In June 2019, my wife and I went on a 7-night Alaskan cruise aboard Holland America’s MS Eurodam. The cruise we took had the following itinerary: Day 1- Embark from Seattle, WA, Day 2 – At Sea, Day 3 – Juneau, AK, Day 4 – Glacier Bay, Day 5 – Sitka, AK, Day 6 – Ketchikan, AK, Day 7 – Victoria, BC, and Day 8 – Disembark in Seattle, WA. Based on the difficulty of finding information online about vegan and vegetarian options on board the ship, I took notes and pictures throughout the trip to help future veg cruisers. The following is the results of my trip.
As a note, I had selected my special diet as vegan before the cruise started and my wife had selected vegetarian. We also chose to do the my time dining, but I would suggest a fixed time dining for those with special diets so you don’t have to inform the staff every night of your dietary needs.
Dining Room (Breakfast)
To start things off we have the breakfast menu from the dining room. We ate breakfast once in the dining room and in the Lido the rest of the trip. There are lots of vegetarian options on the breakfast menu, but not tons of vegan options.
Dining Room Special Vegetarian and Vegan Menu (Dinner)
All of the menu items listed below are from the “special diets” vegetarian and vegan menu from Holland America. This varied different from the menus I found online before our trip so this menu may change by the time you take a cruise.
Cold Appetizers
GRILLED VEGETABLE TERRINE (Vegan, Gluten Free)
zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, tomato and basil salsa
QUNIOA AND CASHEW NUT SALAD (Vegan, Gluten Free)
lime, mint, jalapeno vinaigrette, dried apricots, lettuce leaf cup
PINE NUT TABBOULEH (Vegan, Gluten Free)
parsley, tomatoes, red onions, red and yellow bell pepper, mint, olive oil, lemon juice, pine nuts
VEGETABLE SPRING ROLL (Vegan, Gluten Free)
rice paper, peanuts, lettuce, carrot, garlic-soy sauce
ASIAN CRISPY NOODLE SALAD (Vegan, Gluten Free)
crispy noodles, ginger dressing, toasted almonds, cilantro
TOMATO SALAD (Gluten Free, Culinary Council)
Ras el hanout
Hot Appetizers
VIETNAMESE VEGETABLE SPRING ROLL (Gluten Free)
Thai chili sauce
GRILLED VEGETABLE TOSTADAS
WITH FRESH MEXICAN SALSA (Vegan)
pimentos, grilled onion, tomatoes, cilantro, avocado
GRILLED POLENTA WITH TOMATO BASIL
olive oil, garlic, spinach
MUSHROOM CROSTINI (Vegan)
forest mushrooms, whole wheat crostini, dried cherries
Soups
ASIAN NOODLE SOUP (Vegan, Gluten Free)
vegetables, mushrooms, bean sprouts, rice noodles, lime, ginger, coconut milk
ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP (Vegan, Gluten Free)
onions, cinnamon, nutmeg, cranberry oil
PASTA FAGIOLI (Vegan)
vegetables, beans, whole-wheat pasta, Italian herbs, tomato broth
Salads
TOASSED FRESH GARDEN GREENS (Vegan, Gluten Free)
red radish, green olives, tomato, cucumber, celery, mushrooms
SPICY LENTIL AND GARBANZO SALAD (Vegan, Gluten Free)
boston leaf, tomato, cucumber, red onion rings
ROASTED AND RAW CARROT SALAD (Gluten Free, Culinary Council)
avocado, tasted cumin vinaigrette
Entrees
BAKED CHEESE POLENTA
WITH MUSHROOMS ARTICHOKE HEARTS (Gluten Free)
red beets, sautéed greens
BLACK BEAN BURGER WITH MANGO SALSA (Gluten Free, Culinary Council)
frizzled onions, cilantro rice, ratatouille
ASPARAGUS, CARROT, AND ZUCCHINI TART
cheese custard, pastry shell, three grain pilaf of lentil, barley, and wild rice
GRILLED PORTABELLA MUSHROOM
WITH ZUCCHINI SPAGHETTI (Vegan, Gluten Free, Culinary Council)
pomodoro-basil sauce
VEGETABLE JAMBALAYA (Vegan, Gluten Free)
vegetables, rice, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant
TOFU AND VEGETABLE STIR-FRY (Vegan, Gluten Free)
soy sauce, ginger, garlic, scallions, brown rice
TEMPEH AND VEGETABLE KEBOB (Vegan)
olive oil, lemon, vegetable cous cous, BBQ dipping sauce
VEGETABLE PIZZA (Vegan)
whole-wheat pizza dough, roasted pimentos, Roma tomatoes, Kalamata olives, red onions, zucchini, oregano, hummus
VEGETABLE CUTLET (Vegan)
broccoli, sweet potato, carrots, onions, steamed bok choy, garbanzo beans, tomato sauce
BROCCOLI AND MUSHROOM QUICHE
tahini, basil, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower
CURRIED CAULIFLOWER STEAK (Vegan, Gluten Free, Culinary Council)
saffron rice, poppadoms
Main Dining Room Desserts
If you specify that your special diet is “vegan” when you sign up for the cruise, your MDR waiter will not provide you with a dessert menu each night. Instead, only one dessert is made each day that is vegan-friendly and they automatically bring that dessert to you. As I mentioned before, my special diet was selected as vegan and my wife’s was selected as vegetarian. This led to some confusion as they brought her the vegan dessert every night and she had to request to order off the standard dessert menu.
Sample of Regular Dessert Options
Sample of Vegan Desserts
Lido Market (Buffet)
The vegetarian and vegan options at the Lido Market vary day to day, but there are a few staples. For breakfast there are many vegetarian options including pastries, crepes, waffles, and a omelet bar. The vegan options are less common, but the standard option for me was roasted potatoes, fresh fruit, and oatmeal. I verified with the Lido staff that the oatmeal is made with water and vegan-friendly. The yogurt bar contains fresh fruit, nuts, and brown sugar for topping the oatmeal.
The main food options during lunch and dinner at the Lido varied day to day, but there is always a create-your-own salad bar available. There is usually a vegan Asian option (Indian or stir-fry) at the distant lands station as well vegan pasta options at the Italian station.
New York Pizza
The New York Pizza dining station is a create-your-own pizza shop on many of the Holland America ships. We were told that the pizza crust and sauce are vegan-friendly so their pizzas can be made vegan by simply leaving off the cheese.
Dive-In
The Dive-In is a walk-up dining establishment which features burgers, hot dogs, and french fries aboard many of the Holland America ships. The only veg options available at the Dive-In are a portabella mushroom burger called “The Freestyle” and the 3 varieties of french fries. The Freestyle comes with a grilled portabella mushroom, topped with cheddar and Gouda cheese, chop-chop lettuce salad, avocado, and sliced tomato on a toasted whole wheat bun with Dive-In Sauce. The 3 varietes of french fries are: Naked, Topped with Dive-In Sauce, and Smothered in Melty Cheese Sauce.
Bonus: Kitchen Tour
On the second day of the cruise, the main dining room opened up their kitchens for a free tour. We learned that they have a dedicated “special diets” section of each kitchen to avoid cross contamination. Therefore if you have any allergies or are strict vegan, you can rest assured that your dietary needs are taken very seriously by the Holland American kitchen staff.
