Michelle Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 My daughter and I are planning to take a cruise for her birthday coming up in a couple months. The cruise lines we're considering are Carnival and Royal Caribbean. While I have been on a few cruises before and I have sailed with both companies, I did it before I went veg. so I don't remember what (if any?) vegan options were available. Has anyone here been on a cruise? Were you able to find enough to eat, or were most of the "vegetarian options" offered the ovo-lacto variety rather than vegan? Will they cater to special dietary needs with advance notice, or is it kind of hit-or-miss like with airlines? Do you recommend one of the above cruise lines over the other? I do plan to pack plenty of vega bars and other treats and maybe even pack my blender (it's a tribest and quite portable) if they let me, but I'd rather not rely on that as my main source of food for a whole week. It would be more fun if I could eat in the dining rooms like everyone else. Any suggestions appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lelle Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 Robert worked on a cruise ship if I'm not totally wrong. I'm sure he can tell you everything you need to know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 I worked on 3 different ships over 2 years and took a cruise vacation with friends as well. I can provide tips and info. I listed it in a previous thread, so I'll look for that and post it here too. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted February 2, 2007 Author Share Posted February 2, 2007 I booked it! We'll be sailing to Jamaica, Grand Cayman Island, and Cozumel on Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas. I can't wait!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 Great! I've been to all of those places. There is another thread all about my experiences on a ship. I believe Daniel started the thread but I don't know where it is. Maybe the Traveling section? You'll get lots of good ideas there. Have fun! Be sure to take your Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness t-shirt along! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Me and wife and son went on Royal Caribbean Sovereign of the Seas last year and there was TONS to eat in the dining rooms. On that ship you ccould get all you can eat veggie burgers, pizzas with no cheese, salad, fruit, oatmeal, and a bunch of other stuff... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
divadolce Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 Oh Michelle, Michelle.... Life is funny. I was actually just about to post about your same question. I am manifesting to be working as a singer on a cruise ship within the next month or two. In fact my closest lead at the moment is on RC headed for dee Islands. How funny and lovely it would be to be the singing entertainment on your cruise!! I looked it up on their site, its under customer support and I copy pasted below. When I sailed with them before, there was an all-day buffet aside from the main dining hall that had salads, lots of fresh fruits, and veggies and some surprisingly healthy options along side the not-so-healthy ones. Also look for the "Spa menu" options which lean toward the healthier. And you could always try the fresh native produce in port! Probably can't bring it back on the ship unless its in your belly but hey... Also, you should try calling them. You never know, THIS summer and THIS cruise could be the one they decide to test out a some vegan entrees that were too early to post online. Who knows? It could happen! LOL Happy planning! Q: What type of special meals does Royal Caribbean offer?A: We make every effort to accommodate our guests' dietary requirements whenever possible. We can accommodate special needs such as: Food allergies Gluten-free Vegetarian (except for vegan/macrobiotic) Low-fat Low-sodium Lactose-free/soy milk, Ensure, and kosher meals are no extra charge. All you have to do is notify us at least 45 days prior to sailing. Just send an e-mail that includes the guests' names, reservation ID number, ship's name and voyage date to the relevant address below: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
divadolce Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 Hey Robert... Any words of wisdom on securing a cruise job? And then of course the next question will be about thriving as vegan working on a cruise? LOL I will now go in search of said thread!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 Yeah, I have lots of advice for anything involving cruise ships. I spent about 2 years at sea working on 3 different ships, doing two totally different jobs and learning about other jobs. I wrote something pretty long about it and I think it might be lost somewhere in the general discussion section. Perhaps events, or traveling, I'm not sure. I'm just heading to bed, but I'll tackle this one another time. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted February 6, 2007 Author Share Posted February 6, 2007 Thanks for the replies. I rememered the all-day buffet with all of the fruits, and expected to be visiting it several times a day. I love fruit, especially when i don't have to chop it up myself. I had forgotten all about the all-day pizza, though... it's vegan? Pizza may be either helpful or dangerous, depending on how you look at it. I can put away a whole lot of pizza.. especially with a neverending supply. Any tips for the dining room? I'll be calling the cruise line beforehand as suggested and will introduce myself in the dining room before the first dinner time rolls around, so it won't be a big surprise for the waiter. From what I've seen, they have plenty of vegetarian options but not too many vegan ones. Do they ever put something together that's not listed on the menu? Should I show up armed with recipes (and extra tips) or just assume I'll be hitting the all-day buffet and pizza a lot? I was not veg. on my previous cruises, so I didn't pay attention to such things. Divadolce, that would be a fun coincidence if you end up singing on my cruise! I really hope you do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubby2112 Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 I just came back from a cruise a few weeks ago, but it was on the Carnival Valor. I did see the Rhapsody at some ports, though. The dining options were just fine for Carnival's. Buffets were available pretty much all day and there was always an asian option which provided a vegan meal at all times. I was able to eat quite well. At the formal dining event each night, I had a very nice waiter whom I merely had tell the chefs how to prepare the meals to make them vegan if I had to. For the most part, though, there was a vegan main course at every dinner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 Cool, cruising is fun. I searched for about 20 minutes and wasn't able to find my post about it. I did find the post I thought was about that topic but it was in fact about Vegan Traveling, not just being vegan on a cruise ship. I'm still pretty sure I wrote specifically about being vegan on a cruise ship but don't know where the thread is. Sorry. If I find the time and energy, I'll re-write some ideas, but it looks like there is already quite a bit of info on here. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xdarthveganx Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 I want to go to Alaska! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 Maybe a forum member trip in the near future?????????????? I've done that....... a cruise with friends and it totally rocked! I don't even think it matters where you go, as long as you're with friends it's a ton of fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xdarthveganx Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 A cruise with all my forum friends would be amazing! lets dooo ittt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zack Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 A cruise with all my forum friends would be amazing! lets dooo ittt I'd like to go to Alaska as well... Also, you're almost at 666. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
divadolce Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 xdarthveganx, Ha!! Alaska is the other destination most likely to be for my cruise job! I'll keep ya posted and please keep your fingers crossed for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted April 24, 2007 Author Share Posted April 24, 2007 I'm back! Wow, there's nothing like a week in the Caribbean to refresh and re-energize. Vegan food selection on the cruise wasn't as good as I'd hoped... but was much better than I'd feared. I don't like being a pain... so I didn't make any special arrangements for food in advance, besides letting my waiter know not to bring me anything with animal products in it. (And reminding him that butter and chicken broth qualified as animal, too...) Next time, I may contact them in advance, even though their FAQ specifically says they don't cater to vegans, and see what they can do. Or, I might book a ship that has specialty restaurants (this one did not) and might be able to make meals to order. This is basically how it went: Room service would bring me a (small) plate of fresh fruit for breakfast in the morning if i'd gotten back to the cabin in time and remembered to put the order out the night before. (deadline was 3am... lol!) In an hour, I was hungry again so I went to the buffet for a plate of pineapple and watermelon. For lunch, I'd have a plate of salad w/olive oil and balsalmic vinegar and sometimes I'd luck out and find some hummus or something else. There were baked potatoes and steamed veggies on the buffet that looked good, except for the fact that they were pre-drenched in butter. If I wasn't in the mood for salad, I'd just eat more fruit. This was followed by another plate of fresh fruit for a snack in the afternoon. The buffet had an asian stir-fry option a few nights, which I was really excited about, until I took the first bite realized they'd stir-fried my veggies in the same pan they'd done everyone's shrimp and chicken in... without rinsing it out first. YUCK! Dinner in the dining room is great, if you don't mind pasta with marinara sauce almost every single night. (It's far from my favorite.) There were a few other really good vegan things in the dining room, but they were scattered throughout the week, rather than having a selection to choose from every night. (I made pre-dinner salad bar trips and had a handful of vega bars for the days that the dining room selection sucked.) There was also a place that served veggie burgers, fries, and pizza... but I mostly avoided that, unless I got really hungry. (Hours of nonstop dancing in the disco can make one quite hungry...) My biggest disappointment was the lack of vegan desserts. I think there was one dessert item all week that was vegan... and about ten different absolutely gorgeous and tempting but clearly non-vegan desserts every day. So unfair!! I was really glad I'd packed those chocolate raw organic food bars... they came in handy. Vegan selection off the ship: I had some of the most delicious fruits I'd ever tasted in Jamaica. I'm seriously plotting some way to go live on an island for a while, it was so good. I also visited some little tiny veg. restaurant there (like, two tables inside and two outside kind of tiny) and had some sort of beans & rice stuff... and a spicy gluten dish. Good news is, I'd say I managed to stay 75%+ raw all week and didn't gain any weight, despite the fact that I ate practically nonstop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xdarthveganx Posted April 24, 2007 Share Posted April 24, 2007 glad to hear you had a great time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 I went on a cruise in December, but I really wish I hadn't. It wasn't vegan friendly at all. Yes, there was lots of fruit and you could eat pasta at dinner, but that was about it. The first day there was this great bean dish for the lunch buffet after you board and I was like, "Cool! Vegan food." But nothing else on the lunch buffets was vegan over the next three days of the entire cruise. The veggie burgers and most of the other dishes had egg or dairy or both in them, or they were made with chicken stock. At dinner the staff had no idea what vegan meant. I'm at the dinner and checkout the options labeled "vegetarian," all of which appear to have dairy in them. So I tell the waiter that I'm vegetarian and I don't eat eggs or dairy and ask if there anything I can eat. The waiter says "How about the shrimp? It doesn't have any dairy." "No," I say. "I'm vegetarian." The waiter then brings over the head waiter and I explain that I'm vegetarian and I don't eat eggs or dairy. The head waiter says, "How about the beef? There's no dairy in that." Ugh... I'm glad others had a better time. I guess I had high expectations though. Just a warning, if you're concerned about the environment and the health of the world's oceans you might want to avoid cruising altogether, since the ships dump raw sewage and other waste water into the ocean. Who wants to go scuba diving when a single ship dumps as much as 200,000 gallons of raw sewage? Yuck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andgbr Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 I went on a cruise in December, but I really wish I hadn't. It wasn't vegan friendly at all. Yes, there was lots of fruit and you could eat pasta at dinner, but that was about it. The first day there was this great bean dish for the lunch buffet after you board and I was like, "Cool! Vegan food." But nothing else on the lunch buffets was vegan over the next three days of the entire cruise. The veggie burgers and most of the other dishes had egg or dairy or both in them, or they were made with chicken stock. At dinner the staff had no idea what vegan meant. I'm at the dinner and checkout the options labeled "vegetarian," all of which appear to have dairy in them. So I tell the waiter that I'm vegetarian and I don't eat eggs or dairy and ask if there anything I can eat. The waiter says "How about the shrimp? It doesn't have any dairy." "No," I say. "I'm vegetarian." The waiter then brings over the head waiter and I explain that I'm vegetarian and I don't eat eggs or dairy. The head waiter says, "How about the beef? There's no dairy in that." Ugh... I'm glad others had a better time. I guess I had high expectations though. Just a warning, if you're concerned about the environment and the health of the world's oceans you might want to avoid cruising altogether, since the ships dump raw sewage and other waste water into the ocean. Who wants to go scuba diving when a single ship dumps as much as 200,000 gallons of raw sewage? Yuck! it'd be great to create this cruise for vegans and alike, not only because we' would meet new people, talk to them a lot about several things.. have fun with them, and then eat a lot of vegan food without having to make ''especial requests'', but this could be like our modern 'salon'-kinda-thing where we could having meetings about 'important matters' as well.. but like daniel said there's the sewage thing.. and we're vegans.. we poop 3 times a day.. and that's a problem.. we would have to do something about it to avoid having all the poop sent to the oceans.. if that doens't work, we can still create some eco-friendly events where thousands and thousands of vegans can meet together.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 Its adding fuel to the fire of the ocean but if the whole world were vegan and non pesticide and fertilizer using our waste were to be placed on land I think it would do nothing to the water...same with if we dumped it right in the water. Our waste(the organic vegan kind) is not much different than that of vegetable eating aquatic life(like some sea turtles that only eat kelp)...however if we do it now its just adding stress to the oceans natural filters that are already way overtaxed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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