Years ago, upon checking in for my first cruise aboard NCL, I was heartened to see the following signage:
“Oh good,” I thought, “NCL is vegetarian friendly!” And since then, I’ve cruised once on the Bliss, twice on the Breakaway, once on the Jewel, and twice on the Pearl (including a 21-day sailing). In fact, I’ve spent so many days on NCL as a vegetarian (sometimes vegan – what can I say, I’m wishy-washy) I could dress up like a carrot and serve as the official spokesperson.
But because I suffer from claustrophobia and faulty temperature control causing me to overheat creating a fire hazard, the costume is out. So instead, I’ll elaborate here on my experience, offer you my best tips for eating vegetarian or vegan on NCL, and provide you with sample menus and photos. I’ll also provide you with some general tips for cruising as a vegetarian or vegan that apply across cruise lines.
As a vegetarian you’ll be able to order from the regular breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus in the main dining rooms on NCL. While your selection will be more limited, there are always vegetarian appetizers and entrees offered and items are clearly labeled as vegetarian. As a vegan, this won’t be possible, but we’ll get to that later.
Below, find sample breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus. The breakfast and lunch menus are pretty standard fleet-wide, but the dinner menus may vary some (these were from a 7-day sailing to Alaska on the Bliss in late summer 2019). I have highlighted vegetarian choices with a carrot and provided photos of all the vegetarian items we ordered. I didn’t include dessert menus as all desserts are vegetarian, but if you want to take a look at them, they can be found here.
I love eating breakfast in the main dining room on NCL. The menu is among the best of any line, in my opinion.
There’s only one vegetarian entree offered on the lunch menu on NCL, the Spanish frittata. And while it’s okay, it’s not my favorite and, as such, I generally only choose to eat lunch in the dining room once per cruise, mainly for the desserts. I wish NCL would offer rotating lunch menus like many other lines. This lunch menu has been the same literally every single day I’ve ever sailed NCL. If variety is the spice of life, this lunch menu is a soggy low-sodium french fry (especially for vegetarians).
On my more recent cruises aboard NCL I was happy to see a vegetarian pasta, the 3-cheese baked ziti, added to the “classic entrees” available every day. It’s hard to go wrong with pasta covered in baked cheese and this serves as a nice backup in the event the other vegetarian entree has something no human should ever be expected to consume under any circumstances, but especially on vacation: olives. The bruschetta was also on the menu as an appetizer every night and is one of my favorites.
While this really ticks off certain vegans (and I get that, I really do – it’s just one of my many failures, second only to my formal night fashion choices as the most obvious and offensive), I consider myself a “weekday vegan” or an “aspirational vegan” now. But I’ve gone through stretches where I’ve been fully committed, going so far as to voluntarily eat fruit for dessert (back before the days of Chocolate Covered Katie). I’ve even cruised a number of times as a vegan, two of which were on NCL. So how does eating vegan in the MDR on NCL work exactly (this also applies to any other dietary restrictions – gluten free, sugar free, low salt, dairy free, etc.)?
When you make your cruise reservation, be sure to indicate that you have a diet restriction. There’s a place to do this online, if you’re booking that way. If you’re booking over the phone either direct with NCL or through a travel agent, be sure to mention it to them so they can include it on your reservation. I’ve never been convinced that doing this makes any difference at all, but I always do it anyway. Can’t hurt, right?
Stop by the main dining room on embarkation day and request to speak with the maître d’. Mention to them that you have special dietary needs and make sure it’s noted in their system. Ask them what you should do in order for your diet to be accommodated in the MDR for the first night.
While I love the concept of Freestyle Dining (as opposed to a set dining time) on NCL, it can make eating in the MDR with a special diet more challenging initially. Persistence is the key. As you’re checking in with the host, be sure to let him/her know that you’re a vegan and require a special order. This may or may not get passed along to whomever seats you and may or may not get passed along to your wait team. To be safe, expect that it won’t and mention it to your wait team once they’ve introduced themselves.
In order to get a decent vegan meal in the MDR, you need to order it the night before with the Special Diets Coordinator (that may not be their exact title, but it’s something like that). On the first night, that will not have been possible, so generally you’ll get a simple vegetable plate or a modified version of whatever the vegetarian item on the menu is that night. You’ll usually order this with your regular wait team.
However, your wait team will contact the Special Diets Coordinator who will meet with you toward the end of that first meal. They will ask you about your restrictions and preferences and will help you settle on a menu for the following evening. They will record your cabin number and tie that to your order.
On both occasions when I dined vegan on NCL, the Special Diets Coordinators were outstanding, going above and beyond to make sure I had satisfactory meals. Each time I tipped them extra on the last day to communicate my appreciation and to counter any negative stereotypes that may be out there about vegans (the only remotely radical thing about me is my penchant to forget deodorant. And while that makes me smell like a hippy, it’s entirely unintentional – you won’t find any flowers in my hair).
From the second night forward, you’ll need to mention to your wait team that you have a dietary restriction and already placed your order with the Special Diet Coordinator. They will ask for your cabin number and will deliver your order.
Each night during your dessert course, the Special Diets Coordinator (or sometimes your waiter if the coordinator is busy) will come over and discuss your menu for the next evening. You’ll do this for the duration of your cruise until the last sad night when you slip him a $20 and say, “there’s more where that came from,” as you beg him to accompany you back to Seattle. He will giggle uncomfortably and attempt to match your solemn tone, “I wish I could – I’ll miss you so much too,” but with crossed fingers hiding behind his back.
Mostly, yes. But be aware that it may take some persistence in the beginning (if no one approaches you on that first evening to take your order for the following night, be sure to remind your wait staff) and some extra time. Sometimes my items took a bit longer to arrive and occasionally I had to wait a few minutes after finishing my dessert for the Special Diets Coordinator to come around to take my order (be patient, they are really busy). But all-in-all I’ve had generally positive experiences eating vegan in the main dining room on NCL. The food is nothing like what you would get at a land-based restaurant specializing in vegan cuisine (understandable), but it’s still pretty good. The chef even prepared me a few vegan cakes, which was a really nice surprise.
As a vegetarian, my relationship with the buffet on NCL is sort of like shacking up with Lennie Kravitz after he finally, after fifteen years of sending them, answered one of my fan letters, only to find he leaves his wet towels on the carpet. Okay, maybe no one besides me sends fan letters anymore (I like to support the post office), but the point is that the buffets on NCL are nearly perfect for a vegetarian, with one exceedingly irritating flaw. Is it a deal breaker? Of course not. Can it be rectified? Sure. But you’ll have to pick up the towels yourself. Or track down a member of the buffet staff to tell you if certain items are vegetarian, because nothing is labeled as such.
Certain items are obviously vegetarian, but other items such as pre-made soups, sauces, and rice, bean, and pasta dishes aren’t. Other lines, like Celebrity, have a label on each item identifying it as vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, or sugar free, saving both those with special diets and buffet staff tremendous time and hassle. This has not been my experience on NCL (please note in the comments if you’ve sailed on an NCL ship with labels).
But don’t fret, there’s so much for vegetarians to love on NCL buffets! I was thrilled to see vegetable broth offered as an option at the made-to-order soup station on the Bliss (another recent sailing on Princess didn’t offer a vegetarian broth option). And the pasta station is another great choice for vegetarians, with a variety of pastas, sauces, and toppings to mix it up.
But my absolute favorite option at the buffet, and one of the things that keeps me coming back to NCL (my next sailing is booked for February), is the Indian food. If you’re an Indian food lover, NCL is your line (and I’ve tried the Indian food on many other lines). There are multiple delicious vegetarian options available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’m also a huge fan of the Chinese offerings available at breakfast, with the garlic rice my favorite.
Rest assured, you won’t starve. But unless you’re satisfied with salad, fruit, and pasta with marinara sauce for the length of your sailing, the buffet will be more challenging if you’re a vegan. There may be other vegan items available, but nothing is labeled, so you’ll have to ask. This can be a hassle and you’re probably better off eating in the dining room for as many meals as you can. There is soy milk available, but you have to request it and it can be hard to find the appropriate person to ask (ask any buffet staff person and they will try to direct you to the correct person).
As a vegetarian, I don’t generally eat at specialty restaurants requiring an extra charge because I don’t find them a good value and the choices for vegetarians are usually quite limited, but you can find all the menus here. There are, however, some complimentary alternative restaurants I would recommend for vegetarians, if you’re on a ship that has them.
Many NCL ships have a complimentary Asian restaurant and, although the names differ and the menus may vary slightly, generally there will be vegetable spring rolls and vegetarian fried rice available. I’ve also received a vegetable stir fry upon request (I assume this is also vegan, but double check to be sure). Maybe if we all keep begging they’ll eventually add a vegetarian noodle dish!
Identify your NCL ship’s Asian restaurant below:
Orchid Garden, Norwegian Gem
Lotus Garden, Norwegian Pearl
Chin Chin, Norwegian Jewel
Jasmine Garden, Norwegian Jade
Shanghai’s Noodle Bar, Norwegian Breakaway, Epic, and Getaway
East Meets West, Pride of America
Shogun, Norwegian Spirit
Bamboo, Norwegian Dawn
Ginza, Norwegian Star
Available on the Breakaway, Dawn, Epic, Escape, Gem, Getaway, Jewel, Pearl, and Star, O’Sheehan’s Bar and Grill has two vegetarian items listed on the menu, the spinach and artichoke dip and the chopped salad. Although not listed on the menu, you can also request a veggie burger.
Available on the Bliss, Encore, and Joy, The Local Bar and Grill has more vegetarian options than O’Sheehan’s. My favorites were the watermelon Greek salad (this can also be prepared vegan – just ask) and the tortilla bowl (order it with no meat).
While it’s much easier to eat out as a vegetarian or even vegan now days, especially in urban areas – I can feast on vegan fare mimicking approximately 3,000 different meat preparations from every culture on earth as well as freeze-dried vegan ice cream suitable for space travel within a block of my apartment in downtown Seattle – the cruise industry is still lagging behind in terms of being vegetarian and vegan friendly.
And while I encourage my fellow vegetarians and vegans to continue to advocate for more and better options and fill out comment cards and surveys, as I always do, expressing specific needs and areas for improvement (“label buffet items as vegetarian”), there are realities that make catering to particular dietary requirements challenging on cruise ships.
It’s hard enough to feed a family of four composed of a weekday vegan, a vegetarian six-year-old limited to one color (orange), an omnivore amateur weight lifter who obsessively counts grams of protein like a teacher tracking his preschoolers on a field trip to the aquarium, “1,2,3,4…OMG Jessica is submerged up to her knees in the middle of the touch pool!” and a dog so elderly he can’t get into the bed unassisted but manages a five foot vertical leap when it’s time for his carnivorous kibble.
Now imagine having to cook for and serve 2-4 thousand cruisers three (or six to eight if they’re Prof. Cruise) vacation-worthy meals a day with limited provisions in tight kitchens and dining rooms swaying and bobbing and sometimes jerking violently about. With each guest having different standards and tastes and expectations. It’s a challenge! And they don’t always get it right, even for those without dietary restrictions.
Don’t forget that cruise lines are giant corporations in the business of maximizing profits for their owners and shareholders. No corporate NCL employee is tasked with figuring out how they can better my individual cruise experience, they’re looking for ways to fill ships, cut expenses, and separate passengers from more of their dollars.
And because vegetarians, and especially vegans, make up such a small percentage of cruisers, our needs are not a high priority. Which is not to say that cruise lines don’t make an effort, they do, but they don’t have to be great in order to remain profitable like a small, land-based restaurant does.
Very few cruise ship employees are native English speakers. This is one of the things I love about cruising – meeting and getting to know people from all over the world. And, despite now having a Ph.D., I almost didn’t graduate from college due to a pesky language requirement. So I know firsthand that learning another language as an adult is HARD and I have tremendous respect and admiration for those who work grueling jobs at sea, far away from home, in a second language, in order to provide for their families.
But language and cultural differences can make it harder to communicate your questions and needs as a vegetarian or vegan. A word for “vegetarian” doesn’t even exist in some languages.
My travels to China, where you’re more likely to see chicken feet on a menu than salad, have taught me to be very specific about my dietary needs. When you tell people who aren’t very familiar with vegetarianism or veganism or may not have even heard those words in English before that you “don’t eat meat” or that you “don’t eat animal products” they may read the title of a menu item that doesn’t sound like it has meat and tell you it’s fine, when it’s actually made with chicken or beef or fish stock or flavored with other meat products. This has happened to me many times on cruises, especially with soups and sauces. They aren’t trying to mislead you, they just don’t fully understand what you’re asking. Which brings me to my top tips for eating vegetarian or vegan on a cruise.
Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus and vegetarians are from Neptune because it’s “far out” as in “rad” to fellow vegetarians, but “far out” as in furthest away and most alien to non vegetarians. That’s okay, we can still lose our money in the casino together and attend an art auction for the free champagne and gaze out at the water and mistaken every bloody seagull for something more interesting: “I see a whale spout at 4 o’clock! Oh wait, it’s another darn seagull diving for fish.”
And, like a relationship, when it comes to getting your dietary needs met on a cruise, communication is key. And also much harder than a simple platitude would suggest. Here are my tips:
Don’t expect it to make much of a difference, but do it anyway. Normally there’s a place in your online reservation where you can do this. If you can’t find it, call the cruise line or your travel agent. This will become part of your reservation and will be communicated to the ship. Although know that you will still need to alert and meet with the appropriate ship staff when you board. The ship may also stock more soy milk and such if they know in advance there are going to be vegan passengers.
I’ve found it helpful to make a detailed list of ingredients I can’t eat and another list of suitable substitutes and things I enjoy (keep them simple and present them as ideas not requirements) for my initial conversation with the head waiter in the main dining room (this is more relevant for vegans – vegetarians can usually order off the regular menu).
Instead of asking “is this soup vegetarian?” ask “can you tell me what kind of broth this soup is prepared with?” Then you can follow up with, “I’m a vegetarian and don’t eat any meat, chicken, fish or beef/chicken broth.”
Because you read this post in advance, you know that eating vegetarian or vegan on a cruise ship is going to require a bit of extra effort. Be patient with staff and know they are doing their best to help you. While I haven’t always had my question answered by the first person I asked or have had to wait for a time for a special request, I’ve found cruise ship staff exceedingly gracious, kind, and patient with me. So the least I can do is be patient with them, knowing they are doing the best they can considering the circumstances – most of which are out of their control.
I would use that old adage “you catch more flies with honey than vinegar” here, but vegetarians generally frown upon killing other sentient beings and vegans don’t eat honey. But, you get the picture.
This is not going to be the best food you’ve had. That’s true even for those without diet restrictions. But approach it with an attitude of good enough. And don’t get me wrong, I’ve always found a number of things I’ve LOVED on every cruise I’ve been on. Never have I returned home weighing anything less than 5 pounds over what I weighed at embarkation. #goals
Thankfully, if your entree in the main dining room contained olives or rotten grapes (who deceptively go by the name “raisins” to mislead the public), there are other options. Hit the buffet or the Asian restaurant or pub. With a little flexibility, no one, no matter how limiting their diet is, should ever go hungry on a cruise! And remember, cruise calories don’t count! I mean, it says so on this shirt (available from Amazon here), so it must be true!
And with that…
Class Dismissed.
Homework (10 points): Check out my NCL ship reviews here, a guide to NCL’s Premium Beverage Package here, and go here for NCL restaurant and bar menus. And don’t forget to subscribe to the blog to receive new Cruising 101 content straight to your e-mail (scroll up to the top right if on a computer or keep scrolling if on a mobile device) and follow me on social media:
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