Allonsea

You mention two mass market cruise lines and then seem to be asking for gourmet or near gourmet cooking to suit your specific taste. If it were only so we would be very happy cruisers :). The reality is that we are happy cruisers but not particularly impressed with any of the cuisine on the mass market lines. Yes, there are some alternative restaurants (such as Murano on some Celebrity ships) that is very good (but not sure it would meet your Vegan needs) but mass market lines essentially have mass market cuisine (think decent banquet class).

 

 

 

Trying to equate suites with better cuisine is not normally going to work. Perhaps some of the Norwegian ships can deliver that kind of quality with their Haven suites but we doubt it! Celebrity has Luminae which actually gets its food from the main galley (they same place that serves all the masses). While their food quality is sometimes (not always) a level above the MDR, it is not going to meet your specifications. As to hors d'oeuvres in lounges on mass market lines...if you can even find a real hors d'oeuvres please let me know. On mass market lines a bowl of nuts or some pretzels is their idea of an hor d'oeuvres.

 

 

 

If cuisine is your main goal you do need to be looking at the higher end cruise lines that spend more money and put more effort into cuisine. But even many of those lines may not be able to meet your very specific Vegan requirements. We once cruised on a long HAL cruise with a gentleman who was a very dedicated Vegan. He had nearly all of his meals in the Lido buffet where he befriended some of the cooks who tried to make him a few special meals. But he told us that a majority of his dinners on the 62 day cruise consisted of variations of Pad Thai!

 

 

 

Hank

Thanks so much. I appreciate this reply, and all the replies.

Sigh. I guess I need to reign in my expectations

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Can anyone speak to vegan options given as “afternoon treats” or cocktail hors d’oeuvres in lounges?

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Even with a concierge and butler (neither of who do the cooking), the food prepared is prepared by the same chef for "regular" cruisers and suite passengers. They don't really have time to focus on just one or two passengers to give them a gourmet experience. Their job is to make everyone feel like they're getting "fine dining".

 

 

 

I doubt that you'll get better food just because you're in a suite.

Understood

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Want better food (vegan or not)? You'll need a premium or luxury line. Cabin category is irrelevant.

I understand that luxury lines would have better food all around, but my question is specific to the style and level of care put into food for vegan diners. The articles I’ve read have mixed reviews of main dining rooms and buffets and the level of success that a vegan passenger has varies greatly. I’m wondering if staying in a suite with a butler and concierge would give better results when it comes to consistency.

I read articles about cocktail parties with canapés and petit fours, fine dining with multi course meals, afternoon tea service with pastries, and room service breakfast on a balcony, and they sound delicious - if you eat meat and dairy. My question is about vegan options at this level. The dining perks that are afforded to omnivorous passengers at this level seem to far outweigh those offered to vegan diners - and that is what I’m trying to get clarification on.

From what I’ve read, passengers with vegan restrictions have found some successes by reviewing the next days menu and then altering items to fit within their dietary restrictions. As a suite guest, I’m wondering if there is more freedom within this system to create a meal that isn’t standard vegan fare (salad, pasta, stir fry). Is a chef more likely to accommodate more particular vegan requests if they come from a suite? Does a concierge or butler have pull in this respect?

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The food onboard the ship is the food onboard the ship, regardless of room category. If you require special foods it's best to contact the cruise line pre-trip and make then aware of your needs. That way they can stock up with anything they don't normally have on hand. After all, they can't just run out to the store once the cruise has started to meet your needs.

Oh of course. I meant, rather, do you find as a vegan diner that the quality of food is better as a suite guest as opposed to a guest in a lower stateroom. I would hate to be sitting at one of the nicer restaurants and be given a bowl of rice and steamed vegetables and have it be called fine dining.

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I’m doing some preliminary research on cruise lines and something that I haven’t been able to find is whether or not I will have better luck with vegan meals if I stay in a higher class stateroom.

My fiancé and I enjoy traveling very much and all of our vacations have centered around food. We haven’t found any difficulty navigating larger cities when it comes to finding vegan fine dining and we’d like to try our luck on a cruise. Having read many posts and articles online, it seems as though vegan dining on cruises has come a long way. Still, it seems to be centered around stir fry, pasta, and salad; three items that require very little imagination or ingenuity from a chef. I am a personal chef myself, having graduated culinary school and working professionally now. It is not unfair to say that I have high standards when it comes to dining - and I want to ensure that my meals are given as much care and consideration as my omnivorous shipmates.

I know that we would like to stay in a suite (perhaps Celebrity or NCL because of the butler and concierge service). That is, I think that it would be beneficial to have a crew member’s ear when it comes to requesting vegan food that doesn’t feel like an afterthought.

Have any vegans here experienced cruising in suites? Do you find that you get better service from the kitchens based on the fact that you are a suite guest? In cocktail parties that are offered to suite guests, have you been catered to as well? Or have you been given a plate of fruit and crackers?

Any insight anyone can provide would be much appreciated. Thank you so much!

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Cruise Critic has *hundreds* of photos of all the different stateroom categories on just about every ship. I definitely recommend looking that up. Not here on the boards but in their actual website.

I tried looking but I don’t see a section for ocean suites. It has photos of Capitan suites, but I don’t see any of junior v grand v ocean. But then again I’m on my phone. I might be looking in the wrong place

Allons-y!

Hiya.

My partner and I are planning our first cruise next year. We’re looking to sail out of Galveston for a 5-day western Caribbean cruise - just looking to get our feet wet really. We’ve never done a cruise before so we don’t know what to expect or what to prepare for.

I’m thinking about booking a Valor Ocean Suite, but I’m not ready to pull the trigger on it quite yet. Is it worth it?

I’d like for us to be able to have a nice breakfast on the balcony with enough space for coffee and fruit and whatnot. I understand that most staterooms are dollhouse sized, but it there much of a difference between a balcony and a suite on valor?

I wasn’t aware that there were so many different categories of balcony rooms or suites. It’s all a bit overwhelming. Any advice or information that can be provided on the difference between them would be super helpful.

Grayson

Allons-y!

SO HAPPY TO SEE VEGAN CRUISERS. My partner and I are vegan and we’re looking into our first cruise. This seems to be a pretty active thread, so I’m hoping it’s okay to post here. Mods, feel free to delete or move if necessary.

What about all day excursions? We’d like to experience some of these but I’m worried that there won’t be food for us. I certainly don’t want to resign myself to cliff bars for my only sustenance. Any input from other vegans on this?

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Where does your cruise go from Galveston? New Orleans is always a good time, Cozumel and Cancun are great. Maybe a stop at Key West. Do those places interest you? Since you’ve never done it, go for it. But Vegas is awfully nice, too. You can take a helicopter to the Grand Canyon, and the shows are beyond belief. There is a lot to love about Las Vegas.

 

 

Take the cruise.

The cruise we’re considering is going to Cozumel and Yucatán. Okay stops?

Allons-y!

I dunno. Carnival seems okay. But then again I’ve never cruised before, so I don’t know what the standard is. I suppose when it comes to cruises I have no standards, only because I’ve never experienced one. Meh. Maybe after a few cruises I’ll have a better handle on what is or isn’t “acceptable.” But for now I think that the affordability of Carnival is enough to keep my nose out of the air.

You can post on the CCL and RCI Cruise forum for more opinions

 

 

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Appreciate it!

Allons-y!

Greetings!

My partner and I are looking into our first cruise. We’re thinking next September would be nice - kids will be in school, lower rates, nice weather, etc. I understand that Galveston isn’t a mecca of cruise locations, but we live in San Antonio - it’s not a super inconvenient drive to get to the port. And with work schedules being at least a partial factor to consider, 5 days would be perfect for a vacation and we wouldn’t have to dedicate an extra day for flying.

Anyway, because we’re looking at Galveston cruises we’re mainly looking at Royal Caribbean and Carnival. Right now we’re leaning towards an ocean suite on Carnival because it seems to be the most decent for the price, but I suppose a junior suite on Royal Caribbean is comparable, if not slightly more expensive?

So. With that preface out of the way and knowing that this is our first cruise so we’re not sure what we’re getting ourselves into (will we even like it? Is 5 days enough? Should we just call it quits and go to Vegas again?) - would you recommend an ocean suite on Carnival or a junior suite on Royal Caribbean? Or should we throw caution to the wind and look at a grand suite? Is Carnival Valor good for a first timer just looking to try on some sea legs for a change - or should we spring for Enchantment of the Seas?

Again. I’m super new to all of this. Moderators- feel free to move, modify, delete, any/all of the above if this isn’t where it needs to be or if I’m just being dumb. Cruise websites are harder to navigate than Disney World websites - and that’s saying something.

Grayson

I’m in a similar boat so to speak (pun only slightly intended). We’re looking to do our first cruise next year and it’s super convenient to not have to fly. We live in San Antonio - I’m willing to make the 4 hour drive if it means I don’t have to pay an arm and a leg just to get to the port.