I’m a vegan and these are 3 of the best cruise lines for vegans

Words by Samantha Priestley

Following a vegan diet makes eating out mildly tricky sometimes, but most restaurants these days have at least one vegan option on the menu.

When it comes to cruising though, is it that easy? I know all too well how much of a nuisance you feel when travelling as a vegan and you have to ask if there’s anything available you can eat or let hotels and restaurants know well before your arrival that you’ll need special treatment.

So, I did wonder how easy, or difficult, it is to cruise when you’re vegan. Is there such a thing as a vegan cruise?

Turns out, it depends on who you cruise with. While you can eat vegan on any cruise line, as, if you let them know plenty of time ahead of your trip, they will accommodate you, there are some cruises that go out of their way to provide vegan food and to make sure everyone is catered for.

Here are three of the best.

Windstar has created a new vegan cruise menu on board all six of their yachts. The offerings are not only plant-based but also prepared without added salt, oil, sugar, or flour.

Windstar [above] has begun training its culinary team on the new menu and rolled out the programme fleet-wide in Spring 2023.

Vegetarian options, as well as the line’s existing omnivore menu items, and daily menu selections from the James Beard Foundation chefs, will continue to be served alongside these specially created vegan meals.

Here are a few things you can expect on your Windstar vegan cruise.

• Daily Smoothies at Breakfast
• Roasted Butternut Squash Velouté with Baked Pumpkin Seeds
• Baked Cauliflower Croquettes with Salsa Verde and Sautéed Spinach
• Whole Wheat Penne Rigate Pasta, with Crisp Vegetables and Espelette Pepper Sauce
• Veggie Enchiladas with Black Bean & Cilantro Sauce
• Chia Seed Truffles with Dates and Coconut Sauce
• Tahini Brownies with Fresh Strawberries

SeaDream [above] offers the only raw food or ‘living food’ menu at sea. The plant-based and vegan gourmet cuisine utilises some of the world’s finest ingredients, providing genuine nutrition and delicious taste.

You can also take advantage of the cold-pressed raw and vegan juice smoothie bars on vegan cruises with SeaDream. A few highlights include:

• Vegan Lentil Bolognese with Gluten Free Chickpea Pasta
• Vegan Pumpkin and Zucchini Lasagne
• Vegan Artichoke Pizza
• Avocado Melt Club Sandwich with Roasted Peppers, Zucchini and Alfalfa Sprouts served with Carrot Aioli
• Sweet Potato and Black Bean Vegan Burger with Eggplant-Peppers Relish and Sweet Potato Fries
• Marinated Grilled Cauliflower on Pumpkin & Carrot Mousse with Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
• Veggie Wrap with Apples and Chickpeas served with Avocado Dip and Spicy Hummus
• Tofu Cakes on Sauteìed Zucchini with Mint and Basil Sauce
• Sweet Potato Vegetable Lasagne

The plant-based and vegan cruise menu includes tasty dessert options, highlighting light yet indulgent selections like the vegan chocolate and black bean cake, almond and raspberry paveì, and the avocado and coconut chocolate crunch.

Bear in mind, this is a raw food menu, so no dish is heated above 118 Fahrenheit in order to keep all those healthy micronutrients in the food.

It’s not for everyone, but if you’re vegan it’s an interesting introduction to the raw food movement.

Onboard a Regent Seven Seas Cruises voyage, guests can enjoy over 200 plant-based dishes [above] across the cruise line’s variety of world-class dining options.

From personalised room service to unique speciality restaurants, guests can indulge in innovative and comforting vegan meals on cruises.

With six or seven restaurants in addition to room service, depending on which ship you are on, there’s a good choice, though you might find there is limited choice per restaurant.

Menus offer an imaginative selection of bold, flavourful vegan food, with artistic presentation. Favourites include wild mushroom tart with brittle pie crust, and spiced potato and green pea samosas with tamarind chutney.

With more than 200 gourmet plant-based selections offered at breakfast, lunch and dinner, Regent Seven Seas Cruises continues to evolve to the tastes of discerning travellers who follow a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, or perhaps desire to enjoy a plant-based meal now and then.

I advise checking out the restaurant’s menus in advance and letting the cruise line know you are vegan ahead of time.

There’s a great choice here and while not every restaurant has a wide choice, it does mean you can visit a different restaurant each night and you’re guaranteed to find something great you can eat.