SILVER SPIRIT - Vegetarian Options

[Tinkerbell1963]

Could anyone please tell us whether there are many vegetarian options available in the main dining room and also the speciality dining rooms?

 

We are strict veggies i.e. avoid things like non-vegetarian cheese (such as Parmesan) and gelatine, so wondered whether we would need to request special meals or whether we will be well catered for.

 

Any information would be gratefully received :)

[wripro]

I would definitely have your TA contact guest services and make them aware of your situation even though I am sure there will be vegetarian options aboard. It depends on how strict you are. Another poster on another board was terribly upset with a cruise line because they didn't seem to understand the true tenets of vegetarianism.

[Northerncheapo]

Hi Tinkerbell...

 

I was the poster to which wripro was referring. My husband is a vegetarian and we sailed on the Spirit on Sept 25th for 1 week. His diet proved to be difficult to accomodate regardless of things labeled 'vegetarian' on the menu and regardless of the 75 day advance written notice and daily reminders once on the ship.

 

If you are interested in my review, which I address this issue, here is the link:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1286748&highlight=

 

I was trying to remember one more incident that happened on the boat when I was writing the review which I now recall...

 

Passengers enjoyed the Panorama Lounge around 6:00ish to enjoy a before dinner drink and canapes. The canapes were really quite lovely for those of us who were not vegetarian, but there wasn't one single solitary option for DH. Every little canape (hot or cold) had either fish, meat or caviar on it. When we asked if there was a vegetarian canape option for the vegetarians on board, we were met with 'deer in the head lights' look. Server went to the back and came back to report to us that the chef was going to prepare "something" suitable. We waited. And waited. And waited. A good 20 minutes later, they presented my husband with....wait for it....mellon balls on toothpicks. That was it. Three balls of cantalope skewered on a tooth pick. We didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

 

Anyway, Tinkerbell...look at my review if you're interested and please feel free to email me directly if you have any specific questions and I'll be happy to answer you at northerncheapo@hotmail.com

 

Anita

[patnlcc]

Hi Tinkerbell, am so sorry Anita and her husband had a problem with veggie food. We were on the Cloud in April and my veggie husband was thrilled to bits with all the options he got - he even got a separate veggie menu every evening. Our dining partners started to order from his menu when they saw the lovely food which was placed in front of him.

[Tinkerbell1963]

Thanks very much both of you for your comments.

 

Anita - how apalling that you spent your cruise having to check your husbands food was in fact vegetarian! I really would have thought that a luxury cruise line would be better informed so we will be VERY careful about what we eat. The warning about things like the soup is especially appreciated.

 

We would have thought that in this day and age when more and more people are taking a vegetarian diet (especially now animal welfare and global warming are in the headlines), that this wouldn't cause such a problem.

 

Unfortunately, as well as not eating meat/fish, non-veggie cheese, gelatine, colourings such as cochineal etc etc., I have an intolerance to milk/cream/yoghurt, so I'm not holding out much hope of my diet being catered for.

 

We had the same issue on our cruise with canapes last year, when those we were told were vegetarian had a hidden layer of cavier, which my husband found to his cost when he bit into one.

 

Thank you very much for offering to answer any queries, that is very kind of you and I will be in touch if I think of anything else.

 

Kind regards

Helen

[wripro]

Notherncheapo,

 

Sorry, I thought you had posted on another cruise line's thread. My mistake. All the more relevant since we're talking about the same ship now.

[Northerncheapo]

No worries, Wripro, it's hard to keep track, I know.

 

And, shouldn't we be on nick-name basis by now? Please call me North :) LOL

 

Tinkerbell, glad to be of help. I am very much looking forward to reading about your experiences when you get back. I always thought that our experience was not true to SS and it was just an 'off' week. With that said, if we ever do return to SS, I will most certainly take a more vocal/aggresive approach the moment I set foot on the ship and make it perfectly clear that I will not tolerate a repeat performance.

 

Happy Sailing!