Vegan Dining on Viking Ocean

[CruiseLibra]

We are considering booking our first Viking cruise. But, before we do, can anyone comment on how Viking accommodates vegan or plant-based dining?  For health reasons my husband is plant-based. I am not. Unlike some other lines, I don't see any information that Viking is interested in marketing to the plant-based community. Is there a range of options that can be arranged in advance with the food and beverage team? What about the speciality restaurants? Can you order a vegan meal to be delivered to the two specialities? And if anyone has experience with the vegan food, what is your rating of the menu offerings?

[Twitchly]

The World Buffet has plenty of salads, and I’ve seen some dishes and soups with tofu or beans. 
 

Your best bet is to speak with the dining manager when you board. They’re very accommodating. 

[CDR2001]

I agree to speak with the restaurant manager. Also, fill out the dietary restrictions on the form on MVJ. Look under “Onboard Experience” then select Preferences, then select Dietary Restrictions. You will find a menu and details about preferences in your stateroom upon boarding. ( I have a few food allergies.) 

[Peregrina651]

This is one of those times that you should be going directly to the source for answers.

 

Contact Viking before you book and ask questions. Forget the call center; instead e-mail tellus@vikingcruises.com. Tell them that you are seriously considering cruising with Viking but that you have some major dietary issues that you would like to discuss with them before you decide what to do. Ask them if someone could call you to discuss the specifics.  When you do get them on the phone,  tell them exactly what foods you do eat and ask if they can accommodate your diet. Ask them about dining in the specialty restaurants. Ask them whatever questions you feel you need to ask to ascertain if the Viking kitchens are able to meet your needs.

 

 

 

From the FAQ:

 

Can you accommodate my dietary requirements?

 

In most cases, we can. Every meal has vegetarian options and the chefs will make reasonable efforts to accommodate special requests. Guests requiring special meals (low salt, diabetic, gluten-free or low cholesterol) should alert us 90 days prior to departure over the phone at 1-855-884-5464 (1-855-8-VIKING) or online on the Dietary Restrictions page in your My Viking Journey account. Guests should also inform the Maître d’ when on board.

While we take steps to minimize the risk of cross contamination, we cannot guarantee an allergen-free kitchen.

[kag3120]

My husband is vegan and, like you, I am not. On last summer’s Homelands cruise, my husband was very pleased with the options he found. Especially in the World Cafe. Even  at the Chef’s Table, they actually came up with a substitute on the spot for his main course. Manfredi’s, likewise. However, we are definitely not foodies, so may be less discriminating than many😊

[Findingmywings]

I am a lactose intolerant vegetarian so I am very used to food issues while traveling.  On our September Viking Homelands cruise on the Jupiter we ate in the world cafe the first day.  I don’t usually ask for special treatment but I asked if they had a nondairy butter( margarine).  They didn’t know what that was but brought out butter flavor shortening which tastes pretty awful as a spread.  I appreciated the effort and told them so.  The restaurant manager Narendra Singh then came and talked with me about my diet.  He arranged to have the next day’s restaurant menu delivered to me each evening.  If we planned to eat at the main restaurant, I could just circle the dishes that sounded good, deliver the menu to the restaurant desk by 9 a.m. and they would come up with vegetarian versions that were made without dairy.  This worked well and I had some wonderful meals there.  
 

We mostly ate on the starboard side of the World Cafe and Mr Singh would find us and arrange for the most amazing dishes from the World Cafe chefs especially head Chef Singh and assistant chef Nayanshee.  The chefs actually came out to meet me and find out what my favorite foods were.  They really paid attention and my love of chocolate was satisfied by incredible creations!  The opportunity to enjoy all kinds of amazing food without worrying about getting sick was priceless.    
 

Because vegan dishes were always safe, I became familiar with what was always available.  The Living Room coffee shop always had a vegan pastry in the morning and vegan cookies in the afternoon.  If you don’t see them on display, ask because they usually have some put aside.  The hot chocolate made with almond milk still got me into trouble because they used a packet that contained powdered milk.

 

The World Cafe always had soy and almond milk,  dairy free sorbet, vegan desserts, and even vegan waffles with vegan whipped cream!  The made to order station by the Aquavit Bar will often be able to make a vegan version of the pasta or stir fry of the day.
 

The World Cafe makes little note cards to post with each dish listing common allergens like nuts, gluten, or dairy which makes choosing from the buffet much easier.

 

Manfredi’s did a great job of adjusting their menu but I did give them advance notice on the one night we ate there.  We did not try the Chefs Table at all so can’t give any input on their options.

 

I did struggle a bit on our first VO cruise from Venice to Athens several years ago ending up with lots of salads and vegetables and having to take lots of Lactaid enzyme pills just to be safe.  Our vegan daughter had a wonderful experience on a Viking River cruise a few years ago with the chef getting her input and being wonderfully creative even though he had never cooked vegan before.

 

I really think Viking tries to give each guest a wonderful experience and I can’t wait for our “In The Wake of the Vikings” trip this September!

[WNcruiser]

We just came off the Jupiter yesterday. Each night in The Restaurant there was vegan options on the menu with three choices. We tried a few of them and like the regular menu there were some good ones and some bad ones. 
 

As others have mentioned the cafe has a nice selection of vegan items at the salad bar station, although eating 2 or 3 meals there a day gets old quickly (at least it did for us). 

[CDNPolar]

Just note that what you define "Plant Based" and "Vegan" can be very different.  Don't go on a label only.  

 

Plant based tends to take into consideration eating whole foods which would cut out pasta and breads - even if prepared vegan - as it is made with processed flour.

 

We are not Vegan now, but have been on Viking both River and Ocean.  

 

As instructed above, contact tellus@vikingcruises.com and give them an overview.  Give them exactly what you will and will not eat.  Best is to tell them what you don't want to eat.

 

Immediately on boarding the ship ask to speak with the dining manager - who should already be aware of your requirements.  You will work it out from there.

 

Viking have been incredibly accommodating with us in the past, but don't expect a range of options everyday.  They will do their best but the selection may be limited.

 

You will get a menu daily at your stateroom, you will circle what you want to eat and they will reimagine the dish to a vegan or plant based option.