Eating Vegan on NCL

[drivetheboat94]

So i just booked a cruise with NCL for my 3 friends and I. out of the four of us, one is vegetarian and one is vegan. I spoke with NCL on the phone about it when i booked, but i wanted to hear from actual passengers who have cruised with them recently. Were their a decent amount of options? did it taste good? were they as accommodating as they could have been? as for me, what should i do to ensure my friends can eat and enjoy themselves on the boat? should I call in and make constant reminders about their dietary needs?

Edited January 21, 2020 by drivetheboat94

[pacruise804]

I would see if they have a special needs department (or similar name) to express your concerns.  You should do well at the MDR since I've heard others with special needs on other lines allow you to order the night before with the head waiter, but buffet and specialty restaurants might be more difficult.

 

Some things to watch for are if "vegetarian" dishes have cheese or are cooked in butter or chicken broth.

[Brucemcdou]

We haven't cruised NCL in years, but on other mainstream cruise lines (RC, X, Princess) in the MDR they'll either have a clear indication on the menu that a dish is Vegan or Veggie, or even have a separate V menu (on X).  The buffet of course is the easiest as the guest can pick their own dish - HAL is known for having a dedicated Indian section of the buffet but X and others will also frequently  have either Indian or Thai sections and otherwise lots of veggie options.  

 

Just as on land, specialty restaurants with a limited and specific menu are going to be more challenging but will reflect the level of service in the restaurant.  We've frequently had a waiter or Maitre d' offer to get a dish from a different restaurant (when they share a kitchen which many do these days).  And my (vegetarian) partner is fine with steakhouses at sea or on land: he just orders all the sides!  

 

Vegan, and a strict vegan, will always be more difficult for the reasons noted by Pacruise804 and also the use of prepared sauces and dishes where the waiter just won't know exactly what's in each ingredient.   Just as at a land-based restaurant.