TravelingBeyondBoundaries

These menus look great, thanks so much for sharing. Hopefully the buffet has lots of options too!

There is on the app under dining preferences. I was also able to do it through the booking, if you used a travel agent have them check the booking, if you booked yourself, check the app and maybe the website. My booking options screens are different but my app is the same as everyone else's so you should be able to do it there.

That's what I would do. The statement to travel agents was just that it is "currently being rolled out" but did not give dates. Given that the Grand is an older ship it might be one of the later ones to be done. You could also try calling Princess and asking if they know. Make sure to note on your preferences that you're vegetarian because that might help too.

In case you haven't heard the news, Princess just announced a fleet wide vegan menu 🥳🥳🥳🥳. I'm not a fan of the MDR but if it means having consistent options that's a huge win in my opinion. Sadly we went sailing again with Princess until next December but since our next two with them are 14 and 21 nights I'm very excited. The food was the main disappointment for me so hopefully this turns things around. Here is the announcement https://www.princess.com/news/news_releases/2023/10/princess-cruises-introduces-expansive-vegan-menus-for-plant-based-cruisers.html

I told them in advance and then was given a letter saying to meet the first night but no one seemed to know who.

I was on the Crown for 11 nights and was very disappointed. The first night I asked at the dining room (before sitting down because I didn't want to have my daughter sitting starving if they had nothing). I was told to talk to the dining manager but they wouldn't let me ask (or even find out themselves) unless we were sitting down for the meal already. My daughter has special needs, if we have sat down she better be getting food quickly lol. We stuck with the buffet instead and it was horrible. Lunch always had an Indian dish, which made my daughter very happy but I don't like Indian food at all. Dinner was worse because they rarely had something vegan. Every night they had a pasta with a marinara sauce in the "kids" section but it always had meatballs. They also always had roasted potatoes but they were in with the carved meat. Vegetables, like green beans, were cooked in butter. Once they had tofu and it was really good. They did have cold salads like brown rice or pasta during lunch that I assumed were vegan (nothing I could see, whenever I asked the staff questions they had no clue and would take five minutes just to get a simple answer like "is there meat in this"). The fruit were good, salad bar was ok but not often a vegan dressing, plain rice available every meal though. Overall I was extremely disappointed. How hard is it to have a pasta that you add your own sauce to? Or to not put the roasted potatoes in with the meat? The veggie burger was a mushy patty but at least it was food. I overheard someone that is celiac struggling to find food as well. Our next cruise with Princess is on the Sky. Apparently has better options. We have 4 cruises with Royal before then where we will eat like queens, including desserts, so hopefully the Sky is better than the Crown.

Are the menus fleet wide? I'm hoping so but I feel like they might have just been available on this specific cruise maybe?

Thanks so much for sharing! The email I shared said they didn't have vegan menus so it's exciting to see maybe they do? Guess I'll find out in August lol.

I just got this email from the dietary manager. It's long but I thought I would share. Funny though, it's not for our cruise in August, it's for the one I just booked for December 2024. Maybe I got the same before and never remembered 🤷🏻‍♀️ Here's the email: Thank you for contacting us with notification of your request for vegan meals. Please take a moment to review the following information. Please advise if you are in need of a milk substitute. I can arrange either plain soy milk or plain rice milk. We do not carry almond milk, coconut milk or goat milk. Once onboard, it is very important that you contact the Maitre d’ Hotel to discuss your special dietary needs and any special preparation of your meals. It will be at your discretion to order meals in accordance with your dietary needs. The Maitre d’ Hotel will be happy to assist with making selections from our standard menu that would be suitable. We do not have a specific vegan menu available. We do offer some vegetarian dishes, which may be suitable for your diet. We can also modify certain menu items to accommodate your diet. We do carry tofu, egg-free pasta and can prepare veggie burgers, as well. The chefs have been able to come up with good meal ideas. To best accommodate your needs, we recommend you take your meals in the main dining rooms and alternative restaurants. On selected port days when the main dining rooms are closed for lunch, every effort will be made to accommodate your needs in the buffet restaurant. We ask that you speak with the Maitre d’ Hotel the evening prior to discuss your meal requirements and any special preparation for the following day. When arriving at the buffet, please request to speak to a Supervisor, who will coordinate any special preparations directly with the chef. Please be aware that the staff who serve stateroom snacks, meals, drinks, hors d’oeuvres, 24 hour dining (International Café and room service) or work in the self-service buffets cannot identify the food contents. This is especially true of sauces, seasonings and spices that may be used. Additionally, some of the meals prepared onboard may use frozen, canned or prepackaged goods, which could contain some of the elements you may not wish to consume. The buffet does offer a self-service dining option. Should you choose to dine in that venue we cannot guarantee that cross contamination among the various food selections will not occur. I have received favorable feedback from vegans who have sailed with us. They are surprised at how the dining staff caters to their needs. Again, please contact the Maitre d’ Hotel and discuss your needs with him, this will result in receiving the proper assistance with your diet. The ship staff will do everything they can to accommodate your diet. For your safety, any food/drink items you wish to bring onboard must be non-perishable, must not have reached the expiration date before the cruise ends, store bought and sealed in their original containers and packaging upon boarding. Any items brought onboard must be stored in the stateroom and we cannot assign crew members to assist with the preparation. No fruits, vegetables, homemade food or restaurant food will be allowed. Although we may allow certain items onboard, local port authorities may override any approvals we give. Once onboard, due to local agricultural regulations, food items may not be taken ashore. Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. In the meantime, we look forward to welcoming you onboard.

Definitely! I'll also be taking pictures lol

Going on the Crown Princess in August and really hoping they can accommodate me and my daughter. We are going on Royal in July and excited to try their new vegan options. We are on Princess for 11 nights so it's going to be a long cruise if we don't have many options lol

Right?!?! I was saying to my brother that at least with Royal Caribbean I know every single ship there is a vegan menu. I don't understand why Princess can't do the same. It's honestly the main reason I'm hesitant to book longer itineraries with them.

Ya, I eat soy yogurt all the time and it's just like regular yogurt but made from soy 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thanks. It's strange because other lines have had theirs released for months. We are hoping to cruise with Princess as we haven't been with them since 2014 and excited to see what's different and the same. I'm trying to be patient though instead of just booking with a different line lol

Do you know if North American cruises will be released then as well?