Are There Vegetarian Options on Cruise Ships?

Taking an adventure out to sea amidst a bevy of bountiful food on board can be interesting for a vegetarian. At first, those who oblige to a vegetarian diet only find themselves wondering if they’ll be able to satisfy their tastebuds AND get quality nutrition. Fear not vegetarians! All cruise liners are poised to cater to every foodie and nutritious restriction you can imagine.

Most buffets are laden with various salads, vegetable entrees, and fresh fish main dishes. If you’re not a pescatarian and are solely plant-based, your cruise can provide something to order. Basic concoctions that include cheese or soy, or pea protein tend to find their way onto the buffet cart. As people are eating healthier and are more conscious of their food sources, a vegetarian option is always available.

What Can I Eat as a Vegetarian on a Cruise?

Some vegetarians include fish and chicken, while many adhere to only what Mother Earth grows from root to table. as guidelines for their overall wellness.

RELATED: Oceania Cruises Rolls Out Vegan Menus and Raw Juice and Smoothie Bars

Vegetarian on a Cruise

Clear Tomato Water, Jennifer Jasinski | Photo: Windstar Cruises

Here are a few options you can eat on your adventure when following a vegetarian nutrition plan:

  1. Light pasta dishes with a heavy vegetable and herb flair
  2. Soy burgers or vegetable patties are more and more common and taste pretty good too!
  3. Sweet potatoes with all the fixings, except bacon.
  4. Eggs – There can be a grey area here, unless you’re a vegetarian who includes eggs and perhaps not always from free-ranging chickens, otherwise, egg dishes such as omelets and stir fry mixtures offer solid nourishment.
  5. Cauliflower rice – A vegetable substitute that’s grown in popularity in recent years, and vegetarians are loving the similarity to rice and the fullness it provides.
  6. Black beans, chickpeas, lentils, pinto beans, kidney beans – Salad bars on cruise chips are notorious for including beans and raw seeds and nuts to add to your meals. The trick is to load up on veggies and top your bowl off with these legumes.

Any caveat with the above recommendations might include a gluten-free, dairy-free, or no eggs involved in your vegetarian diet. If so, there’s numerous benefits to eating foods in proper combinations to attain your daily amino acid protein profile. Foods that revolve around lots of colorful choices, the freshest of ingredients, and a wide range of options are sure to satisfy your palate.

Mixing Things Up

I’ve found as a vegetarian who adventures quite a bit that the simpler the options, the better the meals. If plates and menu items become complicated, there’s more of a chance of not always receiving the healthiest dishes. If you are able to pack along vegetarian snacks that you’re comfortable eating, that’s a guaranteed way to stick to your diet.

Foods such as V-8 juice, a variety of fruit and nut bars, hard-boiled eggs, raws nuts and seeds, and any other vegetarian bars that you’re sure to find in your health food markets. These will sustain you during your cruise, perhaps be a quality substitute for breakfast, and help maintain your energy until dinner.

Happy dining!

Gerry Ellen is a freelance creative writer, a contributor for several publications, a published author of both nonfiction and fiction books, a marketing copywriter, and a wellness entrepreneur. You can find her portfolio HERE. More of Gerry Ellen’s wellness work alongside her beloved pup, can be found HERE.

Now in its 25th year, Porthole Cruise and Travel Magazine is published bi-monthly and available worldwide through digital subscription. It offers the latest news in cruise and travel, with in-depth features on voyages, new ships, the best destinations, readers' picks, onboard cuisine, entertainment, and more!