Vegetarian Cruisers out there?

[mirrajay]

Hello everyone -

My friend and I are both vegetarians and just last night were talking about eating in the dinning room. I brought up the questions: what do we do (etiquitte-wise) if there is a course of the meal that does not have a vegetarian option? I believe there is always a vegetarian main course offered, but might we run into this with the other courses?

I dont assume there is a way for them to remove the meat that might be in a particular dish since it is mass-prepared, right?

 

Thanks for any info!

 

Carey

[tef43]

might we run into this with the other courses?

Shouldn't happen. Sample menus are posted all over the web. Check them out.

 

Here's some from Chris:

 

http://www.lifeiscruising.com/dining

[Sailfish]

My brother in law, who adheres to a Vegan diet, has always had a hard time with cruises when it comes to dining, so he no longer cruises. But he adheres to a very strict Vegan diet, and your situation is probably different. Regardless of cruise line - he has been on three - there always seems to be an issue with food regardless of where he eats - the buffet, the dining room or alternative restaurants.

 

In each instance, the ship was informed of my brother in laws dietary requirements. Sample menus were even given to the galley, and still there was very little for my brother in law to select from. One night he informed the waiter to bring him something with tofu in it. Well, our waiter proceeded to bring him a large plate of plain tofu - the kitchen obviously had no idea what to do with the tofu. Suffice it to say, he ate lots of fresh veggies and fruit and plain pasta. Most things, we found, had some meat products in it, even if it wasn't obvious (like pasta sauces and polenta prepared with chicken stock). Most vegetarian options that were availabe did NOT have meat, but were loaded with meat based products, eggs and dairy.

 

As I said, he adheres to a Vegan diet, which does not include dairy or eggs, so you might be fine with the daily vegetarian offerings. Good luck!

[NEEDVACATION]

Mirrajay - I to am a vegetarian. Previously sailed on Celebrity and had a FULL vegetarian menu to choose from, was the best. Went on Royal Caribbean last year and had a very hard time finding something every night to eat. I am not real big on fish so I was limited on what to eat. I am very interested in what Carnival is going to offer but there is always breakfast to over indulge in and lunch, gotta love pizza. Good Luck!

[SevenVII]

I to am a vegetarian. I am not real big on fish so I was limited on what to eat.

So you can eat fish if you are a vegetarian?

[mirrajay]

Thanks for the info!

I am not a strict vegan, although I try to be. I will eat dairy and eggs when I am not at home, but at home eat free range eggs and try to stick to soy milk. This is just not possible when you are on vacation especially on a cruise.

I have looked at sample menus, but they are just that - samples, so its good to know that they SHOULD be indicitive of what I will find on board. According to the samples, it looks like there is a vegetarian option or two for every course.

 

Some vegetarians chose to eat fish - there are varying degrees of vegetarianism. A vegetarian that eats fish is called a pesco-vegetarian and there are many ethical reasons for why some people (myself included) allow fish in their diet, but remove meats. I will eat fish once in a blue moon and probably will cave and eat some lobster in Portland and some other seafood on the ship.

 

Thanks again.

[GoinCruisin]

I decided I could never be Vegan once I learned they don't eat Jello... FTLOG, what do Vegans use for Jello shots? not to mention Jello wrestling! I just can't imagine it... :p

[zakity]

Can you order several of the appetizers as a meal instead of a "main dish"? Can you request a salad as a meal?

 

I am technically considered lacto-ovo vegetarian. I limit my milk intake to cheese and what little bit that I get in recipes (cakes, etc). I also don't eat eggs unless they are in a cake or whatever. I am supposed to eat similar to vegan because of some health problems, but I just can't not have cheese.

 

Do they have blue cheese salad dressing?

[Sailfish]

You can order as much of anything you want, including appetizers. Unlike my brother in law, I'm sure you'll find lots to choose from, as you are willing to eat cheese and include some egg in your diet; he was not able to do that, so that really limited what he could eat.

 

Salads were kind of boring - mainly iceberg lettuce and dressing. But appetizers were quite good - and there was a good variety. What I could tell was there were many items which did NOT have any meat, but had geletin or a sauce made with a soup base, such as rice made with chicken stock. There was an awesome portobello mushroom saute with polenta that I loved (and I am not a vegetarian), but we later found out that the mushrooms were sauted in butter and the polenta had chicken stock for a base. It didn't matter to me, but my brother in law couldn't order it for obvious reasons. Even deserts became an issue as just about everything had geletin - go figure!

 

Hope this helps.

[zakity]

Akkk...sorry...kids needed something and I sent the post too soon. I forgot to put in the post that I do cheat a little ("supposed to" and "real life" just don't always mesh well). I try to do trade-offs (if I eat cheese, then I won't have ice cream that day) to balance things out. Blue cheese dressing is one of my "cheats" (love the stuff).

 

I also figure that I am on vacation (and on a cruise!) and I will "allow" myself extras of the things I am not supposed to have. I might just be really daring and have cheese and blue cheese dressing!!!! Maybe at the same meal even!!

 

That blue cheese suggestion is a really good idea. I have never thought of that. Thanks!!!

[phroggie]

The DW, DD and I and my niece are all (lacto-ovo) vegetarians. While we didn't have a choice, the vegetarian entree was always exceptional.

 

If you're like us, you're probably very open to anything that doesn't have a mother and you've developed a taste for all manner of food. Do you frequent Indian? Mexican? (LA is the spinach burrito capital of the world) Thai? Ethiopian? (The San Fernando Valley probably has more ethnic restaurants per capita than anyplace else.) If that describes you, you're in for a treat. If you're the vegetarian equivalent a steak and potatoes person, you might not be too pleased.

 

(The head chef on Ecstasy was Indian. I think only one entree was actually Indian. While I may have imagined it, there seemed to be a very subtle Indian flavor to everything. Nummmy.)

 

Worst case scenario, if you're still hungry, there's salad, fruit and pizza on the Lido deck.

 

While we are on the subject, perhaps someone can enlighten me: if vegetarians eat vegetables, what do humanitarians eat?

[mirrajay]

Thanks phroggie - thats good news. I love ethnic, "exotic" food. I'm really not a big fan of vegetables actually (not a big salad eater nor can I be happy with just a plate of steamed brocoli or something). It seems like ethinic food always offers a bigger variety of vegetarian options, so if they offer than kind of food on the ship, then I'm a happy girl.

 

Thanks!

[bernman]

I respect you and any others who can live the vegatarian way in all its incarnations. As for me, if God didn't want us to eat animals, he wouldn't have made them taste so good!!!

 

 

:D

[judyf]

Most of the meals I got were the veggie on all my cruise and they were great!

[DebBrown]

I tried a couple of the "vegetarian" dishes and they were pretty good, just not enough to fill you up. Our tablemates had steamed veggies everynight with their regular entree and said they were very good. I still like a good steak and baked potato once in a while though. :)

[mirrajay]

Thanks Judy - I am looking forward to seeing what kind of choices are offered. And worse case senario - like someone else said - there is always pizza! :)

[crzndeb]

Mirrajay,

 

 

 

....And back to your original post, there will be lots of options for you and I'm sure you will not go hungry....Most of the cruise lines are now trying to follow diet plans that every cruiser can enjoy.

[Sailfish]

A suggestion:

 

I recommend you let you waiter in the dining room know the first night what your dietary preferences are. Let him/her know you will be ordering vegetarian options; if he /she is a seasoned waiter, he will make suggestions and customize your meals.

 

Because my brother in law adhered to a vegan diet, it was hard for his waiter to find items not containing ANY animal products. But most vegetarians (who eat egg and/or milk products) should have quite a bit to select from, especially when you take into account appetizers. If your waiter knows this, many will have suggestions and even specially prepare plates for you with items he/she believes you will like. This was consistently done for my brother in law, but alas, his dietary restrictions were such that it was near impossible to find things with no animal products.

 

Suffice it to say, it's a challenge finding creative menu items to satisfy everyone. Cruise lines are making an effort, though, when it comes to vegetarian diets.

 

Good luck.

[thuang01]

Here is the link for 7 days Carnival Cruise Dinner Menu.

 

http://www.airtourcruise.com/ccl_dinner_menu_1.htm

http://www.airtourcruise.com/ccl_dinner_menu_2.htm

http://www.airtourcruise.com/ccl_dinner_menu_3.htm

http://www.airtourcruise.com/ccl_dinner_menu_4.htm

http://www.airtourcruise.com/ccl_dinner_menu_5.htm

http://www.airtourcruise.com/ccl_dinner_menu_6.htm

http://www.airtourcruise.com/ccl_dinner_menu_7.htm

 

Every day they do have different vegetarian entree.

[GoinCruisin]

Mirrajay,

 

On some boards, they have an ignore feature where you can block certain names....wish they had it here....

 

They have that same feature on these boards too... which is why it is the GREATEST board ever :D

 

As for special dietary needs, you can call Carnival BEFORE you cruise for any special arrangements... When cooking for 1000's of people, they need a little advance notice, especially if you are wanting something with no meat, no eggs, no dairy, etc... they will accomodate you though.

[crzndeb]

Goincruisin....tried to send you a quick thanks via email but you're blocked....I found the "ignore" and thanks for the info....

[GoinCruisin]

Deb, no problem!! It really is a great feature... didn't think I would like the new boards when we first got them, but now I don't know how we lived without them!!!! I keep my email private though... no telling who I might *miff* and don't need to be getting hate mail all day! LOL!!!!!

[zakity]

If I can eat several appetizers as a meal and possibly get steamed veggies also (didn't know about the steamed veggies choice), that will work. It looks like there is salad every night and I can always eat pizza!! Oh yeah...forgot to put in the earlier posts that I have TMJ also. Somehow, with all my little tweaky eating requirements, I am still fat!!!!

 

Should I tip the wait staff extra since I have so many tweaky eating habits? How much extra (trying to budget things out)?

 

I really appreciate all the help. I never think about my diet when I go places because it is usually for just one or two meals and I can balance things out easily and I won't starve to death if I miss a meal or two.

[noodle]

You really should contact carnival and tell them you are a vegetarian. They will make sure they have vegetarian options for you. On the Pride, we saw a family who appeared to be of Indian decent. They had a special meal brought to them every evening that appeared to be vegetarian Indian food. People at surrounding tables were intrigued and so one night they asked if they could try the food the Indian family was being served and sure enough, a plate full was brought for them. Call carnival, tell them of your special diet and they will work with you.

 

Also, while waiting in line to change our table assignment at the beginning of the cruise, the people in front of us were waiting to speak with the staff since their daughter was allergic to wheat products. Sounds simple enough, but a lambshank may be dredged in flour before browning, or some other preparation. Carnival was able to accomodate her with notice, but with that kind of allergy, notify them before you get on the ship.

[phroggie]

Mirrajay,

 

I wouldn't describe the vegetarian food so much a exotic or ethnic, but neither was it plain: they just did not have to resort serving steamed vegetables. I've seen many "classy" restaurants that can do no better than steamed vegetables. Not Carnival. The vegetarian choices were at least on par with the other entrees.

 

I love a sag paneer or sweet and sour tofu. The problem is even with all the ethnic food available in the Valley, we tend to end up in a rut. Ecstasy's food totally broke all a molds.

 

And we ordered right off the menu.

 

In short, an ovo lacto vegetarian has a wonderful experience waiting for them. I envy you.