Sunday, May 6, 2007

Cruise ship meals


What do vegans eat on a cruise ship? Most cruise lines have vegetarian options on the regular menus in the formal dining rooms as well as the buffets. While they sound delicious, the meals include lots of cheese, cream and eggs. Since becoming vegans, we have had some fabulous meals onboard ships. Princess was the first line that said yes, they could provide vegan meals for us. And they did for 24 days last year. I wish I had my camera at more dinners, but I like to travel light when dining. Unlike the rest of my life when traveling light is the last thing I can manage to do.

Our most recent cruise ended on May 3 in Barcelona. The Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas had sailed from Fort Lauderdale on April 21 bound for Bermuda, Gibraltar, Alicante and Barcelona, Spain. On the first night the Maitre D' seemed a bit surprised by our request for vegan as opposed to vegetarian food, but she was quick to respond in a very gracious manner. She spoke to the chef and said that he had agreed to cook for us a surprise vegan meal for dinner each night. And he got it right 100% of the time.

Breakfast was not a problem with hot oatmeal and fruit. Lunch was easy with a suitable vegetarian option like some delicious Indian curries or with pasta prepared a la minute with broccoli, chopped red pepper, garlic, tomato sauce. One day we had lunch with new friends at Johnny Rockets - a veggie burger, onion rings and French fries. Not fat free of course, but we were at sea and on vacation so we threw caution to wind and had a fun meal.

After we left the ship in Barcelona, we stayed at the Hotel Continental Barcelona on Las Ramblas. They had a 24 hour breakfast buffet with oatmeal, dry cereal, fruit, dried fruit, pastries, and beverages.

For lunch, we had an excellent vegetable paella in a restaurant in the Gothic Quarter. Dinner found us back on Las Ramblas, where we walked and walked and began to think we might have oatmeal for dinner. Then we saw Maoz Vegetarian Restaurant and had a fabulous falafel sandwich with an incredible toppings bar which included caraway cabbage, chopped tomatoes, chick peas, cooked onions, cooked sliced carrots and about a dozen other choices.

Jerry said too bad there is not one of these restaurants near us in Florida. Today as I was sorting through the mail there was a coupon for a discount at a restaurant about 5 miles from our house - Maoz! So we will enjoy a good meal and have happy memories of our Transatlantic cruise to Barcelona.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

How was Maoz? I have seen it, but we have not yet gone.

I have to say I am so glad to have found a fellow green blogger from my neck of the woods.

Sharon said...

Maoz was excellent. The name has been changed though and I can't remember it. The same owners are there and the food is the same. It is in the same place so you can find it as long as you don't look for Maoz sign.

What is your blog address?