Just as Carnival Cruise Line is introducing new menus that will soon be offered to the entire fleet, the cruise line has also announced the expansion of a new vegan menu in the main dining room. This will provide more plant-based options for travelers for breakfast, brunch, and dinner.
More Vegetarian Options Coming to Carnival
Carnival Cruise Line brand ambassador John Heald has announced that new vegan options will be coming to the traveller’s popular dining rooms, with plant-based options on every menu. These special menus can include a variety of dining options, in addition to existing vegetarian options.
“Something special is coming,” Heal said on his popular Facebook page. “We’re doing breakfast, brunch and dinner menus.”
Menu details are still being finalized, but Heald says they’ll be coming soon. There is no indication if the menus will be introduced gradually to the ships, or if they will be released very quickly. No date for the new menus to appear has been announced.
This revelation comes as Heald tries to work with unhappy travelers who have reported “Carnival is racist” not including many plant-based options on its menu. However, it should be noted that this cruise has been offering vegetarian options for years, as well as many salads, fruits, and vegetables for guests to enjoy.
Vegetarian or Vegan?
Vegetarian and vegan diets, although similar, are not the same.
Vegetarians do not eat “meat” which can include chicken, fish, beef, or any other meat, but vegetarian diets often contain animal foods such as milk, eggs, or honey. Vegan diets are often very strict and avoid any animal-based products that are plant-based.
Different people often change their food choices based on their needs, health, or beliefs. For example, some vegetarians avoid dairy but eat eggs, while others only eat one type of meat, such as fish or chicken.
Many vegetarian foods may also contain animal products – such as honey used as a sweetener, cheese as a condiment, or the use of butter in cooking – and therefore may not qualify as vegan.
Carnival Cruise Line already offers a variety of vegetarian dishes on its menus, such as roasted vegetable lasagna, baked vegetables or gratin, hot fruit platters, and Indian curries.
According to a 2018 Gallup Poll, about 5% of Americans consider themselves vegetarians, while only 3% consider themselves meat-eaters. Many vegetarians, however, can enjoy a vegetarian or vegan diet, depending on their preferences.
New Dining Room Menu
The announcement of the new main dining room menus comes on the heels of Carnival Cruise Line’s launch activate the modified menu Carnival dreamswith the aim of releasing new menus later this year.
The new menus also include vegetarian options, but do not have options designated as vegan.
Disappointing especially for vegetarians and vegans are the new “Combined Salads” that have the size of an entree, but each one includes not only cheese, sour cream, eggs, or other non-vegan ingredients, but also proteins such as smoked salmon, bacon, shrimp, or chicken. This makes the salad unsuitable for vegetarians.
Also Read: Can You Bring Snacks on a Carnival Cruise?
It is unclear how the entree salads will be customized and whether or not guests will request that the meat proteins be omitted from any salad they order.
Heald indicated that the new menus continue to be refined as the cruise receives guest feedback, and there may still be changes to the new menus before the menus are introduced.
