Carnival Cruise Line Introduces New Vegan Dining Room Menu

[Honolulu Blue]

Link to the Carnival press release:  https://carnival-news.com/2023/09/18/carnival-cruise-line-introduces-new-vegan-dining-room-menu/

 

I found out about this from Brand Ambassador John Heald's FB page, which posts the release in its entirety with a minimum of commentary.  Thanks John.

 

It's a little long for me to post here, but let me try to do a TL,DR:

 

• Three appetizers, three main courses, and three desserts on the menu
• Pretty pictures of some of them at the linked site
• Already trialed on the Magic
• Just added to the Freedom and the Horizon
• Schedule of introduction to the rest of the fleet (quoting):

Carnival Dream will be the next ship to implement the menus and by the end of this month, guests will be able to order from the menus on Carnival Valor, Carnival Radiance, Carnival Miracle, Carnival Panorama and Mardi Gras. Next, the new vegan menus will become available on Carnival Celebration, Carnival Sunrise, Carnival Glory, Carnival Conquest, Carnival Vista, Carnival Breeze, Carnival Sunshine and Carnival Elation by the end of October. Carnival Paradise and Carnival Spirit will introduce the menus by the end of November and Carnival Legend, Carnival Venezia and the new Carnival Jubilee follow before the end of December.

[ProgRockCruiser]

One of the appetizers intrigued me - the vegan poke - so I had to look up "plant-based salmon".  I found this website describing one version of it (no idea if there are multiple types):

 

https://gizmodo.com/vegan-salmon-plant-based-meat-impossible-beyond-burger-1850087658

 

"the company [New School Foods] created a “proprietary muscle fiber and scaffolding platform for making whole-cut meat alternatives with the same colors, flavors, fats, texture and mouthfeel of traditional fish.” "

 

Hmm, not sure about whether that sounds like a good thing or not.

 

But hey, if the vegans in the crowd find it satisfying enough, good for them?

 

Just don't take away my real salmon/poke.

[Drew B 58]

1 hour ago, Honolulu Blue said:

Link to the Carnival press release:  https://carnival-news.com/2023/09/18/carnival-cruise-line-introduces-new-vegan-dining-room-menu/

 

I found out about this from Brand Ambassador John Heald's FB page, which posts the release in its entirety with a minimum of commentary.  Thanks John.

 

It's a little long for me to post here, but let me try to do a TL,DR:

 

• Three appetizers, three main courses, and three desserts on the menu
• Pretty pictures of some of them at the linked site
• Already trialed on the Magic
• Just added to the Freedom and the Horizon
• Schedule of introduction to the rest of the fleet (quoting):

Carnival Dream will be the next ship to implement the menus and by the end of this month, guests will be able to order from the menus on Carnival Valor, Carnival Radiance, Carnival Miracle, Carnival Panorama and Mardi Gras. Next, the new vegan menus will become available on Carnival Celebration, Carnival Sunrise, Carnival Glory, Carnival Conquest, Carnival Vista, Carnival Breeze, Carnival Sunshine and Carnival Elation by the end of October. Carnival Paradise and Carnival Spirit will introduce the menus by the end of November and Carnival Legend, Carnival Venezia and the new Carnival Jubilee follow before the end of December.

Dang it!  Why does Venezia always end up last with the new menus?!  I sail her late-November!

[jerseygirlinAZ]

Excited to check some of these out next month on the Radiance.  As a vegetarian, I'm happy to have a few more options.  Thanks, Carnival!

[notscb]

I'm really excited that they're rolling out more health-conscious options and vegan options onboard. The switch to cruise food from home food is always really hard for my family, as is finding a legitimate (well thought out) vegetarian or vegan option onboard besides the indian option. Don't get me wrong- the indian option is always tasty but you can only eat so much of it.

[Butterbean1000]

I have a question for vegans. I had a vegan aquintance in the past and she couldn't be anywhere she could smell meat. I made her physically ill.  Wouldn't this plant based meat have the same affect?  I'm truly interested. 

[notscb]

40 minutes ago, Butterbean1000 said:

she couldn't be anywhere she could smell meat. I made her physically ill. 

 

Vegetarian here- honestly I've never heard of someone who couldn't be around the "smell" of meat. That'd be really hard to do since meat is being served literally everywhere.

 

Most plant based products don't really smell 100% similar. Your friend might just have stronger preferences than others.

[StephPS79]

17 minutes ago, notscb said:

Most plant based products don't really smell 100% similar. Your friend might just have stronger preferences than others.

 

As someone who is married to a vegetarian, I say this with love...Beyond "meat" smells like straight dog food before it is cooked lol.  Tastes pretty good though.

[geovet]

I wish they kept the old menus with more meat selections and added the salads and such to this second menu.

[Butterbean1000]

2 hours ago, notscb said:

 

Vegetarian here- honestly I've never heard of someone who couldn't be around the "smell" of meat. That'd be really hard to do since meat is being served literally everywhere.

 

Most plant based products don't really smell 100% similar. Your friend might just have stronger preferences than others.

She may have been hyper sensitive, however, I have heard of vegetarians complaining when people bbq in their yards and they can smell the meat. I'm truly not trying to be argumentative, I'm curious.  BTW, one of my favorite place is eat here is a vegetarian restaurant.

Edited September 19, 2023 by Butterbean1000

[Butterbean1000]

On 9/18/2023 at 1:02 PM, ProgRockCruiser said:

One of the appetizers intrigued me - the vegan poke - so I had to look up "plant-based salmon".  I found this website describing one version of it (no idea if there are multiple types):

 

https://gizmodo.com/vegan-salmon-plant-based-meat-impossible-beyond-burger-1850087658

 

"the company [New School Foods] created a “proprietary muscle fiber and scaffolding platform for making whole-cut meat alternatives with the same colors, flavors, fats, texture and mouthfeel of traditional fish.” "

 

Hmm, not sure about whether that sounds like a good thing or not.

 

But hey, if the vegans in the crowd find it satisfying enough, good for them?

 

Just don't take away my real salmon/poke.

The poke sounds good, but I wonder if they would replace the vegan salmon for real salmon.

[Kanyon71]

2 hours ago, geovet said:

I wish they kept the old menus with more meat selections and added the salads and such to this second menu.

Not sure I understand, this is a menu for people who don't eat meats and animal based products. The normal menu is still there for people who eat meats.

[ProgRockCruiser]

1 hour ago, Butterbean1000 said:

The poke sounds good, but I wonder if they would replace the vegan salmon for real salmon.

I believe that is already on the menu, except is uses Ahi Tuna?

Edited September 19, 2023 by ProgRockCruiser

[ProgRockCruiser]

4 minutes ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

I believe that is already on the menu, except is uses Ahi Tuna?

Ah, I found a recent menu - it is Hawaiian Shrimp Poke.

[geovet]

The new menu has changed and we lost many good items. They were replaced with more or less vegan options. That is why I much prefer the better options of the previous menu. It’s great that they now have a special vegan menu also for those with that need.

 

 

I wish they kept the old menus with more meat selections and added the salads and such to this second menu.

Not sure I understand, this is a menu for people who don't eat meats and animal based products. The normal menu is still there for people who eat meats.

Edited September 20, 2023 by geovet

[pinto18]

2 minutes ago, geovet said:

The new menu has changed and we lost many good items. They were replaced with more or less vegan options. That is why I much prefer the better options of the previous menu. It’s great that they now have a special vegan menu also for those with that need.

This confuses me…I’m onboard now with the new menu..I don’t see any vegan options that replaced the old menu items? or vegetarian for that matter. There has always been one vegetarian item along with the Indian option. That hasn’t changed. You may have liked the old menu more for whatever reasons , but it surely can’t be because they were replaced with vegan/ vegetarian items.

[jerseygirlinAZ]

8 hours ago, Butterbean1000 said:

She may have been hyper sensitive, however, I have heard of vegetarians complaining when people bbq in their yards and they can smell the meat. I'm truly not trying to be argumentative, I'm curious.  BTW, one of my favorite place is eat here is a vegetarian restaurant.

 

I'm a vegetarian and the only meat smell that bothers me is when my mom cooks ground beef in my house (though that could have something to do with my childhood, lol).  Anytime I smell someone grilling in my neighborhood, I think, "well someone's having a party" or "looks like someone's getting ready for dinner."  But I'm a very live-and-let-live kinda person.  My husband and daughter eat meat and I'm okay with that.

[jerseygirlinAZ]

1 hour ago, pinto18 said:

This confuses me…I’m onboard now with the new menu..I don’t see any vegan options that replaced the old menu items? or vegetarian for that matter. There has always been one vegetarian item along with the Indian option. That hasn’t changed. You may have liked the old menu more for whatever reasons , but it surely can’t be because they were replaced with vegan/ vegetarian items.

Which ship are you on (and can I say I'm jealous)?  The vegan menu is being rolled out on a few ships at a time.  And the vegan menu is in addition to the new menu, not in place of anything.  

[audcc77]

Yay for Carnival!!

 

As a mom to a vegan, it’s great to see.  
 

We eat vegan sometimes and what I don’t think people realize is that salads and plates of straight veggies are not really considered a meal for vegans.   I’ve had this problem at restaurants when asking if they have vegan meals.  
 

It’s not easy to come up with decent vegan meals and I applaud Carnival for making the effort.  

[asalligo]

On 9/18/2023 at 1:02 PM, ProgRockCruiser said:

But hey, if the vegans in the crowd find it satisfying enough, good for them?

 

Just don't take away my real salmon/poke.

This! Just don't take away my real salmon which is what I worry may be the end result. 

 

 

[geovet]

38 minutes ago, asalligo said:

This! Just don't take away my real salmon which is what I worry may be the end result. 

 

 

They did take it away with the new menu.

 

[ninjacat123]

On 9/18/2023 at 12:47 PM, Honolulu Blue said:

Link to the Carnival press release:  https://carnival-news.com/2023/09/18/carnival-cruise-line-introduces-new-vegan-dining-room-menu/

 

I found out about this from Brand Ambassador John Heald's FB page, which posts the release in its entirety with a minimum of commentary.  Thanks John.

 

It's a little long for me to post here, but let me try to do a TL,DR:

 

• Three appetizers, three main courses, and three desserts on the menu
• Pretty pictures of some of them at the linked site
• Already trialed on the Magic
• Just added to the Freedom and the Horizon
• Schedule of introduction to the rest of the fleet (quoting):

Carnival Dream will be the next ship to implement the menus and by the end of this month, guests will be able to order from the menus on Carnival Valor, Carnival Radiance, Carnival Miracle, Carnival Panorama and Mardi Gras. Next, the new vegan menus will become available on Carnival Celebration, Carnival Sunrise, Carnival Glory, Carnival Conquest, Carnival Vista, Carnival Breeze, Carnival Sunshine and Carnival Elation by the end of October. Carnival Paradise and Carnival Spirit will introduce the menus by the end of November and Carnival Legend, Carnival Venezia and the new Carnival Jubilee follow before the end of December.

And once again, Pride is not on the list (Pride wasn't on the "new Emeril menu" list as well) which is our next cruise out of Rome.  Hmmmmm....

[staceyglow]

16 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

And once again, Pride is not on the list (Pride wasn't on the "new Emeril menu" list as well) which is our next cruise out of Rome.  Hmmmmm....

I am sure that has something to do with Pride being over in Europe. It is much more difficult to stock the ship over there, so they probably didn't want to further complicate things by making major changes to the menu in the middle of the season. 

[Honolulu Blue]

32 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

And once again, Pride is not on the list (Pride wasn't on the "new Emeril menu" list as well) which is our next cruise out of Rome.  Hmmmmm....

It wasn't in the original press release.  Maybe it was an oversight by corporate?  I asked Mr. Heald about the Pride on his FB page.  He's usually pretty responsive.  We'll see if I get an answer.

[Honolulu Blue]

UPDATE:  I got an answer from Mr. Heald.  I'll quote it:

 

She will receive the new vegan menu when she returns from Europe so it won’t be an early November. 

 

I assume he means that the new menu will come sometime in November or later, after coming back to the U.S.