Vegetarian on Viking Ocean

[Shipsareus]

Looking for some information from any vegetarians who have sailed on Viking Ocean.

We recently had our first cruise with Viking. We have cruised for a number of years with 8 other lines. Always had plenty of vegetarian options. On our first night on Viking in the MDR they offered braised leeks as a main course - no other choice. We went to the buffet and had pizza. 
The following day at lunch I wandered up and down the buffet with nothing on my plate. I had the good fortune to bump into the executive chef who was really helpful. He arranged a meal for me each night in the MDR.  This was fine, but I never knew what was coming, and I never had a choice. Christmas Day was pasta in tomato sauce. All the meals I had were fine. My husband is a meat eater and he enjoyed his meals. For seafood lovers the displays were amazing.

We are now considering another Viking cruise, so would welcome any comments from those of you who have had good experiences as a vegetarian, and which Viking ship you were on.

I did find the chef very helpful but wondered if there were veggie options widely available on other ships?

Grateful for any information.

 

 

 

[OneSixtyToOne]

I’m curious if you filled out the dietary preferences in MVJ before your cruise? 

[LindaS272]

In MVJ under OnBoard Experieces/Preferences/Dietary Restrictions you’ll see this:

 

[rbslos18]

3 hours ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

I’m curious if you filled out the dietary preferences in MVJ before your cruise? 

This is crucial to have optimize your dining experience. We are vegetarians who eat fish. My wife prefers vegan food. Our needs were noted as @LindaS272 noted. Each night we received a menu and circled what we wanted. We turned it in the following day. The meals were adapted to meet our dietary needs. The food was outstanding. Also we found the Restaurant easy to deal with. The staff really cares.

[pavementends]

9 hours ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

I’m curious if you filled out the dietary preferences in MVJ before your cruise? 

 

No answer yet.

 

I'm kinda curious, but not very curious as I will eat most anything. I do know people eating strict more-limited-than-just-vegan diets. For someone with food requirements that strict cruises may be inadvisable.

[Mich3554]

52 minutes ago, pavementends said:

 

No answer yet.

 

I'm kinda curious, but not very curious as I will eat most anything. I do know people eating strict more-limited-than-just-vegan diets. For someone with food requirements that strict cruises may be inadvisable.

We were on a cruise a few years ago, and were sitting next to a couple.  This was in World Cafe.  The chef came out to talk to her, and we couldn’t help but to overhear the huge laundry list of food she couldn’t eat.  It was crazy enough that the salad with the salmon she was eating seemed to be all that she could eat.  
The chef wrote down all her exclusions, and then asked her to visit the other eating venues on the ship and choose one that she wanted to eat at, and he’d make sure she had a menu available especially for her.  
We never saw that couple again in WC, so assumed she was eating at The Restaurant.  

[Shipsareus]

12 hours ago, Mich3554 said:

We were on a cruise a few years ago, and were sitting next to a couple.  This was in World Cafe.  The chef came out to talk to her, and we couldn’t help but to overhear the huge laundry list of food she couldn’t eat.  It was crazy enough that the salad with the salmon she was eating seemed to be all that she could eat.  
The chef wrote down all her exclusions, and then asked her to visit the other eating venues on the ship and choose one that she wanted to eat at, and he’d make sure she had a menu available especially for her.  
We never saw that couple again in WC, so assumed she was eating at The Restaurant.  I did advise Viking that I was vegetarian for both the flight and the cruise . Veggie meals were served on the plane. 
For fish eaters I thought the choice was amazing, but sadly I don’t eat fish at all. I am interested in knowing which ships people have been on where their vegetarian options were varied. Many thanks for responses. 

 

[Shipsareus]

1 hour ago, Shipsareus said:

14 hours ago, Mich3554 said:

We were on a cruise a few years ago, and were sitting next to a couple.  This was in World Cafe.  The chef came out to talk to her, and we couldn’t help but to overhear the huge laundry list of food she couldn’t eat.  It was crazy enough that the salad with the salmon she was eating seemed to be all that she could eat.  
The chef wrote down all her exclusions, and then asked her to visit the other eating venues on the ship and choose one that she wanted to eat at, and he’d make sure she had a menu available especially for her.  
We never saw that couple again in WC, so assumed she was eating at The Restaurant.  I did advise Viking that I was vegetarian for both the flight and the cruise . Veggie meals were served on the plane. 
For fish eaters I thought the choice was amazing, but sadly I don’t eat fish at all. I am interested in knowing which ships people have been on where their vegetarian options were varied. Many thanks for responses. 

 

 

2 hours ago, Shipsareus said:

14 hours ago, Mich3554 said:

We were on a cruise a few years ago, and were sitting next to a couple.  This was in World Cafe.  The chef came out to talk to her, and we couldn’t help but to overhear the huge laundry list of food she couldn’t eat.  It was crazy enough that the salad with the salmon she was eating seemed to be all that she could eat.  
The chef wrote down all her exclusions, and then asked her to visit the other eating venues on the ship and choose one that she wanted to eat at, and he’d make sure she had a menu available especially for her.  
We never saw that couple again in WC, so assumed she was eating at The Restaurant.  I did advise Viking that I was vegetarian for both the flight and the cruise . Veggie meals were served on the plane. 
For fish eaters I thought the choice was amazing, but sadly I don’t eat fish at all. I am interested in knowing which ships people have been on where their vegetarian options were varied. Many thanks for responses. 

 

Sorry, my response was posted in the wrong place at the end of Mich3554 ‘s post.

[WanderingBrit]

Two experiences: 

 

On our first cruise my wife indicated that she was Vegetarian and also had other restrictions, and a member of staff tracked us down every day to discuss options.

 

On the second cruise she indicated "Mostly Vegetarian" and it appeared to have no impact at all. We found World Cafe to be the most successful venue for us, for all meals, for a variety of reasons:

• It's easy to choose what to put on your plate
• The Chef's - any with colored piping on their jacket - are readily accessible and will make something specifically for you, just ask. We had an entirely custom Indian meal served by one of the Chefs simply because we'd been discussing challenges getting Methi leaves and poor quality of Icelandic Cilantro.
• The noodle station by the Aquavit terrace has a menu binder and will cheerfully make just about any Asian stir fry dish you ask for
• There's always Pizza
• It was quieter and calmer than The Restaurant, and service was much faster 😉

 

The Pool Grill serves an excellent Impossible Burger, Chefs Table is extremely accommodating and always has good Vegetarian alternatives.

 

We have an upcoming cruise on Virgin and I'm expecting things to be even easier, because their menus are already very "preference aware".

[Shipsareus]

Thanks for the information. Can you tell me which ships you were on? I have to say the chef was helpful, but the choices in the buffet were limited and, as I mentioned, my meals in the restaurant just appeared each evening and I never knew what was coming. 

I understand that vegetarian on Virgin is , I’m told by a neighbour, amazing choices. 
Thanks again

[Frenchberet]

1 hour ago, Shipsareus said:

Thanks for the information. Can you tell me which ships you were on? I have to say the chef was helpful, but the choices in the buffet were limited and, as I mentioned, my meals in the restaurant just appeared each evening and I never knew what was coming. 

I understand that vegetarian on Virgin is , I’m told by a neighbour, amazing choices. 
Thanks again

Before you sail, be sure to complete the dietary preference sheet mentioned above on My Viking.  When you board, stop by Guest Services and double check that they have your form on file.  
 

I have a food allergy and a form is delivered to my cabin every day so I can select my dinner.  When you check in at the Main Dining Room they have your form at the desk.  
 

I don’t understand how you talked to the executive chef at the WC and/or  Restaurant and he/she failed to mention this.  It’s common practice on all (7) Viking ocean ships we sailed.  I’ve found that Viking takes this issue very seriously and go out of their way to accommodate their guests.

[WanderingBrit]

6 minutes ago, Frenchberet said:

...
I have a food allergy and a form is delivered to my cabin every day so I can select my dinner.  When you check in at the Main Dining Room they have your form at the desk.  
...

 

Our specific experience was that allergies were treated very seriously, a "largely vegetarian" preference was not.

[WanderingBrit]

1 hour ago, Shipsareus said:

Thanks for the information. Can you tell me which ships you were on? I have to say the chef was helpful, but the choices in the buffet were limited and, as I mentioned, my meals in the restaurant just appeared each evening and I never knew what was coming. 

I understand that vegetarian on Virgin is , I’m told by a neighbour, amazing choices. 
Thanks again

Orion the first time, Jupiter the second time.

In The World Cafe (buffet) you're not limited to what you see - tell them what you'd like and they'll do their best to accommodate you - especially if it's just a variation of what they're already serving.

[Shipsareus]

1 hour ago, Frenchberet said:

Before you sail, be sure to complete the dietary preference sheet mentioned above on My Viking.  When you board, stop by Guest Services and double check that they have your form on file.  
 

I have a food allergy and a form is delivered to my cabin every day so I can select my dinner.  When you check in at the Main Dining Room they have your form at the desk.  
 

I don’t understand how you talked to the executive chef at the WC and/or  Restaurant and he/she failed to mention this.  It’s common practice on all (7) Viking ocean ships we sailed.  I’ve found that Viking takes this issue very seriously and go out of their way to accommodate their guests.

We met the executive chef several times - in fact he came and sought me out in the restaurant one night, but never mentioned getting the menu in advance . I did advise them before we sailed that I was vegetarian. I also visited guest services and gave them a list of anything to avoid which was just a couple of items. 
Thanks for responding . 

[Shipsareus]

1 hour ago, WanderingBrit said:

Our specific experience was that allergies were treated very seriously, a "largely vegetarian" preference was not.

I guess that allergies can end up with serious consequences, but this isn’t the case with vegetarians. Thank you for your information.

[JollyJacqTar]

I’ve had both good and bad experiences. I’m not a vegetarian but don’t eat fish/seafood, and often cook Vegan meals at home for when a family member visits and which everyone eats. Once when there was a Seafood “event” I struggled to find anything in the WC  that was suitable for me, finally coming across an sad little area that was labelled “Vegetarian “ This consisted of some Jacket potatoes and boiled cauliflower and broccoli. On the other hand we went late one evening to the WC and both enjoyed a brilliant tofu stir fry that was available as an option. I would class this as the best meal I’ve eaten on a Viking cruise. 

[TravelingT]

I am a pescatarian.  I have often traveled with a vegetarian.  Filling out the forms every day will help but it felt like a part-time job while on vacation.  Honestly, it was hit-and-miss.  Some days dinner went off without a hitch and some days we couldn't get the meal we had arranged.  When I cruise Viking again, and I will, I will not expect fabulous food.  If I do get something really good, then it will be a bonus! 

[jrkstl]

So here is our experience with traveling the "In Search of the Northern Lights" cruise this past Feb/March on the Viking Venus, which was our first ocean cruise:

 

My husband and I are both vegetarian. On some days, the World Cafe had a few options, but it was not as overwhelming as I had assumed the choices would be. We were usually able to find plenty to eat, however. Regarding the main Restaurant, we ate here the most evenings as we enjoyed the dining experience (lots of cruising time/sea days on this itinerary) and were not in any particular hurry. On each dinner menu there were sometimes two or three vegetarian main course options, and all were really fantastic. We dined at Manfredi's one night, and had plenty to choose from. We didn't, however, eat at the Chef's Table, so no experience there.

 

Our forms have been marked "vegetarian" for years now (we've traveled quite a few times on Viking), and we sometimes have a chef speak to us, but mostly this doesn't happen. Regarding the forms, we find that they are hit and miss as to how much the ship staff pays attention to them. Frequently, we'll have the beds separate upon check-in because I guess that assumptions are made regarding two males - LOL! 

 

[molymoo]

45 minutes ago, jrkstl said:

So here is our experience with traveling the "In Search of the Northern Lights" cruise this past Feb/March on the Viking Venus, which was our first ocean cruise:

 

My husband and I are both vegetarian. On some days, the World Cafe had a few options, but it was not as overwhelming as I had assumed the choices would be. We were usually able to find plenty to eat, however. Regarding the main Restaurant, we ate here the most evenings as we enjoyed the dining experience (lots of cruising time/sea days on this itinerary) and were not in any particular hurry. On each dinner menu there were sometimes two or three vegetarian main course options, and all were really fantastic. We dined at Manfredi's one night, and had plenty to choose from. We didn't, however, eat at the Chef's Table, so no experience there.

 

Our forms have been marked "vegetarian" for years now (we've traveled quite a few times on Viking), and we sometimes have a chef speak to us, but mostly this doesn't happen. Regarding the forms, we find that they are hit and miss as to how much the ship staff pays attention to them. Frequently, we'll have the beds separate upon check-in because I guess that assumptions are made regarding two males - LOL! 

 

Now this entry made more sense to me!  I am not a vegetarian but often prefer not to eat meat and my daughter is "primarily a vegetarian" and she is my travel partner.  I have found (on more than 10 VO cruises) that with very few exceptions there is at least one vegetarian option in each of the categories (starters, mains, etc) at every meal ... often more than one!  I wouldn't think that special attention from the chef would be necessary unless other food restrictions were in place.  

[Shipsareus]

It’s so interesting to hear different experiences. As I first mentioned , on our first night in the restaurant the only main course that was offered as a vegetarian was braised leeks. 
Manfredis was absolutely fine and we ate there twice on a 15 night cruise. We did not go to the chef’s table . 
I also identify with the comments that the vegetarian options in the WC were sometimes jacket potato and boiled vegetables as I had that a couple of times.

It is so heartening that many of you have had great experiences as vegetarians . I’ve been vegetarian since I was 12 and find there is still room for improved offers in many eateries, but it is certainly much better than it was a number ( quite a big number) of years ago when I started my vegetarian journey. 
Thanks to all who have contributed to this thread

 

 

 

 

[loriva]

3 hours ago, Shipsareus said:

It’s so interesting to hear different experiences. As I first mentioned , on our first night in the restaurant the only main course that was offered as a vegetarian was braised leeks. 
Manfredis was absolutely fine and we ate there twice on a 15 night cruise. We did not go to the chef’s table . 
I also identify with the comments that the vegetarian options in the WC were sometimes jacket potato and boiled vegetables as I had that a couple of times.

It is so heartening that many of you have had great experiences as vegetarians . I’ve been vegetarian since I was 12 and find there is still room for improved offers in many eateries, but it is certainly much better than it was a number ( quite a big number) of years ago when I started my vegetarian journey. 
Thanks to all who have contributed to this thread

 

 

 

 

 

Traveled with a vegetarian and a mostly vegetarian on our first VO cruise on Jupiter in May.  The vegetarian filled out the pre-cruise forms and the head waiter usually came by to confirm this; she never received a menu in advance to use to order as others on this thread have reported.  Overall, the choices were still hit and miss.

     --In the WC, we frequently found dishes that sounded vegetarian--lentil salad, for example--had meat in them.  (At least VO includes an ingredient list on their signs labeling the dishes.)

     --The biggest problem was in the Chef's Table.  No thought is given to preparing alternative dishes.  In both cases we went there, she was offered a salad from Manfredi's next door.  At one point on our second visit, the chef came out and offered to create a dish for her--it would take 45 minutes.  We wondered why this was not done in advance as they had her dietary requests.

    --The Restaurant usually had a few things from which our vegetarians could chose and became our go-to.

 

The couples both sail a lot, usually on Regent.  They report having much more luck as vegetarians there.

[Shipsareus]

Thanks for responding. It’s interesting to hear of the experiences of others. 

[KBs mum]

All the burgers are cooked on the same hot plates, meat and vegan, so the vegan is not so, and the meat version is cross contaminated with the allergens in the vegan, and vice versa. Not widely signed, spotted it by chance on the room service menu and made further inquiries