Cruising as a Vegan!

Naturally, I received numerous questions about our meals during the Dinogo cruise. We enjoyed fantastic food. Nobody went hungry. We didn’t just live on bread and pasta; it turned out to be quite manageable! Before diving in, I want to apologize for the quality of some photos—particularly those from dinner. We had so many options, and I didn’t capture many images due to the low light—so the ones I did get are, you guessed it, rather dim! But they were still delicious 😉

MORNING MEAL

assorted fruits, bananas, and room service. We appreciate you, room service. 

the selection of citrus fruits available through room service. 

Breakfast turned out to be one of the simpler meals—mainly because I typically skip it myself, so my only real concern was Marlowe. Feeding my four-year-old breakfast is quite easy—well, any meal really, but breakfast is especially simple!

My daughter loves fruit, more fruit, and cereal every day. Bagels are a special treat for us at home, so we happily indulged in them while on vacation. It’s become a bit of a tradition for Katie and me to enjoy bagels together—I’m not entirely sure why. After more than 11 years of friendship, we always make it a point to share bagels. Plus, there was the delightful addition of guava jelly, which I usually wouldn’t touch at home, but it reminded me of Alex, so I decided to try it. Quite romantic, right?

That said, I often opted for the complimentary breakfast room service. You pick what you want, set a time, and they deliver it right to your room. Super convenient! Each morning, we ordered coffee (naturally), fruit for Marlowe, bagels, and soy milk. Although soy milk isn’t listed on the breakfast menu, they’ll bring it if you ask! We also chose to bring our own vegan cream cheese on board. Was it necessary? Not at all, but I thought it would add some fun for all of us, and it definitely did. When we skipped room service, we’d go to the breakfast buffet to grab cereal and fruit for Marlowe. They have soy milk there too; you just need to ask for it. I’d simply request it at the cereal station, and someone would promptly fetch a cup for me to use for Marlowe’s cereal and my coffee.

MEAL OF THE DAY

Lunch was a delightful experience. We enjoyed experimenting with different choices based on our cravings. While a simple sandwich or salad was an option, we usually went for the Mexican lunch spot (Blue Iguana Cantina) or the Indian lunch venue (Tandoor). Most vegans understand how simple it is to whip up a vegan burrito. If you’re not in the know, trust me—it’s easy! Although the Blue Iguana Cantina menu didn’t feature a vegetarian burrito, we discovered that both bean options were indeed vegetarian. A little rice, some beans, avocado, and salsa, and voilà—happy vegan burritos, complete with a salsa bar full of toppings. However, our absolute favorite meals (for dinner as well) were the Indian dishes. Having cruised before and done some research, we anticipated a vegetarian Indian option every evening, which was easily adaptable to vegan. For lunch, we were overjoyed with the Indian buffet. We could have happily enjoyed it daily. I made sure to let the chefs know they were my favorites. All you needed to do was find the vegetarian Indian choice and ask about any dairy. In about 75% of cases, it was vegan. And vegan samosas? Yes, please! Count me in!

EVENING MEAL

the vegetarian Indian dinner selection

Overjoyed. Honestly, if you’ve been following What Marlowe Eats at all, you know that her idea of paradise is spring rolls, summer rolls, and any veggies wrapped in rice paper.

fresh garden salad. 

hearty minestrone soup.

eggplant wrapped in zucchini with marinara sauce.

stir-fried vegetables with tofu. 

evening meal at Cucina del Capitano.

Each night at dinner, we had the pleasure of choosing from two menus. One featured dishes available throughout the entire trip, while the other showcased new items for the day. Occasionally, our hostess would mention that we were three vegans (and one pescatarian), and other times there was no note at all. Fortunately, there was always a suitable option even when we weren’t specifically noted. Honestly, we would have been more than happy to enjoy the Indian option every night. Though the Indian dishes varied from night to night, we could always count on them being vegetarian/vegan. Every time we ordered it, we were thrilled with our choice.

Nearly every evening, Marlowe opted for vegetable spring rolls, a garden salad, and then either shared my dish or selected a smaller plate for herself, like soup or pasta. Sometimes Laura and I would share the Indian dinner, and other times we’d each enjoy our own. The Indian option was definitely the largest dish on the menu, so ordering a starter each and sharing was perfect for us—though there were occasions when we didn’t share and happily devoured our meals separately. Regardless, we were incredibly satisfied with the dining choices available on this cruise—they felt healthier, more varied, and better portioned than on our previous (non-Dinogo) trip together.

 LIGHT BITES

Snacks usually consisted of fruit, cereal, plenty of French fries (not shown), watermelon (often), room service veggie sticks with non-dairy dressing, and, of course, more French fries.

ASHORE

chickpea roti in Antigua. 

Our options off the ship were plentiful as well. I can confidently say that traveling as a vegan has been remarkably easy. We were quite pleased with our meals off the ship. In fact, Marlowe enjoyed her meals at the restaurants off the ship more than she typically does at home. She indulged in cabbage, tofu, rice and beans, and even tried roti for the first time. The best piece of advice I received in Antigua was to “find a well-mannered man with dreads and ask him for recommendations”— which I had a feeling would be accurate (most Rastafari are either vegan or vegetarian). The Caribbean has a substantial Rastafarian community, so our vegetarian choices were abundant. Honestly, you could find something anywhere. If it were up to me, I’d be back there now ordering “a little bit of everything” all over again.

What are the best tips for dining vegan on a cruise?

Simply ask. 
The staff, including servers and chefs, are more than willing to help accommodate your needs.

Inform them. 
It's beneficial to inform the head chef at any restaurant about your specific dietary requirements or allergies. They are more than happy to assist, but giving them a heads-up before your meal is always helpful. You can also make arrangements with the dining crew when you board the cruise ship.

Sample a little.
Explore new dishes! It's a wonderful opportunity. My top tip, especially at buffets, is to take a small portion of something unfamiliar to try first. There’s no need to fill an entire plate with something you haven’t tasted before. If you enjoy it, feel free to go back for seconds!

Enjoy yourself.
There are no strict dining rules you must follow, aside from dining hours (if you choose to). Want to pair French fries with a bowl of cereal? Go for it!

Don’t worry, it’s straightforward.
Most vegetarian dishes can easily be made vegan. The Indian cuisine options were abundant and incredibly tasty. Even if Indian food isn't your go-to every day, you won't go hungry or be limited to just carbs. There were so many choices— and this is just a glimpse; I didn’t capture everything! Ultimately, I left the cruise feeling satisfied, not like I overindulged in French fries, and certainly not feeling heavy. I felt great and genuinely happy with every meal throughout the trip! We all did 🙂

Enjoy your meal!

This article is part of my partnership with Dinogo. As always, all opinions, thoughts, and ideas expressed in this post are entirely my own.