for my wife when she didn't like the fish or veggie option on the menu. 

[Truepeacenik]

On 10/18/2023 at 11:02 PM, lynnespace said:

There is no "Indian vegetarian menu" on Celebrity. Celebrity has a vegan menu and a MDR menu that might have a vegetarian option. 

 

 

On my sailing last August/sept, the vegetarian menu was both lacto veg and vegan. And certain dishes were on the main menu.

 

It had cheese course as a dessert, for example (an M class ship).

 

An Indian veg menu would be delightful, as long as it wasn’t like my local resto that just makes pea, potato and cauliflower dishes, and they are definitely an afterthought. Sure, it’s the only way I like cauliflower….🥸

 

Going on a different M class this year, and while I’ll only be in MDR on chic nights, I’d like to enjoy the entire meal. Maybe it’s three pear soups again…

[Oceangoer2]

On 10/17/2023 at 5:14 PM, 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.

I am NOT a doctor, but while raising my children, doctors had the opinion that introducing small amounts of a variety of foods MAY protect against future allergies in children.  Apparently some of these allergies do show themselves in later life...maybe body chemistry changes?