Vegan on a Cruise - Is It Possible?

Recently both Bernie and I have transitioned to a more plant based diet. We call ourselves Vegan but we still have a few holdouts (butter and ice cream) but we are working on it.

Of course we love cruising too.  

Can this work? On our last trip we were probably following a plant based diet about 65% of the time. We could of done better.  

One thing is we did not let Princess know about our dietary requirements (just not enough time as booked last minute).  
So for our upcoming cruise in September we went to our cruise personalizer and went in and went to dietary requirements and selected vegetarian -- there was no vegan option.

Right away I received an email from Princess with the following information:

Thank you for contacting us with notification of Bernard Bowne's request for vegetarian meals. Please take a moment to review the following information. 

Vegetarian items are designated on our dining room menus with a 'V' and vegetarian selections are featured in all dining locations, including the buffet. Tofu, egg-free pasta and vegetarian burgers are available onboard and can be prepared in a variety of styles. Please liaise with your Head Waiter or the Maitre d' Hotel upon boarding to confirm suitable selections. 

Please be aware that the staff who provide room service or bar service cannot identify the food contents.  This is especially true of sauces, seasonings and spices that may be used.  Although we strive to source the freshest ingredients available, note that some of the meals prepared onboard may use prepackaged goods, which could contain some of the elements you may not wish to consume.  Should you have any questions regarding the preparation or ingredients, your Head Waiter or Maitre d’ Hotel will be able to assist you with this information. 

For your safety, any food/drink items you wish to bring onboard must be non-perishable, must not have reached the expiration date before the cruise ends, store bought and sealed in their original containers and packaging upon boarding. Any items brought onboard must be stored in the stateroom and we cannot assign crew members to assist with the preparation. No fruits, vegetables, homemade food or restaurant food will be allowed. Although we may allow certain items onboard, local port authorities may override any approvals we give. Once onboard, due to local agricultural regulations, food items may not be taken ashore.

Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. In the meantime, we look forward to welcoming you onboard.

Kind regards,
Dietary coordinator

This is good but I knew it would not meet our needs so I responded with the fact that we are Vegan but there was no option for this.


Today I received this response: 

Thank you for contacting us with notification of your request for vegan meals. Please take a moment to review the following information.

Please advise if you are in need of a milk substitute. I can arrange either plain soy milk or plain rice milk. We do not carry almond milk, coconut milk or goat milk.

Once onboard, it is very important that you contact the Maitre d’ Hotel to discuss your special dietary needs and any special preparation of your meals. It will be at your discretion to order meals in accordance with your dietary needs. The Maitre d’ Hotel will be happy to assist with making selections from our standard menu that would be suitable.

We do not have a specific vegan menu available. We do offer some vegetarian dishes, which may be suitable for your diet. We can also modify certain menu items to accommodate your diet. We do carry tofu, egg-free pasta and can prepare veggie burgers, as well. The chefs have been able to come up with good meal ideas.

To best accommodate your needs, we recommend you take your meals in the main dining rooms and alternative restaurants. On selected port days when the main dining rooms are closed for lunch, every effort will be made to accommodate your needs in the buffet restaurant. We ask that you speak with the Maitre d’ Hotel the evening prior to discuss your meal requirements and any special preparation for the following day. When arriving at the buffet, please request to speak to a Supervisor, who will coordinate any special preparations directly with the chef.

Please be aware that the staff who serve stateroom snacks, meals, drinks, hors d’oeuvres, 24 hour dining (International Café and room service) or work in the self-service buffets cannot identify the food contents. This is especially true of sauces, seasonings and spices that may be used.  Additionally, some of the meals prepared onboard may use frozen, canned or prepackaged goods, which could contain some of the elements you may not wish to consume.

The buffet does offer a self-service dining option. Should you choose to dine in that venue we cannot guarantee that cross contamination among the various food selections will not occur.

I have received favorable feedback from vegans who have sailed with us. They are surprised at how the dining staff caters to their needs. Again, please contact the Maitre d’ Hotel and discuss your needs with him, this will result in receiving the proper assistance with your diet. The ship staff will do everything they can to accommodate your diet.

For your safety, any food/drink items you wish to bring onboard must be non-perishable, must not have reached the expiration date before the cruise ends, store bought and sealed in their original containers and packaging upon boarding. Any items brought onboard must be stored in the stateroom and we cannot assign crew members to assist with the preparation. No fruits, vegetables, homemade food or restaurant food will be allowed. Although we may allow certain items onboard, local port authorities may override any approvals we give. Once onboard, due to local agricultural regulations, food items may not be taken ashore.

Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. In the meantime, we look forward to welcoming you onboard.


Kind regards,

Dietary Coordinator

So we informed them that we will require soy milk in the International Cafe and we will contact the Maitre d'Hotel once on board. 


I will be blogging the entire voyage and will share how things work out and how we do.