Being Vegan on a Cruise

[Guest guest]

Hi, All.

There was a discussion a few weeks back about eating vegan on cruise

ships. I just got back from a cruise, so I thought I'd share my

experience, in case it might help some of you in the future.

 

I went on a Princess cruise to Mexico. They have a vegetarian menu

at dinner, many items not vegan of course, but at least they

recognize that vegetarians do exist. They also have a " very unique "

veggie burger at lunch - has a mashed potato-like base. It is good

once you know what to expect.

 

I put in a special request through my travel agent before going,

noting that I was vegetarian and allergic to dairy and eggs. This

was the only way to approximate a vegan diet since there was no vegan

option to request.

 

The first night on the ship, the head waiter came to my table and

showed me the next day's lunch and dinner menus, and I told him what

I wanted, selecting from the vegetarian items. This was repeated

each night. He made sure that there was no dairy or eggs in my

special ordered food for the next day. If a soup or other dish

contained them, they made a small batch without for me.

 

The only non-dairy desserts available were sorbet or fruit.

 

The last two nights were the best dinners: 1)tofu with vegetables and

miso sauce; 2)eggplant in mint and pistachio sauce.

 

For breakfast, I went to the buffet each day. Vegan items included

oatmeal, bagels, fruit.

 

My observation: Many people seem to take cruises just to eat. If

you've ever seen the beginning of the video, " Eating " , the shots of

huge stomachs are very similar to what you see on the ship. I would

estimate that over half of the passengers had huge stomachs. Some

were so obese they had to get around on scooters or in wheelchairs.

Sad to see, and the cruise encourages it by overfeeding. You can eat

three huge meals every day then go to the 24-hour buffet and/or pizza

restaurant and/or ice cream sundae shop and/or afternoon tea in

between. It is truly all you can eat at no extra charge.

 

The stops in Mexico were very nice - I loved Puerto Vallarta and Cabo

San Lucas. I learned to ask for vegan food in Spanish before leaving

( " Soy vegetariana estricta: no como carne, pollo, pescado, manteca,

huevos, leche ni queso. " ), but did not need to use that because we

did not eat anything off the ship.

 

Karen

[Guest guest]

Ocean cruises never appealed to me until I profiled Wanderbird Cruises (www.wanderbirdcruises.com) for the Sept/Oct 2005 travel issue of VegNews. Wanderbird actually offers vegetarian & vegan specialty cruises during which absolutely no meat is served. The chef has been vegetarian for 20 years, so she can also easily accommodate vegans/vegetarians on any of their cruises.

 

The S.S. Wanderbird provides a wealth of eco-tourism activities aboard their 90-foot schooner, so rather than watching obese people gorge themselves on dead animals at all-you-can-eat buffets, you can watch whales (and listen to them sing using hydrophones), learn about life under the sea, gaze at fall foliage, or try your hand at nature photography. Plus, the co-captains' two friendly dogs sail along as well.

 

If you are considering an ocean cruise vacation, check out Wanderbird, a veg-friendly alternative to the large commercial cruise lines. Wanderbird is offering vegan & vegetarian specialty cruises this year in June, September and October, and also takes vegetarian group charters.

Mat.

On 4/1/06, Karen <karen wrote:

 

Hi, All.There was a discussion a few weeks back about eating vegan on cruise ships. I just got back from a cruise, so I thought I'd share my experience, in case it might help some of you in the future.

I went on a Princess cruise to Mexico. They have a vegetarian menu at dinner, many items not vegan of course, but at least they recognize that vegetarians do exist. They also have a " very unique " veggie burger at lunch - has a mashed potato-like base. It is good once you know what to expect.I put in a special request through my travel agent before going, noting that I was vegetarian and allergic to dairy and eggs. This was the only way to approximate a vegan diet since there was no vegan option to request. The first night on the ship, the head waiter came to my table and showed me the next day's lunch and dinner menus, and I told him what I wanted, selecting from the vegetarian items. This was repeated each night. He made sure that there was no dairy or eggs in my special ordered food for the next day. If a soup or other dish contained them, they made a small batch without for me. The only non-dairy desserts available were sorbet or fruit. The last two nights were the best dinners: 1)tofu with vegetables and miso sauce; 2)eggplant in mint and pistachio sauce. For breakfast, I went to the buffet each day. Vegan items included oatmeal, bagels, fruit.My observation: Many people seem to take cruises just to eat. If you've ever seen the beginning of the video, " Eating " , the shots of huge stomachs are very similar to what you see on the ship. I would estimate that over half of the passengers had huge stomachs. Some were so obese they had to get around on scooters or in wheelchairs. Sad to see, and the cruise encourages it by overfeeding. You can eat

three huge meals every day then go to the 24-hour buffet and/or pizza restaurant and/or ice cream sundae shop and/or afternoon tea in between. It is truly all you can eat at no extra charge.The stops in Mexico were very nice - I loved Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas. I learned to ask for vegan food in Spanish before leaving ( " Soy vegetariana estricta: no como carne, pollo, pescado, manteca, huevos, leche ni queso. " ), but did not need to use that because we did not eat anything off the ship.Karen____BAY AREA VEGETARIANS (BAV) is a non-profit 501 ©(3) community organization for veggies to network, find support and promote veg*nism.

Events Calendar - http://bayareaveg.org/eventsNewsletter -

http://bayareaveg.org/newsVeg Mentor Program - http://bayareaveg.org/mentorUltimate Guide -

http://bayareaveg.org/ug Veg Food Finder - http://bayareaveg.org/finderCharter & Post Guidelines - http://bayareaveg.org/charterCompassionate Living Program -

http://bayareaveg.org/clMap It Veg - http://www.frappr.com/baveg____

 

 

[Guest guest]

Food intolerances cause gastrointestinal distress while food allergies

cause potentially lethal immunological responses. I think it does

veganism a disservice as it demonstrates a lack of integrity, i.e. we

feel we have to be sneaky and dishonest, and it's insulting to those

who truly have food allergies to use their condition as an

inappropriate label for our own self-serving purposes.

 

Like a " veg*n " who eats fish, a " food-allergic " vegan who is lazy or

forgiving about traces, contamination, utensils, etc only makes it

harder for those with real allergies by conveying an allergy to be

less serious than it is. I've known a couple of people with food

allergies who can't even be in the same room as their trigger foods

without breaking out in hives, in one case, or potentially

anaphylactic shock, in the other case.

 

A better approach for the cruise might have been to say, " I am a vegan

or strict vegetarian and I avoid eggs and dairy out of moral

conviction. However, since I don't eat these foods, they cause me

physical distress as well to consume them. I'd like to work with your

kitchen staff on finding suitable accomodations for me. " It might be

more of an upward battle this way, but if it's something you believe

in, it's a battle worth fighting in it's own name.

 

Thanks,

Matthew

 

 

, " Karen " <karen wrote:

>

> Hi, All.

> There was a discussion a few weeks back about eating vegan on cruise

> ships. I just got back from a cruise, so I thought I'd share my

> experience, in case it might help some of you in the future.

>

> I went on a Princess cruise to Mexico. They have a vegetarian menu

> at dinner, many items not vegan of course, but at least they

> recognize that vegetarians do exist. They also have a " very unique "

> veggie burger at lunch - has a mashed potato-like base. It is good

> once you know what to expect.

>

> I put in a special request through my travel agent before going,

> noting that I was vegetarian and allergic to dairy and eggs. This

> was the only way to approximate a vegan diet since there was no vegan

> option to request.

>

> The first night on the ship, the head waiter came to my table and

> showed me the next day's lunch and dinner menus, and I told him what

> I wanted, selecting from the vegetarian items. This was repeated

> each night. He made sure that there was no dairy or eggs in my

> special ordered food for the next day. If a soup or other dish

> contained them, they made a small batch without for me.

>

> The only non-dairy desserts available were sorbet or fruit.

>

> The last two nights were the best dinners: 1)tofu with vegetables and

> miso sauce; 2)eggplant in mint and pistachio sauce.

>

> For breakfast, I went to the buffet each day. Vegan items included

> oatmeal, bagels, fruit.

>

> My observation: Many people seem to take cruises just to eat. If

> you've ever seen the beginning of the video, " Eating " , the shots of

> huge stomachs are very similar to what you see on the ship. I would

> estimate that over half of the passengers had huge stomachs. Some

> were so obese they had to get around on scooters or in wheelchairs.

> Sad to see, and the cruise encourages it by overfeeding. You can eat

> three huge meals every day then go to the 24-hour buffet and/or pizza

> restaurant and/or ice cream sundae shop and/or afternoon tea in

> between. It is truly all you can eat at no extra charge.

>

> The stops in Mexico were very nice - I loved Puerto Vallarta and Cabo

> San Lucas. I learned to ask for vegan food in Spanish before leaving

> ( " Soy vegetariana estricta: no como carne, pollo, pescado, manteca,

> huevos, leche ni queso. " ), but did not need to use that because we

> did not eat anything off the ship.

>

> Karen

>

[Guest guest]

I applaud Karen for doing all of this extra work to make sure her

food was truly vegan on the cruise. I think it's probably true that

traditional cruises tend to attract people who want to gorge

themselves on unhealthy food so I can imagine that the food she did

end up getting was nothing to " write home about. " Honestly, I doubt

the mass-produced non-vegan buffet food was of very high quality

either, but I'm sure Karen didn't have nearly as much selection as

anyone else on the ship (she couldn't have a single baked dessert for

example), so I congratulate her for sticking to her guns!

 

Many thanks to Mat for suggesting the vegetarian and vegan eco-

cruises on the Wanderbird; I checked out the web site, and I'm

tempted already! Wouldn't it be great to get some Bay Area

Vegetarians together for something like that? Someday when we're all

rich enough to AFFORD it, of course! :-)

 

Also, in response to Matthew's post, I can't imagine anyone

being " insulted " by someone else pretending to have a food allergy in

order to get the kind of food that they wanted. In truth, I don't

think Karen did vegans or allergy-sufferers or anyone else a

significantly-large-enough-to-be-noted disservice by telling a " white

lie " in order to get truly vegan food. If anything, she HELPED the

movement because the restaurant staff had to make small batches of

vegan food especially for Karen; now they are AWARE that they can do

it (seems like DUH! but for a lot of people it's something new), and

some of the staff might have tasted the vegan version and decided it

was good or better than the original! Also, just because one person

is willing to fight an " upward battle " for their beliefs doesn't mean

that someone else is less dedicated to those beliefs if they are able

to achieve the same result without any confrontation at all.

 

And those are my " more than 2 cents " on the vegan cruise posts!

Take care everybody,

Rachel

[Guest guest]

Regarding the food allergy comments, I agree with Karen and Rachel, and must respectfully disagree with Matthew. No harm is done to anyone when a vegan exaggerates by saying they are allergic to eggs and dairy. It is occasionally necessary to do so, as many people in this world still have no clue what a vegan truly is, and sometimes it's just not worth it to have a half-hour conversation about the benefits of avoiding all animal products just to get your meal prepared the way you want it. Besides, one could argue that there really is a food allergy involved - I consider animal products to be an allergen to the soul. ) I don't understand the implication that vegans might be lazy or unconcerned with contamination, leading food preparers to believe that strict avoidance of allergens is unnecessary. First of all, most fellow vegans that I've met are as extremely concerned with non-vegan contamination as I am. They

(and I) won't even eat a vegan burger if it's been prepared on the same grill as meat, dairy, or eggs. Second, when someone else is preparing the food only the preparer truly knows what's in it, not the diner (barring obvious things like large hunks of meat). How can one be casual about contamination when they're unaware of it? If today's food preparer's are careless about allergens, it has nothing to do with vegans. It would instead be an issue of inadequate education on allergens in the first place. Look at it this way: say a vegan diner uses allergies as a way to describe what they need to a chef. The chef prepares them a meal, but is careless and allows some dairy into the ingredients. The diner goes away with no obvious ill effects, completely unaware of the contamination because there was not enough dairy to taste. They may have some intestinal issues later, but as far as the chef knows, the dairy did no harm. The next day the same chef prepares the same meal with the same dairy contaminant for a slightly dairy-allergic person. This person has the same reaction as the vegan - nothing happens until they get home, and the chef never hears about it. The third day the same chef prepares the same meal with the same dairy contaminant for an extremely dairy-allergic person. The diner this time has an immediate reaction and is rushed to the hospital with their life in the balance. Is this the vegan's fault? Of course, not - it's no more the vegan's fault than it is the slightly-allergic person's fault. If the vegan's lack of a serious reaction led the chef to believe that contamination wasn't that big of an issue, then the slightly-allergic person's failure to keel over only reinforced his mistake. No, all of it is the chef's fault for being careless in the first place. The fact that the vegan survived the meal does not

indicate that it was safe. The chef should have been careful with ALL requests. The blame lies 100% with him/her. -Mike Borg San Jose______________________ "Man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats flesh, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite and to act so is immoral." ~ Tolstoy

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[Guest guest]

I agree that the blame should completely lie with the restaurant. I think

that most restaurants currently are sensitive to allergies and try to do

everything they can to ensure the food item does not come into contact with

the meal, however I am concerned that if non-allergic vegans use the allergy

as a reason for not wanting dairy without having a way of really knowing

whether or not it was in the meal, we could be reinforcing sloppy practices.

The chef each time may think that their minute doses of dairy are

negligible. Then, when the truly allergic person comes in, he or she may

pay for it with their life.

 

I agree that restaurants should be more knowledgeable and respectful of

vegans and other forms of vegetarianism, and no one should have to be

subject to minute amounts of any food that they do not want.

 

Does anyone know if there is a " litmus test " available or in the works to

detect dairy (or other food groups) in a dish?

 

Also, is there a list or website devoted to reviews of restaurants that do

not have good vegan practices or frequent offenders? If not, there should

be.

 

Also, not all severe allergies are detected immediately. My husband has a

severe dairy allergy, and sometimes the consequences are not detected until

20 minutes later. We have had problems with some National chains that have

sent him to the hospital. We wanted to have the corporate office start a

bigger educational campaign to their employees, and we found it very

difficult to get a response from anyone. When we consulted a lawyer, she

said that it would be difficult to get a response out of them b/c they would

want to avoid any financial and PR ramifications from it. In addition it

would be difficult to prove that they should act b/c no long term harm was

done that is proveable (this was some time ago so I can't remember the

actual terminology). There is some evidence that with each dose of allergen

that your body becomes more sensitive to the allergen, however there are

studies to show the other side as well. Anyway, my point is that I think

that food establishments should be more aware of why they should be

sensitive to any requests and should be held accountable for errors.

 

Best,

Nikki