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Plant-Based/Vegan Dining on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas

7/12/2014

20 Comments

 
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While I could write heartfelt odes to the awesomeness that is Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas, this post is dedicated specifically to my experience eating a plant-based diet while on board the ship for seven nights. A future post, which will be located on the My Travels page, will cover our entire vacation from start to finish.

Pre-Cruise Steps
to Ensure Plant-Filled Nirvana
The planner that I am, I reached out to Royal Caribbean a couple of weeks prior to our sail date and submitted my dietary request to the special needs department. I included that I had a dairy allergy, because it freaks out restaurants of all varieties to serve allergens to someone who has the information included in their reservation, and honestly, I thought I would have better luck with vegan options that way. So, for this particular vacation I was known as “vegetarian with a dairy allergy” – another point some might disagree with, but this was my first plant-based cruise and I was being cautious! I found that taking this extra step prior to departure was completely worthless, and meeting with a head waiter once on board was the way to go. (More on that later!) I also found that “no dairy” pretty much took care of the egg situation when I was fending for myself at the buffets.

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Hawaiian-style oatmeal and fresh fruit
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a mish-mash of awesomeness: potatoes, tofu, veggies, rice, etc.
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miso soup from the buffet
Breakfast
For morning meals on the cruise ship, we had several location options (mainly buffet, but also a couple of a la carte venues) and I was usually able to get really creative and enjoy healthy and filling meals. Our favorite spot for breakfast (and lunch too) was the Solarium Bistro, located in the ship’s aft on deck fifteen. This venue had a relaxing spa-like atmosphere and its fare reflected healthy eating choices. I found plenty of vegan-friendly options here, and the crew was always available to answer my questions about ingredients. (Please note that the signs on the buffets are not always accurate to reflect dairy, meat, etc. so be sure to inquire when you’re unsure.) I am an oatmeal fanatic at home, so for breakfast I usually gravitated toward the oatmeal bar and concocted some delicious combinations. The Solarium served miso soup that was accompanied by fantastic fixins, which made for a great breakfast as well. (The bowls sitting in the buffet line contain either chicken or shrimp, so ask for the server to prepare a bowl without meat and you will be good to go!)  My vegan-at-home-but-omni-elsewhere husband would be upset if I did not include a mention of his favorite grilled vegetables – a combination of tomatoes, zucchini, and yellow squash – which he ate each morning. I am occasionally apathetic towards the squash family and I loathe tomatoes, so I took a pass on this one.  Lastly, there was always an abundance of fresh fruit available. In the Windjammer buffet, options were a little more limited because this was the land of breakfast meats, pastries, and battered creations, but I enjoyed the miso soup here as well, along with my improvised breakfast potato salad (see photo), fresh fruit, and whole wheat peanut butter toast. As someone who normally eats some sort of fancy oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, I was content with my morning meal each day. Powered by plants, I was ready to start my day and enjoy the fun of the ship!
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assorted salads and veggies
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lentil salad and green beans
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nachos and Asian cuisine
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Johnny Rockets and salad
Lunch
In the afternoons, we frequented the aforementioned Solarium Bistro because of the many tasty salads available there that were naturally vegan-friendly. I enjoyed a vegetable wrap one day that I thought was served on a whole wheat tortilla but I think in hindsight was a crepe. (Progress, not perfection!) Fans of gazpacho would also enjoy the bar with lots of toppings available for gazpacho-personalization. We also dined in the Windjammer a few times, but I really found the selections here hit or miss for the plant-powered palate. While there were many vegetarian options available, the dishes often contained cheese or butter and I had to move on to the next station.  On a couple of occasions, I feasted on some really tasty Indian cuisine (which was available nearly every day), but I ate more lunchtime French fries in one week than I normally would in a three-month period…that was definitely my splurge on this vacation. (And they were awesome!) I was surprised to find that the hamburger/hot dog station had zero veggie burger options  readily available (and I know lots of omnis that love veggie burgers, so I was really puzzled by this) so if I wanted one, I had to ask to order one from the dining room below. The server didn’t look too happy about this the one day I was really craving a veggie burger, but they obliged, and about fifteen minutes later I was munching happily on a burger piled high with vegetables. One afternoon, I ordered a veggie burger meal from Johnny Rocket’s (located on the Boardwalk, deck six) and took it upstairs to the Windjammer to enjoy with a salad.  I also made myself a Royal Caribbean version of a veggie sub using every vegetable from the salad bar I could get my hands on, mustard, and assorted rolls. I also had a veg-friendly panini in the Park Café, (located in Central Park, deck eight) which also creates personalized salads to order. Again, there were options, especially if you are imaginative, but don’t be surprised and/or disappointed if you tend to eat the same sorts of lunches throughout your vacation. For me, this wasn't a big deal because I don't get too hung up on the food when I travel (as long as I have fruit, veggies, and grains I am happy); for those expecting to have a vegan-friendly buffet awaiting each day...the cruise lines just aren't there yet.
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chocolate cake with bananas
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dessert
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sweet and sour "chicken" and veggies over jasmine rice
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vegan quesadillas with roasted veggies and TVP "chorizo" chili
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artichoke and eggplant tart
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sliced fruit appetizer
Dinner
Cruise lines traditionally feature an early seating (around 6 o’clock) and late seating (around 8:30), but nearly all now offer a version of flexible dining so passengers have more control over their evening plans.  Although we are normally ones to reserve late seating, my husband and I selected “My Time Dining” for this particular vacation; this allowed us to arrive at the dining room when we liked and be seated in various sections as though it were a typical restaurant. This also meant we had various wait staff and two different head waiters until we found a groove a couple of nights in and just asked to be seated in the same section, with the same head waiter.

While the first night on a cruise ship can present less-than-ideal meals for the plant-based crowd, I lucked out with several items on the menu labeled as dairy free and vegetarian - our Indian waiter was also incredibly helpful and quite familiar with the vegan diet. He was fantastic, and made sure that my meal was delicious. It was a "night one score" for me, which left me feeling pretty optimistic about my first cruise as a vegan.

Night two was significantly worse, and that was only because we were seated in a different section with a new waiter and head waiter that were pretty cranky. I had a salad, baked potato, and steamed veggies, which was fine and delicious, but I was unhappy and frustrated about the treatment I received. Let it be known that I am always kind and gracious to staff, and at this point I had asked multiple people on board how to best and most easily make arrangements for my food. I
never like to be a problem for anyone because of my diet, so I tend to be even more sensitive about these sorts of things.

Finally, night three and beyond. We were seated in a
section with an outstanding head waiter, Guney Dogan, who was incredible for my dinner arrangements. While the menus are clearly labeled for vegetarian, dairy, gluten, etc., I did have to tailor a few vegetarian options to be vegan-friendly. He made sure to bring me the next day’s menu each evening to help me place a special order, and I couldn’t have been more impressed with his service. All of my meals in the dining room were outstanding – Guney even arranged for some vegan-friendly desserts for me, which was a great treat! I will admit, I really looked forward to the incredible meals that were prepared for me in the dining room. The week started with unfriendly and unhelpful crew coupled with a great deal of frustration, but ended smoothly with incredible service and delicious and creative vegan dishes for me. I believe that had we dined at an assigned time each evening with wait staff who "knew" us, the entire process would have been much simpler, but thankfully, we found a good head waiter who provided great service.

For dinners, I enjoyed the following dishes: artichoke and eggplant tart, soft-shell tortillas with roasted vegetables and TVP chili, minestrone, insalata mista, and Italian eggplant dish, chilled mango and pineapple soup, pasta, bosc pear and arugula salad, moussaka, eggplant and olive tar tare  with hummus and pita, sweet and sour "chicken" over jasmine rice, cherries jubilee with soy ice cream, assorted tasty fruit appetizers and desserts, and chocolate cake with bananas.
PictureBoardwalk
Snacks
Sorrento’s Pizza – Located on the Royal Promenade, you can enjoy delicious made-to-order pies in about fifteen minutes. They will gladly skip the cheese and load up your creation with any of the fresh vegetables and herbs available. Topping selection changes daily - some nights we stopped in for a peek we saw great combination potential, and others not as much. Still, it is a nice option for a pizza fix, and I enjoyed my personalized pie.

Starbucks – Located on the Royal Promenade, you can enjoy your favorite Starbucks beverages at sea!

Ice Cream Parlor - If you’re craving something cold and sweet, the ice cream parlor located on the Boardwalk has two sorbet options daily. On a couple of occasions, I enjoyed a kiddie-cone that was the perfect size for me. Sorbet is something I can normally take or leave (let’s be honest, I prefer vegan-friendly ICE CREAM if I am going to indulge), but in the heat of the Caribbean sun, it was a tasty treat. When you see the other passengers walking around all day with their self-serve fro-yo cones, you might be tempted for a plant-friendly cone of your own. Power of suggestion, I think!

Park Café – In the picturesque Central Park neighborhood on deck eight, Park Café offers made-to-order salads and paninis for both lunch and dinner. There was a decent selection for vegans, but the options were comparable to other dining venues. It is, however, a scenic spot for a change of pace.

Wipe Out Cafe - Located on deck 15, the Pool/Sports Deck, the Wipe Out Cafe mostly offers non-vegan friendly food, but...Not that I endorse unhealthy food, but if you have a hankering for some poolside fries or chips with salsa and guac
, this is your place.

***Please note that I am only referencing more “specialty” type snacks in this section and that fresh fruit and vegetables are readily available at various venues. 


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Central Park
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Sorrento's Pizza on the Royal Promenade
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Solarium
There were a few snafus when the cruise began, but all in all, I had a great experience on board Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas and wouldn't hesitate to sail with them again (armed with some new vegan/cruising wisdom!). My husband and I love cruise travel so much, and it is exciting to see the dining changes that have been occurring and will continue to occur for those who follow a plant-based diet or have other special dietary needs. Each cruise line and ship is different in their offerings and helpfulness, and I will continue to share my experiences with you all.

And if you're sailing the Oasis of the Seas and you see my buddy Guney, tell him I said hello!


I would love to hear about your cruise experiences, both good and bad. Please comment below!

***While I receive discounted travel because of my career, I was in no way compensated by Royal Caribbean in exchange for this review.
20 Comments
Helene
6/14/2015 10:49:32 pm

This is awesome, thank you so much!

My extended family will be cruising on the Oasis next month...I was worried my vegan daughter would have a hard time with the meals. Your suggestions were great and I really hope Guney is still on the ship!

Reply
Travel by Stephanie link
7/11/2015 11:31:10 am

I absolutely loved our vacation on the Oasis of the Seas - I hope you have a wonderful time too! I would love for you to check in with me upon your return to let me know how your daughter fared in the food department.
Thank you for commenting! I am glad to know that my posts are appreciated!

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Jodie
11/28/2016 03:48:14 pm

I would just like to make the point that stating that you have food allergies when you don't is not really a good thing to do. Yes it 'freaks' out waiters because if you did have a dairy allergy it could be really serious.

For example your crepes.. they made a mistake it was okay for you.... so that waiter who probably doesn't speak English as his first language now thinks they are fine to serve to people who actually have a dairy allergy. Can you see the problem?

I am allergic to eggs and I try to avoid soya as a personal preference but I would never say I was allergic to soy for the reason above. You could say that you are intolerant maybe because that isn't an instant reaction. But it is best to say that I avoid dairy or that you simply can't eat dairy.

Reply
Travel by Stephanie
11/30/2016 12:16:21 pm

I appreciate your thoughtful comment, and I thank you for reading my post regarding my cruise experience.

I would like to clarify that what I thought was a vegetable wrap but later believed to be a crepe was a mistake of my own - I did not inquire about the item, nor had I asked the staff to help me select options that would meet my needs.

I can understand the concern of mentioning an allergy when one does not have a true allergy, but until the cruise lines become more adept at handling dietary needs, this is the easiest way to ensure I am taken care of. Some lines are better with dietary restrictions than others, but I am confident all lines will continue to improve their service in this regard.

Christine
8/11/2015 08:37:41 am

Spent some time looking for reviews by individuals following the Eat to Live guidelines and stumbled upon your page. Thank you for doing a plant based review - exactly what I was looking for!

Reply
Travel by Stephanie link
8/11/2015 09:44:29 am

Hi Christine!

Thank you for reading my blog post and leaving me a nice comment. If you have any additional questions, or need assistance with vacation planning, please don't hesitate to contact me!

~Stephanie

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Kelly
12/3/2015 04:34:29 pm

I am so glad I found this article. I also was worried about vegan option and I feel better knowing you managed okay. I was most concerned with the dining room menu because it seemed like everything was creamy soups and cheese and meat . I will take your advise and make friends with my waiter..:)

Reply
Travel by Stephanie
1/23/2016 07:23:35 am

Hi Kelly!

I think the industry will only continue to improve as far as options and ease, and I am excited to see these changes! I would love to hear about your cruise experience upon your return!

Safe and fun travels!
~ Stephanie

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Vicky
12/30/2015 05:11:20 pm

Great review! I've been on Royal Caribbean cruises as a vegetarian before but found a lot of dishes labelled as veggie were actually not (they contained things like Parmesan cheese which is not suitable for a vegetarian diet). For our next cruise I am going vegan, your review has helped a lot, I I think we will find someone to speak to when we board the next cruise to find the best way to go about dining (we are travelling with others and have my time dining) as like you, I do not like to create a fuss over my diet.

Reply
Travel by Stephanie
1/23/2016 07:24:47 am

Hi Vicky!

Thank you! I am glad you found the information helpful. I would love to hear about your cruise experience or help you plan if you are not yet working with a travel agent!

Safe and fun travels!
~ Stephanie

Reply
Jessica
7/5/2016 10:22:23 am

I traveled on the Allure of the Seas and had a pretty similar experience, however, begin a vegan on their smaller class of ships is close to impossible. I recently traveled with my boyfriend (who is not vegan or vegetarian) on Adventure of the Seas. I also submitted my dietary requests but I actually am lactose intolerant. Before going vegan I had a moderate tolerance for dairy again and could get away with a few slips, but like you said, I purposely submitted a dairy allergy because they are so afraid of what might happen. I knew this would assure me of no dairy in my dining room meals. The dining room was the best place for dinner because they were aware of my allergy. The buffet is TOUGH on these small ships. Even the veggie options were smothered in some kind of cream sauce. I basically settled with all carb lunches at the buffet which usually meant they were fried. Keep this in mind when booking cruises! I had a terrific experience with the larger class but it was very difficult with the smaller class.

Reply
Travel by Stephanie
9/19/2016 08:45:28 am

Hi Jessica!

Thank you for your feedback! I was able to ask for the cooks at the buffet to prepare some basic steamed vegetables for me, and they were happy to do so. You are right though - generally the larger ships are better at accommodating. Hopefully it continues to improve across the cruise lines as vegan eating becomes more and more common!

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TG
9/4/2016 10:48:14 pm

Hi! I'll be sailing Anthem of the Seas in a few weeks and although I'm not a super strict vegetarian, I am a little worries as to how I'll be getting in healthy proteins! I saw you had tofu and TVP pictured and you mentioned veggie burgers...did you have to pre-order those (and if so, how would I go about doing that?) or were they available by request for everyone?

Reply
Travel by Stephanie
9/19/2016 08:43:32 am

Hello!

I did not have to pre-order a veggie burger, although they were not generally available in the buffet so I had to ask one of the line cooks to prepare one for me. I also purchased a meal from Johnny Rocket's and took my burger to the buffet and added some veggie sides. Have a great cruise! Let me know how your experience is!

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Judy
2/8/2017 07:55:43 pm

Thanks for this informative blog post. I will be cruising next week on the Oasis and was concerned about meeting my dietary choices. I am not allergic, but choosing what I think is optimal for my health. I am glad to know there are many nutritious options for plant foods.

I am now concerned about foods on shore in Haiti, Jamaica, and Cozumel. A co-worker from the Caribbean recommended several meat and fish dishes but that's not what I want.

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Judy
2/23/2017 07:37:59 pm

I had a great trip, and our waiter was very accommodating of my food requests when possible. There were many options in the Windjammer and the Solarium Bistro which I enjoyed. Miso soup for breakfast was a treat, and I found plenty of plant food on our shore excursions.

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Mandy
2/28/2017 11:20:28 pm

Thank you SO very much for this post! Bookmarking to refer back to! I am so excited about my first cruise ever on Oasis leaving next month, but I was trying to figure out how much food I should pack and bring with me. Sounds like we are going to be pretty well taken care of! We are fairly easily pleased but do like to enjoy our food and feel looked out for. (Excited that Johnny Rocket's has a vegan burger too--did not know that!)

Reply
Travel by Stephanie
3/27/2017 06:10:01 am

I hope you enjoy your cruise on the Oasis of the Seas - it is a great ship with so many fun activities. I would love to hear about your dining experience!

Reply
Travel by Stephanie
3/27/2017 06:11:23 am

Judy -

Glad to hear that! I think it will only continue to improve as more and more people embrace a meat/egg/dairy free lifestyle! Thank you for adding your comment!

Reply
Venkata Vedam
1/14/2018 07:30:37 pm

Excellent commentary / details. Thanks for doing this.

Reply



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