Not a good beginning....

[Pam in CA]

Not sure if this helps but on Princess, frying is done with canola oil. Meat is prepared and cooked completely separately from other food. And, pasta is NEVER prepared out of a box; it's made fresh.

 

As has been said repeatedly, all you have to do is ask for what you do want to eat and how you want it prepared. Every effort will be made to accommodate you.

[hydrodriver831]

We have sailed with a vegan and a lacto-ovo vegetarian on Princess and they just let the Maitre D know and sometimes he made suggestions and sometimes they made requests. They did not have to study the menus and make decisions they just calmly told him what they wanted to eat the next day. Very simple no stress, just a few minutes of everyones time. Alot of the crew members are vegan so it is easy to prepare vegan dishes. Their favorites were a vegan burrito, some of the Indian food and one night they made them a Thai stir fry. None of these were on the menu for the next night. They also had some good choices right off the menu. Also the waiter pointed out if it wasn't vegan if they chose the wrong item. Worked out great for them.

[Cruisin' Chick]

As many have pointed out, there are at least two type of dietary requests. One is for those with severe allergies or medical conditions that require a strict diet. These are the people who really need to contact Princess ahead of time as certain ingredients may need to be ordered or increased (such as non-gluten flour).

 

The other type is the lifestyle type. Many vegetarians fall into this category even if they are doing so for medical conditions (where I used to work, the vegetarians almost seemed to outnumber the rest of us -- some were due to ethical reasons, some due to health reasons, such as heart conditions). That's because with a little communication, one could fulfill this type of dining.

 

For example, when my hubby was warned he was borderline high cholesterol, he went on a very low fat diet (I learned to make tofu in so many ways, I probably could have written a cookbook). Before one cruise, I went into the cruise personalizer on the Princess website and designated the low fat option for him. Without any further mention on our part, the head waiter came over to our table on the first night with the next night's menu and asked hubby to select an entree. Each night, this continued and our waiter would bring out the selected item, cooked specially for him. I even felt sorry for him and ordered an extra entree that we split.

 

Fortunately, he was able to bring down his levels, and before the next cruise, I asked if he wanted me to specify the diet again. Nope. But he's good at behaving himself, food wise.

 

As for me, I have two types of food that I can not eat at all: shellfish and yogurt. I avoid seafood and often would ask if certain foods (Indian, smoothies) are made with yogurt so I know if I should order something else. The closest I've come to having a problem onboard was in the buffet when I served myself a stirfry. When I sat down, I could see the tiny little shrimp, and that plate was dumped. I did write on the comment card that the buffet items should be better described if there's items that could set off someone who's highly allergic (such as anything made with nuts, shellfish, etc.).

 

I have read on CC and other cruising boards positive comments made by vegetarians that they didn't starve.

[mtaylor04]

I agree with what other posters have said, it will take very little effort on your part to talk to the maître d’ once you get on board the ship. I can't imagine that the small amount of time it takes you to speak with him will result in a dimished cruise experience. I think you are worrying to much. They are so accommodating, I think you will be pleasently surprised.

 

 

That said - have you thought about contacting the ship directly? Not sure if it will work, but it can't hurt to try.

 

EmeraldPrincess@Princesscruises.com

 

Have a wonderful cruise

[fcs659]

If I am not mistaken, Princess makes arrangements before your cruise for special 'medical' diets, but for diets such as the OP's, they deal with this with many passengers on every cruise, so it is not something that needs special attention by the dietary department. They already know what can be prepared according to their guidelines and they don't make these arrangements in advance. A simple word to the Maitre d' onboard and they will tell you what is available or can be prepared for your special request, including the way it is cooked.

This is just the way Princess handles vegetarian requests, and the way they have done it for some years.

 

 

I travelled this winter with a friend who is lactose allergic - not intolerant - allergic, lactose products would possibly kill him. That said, I had contacted Princess prior to booking to see if that issue would be of a concern in meal prep. They said no, and to get in touch with the head waiter once we got to a dining room. The first night he settled for basic "safe" things, but the head waiter then met with him every night to plan out the following nights menus. The man was wonderful and bent over backwards, fowards and sideways to be accomodating. Every meal was individually cooked, special items were prepared, desserts were modified, his food was better than mine many nights.

 

We never dealt with the maitre'd, just the head waiter. He would stop at the table as we werre finishing and go over the next night's menu, plus would give tips on buffet items to avoid should we go that route.

 

Given that you know your dietary quirks, you know that if you travel you have to make allowances, but from my experiences with Princess you may have little or no trouble at all. Plus, I can tell you than when the staff is aware the head waiter is visiting your table often ( and the man was a wonderfully funny conversationalist to boot, so he stopped by a lot) the service you receive is impeccable.

[Cruise Raider]

:mad: Our cruise is 2 months away. I am not feeling the love from Princess at this time. Being a vegetarian......I asked whom I could contact to go over some food specifics. I was promptly given an email and asked up front if they were the correct person to inquire with. I was told they were the dietary coordinator and they could answer my concerns. I sent off a list of questions......and I just received a reply. What do you know......they answered just about every question with......"Please consult the Maitre d' Hotel onboard to inquire." Huh.......it doesnt do me any good to spend all my time going over options while ON the cruise. Gee.......on NCL they answered all my questions prior to sailing. Not too happy right now. I sent back a reply asking if there were someone else that could help me now. :mad:

 

We have sailed on Princess many times and I can tell you from personal experience, you will have no problem finding vegetarian options and will have to spend little to no time in planning for this. I see you are concerned with spending 'all your time going over options while on the cruise'. Please do not worry that this will happen. It may take a matter of 2 minutes at the very beginning of the cruise and you will be done. I think dining is one of those areas in which Princess excels. They will go out of their way (not out of your way) to meet all your needs.

We were once on a ship where one of our dining mates had celiac disease. (sp?) Every night at dinner, they explained what they would have available for her the following day....all in about 1 minute while we were enjoying our after dinner coffee.

Also, I have sailed with vegans, always plenty of options available and quite tasty. I do not eat any red meat and have never had an issue with finding something delicious to eat on Princess.

You will have a great time and hope that this letter did not start this experience off on the wrong foot. And if it did....hope you find that you are pleasantly surprised once onboard.

[regnig]

I am not new to cruising like some may think. I have not done alot of cruises.....but this will be my 11th.

 

What you posted is partly why I asked if the person whose email address I was given....was the right person to address my concerns. I was told that they were the dietary coordinator and the one that could help me. It seemed by the replies I received, that the information that they had was very limited.....or they just didnt know/care. Dont tell someone you can address things.....if indeed you can only pass them off to the Maitre'd onboard. Like the only dessert they knew was okay was sorbet.......and I was the one that mentioned sorbet. Everyone knows sorbet is usually a safe bet for a vegetarian.....so no new info there.

 

The person you contacted did answer what questions that fell within their responsibility. They then gave you directions for fulfillment of the remainder of your dietary needs/wants by responding that those needs/wants would be handled once you were onboard. It has nothing to do with them "caring"; if they didn't care they would not have told you how to remedy your concerns. It really is impossible for someone land bound to arrange all your desires while they are land bound. Just because some other cruise line has done so should not cause you to criticize Princess as not all lines handle many things alike. As many have advised you here, ALL your needs will be met once on board by the Maitre'd.

 

Please don't allow this to influnce your expectations of your cruise or you will surely set yourself up for disappointment.

[WCAB]

If it came across that it would be a major undertaking or chore to go over your diet request on board, you were mislead. I think we all anticipate a bit of chit chat while at dinner and your diet request can be accomplished with just that little effort.

[zacc]

A slightly different approach to your question. Personally, I believe that you are much better off addressing the issue directly with the MD your first evening for one major reason. Trying to take care of dietary concerns prior to leaving involves more people in the chain of communication. The more people the greater the chance of a breakdown in that chain of communication. Thinking everything was taken care of and finding that in fact it wasn't will only lead to possible stress and frustration. This certainly is not the way to start a cruise. Make it easy on yourself-handle it the first night one on one and all of your concerns will be taken care of.

[veggie59]

There are several vegetarians who post regularly here. I am not sure if they are vegan or not (I don't think you are, as you did not state that you don't consume milk, butter, cheese...). As one who followed a vegetartian diet for many years, I do know that sometimes it was easier to go the vegan route in resturants and then add items (like cheese or butter). I do feel that when I would tell people that I was vegan, they took me way more seriously as a vegetarian.

 

Not sure if this makes sense, if not please forgive... I am a bit jet lagged!:o

 

I know what you mean. I have been a vegetarian for over 37 years. I do consume milk products.....so that is why I do not say vegan. People tend to not get it. The point here is that Princess said they would help......then passed the buck. Some just dont get it that either way I have to spend time every night talking to the head waiter or Maitre'd. The less time I have to spend talking to them while onboard....the more time I can spend with friends and go to the shows or have cocktails. Either way I am talking to them.....it is just for how long. If I already know the yes items and no items.....then it is just a quick " I will have x, y, z" the next night. If I have to wait for them to CHECK with someone else if an item is okay.....it holds up the group of us that are at dinner.

[veggie59]

It is unfortunate that you booked a trip on a 3000 + person ship that you are not familiar with without first verifying if vegetarian/vegan really means vegetarian/vegan including prep, no honey etc. since it is obviously a major concern for you. Princess as with other lines has a lot of people on a lot of ships every week and they are responsible for the food safety for all those meals as well as religious, medical and life-style meal requirements for all those people. Although it is apparent that you have already precluded, perhaps justified on your contacts, that Princess will not live up to your expectations I would recommend the following:

 

In the cruise personalizer - there is an area for special on board requests including dietary restrictions. I believe that there is even a distinction made between vegan and vegetarian. This would be the normal route for someone who has special dietary requests based on what I assume to be ethical and life-style choices rather than life-threatening allergies. This can then be followed up on board.

 

FYI......of course Princess was notified at booking that I am a vegetarian. Our TA notified them....and I check the personalizer to make sure it was marked...and it was. This isnt some teenager deciding to try being a vegetarian for a few weeks.....I have been one for over 37 years.

 

Like I have already said....for many cruises I just went with the flow.....just ate the items I knew where okay. Salad and fruit mainly. Finally the Maitre'd I believe on Celebrity asked why I was eating the same things each night at dinner. I told him I was a vegetarian. He said they had vegetarian options. I said I knew that....however...I did not like those items. He said that they could make other things for me. Which they did. They made some pasta dishes with tomato sauce. He said to always contact the cruiseline BEFORE sailing and find out which items were okay for me to consume. I hae since done that with RCC and NCL with alot better response than I have received from Princess. It doesnt mean that I wont still be talking with the Maitre'd....but I wont have to spend as much time if I have a heads up to what is ok. Believe me.....they do not know about all the food.

[doublemm16]

I know what you mean. I have been a vegetarian for over 37 years. I do consume milk products.....so that is why I do not say vegan. People tend to not get it. The point here is that Princess said they would help......then passed the buck. Some just dont get it that either way I have to spend time every night talking to the head waiter or Maitre'd. The less time I have to spend talking to them while onboard....the more time I can spend with friends and go to the shows or have cocktails. Either way I am talking to them.....it is just for how long. If I already know the yes items and no items.....then it is just a quick " I will have x, y, z" the next night. If I have to wait for them to CHECK with someone else if an item is okay.....it holds up the group of us that are at dinner.

 

You will not have to wait long. We traveled with a vegan on Princess with no pre-planning and had Anytime dining. We had different waitstaff every night. While not an ideal situation, it worked just fine. We ate in the same dining room each night. At the end of our meal, the Matre D would come over and speak to our friend. He had special meals prepared every night. Tempura vegetables, stir fry, etc. Our friend had delicious meals the entire cruise, and no time was taken away from shows, socializing, etc.

 

Do not fret....you are getting worked up for no reason. Many people on this board have re-assured you. Have fun on your cruise......enjoy! You work hard for your vacations. I promise you will not lack for yummy vegetarian fare!:D:D

[sunsetbeachgal]

Debbie,

 

I have no experience with dietary issues (thankfully), but just wanted to tell you that I hope you have a great cruise-we have been on the Emerald and her sister the Crown several times, and hope you enjoy them as many others do!

[Sandy R]

My son and daughter-in-law are vegetarian, bordering on vegan. For my birthday 2 years ago, we invited our son and daughter and their respective families to a 7-day Mexico cruise. At dinner the first night, my son called over the maitre' d and requested vegetarian dinners throughout the cruise. Further he requested "2" vegetarian dinners each night, so he and his wife could share each dinner and have a variety. You'd think he was the King of Siam... the maitre' d, the head waiter and our table servers, couldn't be nicer, making sure each night that they were pleased with the selections. They were also given the next night menus, so they could pre-order selections in addition to their main course. They were extremely pleased. They tipped well mid-cruise and at the end of the cruise!

 

Some of their Indian dinners were wonderful. After a few nights, some of us also requested the main courses that would be served to our son and daughter-in-law. BTW... we had our 4 year-old granddaughter with us and they gave her the same attention, given to our son and daughter-in-law. They served her smaller portions and for dessert her favorite... chocolate ice cream with chocolate sauce and sprinkles.

 

How our family was treated, is only one reason of the many reasons we keep sailing with Princess!

[veggie59]

Debbie,

 

I have no experience with dietary issues (thankfully), but just wanted to tell you that I hope you have a great cruise-we have been on the Emerald and her sister the Crown several times, and hope you enjoy them as many others do!

 

Thank you....we are looking forward to sailing in September. My hubby will be eating EVERYTHING while cruising. He is skinny and likes food. He says he also has to eat my share of food too. I let him have some veggies and fruit once in a while...lol. :)

[veggie59]

My son and daughter-in-law are vegetarian, bordering on vegan. For my birthday 2 years ago, we invited our son and daughter and their respective families to a 7-day Mexico cruise. At dinner the first night, my son called over the maitre' d and requested vegetarian dinners throughout the cruise. Further he requested "2" vegetarian dinners each night, so he and his wife could share each dinner and have a variety. You'd think he was the King of Siam... the maitre' d, the head waiter and our table servers, couldn't be nicer, making sure each night that they were pleased with the selections. They were also given the next night menus, so they could pre-order selections in addition to their main course. They were extremely pleased. They tipped well mid-cruise and at the end of the cruise!

 

Some of their Indian dinners were wonderful. After a few nights, some of us also requested the main courses that would be served to our son and daughter-in-law. BTW... we had our 4 year-old granddaughter with us and they gave her the same attention, given to our son and daughter-in-law. They served her smaller portions and for dessert her favorite... chocolate ice cream with chocolate sauce and sprinkles.

 

How our family was treated, is only one reason of the many reasons we keep sailing with Princess!

 

The same attention has been given to my needs on other cruiselines too. I am not saying that Princess will not help me onboard. That wasnt the point I was making here. I am glad it worked out for your family. For me however, my choices are more limited as I do not eat the vegetarian selections in the menu. I have never eaten tofu, eggplant, sprouts....and such. The things non-vegetarians THINK vegetarians eat. Some do....I do not. I have never had a veggie burger....I have no interest in having fake meat.

 

Hopefully things work out. I thought there were a few items I would be able to have like pasta and pizza. But Princess has homemade pasta (made with eggs) and it is unclear about the pizza. My other questions were not answered....except to see the Maitre'd onboard. It would be nice to know the basic items that are okay for me to have. We eat lunch at the buffet most days......it is quite a hassle to find answers while in line.

[Sandy R]

Veggie... all the vegetarian main courses for the week, were off-menu meals. Neither our son or daughter-in-law eat "fake foods" or egg products. None of their main courses included pasta or pizza. They, too, are very particular about the vegetarian food they eat. They were pleasantly surprised by the treatment they received and the food served to them. I wish you the same experience they had. Enjoy your cruise!

[fridaythecat.u.k.]

All I can say is that am a strict vegetarian (but have been for "only" 22 - nearly 23 - years :D) and I thoroughly enjoyed everything I ate on board after having liaised with the Maitre d' :)

[Toddy709]

The same attention has been given to my needs on other cruiselines too. I am not saying that Princess will not help me onboard. That wasnt the point I was making here. I am glad it worked out for your family. For me however, my choices are more limited as I do not eat the vegetarian selections in the menu. I have never eaten tofu, eggplant, sprouts....and such. The things non-vegetarians THINK vegetarians eat. Some do....I do not. I have never had a veggie burger....I have no interest in having fake meat.

 

Hopefully things work out. I thought there were a few items I would be able to have like pasta and pizza. But Princess has homemade pasta (made with eggs) and it is unclear about the pizza. My other questions were not answered....except to see the Maitre'd onboard. It would be nice to know the basic items that are okay for me to have. We eat lunch at the buffet most days......it is quite a hassle to find answers while in line.

 

You keep screaming at all the people that are offering advice that they are not fully reading or comprehending your posts. I think the opposite is true. Each ship has a different head chef, and while they use the same basic menu, they all have different methods of preparation. Princess (on land) can't give you a blanket statement of "This is okay and this is not okay," because what may be okay on one ship may not be okay on another. That is why it needs to be handled on board. I don't understand why you keep fighting this simple process.

[kendon]

Over the years, it seems when someone is unhappy about sailing with Princess BEFORE they even sail, it will only get worse on the cruise and then we all get to hear about how awful it was after the fact. You've sailed before so you know what you'll get with the other lines you've sailed on. Is it too late to get a refund from Princess?

 

I agree completely with this post. I think what the OP is expecting is bordering unreasonable given Princess is a mass market line and has to generally please over 3,000+ OTHER passengers. I believe he should be meeting the food requirements at least half way, and if it means not having pie crust 'cause it's made with eggs, oh well.... There are so many options without sending the kitchen in a tizzy. I have many food allergies and work around it where ever I go to eat. It's not all about me. Perhaps a different cruise line that HAS and worked with you in the past is the answer. My post comes with respect to your dietary requirements and isn't meant to be sarcastic in any way.

[veggie59]

I agree completely with this post. I think what the OP is expecting is bordering unreasonable given Princess is a mass market line and has to generally please over 3,000+ OTHER passengers. I believe he should be meeting the food requirements at least half way, and if it means not having pie crust 'cause it's made with eggs, oh well.... There are so many options without sending the kitchen in a tizzy. I have many food allergies and work around it where ever I go to eat. It's not all about me. Perhaps a different cruise line that HAS and worked with you in the past is the answer. My post comes with respect to your dietary requirements and isn't meant to be sarcastic in any way.

 

I am not a HE.....I am a SHE.

 

I only sent the email because cruiselines in the past have told me to. I am not being unreasonable or have un-realistic expectations. I went on many cruises just eating salad and fruit. It wasnt until it was questioned why that was all I was eating that I was told to notify the cruiseline ahead of time so they could tell me what things would be okay for me to eat. Do you know how embarrasing it is to hold up the table while the Maitre'd would ask me about different food options? There are other people at the table sometimes. I am only doing what has been suggested by the cruiselines. I just felt that Princess did not seem to offer as much assistance as other lines did.

[Weluv2cruise2007]

You keep screaming at all the people that are offering advice that they are not fully reading or comprehending your posts. I think the opposite is true. Each ship has a different head chef, and while they use the same basic menu, they all have different methods of preparation. Princess (on land) can't give you a blanket statement of "This is okay and this is not okay," because what may be okay on one ship may not be okay on another. That is why it needs to be handled on board. I don't understand why you keep fighting this simple process.

 

Exactly...perhaps Princess is not for you. This is not McDonalds...

[SwissDave]

To make it simple... The response you got from the shore based staff that you should contact the Maitre'd is because that is the best thing to do has he/she has all the information you will need. The shore staff do NOT have that info. They are not fobbing you off or not caring, they have advised you on the best way to resolve your dietry concerns. It takes a MAXIMUM 2 minutes per day to plan your requirements for the next day. You say people do not understand your point, I think virually everyone does, but it seems like you are not happy with their responses.

 

I'm sure that if the shore staff told you something and you got on the ship and it was not as they said, then you would complain - and possibly justified in doing so.

 

Princess is not NCL or RCC or P&O or any of the others, they do what works for them, and has been pointed out - they do it very well.

 

You will not have a problem, you will not spend hours taking to waiters, you will not miss shows or time in a bar or casino

[WildLodgeFan]

I've been kind of lurking on this thread, mainly because I have vacationitis since we sail in a few days, but while surfing another board, I found an interesting tidbit about Princess I didn't realize that is reference to this thread. I guess Princess is a bit different that many lines in that the ships Executive Chef controls the menu vs. a corporate executive chef. The blog mentioned that Princess does this so that the ships can offer more local/seasonal cuisine. So in my thinking, that would explain why the suggestion to check when on board, because corporate is not fully aware of what menus might be in place for that particular ship at that particular time.

[waterbug1]

I've been kind of lurking on this thread, mainly because I have vacationitis since we sail in a few days, but while surfing another board, I found an interesting tidbit about Princess I didn't realize that is reference to this thread. I guess Princess is a bit different that many lines in that the ships Executive Chef controls the menu vs. a corporate executive chef. The blog mentioned that Princess does this so that the ships can offer more local/seasonal cuisine. So in my thinking, that would explain why the suggestion to check when on board, because corporate is not fully aware of what menus might be in place for that particular ship at that particular time.

 

That's very interesting. Thank you for posting this information.:)