Several cruise lines these days offer vegan menus or vegan options on their vegetarian menus. I called several cruise lines today to get accurate, up to date information on vegan meals. Some may offer one vegan choice on their typical menu. International cuisine is becoming more popular on cruise ships. Tempeh, seitan, and tofu dishes can even be found sometimes on cruise line menus! Thai, Indian, or Mediterranean meals may be great choices for vegans. Usually, the vegan menu must be requested in advance upon arrival onboard the ship. The “specialty restaurants” of the cruise lines can usually prepare a vegan option upon request. The ship buffet stations typically have a vast array of fruits, vegetables and salads. The chef may be able to prepare some of the vegetables without butter or other dairy products, if you ask. Room service on most cruise lines offers salads and veggie burgers. Vegans need to inquire if the brand of veggie burger contains egg yolk. It is always a good idea for vegans to bring some of their own food from home also. Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Holland America, Norwegian, Princess, Costa, and Disney offer veggie options during their BBQ beach excursions on their own private Caribbean islands. Some of these cruise lines will prepare special bagged lunches for travelers to take with them during shore excursions, as many Caribbean ports do not have vegan restaurants. Other popular, cruise destination ports such as Alaska, northern Europe, and the Mediterranean may not have vegan restaurants nearby either. On small cruise lines, travelers may meet directly with the chef to request special vegan meals. The Nile River cruise ship from Aswan to Luxor, Egypt has a sit down restaurant on board where travelers can select what they would like to eat from the large buffet. There are not many vegan options available at the buffet stations. However, vegans will not starve. The staples of freshly baked pita bread and ful (fava beans) are filling. The tour guide may speak to the chef in order to prepare some vegetables which are cooked in oil, instead of with dairy products.
A Taste Of Health Holistic Cruises
A Taste Of Health holistic cruises offer all vegan trips. The cuisine on board includes vegan, macrobiotic, and raw foods. Travelers may also take vegan cooking classes on board, participate in yoga or meditation, or attend seminars given by top vegan or raw food speakers and nutritionists.
Royal Caribbean
Travelers should request in advance for the vegan menu options. You should speak to the head waiter as soon as you board the ship. Indian meals are an option also.
Carnival Cruise Lines
Carnival has a special vegan menu in their restaurant. Travelers need to request in advance when they arrive onboard. This menu will then be served to you for the length of your stay.
Norwegian Cruise Lines
Norwegian offers vegan options when requested by advance. Please contact the cruise line for more information. When booking the cruise by phone, ask to speak with Group Event Coordinator upon arrival on board. The coordinator will schedule a meeting between you and the ship’s chef. The chef will prepare vegan meals based on your discussion.
Windstar Cruise Lines
Windstar does not have a specific vegan menu. However, guests may request to meet with chef on board. The chef will then prepare a vegan version of the vegetarian options available, based on your needs.
Celebrity Cruise Lines
Celebrity Cruise Lines offers a full vegan menu. It needs to be requested by calling Celebrity prior to your trip. A couple of the Celebrity ships offer raw foods.
Princess
Princess offers vegan options when requested by advance prior to sailing. Please contact the cruise line for more information.
Holland America
Holland America offers vegan options when requested by advance. Please contact the cruise line for more information. Special meals can be requested by calling the Ship Services Department 60 days prior to your trip.
Thank you so much for this useful information. I am vegan and going on a Carnival Cruise in August 2011. Now I know what to do. Excellent!!
You’re very welcome!! I hope you have a great time. 🙂
I am a travel agent (and vegan) who specializes and luxury cruises and found your article fascinating. To add to your list, I was recently on a Silversea cruise and they provided many vegan and vegetarian options on a completely separate menu. I’ll be sailing on Seabourn and Crystal later this year and will post info on their vegan/vegetarian offerings on my blog. Thank you again.
Thank you so much for your appreciation of my posting, Miles!! Also, thank you for your helpful input regarding your cruises. 🙂
Happy sailing!!
I ate vegan on a Royal Caribbean cruise in October. Sitting down at the restaurant for these meals makes things easier. Every night someone would come to the table to ask me if I like what they had in mind. For example one night she said they were thinking about doing an eggplant dish for me the next day. I’m not much of an eggplant fan so I told her I didn’t think it was a good idea. This service was very helpful and everybody around was amazed that I was getting specialized service and different desserts! Just make sure you follow the instructions and let the cruise line know in advance that you don’t consume dairy, eggs, or meat products. I look forward to seeing the vegan menu on Carnival later this year.
Thank you so much for this great information as we are getting a cruise on the caribbean leaving from Panama, visiting Colombia and other islands in the Caribbean, and our daughters and us are all raw vegans 🙂
I appreciated this great info for all us vegans 🙂
You’re very welcome!! Enjoy your cruise. 🙂
I was just told by my travel agent that Carnival does not have a vegan menu…..bummer…..Guess I will be packing food for this trip…….
Wendy.. Your travel agent was mistake. You need to tell the Maitre D or staff on the cruise when you arrive. Their chefs are happy to prepare vegan meals for you. I know people who have done so in the past year! Check when you are onboard. Best of luck!!