Disappointed by Grandeur's service to vegetarians

[bchalker]

I understand the religious aspect but I also can understand the puzzlement in response from a waiter when someone requests and is disappointed in vegetarian choices in a steak house. For me I would never complain about a waiter/ess response in a vegetarian restaurant if I request meat nor list it in a review for I could imagine how that question would puzzle another person. I just don't understand some who are so militant that expect everyplace to cater to their beliefs (not to say the OP is militant, quite contrary IMO)....respect their beliefs and try to fulfill but not to complain when it comes up short for still most don't adhere to a vegetarian lifestyle. Cheers.

 

And you can bet that if most were vegetarian they would retrofit a vegetarian food venue charging an additional fee! lol

[anandaindonesia]

And you can bet that if most were vegetarian they would retrofit a vegetarian food venue charging an additional fee! lol

 

They don't have to wait to start one.

 

Vegetarian restaurants on land are doing good business, and relatively charge more than "ordinary" restaurant. Get an able cook who can present nice veg dishes beautifully, and you will have to make advance reservation to dine in.

 

Good idea, my friend!

 

Michael

via Tapatalk. sorry for typo.

[bchalker]

They don't have to wait to start one.

 

Vegetarian restaurants on land are doing good business, and relatively charge more than "ordinary" restaurant. Get an able cook who can present nice veg dishes beautifully, and you will have to make advance reservation to dine in.

 

Good idea, my friend!

 

Michael

via Tapatalk. sorry for typo.

 

Good luck with that my friend! :rolleyes:

[avazah]

Interestingly, on my last cruise, our waiter assumed it was only red meat and pork we couldn't eat, and assumed chicken was fine. We ordered salads and he brought out a side of chicken breast and said "many people really like it with chicken!" and we awkwardly said, well... We can't eat the chicken! After that, no mistakes, but I was VERY VERY cautious afterwards and always asked many questions about what we were ordering and confirmed each night that what we were getting was OK for our dietary needs. The head waiter was MUCH more knowledgeable, but I was surprised.

 

Also, someone mentioned kosher earlier in the thread. I think that keeping strictly kosher on a cruise is the EASIEST dietary requirement, because they serve pre-packaged kosher food that is totally fine! In my experience, it's very easy to keep kosher on a cruise, although the food won't be that great because it's all frozen stuff. Since all the stuff is pre-packaged and served double-wrapped on disposable stuff, it's very easy to tell that it's really kosher. :)

[oneputt18]

Good luck with that my friend! :rolleyes:

 

Agree, since less than 6% of US population is vegetarian.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Forums mobile app

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

I have found it easiest to tell waiters that I eat a plant-based diet meaning if it does not come from a plant, I don't eat it. Most of the time, waiters do understand that, though I have still had a few offer me fish after that explanation.

 

I then tell them if it ever had a face, I can't eat it. Waiters usually understand that. I do get the impression, however,that very few waiters on ships are pure vegetarians or vegans themselves.

[mommabean]

Interestingly, on my last cruise, our waiter assumed it was only red meat and pork we couldn't eat, and assumed chicken was fine. We ordered salads and he brought out a side of chicken breast and said "many people really like it with chicken!" and we awkwardly said, well... We can't eat the chicken! After that, no mistakes, but I was VERY VERY cautious afterwards and always asked many questions about what we were ordering and confirmed each night that what we were getting was OK for our dietary needs. The head waiter was MUCH more knowledgeable, but I was surprised.

 

Also, someone mentioned kosher earlier in the thread. I think that keeping strictly kosher on a cruise is the EASIEST dietary requirement, because they serve pre-packaged kosher food that is totally fine! In my experience, it's very easy to keep kosher on a cruise, although the food won't be that great because it's all frozen stuff. Since all the stuff is pre-packaged and served double-wrapped on disposable stuff, it's very easy to tell that it's really kosher. :)

 

I mentioned it. What I meant was it's not really possible to know if it's kosher just by looking at it since preparation is involved. It's easy to do if you let them know - just can't do it on your own.

 

Gina

[avazah]

I mentioned it. What I meant was it's not really possible to know if it's kosher just by looking at it since preparation is involved. It's easy to do if you let them know - just can't do it on your own.

 

Gina

 

Well, it's more complex than that, but overall, sure. :) Plenty of things can be had if you keep kosher 'just by looking', like salad in the buffet, fruit, some fish items, and anything packaged with proper certification. Others can be had by asking simple questions (example: on our Indy cruise, we confirmed that the soft serve mix is kosher). Most people who keep strictly kosher will only be eating pre-packaged kosher meals and possibly fish that has been double-wrapped in foil and baked. Anyone else will discern if something is 'kosher enough' for them by asking questions, just like vegetarians or gluten free folk or people with tomato allergies or any other dietary need.

 

That said, keeping to the vegetarian topic at hand, I think the key point is just to know what questions to ask. Beyond the obvious, some things have gelatin which is generally not vegetarian, and some things have honey, which is not vegan. Just gotta know what to ask. :)

[gfd_2]

I was disappointed with the new menus in that they did not have Indian dishes listed.

 

I explained to our waiter that I was looking forward to the Indian dishes, he spoke to our head waiter, she came over and spoke to me. Every night after that she would come over and offer me entree that was cooked for the vegetarian members of the crew but wasn't on the menu.

 

It's because of this customer service I'll be a huge fan of Royal.

[mommabean]

Well, it's more complex than that, but overall, sure. :) Plenty of things can be had if you keep kosher 'just by looking', like salad in the buffet, fruit, some fish items, and anything packaged with proper certification. Others can be had by asking simple questions (example: on our Indy cruise, we confirmed that the soft serve mix is kosher). Most people who keep strictly kosher will only be eating pre-packaged kosher meals and possibly fish that has been double-wrapped in foil and baked. Anyone else will discern if something is 'kosher enough' for them by asking questions, just like vegetarians or gluten free folk or people with tomato allergies or any other dietary need.

 

That said, keeping to the vegetarian topic at hand, I think the key point is just to know what questions to ask. Beyond the obvious, some things have gelatin which is generally not vegetarian, and some things have honey, which is not vegan. Just gotta know what to ask. :)

 

Isn't it cow hooves and bee spit? Or something like that. :D You just never know these things without real education.

 

Gina

[F27TW]

Lately when I cruise, I have learned that if you ask someone behind the counter by the hamburgers to make you a veggi burger that they will. It takes awhile as they have to go to another kitchen to get the patty but to me it is worth the wait as sometimes that is the only appealing vegetarian choice that day.

 

There is always salad but sometimes you just want something heartier.

 

 

Tho .. theyre putting the veggie burger on the same grill where meat is cooked .. and using the same spatulas the flip and serve meat burgers with ... does that still count as a non meat burger? Just askin!

[Jaedog105]

Tho .. theyre putting the veggie burger on the same grill where meat is cooked .. and using the same spatulas the flip and serve meat burgers with ... does that still count as a non meat burger? Just askin!

 

I would say that it depends on your personal standards. I'm usually able to "close my eyes" and eat the veggie burger, knowing that it was likely in close proximity to meat and animal fats. Others aren't.

[grand isle joe]

I would say that it depends on your personal standards. I'm usually able to "close my eyes" and eat the veggie burger, knowing that it was likely in close proximity to meat and animal fats. Others aren't.

 

...hmmm...I do the same thing....I "close my eyes" and eat the beef burger, knowing that it was likely in close proximity to the veggie burger and veggie juices.........see it can work both ways...:D

[Jaedog105]

...hmmm...I do the same thing....I "close my eyes" and eat the beef burger, knowing that it was likely in close proximity to the veggie burger and veggie juices.........see it can work both ways...:D

 

I would imagine that there are those who dislike vegetables as much as I dislike meat. I don't know that it quite necessitates the same kind of exclusion, however. :)

[cruisesR4me]

Tho .. theyre putting the veggie burger on the same grill where meat is cooked .. and using the same spatulas the flip and serve meat burgers with ... does that still count as a non meat burger? Just askin!

 

Well years ago when I first became a vegetarian this would be a big no no for me. I would eat nothing that was cooked anywhere near meat.

 

25 years later I will eat a veggi burger cooked on a grill that has been used to cook meat. Not a perfect situation but when I'm hungry I just go with the flow.

 

I still will not eat tomato sauce that at one time had meatballs cooking in it though. Waiters have a hard time understanding that for some reason.

 

My stock answer is, would you want to eat a sauce that at one time had dead bodies floating in it. Graphic, I know, but it helps them understand.

[pspercy]

Exactly!

 

A vegetarian may eat eggs and dairy products, but not red meat, fowl, or fish, crustaceans, or shellfish. Some vegetarians do not eat dairy products (milk, butter, cheese, yoghurt etc) or eggs.

 

A vegan eats no animal products at all, and that includes all dairy products, eggs, gelatin and honey. Some, like my daughter, do not wear wool or leather. I know it sounds "odd", but she has been a vegan for 5 years now and she is healthy and very fit. Also, because she has studied nutrition, she knows how to eat healthily and has no problems eating at a restaurant.

 

OK, I understand there's some people with medical reasons for their diets and I have vegetarians in my family but this vegan thing is strange, no honey ? Why not ? Made from flowers and insect juices, sounds pretty natural to me. Then there's the clothing issues, no wool or leather ? What did they wear before the invention of synthetic fibres ?

 

P.S. Love your sig, also like JM's "Cargoes".

[BekkaW]

OK, I understand there's some people with medical reasons for their diets and I have vegetarians in my family but this vegan thing is strange, no honey ? Why not ? Made from flowers and insect juices, sounds pretty natural to me. Then there's the clothing issues, no wool or leather ? What did they wear before the invention of synthetic fibers?

 

Many vegans have that lifestyle because they disagree with what they see as the exploitation of animals. So to a vegan it is exploitative to take the honey from bees, or the milk from cows or the wool from sheep. It is even more so to kill animals to eat their meat or use their skin for leather.

 

There are lots of non-synthetic but still vegan fibers, such as cotton and hemp.

[celle]

Many vegans have that lifestyle because they disagree with what they see as the exploitation of animals. So to a vegan it is exploitative to take the honey from bees, or the milk from cows or the wool from sheep. It is even more so to kill animals to eat their meat or use their skin for leather.

 

There are lots of non-synthetic but still vegan fibers, such as cotton and hemp.

 

In addition:

 

• Many beekeepers kill off most of the hive each year - so eating honey involves the killing of bees.
  
• To keep a cow producing milk means removing the calf at one day old; many calves are killed, rather than raised for beef or milk. So, drinking milk, or eating other dairy products, means killing animals.
  
• In order to produce eggs commercially (whether the hens are are free-range or kept in cages) all the male chicks are killed at one day old.
  
• While eating dead animals is against the principles of vegetarians, for vegans it is equally wrong to wear dead animals.
  

[pjlee3333]

Haven't read through this entire thread since I'm on the ship but I have to agree with the op that the options for vegetarians are poor. Ask for veg burgers and I get the answer they don't have them. Ask if something has meat in it since the card doesn't have any of the symbols on it and the people in the windjammer either don't know or answer me like I'm crazy for asking. The windjammer had Mexican night last night. Had beef, chicken, and fish for tacos but no beans. Have had some days where all the sauce for the pasta had meat, i.e. chicken, beef, and shellfish. Salads such as potato, macaroni, or Greek, have shellfish in them.

 

in the mdr some of the soups look like they could be vegetarian but don't have the v. When asked on both cruises about the same soup one waiter said it was vegetarian (didn't have a v on the menu) and one waiter said it was made with beef stock so not vegetarian.

 

I've sailed this ship 25 times out of Baltimore and Enchantment 20 and many times could be called a cheerleader but the food is getting worse (and the service sometimes as well).

 

Fruit is good but for 20 days (I'm on a b2b of 2 ten days cruises), nothing but fruit gets boring.

[happy trailer]

Fruit is good but for 20 days (I'm on a b2b of 2 ten days cruises), nothing but fruit gets boring.

 

Please talk to the maitre d'- both in the MDR and Windjammer!!! Even if you did not notify RCI in advance, or talk to the maitre d' when you boarded, they will work with you to make sure you have a variety of foods to eat!

 

Also, see my earlier post on this thread (post #60) for suggestions on how to get the food you want and need.

 

I'm doing a 23 day b2b on Explorer next fall and there is no way I'd be satisfied with only fruit all that time :eek:

 

(And if worse comes to worse and if you have the chance, check out the website

http://www.happycow.net for lists of restaurants and stores where you'll be able to shop and dine in each port.)

 

HTH- and hope you get some satisfaction (and satiety)!

 

Ruth

[happy trailer]

OK, I understand there's some people with medical reasons for their diets and I have vegetarians in my family but this vegan thing is strange, no honey ? Why not ? Made from flowers and insect juices, sounds pretty natural to me. Then there's the clothing issues, no wool or leather ? What did they wear before the invention of synthetic fibres ?

 

P.S. Love your sig, also like JM's "Cargoes".

 

Proponents of vegetarianism and the humane treatment of animals can be traced back over 2,000 years so people have managed in this lifestyle for quite a long time :)

 

I made the choice to become vegetarian when I learned how much of the earth's resources we were exploiting and endangering in order to sustain our meat eating habits- and how famine could be all but eradicated with the universal adoption of vegetarianism. Even while I was a vegetarian, I refrained from wearing leather, silk, or wool, and over the years I leaned more and more to veganism until finally adopting a vegan diet a few years ago. I realize it may seem like an odd diet or way of life, but I can assure you vegans eat very, very well (and personally, I'm often astounded at the volume of food I sometimes consume in a day! :D)!

[yj_eugene]

I would imagine that there are those who dislike vegetables as much as I dislike meat. I don't know that it quite necessitates the same kind of exclusion, however. :)

 

Oh yes it can: salicylate allergies. Here's a link for you to get started:

 

http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/salicylate-allergy

 

For me, any raw vegetable matter or liquid makes me sick. A server puts parsely garnish on a dish? Gotta send it back. Cottage cheese served on a lettuce leaf? Back it goes. Be served fruit punch that was made with V8 Splash (because it has a bit of carrot juice)? Miserable next few hours for me. Somebody uses the wrong spoon on the buffet and contaminates a meat dish? Could be issues. Etc. Etc. Etc.

 

It amuses me how vegetarians complain, especially the ones that have no medical reason to avoid meat. Imagine if I demanded because of my allergy vegetables be segregated or hidden the way they expect meat to be? It'd be comical.

[happy trailer]

In addition:

 

• Many beekeepers kill off most of the hive each year - so eating honey involves the killing of bees.
  
• To keep a cow producing milk means removing the calf at one day old; many calves are killed, rather than raised for beef or milk. So, drinking milk, or eating other dairy products, means killing animals.
  
• In order to produce eggs commercially (whether the hens are are free-range or kept in cages) all the male chicks are killed at one day old.
  
• While eating dead animals is against the principles of vegetarians, for vegans it is equally wrong to wear dead animals.
  

 

 

I think Rachel Carson summed it up best:

 

"We cannot have peace among men whose hearts delight in killing any living creature. By every act that glorifies or even tolerates such delight in killing, we set back the progress of humanity."

[etoile]

Haven't read through this entire thread since I'm on the ship but I have to agree with the op that the options for vegetarians are poor. Ask for veg burgers and I get the answer they don't have them. Ask if something has meat in it since the card doesn't have any of the symbols on it and the people in the windjammer either don't know or answer me like I'm crazy for asking. The windjammer had Mexican night last night. Had beef, chicken, and fish for tacos but no beans. Have had some days where all the sauce for the pasta had meat, i.e. chicken, beef, and shellfish. Salads such as potato, macaroni, or Greek, have shellfish in them.

 

in the mdr some of the soups look like they could be vegetarian but don't have the v. When asked on both cruises about the same soup one waiter said it was vegetarian (didn't have a v on the menu) and one waiter said it was made with beef stock so not vegetarian.

 

I've sailed this ship 25 times out of Baltimore and Enchantment 20 and many times could be called a cheerleader but the food is getting worse (and the service sometimes as well).

 

Fruit is good but for 20 days (I'm on a b2b of 2 ten days cruises), nothing but fruit gets boring.

 

Yes, that's it exactly! Especially what happens when you ask in the Windjammer. There's one officer up there who is downright rude if you ask him anything! Other folks up there were kinder, at least, and tried to fix it. For that guy, his approach was very rough, "why are you bothering me" kind of thing.

 

It's just a matter of staff education. Obviously they care enough about vegetarians to develop a labeling system, why can't they apply it accurately? That's really all I want...clarity in labeling.

[bchalker]

Proponents of vegetarianism and the humane treatment of animals can be traced back over 2,000 years so people have managed in this lifestyle for quite a long time :)

 

I made the choice to become vegetarian when I learned how much of the earth's resources we were exploiting and endangering in order to sustain our meat eating habits- and how famine could be all but eradicated with the universal adoption of vegetarianism. Even while I was a vegetarian, I refrained from wearing leather, silk, or wool, and over the years I leaned more and more to veganism until finally adopting a vegan diet a few years ago. I realize it may seem like an odd diet or way of life, but I can assure you vegans eat very, very well (and personally, I'm often astounded at the volume of food I sometimes consume in a day! :D)!

 

My has this discussion gone off the rails. Next stop loony bin!:rolleyes: