Shameful vegan experience on Rhapsody

[ZandZ]

That is exactly what they are supposed to do- if they can prepare halal, kosher, they should be able to prepare vegan foods. That is what they DO for a living- cater. It's not being demanding, just asking for her dietary requirements to be met. They could even look up some menus on the internet if they run out of ideas.

http://www.peta.org/living/food/two-week-vegan-meal-plan/

 

Broccoli and carrots, steamed, are no one's idea of a main course..

 

Exactly this!

[ZandZ]

It clearly states "We will TRY to accommodate to their best of their ability"

 

That shouldn't mean ones expectation is to ABSOLUTELY be accommodated.

 

If by ABSOLUTELY you mean 100%, I agree. However, since the notification was compliant with their time frame, accommodations, based on their own statement, are expected. What the OP is describing is nowhere near acceptable. She does not come off as an unreasonable person and I am sure she would have been happy with repeats and such, as long as it a real meal. Not some broccoli thrown on a plate, more than once.

[Yorkvillain]

There have been several posts on this thread which touched on speculating on why I might be vegan, so I thought that perhaps I should share some personal info on why I follow a vegan diet.

 

I started thinking of vegetarianism while in elementary school, and adopted the diet almost 40 years ago. I have been a vegan for the last 6 years. Even while I was a vegetarian I did what I could to abstain from using any animal products.

 

While my original attraction to vegetarianism involved moral and ethical reasons, the issue that made me take the actual step to become a vegetarian was health related. But over the years, as I primarily identified more and more as a vegetarian, the moral facets of the lifestyle became more and more important to me.

 

I do not lecture; I do not judge, and I certainly hope I do not come off with a 'higher than thou' attitude!! My husband began eating meat again a few years ago, and while we maintain a vegan household (at his insistence, btw), I have no issues with dining at restaurants where he can enjoy a meat meal (interestingly, he says he is finding that wants to eat meat less and less lately). We never insisted that our son follow our vegetarianism, and his household and family are very much dedicated meat eaters.

 

I will say this regarding the health benefits of being vegan, as they are a reason why my friends and family encourage my lifestyle:

 

I was born into a family with a lousy history of heart disease- my father and his brothers all died before 50 because of it, and my brothers and I were told to expect the same for most of us. Last year my doctors decided I should undergo an angiogram, and to their surprise and delight my arteries were completely clear. The cardiology team very strongly stated that it must be due to my diet choices. So, I'd say that being vegan is not really a choice for me- even though the moral and ethical reasons for veganism are still primary for me.

 

I have to say that, contrary to what many here seem to think, I find following a vegan diet, especially when traveling, is very easy. More and more restaurants and cafes around the world provide vegan options or adjustments on their menus (we spent several days in Rome pre-cruise, and I had no problem eating in restaurants - or even finding vegan gelato :).). If I can't find a cafe where I can have a meal, there's always a grocery or farmer's market where I can find plenty to eat. On this trip I used a handy little book called 'The Vegan Passport' which has a page for pretty much any language, which describes my diet. I used that book to go into bakeries and cafes on our port stops to find food to take back to the ship. (I can now steer you toward some very tasty breads on the Greek Isles :-))

 

We live in Israel, which has the fastest growing vegan population in the world. It's rare to find a restaurant or cafe which doesn't offer vegan options, and it's common for an establishment to offer a separate full vegan menu. Vegan restaurants abound in Tel Aviv especially, and the latest trend is for established omnivore restaurants to switch to exclusively vegan menus.

 

That availability has not spoiled me- I am very aware that not all places in the world will provide such an abundance of vegan options. But that has not stopped me from travel! As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm very good at finding things to eat wherever I travel.

 

Issues can arise on a cruise, and those can impact the enjoyment of a cruise because let's face it- eating well is a part of the attraction of cruising. For me, cruising is my 'relaxing travel', and on cruises I look forward to- and yes expect- (with reasonable expectations) to be fed at least satisfactorily.

 

Phew!! I think I covered all the bases?!?!? Hopefully in an informative, but not lecturing way? Sometimes I have a bit of difficulty expressing myself in English, and can come off sounding stiffer than I intended.

 

Very nice and heartfelt post Ruth. It did not come off as "lecturing" in any way.

[ZandZ]

Actually, the online section you linked to mentions several things they will accommodate, but vegan is not among them. But, as you say, the OP's past experience has been better. And, if she contacted them at least 45 days in advance, and they said they would accommodate her, then she certainly should expect it.

Yes, you are correct that vegan is not listed. However, "special requests" cover veganism, among a myriad of other diet restrictions. Should not have been an issue. The OP's prior positive experience is not due to luck. It's due to compliance with policy which, in his case, is being ignored.

[Hoopster95]

I feel that this issue is not about whether the OP is vegan or not, rich or poor, muslim or roman catholic, handicapped or an Olympian athlete... who cares if she's vegan or not!

 

I feel that this thread is about what she was told and advised. If a business informs you, the consumer, they can and will do something for you, than it should be 100% expected by the consumer that they will do exactly what they have told you. Anything less is a failure of the business, and a breach of trust to the consumer.

 

If the OP had advised RCL prior to the cruise regarding being vegan, and RCL said "no, we cannot accommodate, we are so sorry", then this would be 100% the OP's fault. In this case there would be no break in trust as the business was up front and honest from the get go.

 

Just my humble extremely miniscule opinion.

OP, I hope you still have a great cruise to the best of your ability :D

[Thornbird]

Why are so many people jumping on the bandwagon to criticise the OP? It doesn't matter how many vegans there are on board (or in the US or anywhere else for that matter), or why the OP eats vegan. Maybe it's a strongly held ethical belief, maybe it's for health reasons, whatever.

The issue is not that she eats a certain way, it's that RCI has taken her as a passenger with the knowledge she eats that way, assured her they could meet her dietary requirements, then failed to do so. Those of you bashing her have perhaps never had to eat according to unusual rules. For a while I couldn't eat any simple carbs - do you have any idea how hard it is to go through a menu and find something that has no sugar, flour, potato, rice, pasta, carrot, or a bunch of other things I can't even remember now. When the wait staff are trying to be helpful its hard, but doable, and you'll probably end up with something that tastes ok and fills you up. If the waitstaff are promising big and then failing you, you're screwed. It's not as if the OP can just go somewhere else to eat, on a cruise, you are limited to what is on offer in their facilities.

For those saying that the OP should just eat what's available - if you were faced with a menu that offered, say, fried grasshopper, snake, whale, dog, brains, lungs, chicken feet, or some other combination of items that, whilst eaten by some people, just absolutely revolt you, would you eat it? Would you be happy about it?

[ZandZ]

My grandfather became a vegetarian for health reasons in 1948. Way before it was "in" and waaay before it was accommodated as widely as it is now. He turned 95 this year. He isn't a true vegan but through the years he has gravitated toward it more. I believe the only non-vegan item on his menu still is cottage cheese. None of us have ever felt burdened by his choice. He has lived in 3 different countries (including Israel btw) and never felt that his died choice hinders him.....

My point is: there is NO REASON for the OP to feel this way while on vacation she paid for!!!!

[Tura Lura]

seriously, with folks saying things on other threads like a lack of free lobster may inspire them to switch cruise lines, you'd think there would be more empathy for lack of decent food options being a source of disappointment.

 

BTW - even my work cafeteria has daily vegan options. It's not like it's such an uncommon request.

[teltrainer]

so many first world food problems...including me in that as I'm spoiled by all the choices available.

 

The OP was promised a product delivery and didn't get it. That's bad service regardless of whether the food prep was very involved or not. They said they would deliver on that promise and failed.

 

I think we will see cruise lines cutting back on a lot of free food items in the future and going to a la carte pricing whether meat eater or vegan. For example, NCL board is discussing main dining room Prime Rib being charged for.

 

Or perhaps other choice is to increase prices in general to add more staff for special food needs preparation.

[Cruizen Susan]

I'm not vegan, but according to "Vegetarian Times", 3.2 percent of U.S. adults, or 7.3 million people, follow a vegetarian-based diet. Approximately 0.5 percent, or 1 million, of those are vegans, who consume no animal products at all. That means no dairy or eggs. Remember, these items come from animals.

 

So, what type of vegan / vegetarian are you? I take it you are in the 0.5 percent? Thus, if there are 3,000 pax on the ship, there might be 15 vegans on board.

 

Now, I can certainly empathize with your situation / beliefs, and they should be accommodated.

 

I think RCI should provide, in the MDR, at least two vegan choices, but these would need to be ordered the day before, or at least earlier that day. Perhaps no different than if you desired a Kosher meal.

 

I mean no disrespect, and I want you to be accommodated, but on a ship with thousands of pax on board, you are in a tiny minority. RCI should respond to this, but you might need to cut them some slack also. :)

 

Your post is a voice of reason. As a former vegan, I have an opinion on this topic. (I had to start eating meat again due to nutritional deficiencies). It's true that vegans are .5% of the population. That is miniscule.

 

Whenever I ate out with family, I wanted their company more than a meal, so I would often eat before I went out, just in case there was nothing on the menu I could have. I would be thrilled if there was something delicious and vegan, but my expectations were low. I got very used to this, and accepted that I was very much a small minority with my dietary choices. I never blamed the restaurant, and on occasions such as my birthday, Mother's Day, etc. the family would take me to a vegan restaurant.

 

On the topic of cruises, yes, I had to settle for the salad bar, Indian food, vegan side dishes, and more simple and smaller dishes. I managed, because I KNEW the cruise line would not be catering to .5% of the passengers. Now I am gluten-free and dairy-free, but that is much easier, because so many people are now on those restrictions too. Far more than .5%.

 

Sorry, but my expectations were different than yours. I hope you are able to find a compromise somehow.

Edited November 6, 2015 by Cruisen'Susan

[happy trailer]

Your post is a voice of reason. As a former vegan' date=' I have an opinion on this topic. (I had to start eating meat again due to nutritional deficiencies).

 

I'm saddened to hear of your experience on a vegan diet. More and more medical studies are endorsing a plant based diet as being very healthy; in fact many now say that a plant based diet is not only nutritionally sound, but ideal. I even belong to a couple of forums led by vegan athletes and body builders! (Please understand that I am in no way doubting your experience on a vegan diet, just saddened that it was your experience- which was so different than mine: 40 years meat free and healthy, with my switch to a vegan diet leading to even greater health.)

 

Whenever I ate out with family, I wanted their company more than a meal, so I would often eat before I went out, just in case there was nothing on the menu I could have. I would be thrilled if there was something delicious and vegan, but my expectations were low. I got very used to this, and accepted that I was very much a small minority with my dietary choices. I never blamed the restaurant, and on occasions such as my birthday, Mother's Day, etc. the family would take me to a vegan restaurant.

 

I used to find myself in that situation, too, sometimes, but that rarely is the case nowadays, even when I'm on the road. (And, of course, because I am on a cruise, I don't have the option of eating at home before I go to dinner, in case there is nothing on the dinner menu I can eat.)

 

On the topic of cruises, yes, I had to settle for the salad bar, Indian food, vegan side dishes, and more simple and smaller dishes.

 

Perhaps you didn't have a chance to read my entire original post? I haven't even been provided with all those options.

 

I managed, because I KNEW the cruise line would not be catering to .5% of the passengers. Now I am gluten-free and dairy-free, but that is much easier, because so many people are now on those restrictions too. Far more than .5%.

 

I am managing, as I've stated, on food I purchase on shore, and the few things I've found onboard. Certainly you don't think I haven't eaten anything all week?!!

 

But, as I have stated, and many have been kind enough to point out- based on my previous experiences, I KNEW the cruise line would be providing me with vegan meals.

 

Sorry, but my expectations were different than yours. I hope you are able to find a compromise somehow.

 

Sounds like my reality was different than yours; certainly my every day vegan experience is different than what yours was. Again, I am sorry to hear that you were advised to give up your vegan diet. I wish you a long healthy and happy life, filled with high, gleeful expectations for yourself and others.

 

---

[Paul65]

Vegans eat NO animal products' date=' so no meat, fish, poultry, dairy, gelatin, honey and I'm sure many other things.[/quote']

 

Is that true that vegans are not even supposed to eat honey? Is that because the bees are being "exploited" to make the honey? Most of those bee-hives are also used to pollinate much of the fruit and vegetable crops, too. So, if you don't want to participate in exploitation of insects....Well, there's not much left to eat.

[BeachChik]

It is inexcusable that the dinner menu doesn't include 1-2 vegan options each night. It should also include gluten-free choices. If it does and you are expecting something beyond that, maybe this is where the break down is?

 

A restaurant may be more able to accommodate. A ship has limited work space, ingredients and realistically how many vegans are on any given ship. There are so many different food needs that people have, they do their best to accommodate everyone.

 

They can't have an item on the menu to suit everyone. And I know someone that is vegan. She went to France and had a really hard time finding restaurants that would work for her. When you are following a diet that has such significant restrictions, you can't expect everyone to accommodate.

[happy trailer]

They can't have an item on the menu to suit everyone. And I know someone that is vegan. She went to France and had a really hard time finding restaurants that would work for her. When you are following a diet that has such significant restrictions, you can't expect everyone to accommodate.

 

Suggest to your friend these two resources, which I turn to whenever and wherever I travel:

 

The website happycow.net, a search engine where you can find vegan and vegan friendly restaurants and shops around the world.

 

The book 'The Vegan Passport' which, as I mentioned in an earlier post, translated a page with a very detailed description of a vegan diet into many languages.

 

Another 'trick' I use when traveling is to look for kosher, halal, or Middle Eastern cafes- a vegan can almost always find something tasty in any of these places.

[Tura Lura]

A restaurant may be more able to accommodate. A ship has limited work space, ingredients and realistically how many vegans are on any given ship. There are so many different food needs that people have, they do their best to accommodate everyone.

 

They can't have an item on the menu to suit everyone. And I know someone that is vegan. She went to France and had a really hard time finding restaurants that would work for her. When you are following a diet that has such significant restrictions, you can't expect everyone to accommodate.

 

you're not listening. They were notified in advance per the requirements. So they agreed to accommodate. It's not like she showed up and first day in the MDR said, surprise i'm vegan.

[DannyS]

In my experience travelling with a vegetarian, ordering with the head waiter the night before seems to be the best way to have a good experience. They typically have a few copies of the next day's menus/options. You tell the head waiter what you want, and they have everything in place for you to get it the next night.

 

Even though the chef says "you don't have to do that" that's the way the system works best. I've seen ships scramble to do stuff on the same night, but it always seems to take forever. It's a complex operation, and it is better to try to work within the system than to change it.

 

It also helps to know everyone's job. The Assistant Waiter is in charge of clearing place settings, watching drinks, bread, sauces/dressings, and following orders from the Waiter. The Waiter is in charge of keeping track of who ordered what, and getting it from the kitchen to the table. The Head Waiter is in charge of keeping everything on target and special requests. Anything that is out of the ordinary (read: not exactly as printed on the menu) is the responsibility of the head waiter. This is why you rarely see him/her until after everyone has entrees. Coordination of anything out of the ordinary has kept them busy until that moment.

 

You can talk to the restaurant manager. You can talk to the Chef. You can talk to Corporate in Miami. But at the end of the day, the jobs are as I listed above. So, you can talk to Corporate who will talk to someone in Guest Relations who will talk to the Maitre D who will talk to your head waiter. Or you can deal directly with the Head Waiter and do things the way that works best for him/her. Not ideal, but that's how it works best.

[happy trailer]

Is that true that vegans are not even supposed to eat honey? Is that because the bees are being "exploited" to make the honey? Most of those bee-hives are also used to pollinate much of the fruit and vegetable crops, too. So, if you don't want to participate in exploitation of insects....Well, there's not much left to eat.

 

Most vegans feel that the consumption of honey is an animal rights issue, but there are discussions on the issue on vegan forums. In general, part of the issue is difficulties with any sort of animal farming. For a product to be labeled 'vegan friendly' it must not contain honey.

 

Vegans are also careful about wines, as many of the filtering agents used in wine production are animal based. Fortunately, there is a growing market of vegan wines :)

[happy trailer]

In my experience travelling with a vegetarian, ordering with the head waiter the night before seems to be the best way to have a good experience. They typically have a few copies of the next day's menus/options. You tell the head waiter what you want, and they have everything in place for you to get it the next night.

 

That actually is my preferred method, but I've only encountered it on Carnival. I especially like it because when dinner is served, it looks like I am eating the same food as the rest of my table mates. I've found that makes every one more comfortable, and takes my being vegan out of the dinner discussions.

 

I did try doing that on this cruise, and it was a total fail. Neither my waiter nor head waiter seemed to have ever heard of doing this, and when they did produce the next night's menu, even I couldn't figure out how to make adjustments to the items listed, which is what the head waiter does with me on Carnival. I figure that's why I've never encountered that option on an RCI cruise.

[LuvWilliam]

I can't believe I'm writing this- I'm usually the person posting enthusiastic assurances to vegans that they will be well fed on their cruises!

 

 

 

Day 7 of 9 on Rhapsody, and for the first time ever, I'm hungry on a cruise! I should have taken action after the first two days, but I kept telling myself that I was only experiencing a temporary glitch- because, after all, I know how easy it is to get delicious vegan meals on a cruise!

 

 

 

But when I realized that the shameful lack of service I was personally experiencing was having an impact on the dining pleasure of my delightful table mates, I started speaking up. That was 5 days ago, and not only was there no improvement, things actually got worse.

 

 

 

Vegans eat more than a small plate of steamed broccoli and carrots for dinner, Rhapsody!!

 

 

 

I was up until late at night, sending private messages via social media to RCI, and only got one lame reply (have you spoken to the Maitre d'? Uh- duh!)- and that was only when I finally posted publicly after not getting any response for over 10 hours (even with the time zone difference, that was well into the working day at corporate).

 

 

 

My booking was marked with a notation that I am vegan, and I spoke with the Maitre d' on embarkation (advice I assure vegans always works), but I have had day after day and meal after meal of broken promises and neglect. Latest example: Two nights ago, the head waiter again insisted I always had to tell them exactly what I wanted for dinner the next night (this even after I met with the chef, who assured me that wasn't necessary, as he would give me a 'very special' meal each night). Last night I was seated at our MDR table promptly at 6, but when my table mates were served their main courses at 7, the HW came over to me and said 'The meal you requested was not prepared. The chef will try to make you something else, but it will take a while because we only fire up your meal when you are seated at your table.' When I pointed out that I had been seated for an hour already, and that I had only requested steamed rice and dal for dinner, he balked and disappeared.

 

 

 

At that point my table mates all but exploded!

 

 

 

I realize that no one here can help me, especially at this late date, but I'm not going to apologize for this rant. What a way to mark my 'diamond' cruise!

 

 

 

BTW- I finally gave up today, and decided to skip the MDR for the remainder of the cruise, and eat in Izumi each night, where I know from experience on previous ships that I can get something to eat (hmm- but maybe, based on what's been going on, I should be worried?!) . When I told my table mates my decision, they were understanding but very unhappy that it had come to that. When I asked guest services to notify the Maitre d', they didn't blink an eye.

 

 

 

Rant over, but a heads up and warning to vegans! Even after many successful years cruising vegan, you can still hit a brick wall! (Thinking I may want to change my signature....)

 

 

 

I believe you posted on one of my questions about dairy free ice cream a few months ago. We are on Oasis right now... We are having a similar experience. We are a family of three (DH DS3 and I) and we are all strict vegans. We have had salad morning noon and night every single day... In fact, I'm writing this eating a salad from Park Cafe haha Tonight will be our second night in Izumi and honestly I wish I could have gotten reservations there every night! It's the only time my son has eaten. He is the best eater at home, eats me out of house and home actually! But there is nothing that he can eat at night besides salad and the steamed veggies. I brought him cereal from home (Veganics Sprouted Brown Rice cereal because I didn't want him eating the sugar cereal they have here!) and the only positive thing I can say is they did bring me soy milk every morning i have asked for it.

 

We ate at Sabor and I said to the waitress "We don't eat meat or dairy, is there anything we can have? Maybe a veggie taco?" She stared at me like I had two heads and said "I don't know, is there anything on the menu? No? Then no we can't make it" We had the guac and chips (which were delicious!)

 

We had a horrible horrible experience at Johnny Rockets... I of course looked at the ingredients list online at the Johnny Rockets website... Their veggie burger is vegan. We told the waitress we wanted the veggie burger with no cheese.... It came out, my son took two bites and I said "Oh my gosh, it has cheese on it" I sent it back, she came back and said "oh the burgers have cheese inside of them" I showed her the website and said we can't eat meat or dairy... She said well are you allergic? I said "My son ha never ever had dairy, I have no clue if he is but I'm sure he's going to feel a little sick from eating those couple bites." He's been vegan since inside my womb (lol) so DH and I were extremely upset because we never wanted him to have anything not vegan until he made his own decision when he's out of our house. Anyway, She didn't even apologize, then proceeded to CHARGE me for one of our meals!

 

We brought a full carry on of snacks- cashews, peanuts, candy, brownies and cookies for dessert... We are leaving tomorrow and have eaten almost all of them even though we didn't expect to need them.

 

I'm not asking for the more intricate meals that I make at home... I'm just asking for more than just grilled/steamed veggies and salad... Maybe a dessert option... Maybe a hot dish would be nice. But tonight, it's cucumber and avocado sushi lol

 

(BTW if you haven't been to Sublime in Ft Lauderdale we highly recommend it... We went on our pre cruise night last week to celebrate our sons birthday and we really enjoyed it)

[happy trailer]

Oh, I'm not happy to hear that! I do remember our ice cream discussion- I hope that at least you were able to find some sorbet!

 

I was on Allure last fall, but I wanted to have total freedom to explore the ship, so I decided to avoid the MDR altogether. I did very well with the salad bar lunchtime in the Solarium, and enjoyed Izumi a couple of nights. I knew from the 3 weeks I spent on Explorer right before Allure that there would be 2 nights that the MDR menu would have a vegan option- one was a sweet and sour faux chicken dish, and the other was vegan meatballs. I took those 'to go' on those nights, and dined on my balcony. For the other nights I found a friend in a chef in Windjammer, who was eager to make me a really tasty light stir fry with tofu, and butter/margarine free steamed rice.

 

I hope the issues we are having on our cruises aren't indicative of a new policy or training policy fleet wide. That's one of the things I'll try to discuss with the F&B manager here, if I am finally able to meet with him.

 

Thanks for the info on Sublime- I've read great reviews, but it's good to hear a first hand account. I'll definitely try to get there the next time I'm in the area!

[eme]

Thank you. Enough said.

Not always. I was vegan for a year due to severe stomach issues. Eating vegan was the only way that I wouldn't end up with stomach cramps and vomiting.

[happy trailer]

Very nice and heartfelt post Ruth. It did not come off as "lecturing" in any way.

 

Thank you :-)

 

I finally have a meeting scheduled with the F&B manager. I'll be meeting with him this morning, and will, of course, report back here.

 

This is the last day of our cruise; early tomorrow we return to Civitiavecchia for disembarkation.

[Cabansail]

Sounds like they have tried to fob you off until it doesn't matter anymore. That relieves them of the obligation to actually do anything and then just offer a "sincere apology" and know you will be gone in a few hours.

[happy trailer]

Sounds like they have tried to fob you off until it doesn't matter anymore. That relieves them of the obligation to actually do anything and then just offer a "sincere apology" and know you will be gone in a few hours.

 

That's absolutely the way I feel, and I told him so at our meeting. We're supposed to be in contact again this evening, so I'll hold off posting all details until then. Let's just say that at the moment I'm feeling rather insulted, and the calm, quiet demeanor they've seen up to now is at risk.

[cocod08]

Not a vegan or ever will be but this is unacceptable. I can see having an issue the first night in the dining room but once the chef is aware this should never be an issue. How many times does a dining room need to be informed of a special request? Thankfully she isn't talking about an allergy issue or she could be dead by now from a reaction. And also as the op said this is the 1st time she has had an issue as a vegan on board a ship. I think it is a shame that someone is falling down on the job. I also think you should all be ashamed at trying to put down the op for following her beliefs I can imagine the up roar if you couldn't get your steak or god forbid the escargot. She did everything right and still got no satisfaction she has a right to vent on the topic here.