12 Top Vegan Cruises For The Ultimate Sailing Experience
Thinking about setting sail but want to keep it plant-based? Vegan cruises are a fun and easy way to travel while enjoying amazing food, friendly vibes, and beautiful views. You don’t have to worry about finding meals or explaining your diet—everything’s already set up for you. Many cruises offer full vegan menus, cooking demos, wellness activities, and even animal-friendly excursions. It’s like a floating vacation made just for you.
Whether you love adventure, relaxing on the deck, or tasting new dishes, there’s a cruise out there that fits your style. Some focus on tropical beaches, while others explore big cities or wild nature spots. You’ll meet people who share your values and love for good food. From luxury ships to eco-friendly journeys, we’ve found the best vegan cruises around.
Get ready to pack your bags and hop on board!
How To Eat Vegan On A Cruise Ship
Not all cruises offer robust vegan programs, especially depending on the time of year, destination, and specific ship. Don’t panic! It’s easy to cruise on a plant-based diet no matter the circumstances. It just takes a bit more prep work on your part. Here are a few tips to consider before setting sail:
Call Ahead
Speak with an actual person, not just an automated chatbot, to let them know about any dietary restrictions (including and especially food allergies) well in advance. Let them know you are looking forward to a vegan cruise experience.
Ask The Waiter To Confirm With The Chef
Many ships include several different restaurants on board, which is great for a more diverse selection of cuisines, but tough for consistent communication. Make sure everyone gets the note to keep it plant-based, so nothing is lost in translation.
Hit The Buffet
Especially for breakfast, you’ll likely encounter a self-serve buffet to build your own plate. If all the ingredients aren’t listed up front, don’t be afraid to ask for details. Whole foods like plain brown or white rice, steamed, grilled, or roasted vegetables, savory beans, and cut fruits are almost always safe choices.
Don’t forget simple staples like pasta with marinara sauce or a good old veggie burger, hold the cheese! Buffets can be a highlight of a vegan cruise.
BYOF (Bring Your Own Food)
Whether we’re traveling across the globe or 20 minutes down the street, we always make sure to bring delicious vegan snacks. In case any meal planning should fall through, random cravings strike, or you just don’t like what’s being served, pack a plan B (such as these trusty vegan travel snacks) in the form of shelf-stable packaged foods.
Portable protein bars, instant soup packets, trail mix, and vegan granola are solid go-to solutions. If you’re staying in a room equipped with a mini fridge, stock up on fresh produce, creamy hummus, and even prepared meals when you dock. Don’t forget vegan coffee creamer or non-dairy milk! Being prepared ensures your vegan cruise experience is enjoyable.
Special Vegan Cruises
Want to wine and dine with celebrity vegan chefs, enjoy a wellness retreat on the high seas, or participate in eco-friendly excursions? Join a special, all-inclusive vegan cruise program tailor-made for your needs.
Holistic Holiday at Sea
Cruise the Caribbean on this annual departure that combines medicine, nutrition, and activism for the plant-based movement! Start the day with morning yoga, participate in inspiring workshops and lectures, unwind with nightly social events, and dig into fully vegan menus every step of the way on your vegan cruise.
Vegan Culinary Cruises
If you’re the type of person who starts planning their dinner while still eating lunch, these are the food-focused adventures for you. Each unique vegan river cruise offers a menu curated by eminent vegan foodies, complete with tasting menus, wine pairings, and shore excursions to support local vegan businesses.
Windstar Cruises
Windstar Cruises is making waves for plant-based travelers! They’ve teamed up with the National Health Association to roll out a new vegan menu across all six of their yachts. The dishes are not only plant-based but also gluten-free and prepared without added salt, oil, or sugar. From hearty breakfasts to delightful dinners and desserts, you can enjoy delicious meals that align with your dietary preferences while sailing to stunning destinations.
Vegan-Friendly Cruise Lines
Say “bon voyage” to the sad cafeteria fare of cruises past; these boats are truly floating cities, complete with fine dining, casual cafes, all-you-can-eat buffets, and everything in between. Enjoy a truly gourmet culinary experience without making any compromises to a plant-based lifestyle on these progressive, luxurious vegan-friendly cruises.
Disney Cruises
Disneyland and Disney World are famously vegan-friendly, so it makes sense that their newest cruise ship, Disney Wish, follows suit. Vegan options are available at every immersive dining experience, which means you can enjoy meatless stuffed cabbage rolls alongside the characters from Frozen and tofu udon straight from the Marvel universe.
Holland America
Tour the world on a full stomach courtesy of the very vegan-friendly menus across all venues on these well-equipped ships. Some specialty restaurants offer separate vegan menus upon request, while others clearly mark vegan, gluten-free, and vegetarian options from one main listing. Tempeh kabobs and cauliflower steaks are standout entrees that shouldn’t be missed.
Oceana Cruises
There are literally hundreds of 100% vegan dishes to choose from onboard, available at the buffet, dining room, room service, and specialty restaurants. That’s not just another sad salad, but crispy falafel, truffle vegan mac and cheese, and spicy pad Thai noodles. Their two largest ships, the Marina and Riviera, also include a poolside juice bar to keep you happy and hydrated.
Princess Cruises
Princess Cruises now has tasty vegan menus on all 15 of their ships! Thanks to the numerous requests of the guests, they created these fun and delicious options. You’ll find classic options like black beans on toast and plant-based shepherd’s pie. You can ask for vegan meals before your trip or once you’re on the ship. It’s a super-easy way to enjoy great food while you cruise.
Regent Seven Seas
This cruise is all about all-inclusive luxury—and yep, that includes plant-based travelers too. With over 200 vegan dishes from all around the world, you’ll never run out of things to try. Think Greek, Thai dishes, Mexican food, Korean, Italian pasta, and so much more. It’s your ticket to tasty adventures, where you really can have your Summer Berry Pudding Chantilly and eat it too!
Royal Caribbean
Vegan food was available only at the buffet or by special request for many years, but now everyone has the option to eat more plant-based meals! Dishes on the buffet may not be clearly labeled, so your best bet is to download the Royal Caribbean app, where you can also find specials not otherwise listed on the paper menu. The dining room menus, on the other hand, have a vegan option for each course clearly labeled. Note: If you have a dairy-allergy, there may be some cross contamination since everything is prepared in the same kitchen.
Celebrity Cruises
Separate vegetarian menus make it easier to pick out meatless mains, along with helpful markings indicating dairy-free dishes. Choices may be limited in specialty restaurants, but at the very least, you can always count on the pasta bar, cheese-less pizzas, and custom-made vegetable stir-fries.
Carnival Cruise
Vegan options are woven within the regular menus for each dining venue onboard, though dairy can be an omnipresent issue within set meals. At the very least, you can always count on flavorful Indian curries and hearty bean burritos. Rumor has it that the fancy steakhouse will even make you an off-menu special order if you ask, but your mileage may vary. Don’t forget to check out their article “How to Eat Vegan on a Cruise”!
Silversea Cruises
Silversea Cruises has expanded its culinary offerings with a range of new vegetarian, vegan, and plant-based dishes, available across all nine dining venues on their newest ship, Silver Nova, and soon across the entire fleet. Collaborating with acclaimed Chef Jean-Luc Rabanel, Silversea ensures the highest culinary standards with imaginative green cuisine. Guests can enjoy diverse plant-based starters, mains, and desserts, including innovative dishes like roasted cauliflower bonbons and vegan chocolate mousse. (Take a peek at their Special Diets PDF before buying your ticket.)
Sustainability and Ethical Considerations of Cruise Ships
Before you climb aboard a vegan cruise ship, there are some ethical considerations to keep in mind. If sustainability and ethics are important considerations in all aspects of your life, including travel, there are several concerns to keep in mind when it comes to a vegan cruise.
1. Food Waste
One of the main environmental concerns with cruises is waste. Cruise ships generate a lot of trash, including food waste, plastic bottles, and other materials that can harm marine life. To address this issue, many vegan cruise ships have implemented sustainability initiatives such as composting, recycling, and using biodegradable or reusable materials.
2. Local Community Impact
Another sustainability concern is the impact of cruise ships on local ecosystems and communities. For example, cruise ships can contribute to over-tourism, which can damage fragile ecosystems and put a strain on local resources. To mitigate this impact, many vegan cruise lines prioritize responsible tourism practices, such as supporting local businesses and minimizing their ecological footprint.
3. Treatment of Cruise Workers
In terms of ethics, there are also concerns around the treatment of cruise ship employees. Unfortunately, many cruise ship workers are not paid fairly or treated well, which can contribute to human rights violations. To address this issue, some vegan cruise lines partner with fair trade organizations or ensure that their employees are paid a living wage and have access to benefits and resources.
Bon Voyage!
Embarking on a vegan cruise is an unparalleled adventure, blending luxurious travel with delicious plant-based dining. With numerous vegan-friendly cruises available, you can explore the world without compromising your dietary choices. Choose the right vegan cruise to enjoy gourmet meals, ethical travel practices, and unforgettable experiences on the high seas.
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