Vegetarian and Vegan Options Onboard Each Cruise Line

When it comes to vegetarian and vegan meal choices for cruisers, not all cruise lines are equal. While more lines are catering to these specific dietary preferences, some offer significantly more than others. Finding out what each line offers isn’t always easy, so TMR reached out to each cruise line to find what their vegetarian and vegan offerings are like, whether there are separate menus that can be requested, and what some of their sample vegan dishes are.

AmaWaterways
A plant-based menu is available at the Main Restaurant across the entire AmaWaterways’ fleet. Menu may vary by ship. 

Yes

Oven-roasted eggplant bruschetta, vegetable lasagna, slow-braised vegetable stew, grilled cauliflower and sweet potato, nut-crusted pumpkin mousse

American Cruise Lines
ACL offers one vegetarian and one vegan dish at lunch and dinner, standard on every sailing. However, other options are available if the line is given advance notice that a guest will need vegetarian and/or vegan options. 

No

Vegan street tacos, artichoke mushroom tart, zucchini spaghetti, black bean and sweet potato rice bowl, Greek salad (with regular or vegan cheese), ginger tofu stir fry, caramelized onion pizza

Avalon
There are vegetarian options at every course on the menu on an Avalon cruise. Many of these options can be made to be vegan. Guests are requested to provide Avalon advance notice of their vegan requirements and onboard chefs will then work with them to provide vegan options at each meal.

No

Marinated Hokkaido pumpkin with bulgur and grilled bok choy, honey-glazed beets with truffled-potato puree, vegetable curry, mushroom Stroganoff with gherkins and bulgur tabbouleh

Azamara
With a vegan corporate executive chef, Azamara is dedicated to making sure there are plenty of daily plant-based dining options in every venue onboard.

Yes

vegan Pancetta-wrapped tofu scallops (Aqualina), herb-crusted Beyond meat with steak potatoes in an arugula-pistachio pesto (Aqualina), chili sin carne with vegan Beyond meat (Prime C)

Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival offers both vegetarian and vegan menu items. Not all ships have received the rollout of the menu, but the entire fleet is scheduled to have the menu by the end of 2023.

No. Vegan menu options are indicated on the regular menu. Options are available in three courses: appetizers, entrées, and desserts.

Hawaiian salmon (plant-based) poke, stuffed mushrooms, eggplant parmigiana with vegan mozzarella, grilled tofu steak, key lime velvet cake, Dutch double chocolate pave.

Celebrity Cruises
Vegetarian menu options can be found in nearly all onboard restaurants, along with scattered vegan items. The line recommends that vegans look for items marked with a leaf and small blue cow, to indicate they’re both vegetarian and lactose-free, but should ask to ensure there are no egg-based products in the dish. Additionally, onboard Celebrity Ascent only, the Eden Restaurant features a seven-course plant-based tasting menu, complete with vegan wine pairings.

No

Golden beet-tomato ceviche, fennel bouillabaisse with king oyster mushrooms and artichokes, dry rose petals masala curry, strawberry escabeche, ajoblanco panna cotta.

Celestyal Cruises
There is always at least one vegan dish available on the lunch and dinner menus on Celestyal ships, but there are no vegan desserts beyond fruit. Additionally, guests can speak to the maître d upon embarkation to arrange for extra vegetarian or vegan options (including desserts)

No

Not provided.

Crystal
Crystal does not have a separate menu for vegetarians or vegans, but does have two vegan options on the menu in each of its restaurants.

No

vegetable sushi (Umi Uma), zucchini with asparagus and orange salad (Osteria), eggplant Kashk dip (Tastes), oven-roasted cauliflower (Tastes), charred California artichoke (Waterside)

Disney Cruise Line
Menus in restaurants, the buffet, and the line’s quick service locations offer a selection of plant-based options. Vegetarian and vegan guests are encouraged to connect with the onboard service team to discuss plant-based options.

No

Plant-based scrambled egg or pancakes, stuffed cabbage rolls (kaldomar) with plant-based beef, pumpkin curry with brown lentils and apples, Impossible burgers

Holland America Line
Holland America offers a vegetarian menu in its main dining room with several vegan options, and vegetarian menu items in some of its alternative restaurants. The line’s Dive-In burger bar can make almost every option vegan by substituting the beef patty with Beyond Meat. Guests can also ask for a vegan option at New York Pizza.

Yes

Quinoa and cashew salad, grilled Beyond Meat taco, plant-based burger with mango salsa, tofu and vegetable stir fry, lemon garlic pasta, vegetarian ramen noodle soup (Tamarind)

Oceania Cruises
Oceania’s vegan menus, available in the Grand Dining Room, feature more than 250 dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Generally, each day’s menu will feature five main dishes, plus sides and appetizers.

Yes

tortilla Espanola, strawberry pancakes, vegan link sausage, tabbouleh soup, Italian pearled farro salad, Indian potato-vegetable curry, Impossible Burger, mango coconut rice, pecan pie.

Norwegian Cruise Line
All rotating menus in the main dining rooms have at least one or two vegetarian options, and chefs can provide a vegan option if given advanced notice. Vegetarian dishes are also always available at the buffet.

No

Not provided 

Ponant Cruises
Vegetarian cruisers will find very few options on the menus aboard Ponant ships, but vegetarian substitutions are usually available with advance notice. There are no menu items marked as vegan, but some of the vegetarian items may be vegan.

No

Yes. The menu includes starters, salads, soups, pastas, mains, and desserts.

Black beans on toast with tomato and avocado, Baja-style cauliflower tacos, green goddess salad with tofu, fettucine with walnut sauce, stir-fried portobellows, plant-based shepherd’s pie.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Regent does not offer separate vegan menus, though daily menus typically have at least one vegetarian option on them. However, Regent assesses all dietary restrictions before guests board and will have vegetarian and vegan options for those guests specifically during their cruise.

Separate menu? No 

Sample dishes: n/a        

Royal Caribbean
Vegetarian and vegan cruisers onboard all of Royal Caribbean’s ships will find a small selection of both vegetarian and vegan dishes on the main dining room menu.

No

Green lentil soup, tofu and avocado salad, herb-crusted stuffed Portobello, meatless spaghetti Bolognese, vegetable Greek moussaka, pan-seared asparagus, crumbly oat and berry bar 

Scenic/Emerald Cruises
A selection of plant-based dishes are available on the menus in all venues. Additionally, Scenic has a selection of 500 vegan recipes that chefs can pull from as needed. (Emerald Cruises’ selection is smaller.) Vegetarian and vegan guests need only fill out their dietary requirements in the online Trip Personalizer before their cruise.

No

Vegan protein sisig, Korean seitan bulgogi, vegan Pho, mushroom ceviche, artichoke tartare (Lumiere), lavender sorbet (Lumiere)

Seabourn
Seabourn offers vegetarian options on the main menu but also offers a more extensive selection of vegetarian and vegan options for in-suite dining.

No. Vegetarian and vegan items are part of the larger in-suite dining menu.

Rustic garden vegetable minestrone, Riviera-style vegetable tartine, Sardinian tomato fregola pasta and oven-roasted purple eggplant confit.

Silversea Cruises
In 2023, Silversea partnered with Chef Jean-Luc Rabanel to design a new collection of vegetarian and vegan dishes available in dining venues throughout its ships.

No. The new dishes have been added to the already-existing menus. They include starts, mains, and desserts, with options in all restaurants on all ships.

roasted cauliflower bonbons with braised edamame and white beans, Asian vegetable salad with sautéed bok choy and mushrooms, vegan chocolate mousse with vegan vanilla ice cream.

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises
Uniworld has separate vegetarian and vegan menus that are available upon demand.

Yes. Uniworld determines the dietary needs of guests upon embarkation and brings out the vegetarian and vegan menus as needed, but anyone can ask to see them as well.

Jambalaya, tempura vegetables, sweet potato and tofu stew, eggplant steak, pesto pasta, stuffed Portobello mushrooms with zucchini spaghetti, crunchy quinoa balls with snow peas.

Viking
Viking offers vegetarian options on its menu on a daily basis, but “cannot” guarantee vegan menu items. According to a spokesperson for the line, “Chefs will make every effort to accommodate special requests and vegan dishes are often incorporated into menus.” Advisors with vegan clients booked for a Viking cruise should alert the cruise line of their dietary needs at least 90 days ahead of departure.

No

Not provided.

Virgin Voyages
Most of the items on the menu at Razzle Dazzle are vegetarian, with a smaller selection of vegan options as well. All the rest of Virgin’s numerous restaurants also feature vegetarian options, and typically just one vegan dish.

Only at Test Kitchen, which has two vegetarian menus.

Nutty gazpacho (Razzle Dazzle), Impossible burger (Razzle Dazzle), gazpacho (Test Kitchen), bugak/nori rice crisps (Gunbae), crispy polenta (The Wake)

Windstar Cruises
Windstar offers vegetarian dishes on its traditional dining room menu but also partnered with the National Health Association to create a fleetwide menu of plant-based meals that are also gluten-free and have no additional salt, oil, or sugar.

Yes. The menu is available for all meals.

Roasted butternut squash Velouté with baked pumpkin seeds, baked cauliflower croquettes with salsa verde sautéed spinach, veggie enchiladas with black bean and cilantro sauce.