You might be wondering if the title of this blog post is the setup for a bad joke (It’s not, but if you want to take a crack at one, share it in the comments – it turns out we vegetarians have a sense of humor after all!). Or you’re just wondering what on earth a vegetarian is doing paying extra to eat at a steakhouse on a cruise ship with zero vegetarian entrees on the menu.
Fair question. Let me explain. First, I didn’t pay extra for it. I’m Platinum on NCL.
Now you’re probably wondering what my hair color has to do with eating for free at Cagney’s on the Encore (“Eat some protein woman, you’re getting loopy!”). No, no, no. While being trapped in a small apartment in downtown Seattle 24/7 for months during the pandemic with Mr. Cruise, a feral 8 year-old, and a geriatric dog while looking out at Elliott Bay sans cruise ships certainly did turn me gray, I’m referring to my loyalty status on NCL when I say “Platinum.”
And that means I was entitled to two free specialty dinners on my cruise onboard the Encore. On this particular ship I had to pick between either Q or Los Lobos (I chose Los Lobos, you can check out my review here) and between either Le Bistro or Cagney’s. I went with Cagney’s because I didn’t know how to pronounce Le Bistro to make the reservation (which is to say I lack the sophistication for anything French). Plus I had my mom with me on this cruise to celebrate her birthday and I thought she’d like the steakhouse (spoiler alert: she did!).
So that’s how a vegetarian ended up at Cagney’s.
As soon as I made my reservation, I googled that question. And the answer? Yes. And no. A quick scan of the menu revealed a number of vegetarian items. However, all of them are starters, sides, or desserts – no entrees. Here, see for yourself (this is the most current menu as of Oct. 2021):
I figured, worst case, I’ll just eat a bunch of yummy steakhouse sides and a giant dessert. But I also wondered if, perhaps, the chef could put together a vegetarian entree for me. So this is what I did…
On one of our first Freestyle Daily’s (NCL’s daily newsletter/schedule) there was a box dedicated to “special dietary needs” with instructions for how to contact the Maitre D’ to discuss any dietary needs or concerns. I simply dialed the first listed number from my stateroom phone and explained to the Maitre D’ that I was a vegetarian with a reservation for Cagney’s. She told me that she would put in a special order for me and just to tell the wait staff that I had a pre-order when I arrived. Easy peasy! But I was curious as to what I’d end up with…
The chef was kind enough to prepare me a delicious three course meal consisting of veggie spring rolls with a sweet chili dipping sauce…
a wedge salad with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing…
and an outstanding tofu and vegetable dish with more variety of veggies than you’d find at a peak season farmer’s market (the wild mushrooms were a highlight).
The chef visited our table to make sure I was satisfied with the dinner he’d prepared. I was happy for the chance to express my gratitude for the time and care he’d put into cooking such delicious off-menu dishes.
My waitress also checked back in with me prior to dessert to see if I needed a dessert without dairy prepared or if I was able to order something from the menu. I’m not a vegan, so I was fine ordering off the menu and went with the OMG caramel-butterscotch cheesecake. But note that if you are a vegan, they can make something special for you.
Would I eat at Cagney’s as a vegetarian again if it wasn’t free? Probably not. I looked at my receipt and while I wouldn’t have been charged anything for the spring rolls and the vegetarian entree, I would have been charged for the salad ($7) and dessert ($10).
But under similar circumstances, I absolutely would eat at Cagney’s again as a vegetarian. It was a tasty meal, didn’t cost me a penny extra, and was special for my mom – I enjoyed watching her enjoy it. Speaking of which, here’s a little something for my non-vegetarian cruise friends:
Mom ordered the lobster bisque, the 8oz filet mignon, and a baked potato. And, of course, she had to order the 7-layer chocolate cake for her birthday:
She loved it all. And while a steakhouse is wasted on me, wine is wasted on her. She doesn’t drink, so I had to take care of our entire bottle of complimentary wine (received as a free perk for being a Platinum Latitudes member). I had to laugh when I saw the size of the wine glass – it was gigantic!
I think my mom looks pretty concerned though – like she was going to have to carry me back to our cabin later. Or maybe that I selected a bottle called, “19 Crimes.” And with that…
Class Dismissed.
Homework (10 points): Check out NCL dining menus, NCL bar menus, and my review of Los Lobos. And be sure to follow Prof. Cruise on social media.
Find out the 4 secrets to how I paid only $50 for a 7-night cruise…
Have you ever heard an emergency code announced on a cruise and wondered what it…
Booked on or considering a cruise to Alaska on the Bliss? Read my complete trip…
Booked on the Norwegian (NCL) Bliss and looking for menus? See all the main dining…
Learn about what science tells us about cruise sleep!