For Veganuary, we’ve narrowed down the five most vegan-friendly cruise lines based on the variety of dining options they offer. Let’s take a look.
Azamara Cruises
Azamara Cruises is one of the most forward-thinking cruise lines when it comes to catering to vegans. Guests can order from a designated vegan menu in the Main Dining Room and Prime C and Aqualina speciality restaurants on all four ships. The menu offers the choice of six appetisers, four soups, 16 main courses and eight side dishes.
Sample dinner menu: Vegetable Pakoras with Mint Chutney, Chana Masala Vegetable Biryani Poppadums and Dhal Makhani.
Vegetable Pakoras with Mint Chutney.
Of course, there is also a choice of desserts – I’d recommend the Orange Cake!
Vegan burgers and light snacks are also available to order at the Pool Grill throughout the day. And you won’t want to miss Azamara’s ever-popular White Night buffet dinner, with plenty of options for vegans.
Oceania Cruises
Oceania Cruises is renowned for serving “The Finest Cuisine at Sea”, made from only the freshest, highest-quality ingredients. In 2017, the cruise line unveiled an all-new vegan menu featuring more than 250 items to be served fleetwide in the Grand Dining Room at breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Sample dinner menu: Thai Watermelon & Cucumber Salad, Italian Pearled Farro Salad, Indian Potato & Vegetable Curry and Moist Chocolate Cake.
Then, in 2019, the line added more than 200 plant-based items to the menus in the buffet and speciality restaurants. Guests could even order an entirely plant-based meal at the steakhouse Polo Grill!
The plant-based Impossible Burger.
Oceania’s newest ships, Marina and Riviera, also feature the only organic juice and smoothie bar at sea, located on the pool deck and open from 7am to 11am. Guests can order cold-pressed drinks made with homemade cashew milk. Also on the menu are poke bowls with vegan ingredients like acai berries and chai seeds.
Royal Caribbean International
As a subsidiary of the same company that owns Azamara Cruises, it’s no surprise that guests can also order from a vegan menu in the Main Dining Room on all Royal Caribbean ships. Order from a different menu each evening and enjoy a four-course meal comprising your choice of two appetisers, a soup, two entrees and a dessert.
Sample dinner menu: Corn Fritters & Romesco Oat Spread, Caramelized Parsnip & Coconut Soup, Penne Pasta & Grilled Eggplant and No-bake Lemon Tart.
Vegan items are also available in the following restaurants:
- Windjammer (Buffet)
- Sorrento’s (Pizzeria)
- El Loco Fresh (Mexican)
- Solarium Bistro
- Park Café
- Café at Two70
SeaDream Yacht Club
Another cruise line that goes above and beyond to cater to all dietary requirements is SeaDream Yacht Club. Vegan options are available alongside mainstream dining as standard. If you want something specific, you can talk to the culinary team before or on the first day of your cruise, and they’ll do their best to make your dream vegan meal a reality.
On a SeaDream yacht, you can expect more than just avocado and toast. At lunchtime, help yourself to the salad bar, where you’ll find a wide range of options and a variety of vegan tapenades, ship-made pepper spreads and even a vegan soup of the day. In the evenings, you can order from an entirely plant-based menu.
SeaDream was the first cruise line to introduce a “Raw & Living Food” menu, created in partnership with Hippocrates Health Institute. “Raw” refers to a style of preparation in which all ingredients are organic, vegan and – you guessed it – raw. The ingredients are cooked below 118°F so that they maintain all their healthy micronutrients.
Sample dinner menu: Asian Cashew Curry Salad, Vegetable Lasagne and Cashew Lemon Cheesecake.
A variety of cold-pressed vegan juices and smoothies.
Silversea Cruises
Silversea Cruises offers one of the most exciting culinary programmes at sea. S.A.L.T. is the line’s all-encompassing gourmet food programme offered across three venues. The S.A.L.T. Kitchen is a destination-focused restaurant and a place to enjoy regional delicacies made with local, organic ingredients, with plenty of options for vegans.
For after-dinner drinks, head next door to the S.A.L.T. Lab. Of course, many quality spirits are vegan-friendly anyway. Enjoy your favourite tipple in a relaxed, warm environment, or sit back and enjoy as the master mixologists teach you how to let a local whisky rest on your palette or explain how the botanicals in a local gin infuse and enhance the taste.
The S.A.L.T. Bar on the Moon-Class ships.
Finally, the S.A.L.T. Lab is an interactive cooking laboratory where guests can get hands-on experience with local recipes. Small groups can participate in guided cooking sessions where they will learn how to cook recipes passed down through generations. Speak to guest services on the first day of your cruise to find out which classes are vegan-friendly.
S.A.L.T. is exclusive to Silver Moon and Silver Dawn and the forthcoming Silver Nova and Silver Ray.
