Vegetarian options for MDR

[Katng0826]

My husband and I have 2 vegetarians cruising with us. Since this is their first cruise we'd like them to have an amazing experience all around. Is their only one entree option for veggie eaters? There will be 6 of us and the few nights that we opt for the MDR I don't want the vegetarians to sit there and look pretty if the entree isn't appealing to them (one of them is a picky eater).

 

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[SadieN]

Indian vegetarian every night. The proteins change daily.

Also there are vegetarian options for appetizers and mains. Most vegetarian options have cheese.

They can order whatever they want, in any combo. I've been known to order double of things, two entrees rather than appetizer and entree. Several cruises I've only ordered appetizers.

 

I'm a carnivore on land and almost a vegetarian onboard.

[cb at sea]

You can order anything without the "meat"!

[Remus2010]

Not a vegetarian but have gone on a few cruises and not eaten meat at the MDR the entire cruise. Lots of options.

 

 

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[SadieN]

You can order anything without the "meat"!

 

 

Need to order some things in advance. Obviously some things cannot be made vegetarian.

 

FWIW, non-Vegetarians can preorder a Non-Vegetarian Indian mean

 

 

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[beacha]

The Indian vegetarian meal is the best meal I have ever had on a ship. I order it every night. It takes up half the table. Just heaven.

[cbelc]

Carnival does food right. I usually eat vegetarian on cruises, too. They will enjoy the food.

 

 

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[SadieN]

The Indian vegetarian meal is the best meal I have ever had on a ship. I order it every night. It takes up half the table. Just heaven.

 

 

I take the 3 large ramekins off their plate and place them around the plate with the riata, pickles, rice etc.

 

 

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[joeyancho]

My daughter is a PITA vegetarian. That said, she loved the Indian vegetarian. The regular vegetarian options met with her approval also.

[BALCONETTE]

I believe there are 2 vegetarian entrees available every night, one night there were 3 available (including port of call option). The Indian entree is very good! As long as they're not vegan, they should have no problem finding something on the regular menu.

[BALCONETTE]

American Table menus

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2210835

[Yellow Fish]

My husband and I have 2 vegetarians cruising with us. Since this is their first cruise we'd like them to have an amazing experience all around. Is their only one entree option for veggie eaters? There will be 6 of us and the few nights that we opt for the MDR I don't want the vegetarians to sit there and look pretty if the entree isn't appealing to them (one of them is a picky eater).

 

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Unlike the posters, I AM a vegetarian, 38 years and 35 cruises. Carnival offers two vegetarian options each night. One is always Indian food, the other varies. I only like the Indian on the first night. It is not good the rest of the week, in my opinion. Trouble is, you have to order both dinners each night because one will likely not be appealing. In my vegetarian family, a couple of us would order the macaroni and cheese from the kid's menu as back up, if the vege entrees were nasty that night. But I just got off the Miracle 3 weeks ago and the mac and cheese was awful. They used flour to thicken the sauce instead of cream cheese. But that may only have been this chef. There is a 'secret' vegan menu, but you will have to ask the maitre d for it as most servers are not aware of it. There is always the lido deck for additional choices, though there isnt much. The salad bar is, however, pretty good.

 

 

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[naxer]

I'm a vegetarian as is my sailing buddy, and we have always found the offerings plentiful and delicious. We've never had to make special arrangements. The Indian on the daily menu, as others have suggested, is some of the best Indian food anywhere. If they eat fish, the choices increase. As a picky eater is a picky eater, vegetarian or otherwise, who knows?

[FlaMommy75]

My husband and I are "pescatarian" but my daughter is strict vegetarian. That being said, no one in my family goes hungry on a cruise. THE MDR always has at least one vegetarian meal and they will also always offer you a pasta if you ask (usually a different type of pasta every day). Often my daughter will get a plain pasta and then also a couple sides of veggies and make her own pasta primavera. Also, my daughter LOVES Caesar Salad and they can double it to and serve it as your entree if you choose.

[VeggieGirl83]

I am a lacto-ovo vegetarian and there are several options from each category available every night. Like someone said earlier, your friends can order off of the kids menu if there's nothing they like. I often order the kids pasta with marinara (it's a gigantic bowl of pasta by the way). If your friends are vegan, then they'll need to tell the maitre d' the first night so that they can get a special menu for the remainder of the cruise.

 

Also, since the kitchen produces lots of plates each night, they can't really get a dish "with no meat"; they will simply bring them the dinner and they'll have to pick it out/off.

 

Keep in mind that a lot of the soups are chicken/beef based. They'll need to ask specifically if they are a vegetable based. I usually just avoid the soup and get a salad and a different appetizer (they can have as many as they want and they can have appetizers as their dinner, too). One other thing that I wanted to clarify is that the caesar salad is not vegetarian; they use anchovies in the dressing.

 

As far as other meals, there's always the buffet, pizza, room service (pb&j is dear to my heart), and veggie burgers (at Guy's or the burger line...it takes about 10 mins for them to cook it).

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Blackjack22]

They have salads and shrimp cocktails every night for apps. The Indian food is pretty good too as has been pointed out. I'm vegan so I usually order ahead the night before

[meatloafsfan]

They have salads and shrimp cocktails every night for apps. The Indian food is pretty good too as has been pointed out. I'm vegan so I usually order ahead the night before

 

Shrimp cocktail is not vegetarian.

[meatloafsfan]

There are some very good vegetarian meals offered - vegetable lasagna, Portobello mushrooms, spanakopita with an Israeli Couscous stuffed pepper, the vegetable root pie. For someone less adventurous, the kids menu has spaghetti with a marinara sauce, or a cheese pizza. You could also ask for double portions of some of the appetizers like the stuffed cannelloni or most of the salads.

[Katng0826]

Unlike the posters, I AM a vegetarian, 38 years and 35 cruises. Carnival offers two vegetarian options each night. One is always Indian food, the other varies. I only like the Indian on the first night. It is not good the rest of the week, in my opinion. Trouble is, you have to order both dinners each night because one will likely not be appealing. In my vegetarian family, a couple of us would order the macaroni and cheese from the kid's menu as back up, if the vege entrees were nasty that night. But I just got off the Miracle 3 weeks ago and the mac and cheese was awful. They used flour to thicken the sauce instead of cream cheese. But that may only have been this chef. There is a 'secret' vegan menu, but you will have to ask the maitre d for it as most servers are not aware of it. There is always the lido deck for additional choices, though there isnt much. The salad bar is, however, pretty good.

 

 

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Thanks for all the tips!! I'm transitioning to vegan so that's great to know there is a vegan menu.

 

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[Havingfun2010]

They have salads and shrimp cocktails every night for apps. The Indian food is pretty good too as has been pointed out. I'm vegan so I usually order ahead the night before

 

How can you be a vegan and eat a living creature?

[FlaMommy75]

I am a lacto-ovo vegetarian and there are several options from each category available every night. Like someone said earlier, your friends can order off of the kids menu if there's nothing they like. I often order the kids pasta with marinara (it's a gigantic bowl of pasta by the way). If your friends are vegan, then they'll need to tell the maitre d' the first night so that they can get a special menu for the remainder of the cruise.

 

Also, since the kitchen produces lots of plates each night, they can't really get a dish "with no meat"; they will simply bring them the dinner and they'll have to pick it out/off.

 

Keep in mind that a lot of the soups are chicken/beef based. They'll need to ask specifically if they are a vegetable based. I usually just avoid the soup and get a salad and a different appetizer (they can have as many as they want and they can have appetizers as their dinner, too). One other thing that I wanted to clarify is that the caesar salad is not vegetarian; they use anchovies in the dressing.

 

As far as other meals, there's always the buffet, pizza, room service (pb&j is dear to my heart), and veggie burgers (at Guy's or the burger line...it takes about 10 mins for them to cook it).

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

True about the Caesar Salad. However, if you tell them you are vegetarian they will bring you a Caesar dressing without anchovies. My daughter told them she was vegetarian the first night and they told her they would bring her a vegetarian Caesar dressing for her salad and they remembered to the rest of week. My husband and I are pescatarian so we did not mind the dressing. :)

[BriKom]

If you have special dietary requirements/requests I would recommend an assigned dinner time. On my last cruise we did anytime dinning and had a different server each night. I had to say I was vegetarian and ask about ingredients in most items on the menu every day. If you have an assigned time and the same waiter they are usually good about remembering your needs and know to point out what you can eat when you sit down.

The Indian vegetarian dishes are good but they repeat the dish every few days.

 

Thank you for the Guys Burger info. I'll get that on my next cruise.

[VeggieGirl83]

True about the Caesar Salad. However, if you tell them you are vegetarian they will bring you a Caesar dressing without anchovies. My daughter told them she was vegetarian the first night and they told her they would bring her a vegetarian Caesar dressing for her salad and they remembered to the rest of week. My husband and I are pescatarian so we did not mind the dressing. :)

 

Ah, I didn't know that! Thanks for the tip!

[bichonandon]

I am vegetarian, just got off the Dream a week ago. As others have said, they always offer an Indian entree. I don't like them, so I will either go with the other entree or I'll order side dishes. Even on nights there is no baked potato on the menu, they always have had one available when I asked. One night I asked for a baked potato, and they brought me TWO baked potatoes and two dishes of steamed fresh broccoli! It was great!

 

Edited to add that I also always order the Caesar salad with a side of balsamic vinegar dressing.

[proudpatriot07]

I just got back from the Ecstasy last week. The veggie burgers at Guy's Burgers were delicious! Far better than the ones on the catered lunch at Half Moon Cay (I got back on the ship and got a Guy's veggie burger when we left the island). The Indian food in the MDR is also really good and varies each night.

 

Depending on what you want to eat, the kitchen can also make it without meat. I ordered the macaroni and cheese without meat as a side one night, and I also get the Eggs Benedict without the meat.

 

I did feel like the MDR salads were lacking, and the salad bar was lacking as well. I've also cruised on Royal and loved their sea day Tutti Salad Bar in the MDR, so it's hard to compare any other salad bar with that now.