How to set yourself up for success

Tell the line in advance, then talk to someone on day one. Most lines let you flag dietary needs in your booking or “special requests,” and many ask you to reconfirm with the maître d’ once aboard. As a rule of thumb: Cunard asks you to advise them pre-cruise and then speak with the restaurant team on embarkation, with vegan and other diets supported when requested; MSC wants you to submit its Special Needs form and check in with Guest Services or the maître d’ on board; Norwegian asks for 30–45 days’ notice for special products; Disney lets you note plant-based requests in the reservation and reminds you to speak with the dining team when you board. After that, meet the head waiter, preview tomorrow’s menu, and relax. 

Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity publishes a dedicated vegetarian menu for the main dining room, with dishes marked for vegan or lacto and a spread of soups, salads and mains that feel like actual cooking rather than garnish. Expect things like Korean vegetable pancakes, smoky “lasagne” layered with veg, and tofu plates that aren’t an afterthought. If you want one mainstream line where a mixed-diet group can dine happily together without hassle, this is it. 

Princess Cruises

Princess rolled out a fleet-wide vegan menu in late 2023, available alongside the regular main-dining selection. It sits neatly within the standard service rhythm, so plant-based diners and omnivores eat the same course pace at the same table, which is exactly what you want on holiday. If you’re travelling with meat-eaters, this keeps everyone on one menu without fuss. 

Royal Caribbean

You’ll find clearly marked vegetarian options every night in the main dining room, plus usually an Indian veg choice that regulars quietly rave about. If you want something different, tell the team the night before and they’ll try to sort it. No advance notice is required for standard vegetarian dining, though alerting them helps if you’re strict vegan.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Vegetarian dishes appear on most menus by default, and chefs are trained to accommodate a range of diets. If you need specific products (halal, gluten-free, specialty items), NCL asks for notice around 30 days; otherwise, make yourself known to the maître d’ on day one and agree a plan. Fun extra: the new Norwegian Aqua debuts an all-vegetarian venue, Planterie, which gives green eaters a headline option on that ship. 

MSC Cruises

Buffets and main restaurants carry vegetarian choices, and MSC asks guests with allergies or special diets to submit its Special Needs form and then confirm on board with Guest Services or the maître d’. That two-step system is worth following if you’re vegan or have cross-contamination concerns. 

Cunard

White-glove tradition doesn’t mean you’ll be living on melon boats. Cunard can accommodate vegetarian and vegan diets when advised in advance, and the team will work with you once on board to map dishes you’ll enjoy in the main dining room and beyond. If you miss the pre-cruise note, seek out the restaurant team as soon as you embark. 

Disney Cruise Line

Plant-based items are labelled across the rotational restaurants, and Disney encourages you to add a dietary note in your booking, then drop by the embarkation-day dining session or speak to your servers so they can tailor nightly options. It’s family-friendly and surprisingly easy for mixed-diet groups. 

Viking (Ocean and River)

Viking states there are vegetarian options at every meal and that chefs will make reasonable efforts to accommodate other dietary needs. On river ships especially, speaking to the maître d’ early pays off because menus are tighter and the galley smaller, but they are used to planning plates for the next day. 

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines

Small-ship, old-school service with a modern grasp of dietary requests. Fred. Olsen’s team caters for vegetarian and vegan diners and recommends letting them know in advance so the galley can plan, then chatting with the maître d’ once aboard to line up your favourites. It suits travellers who like personal attention and a quieter dining room.

Hurtigruten (Coastal Express)

Norway’s Coastal Kitchen reads very veg-friendly these days. Breakfasts and lunches always include plentiful salads, breads and hot vegetarian choices, and dinners offer plant-based options alongside the day’s meat or fish. The key is to flag any requirements at booking so the galley can plan stock on a route where resupply is… fjord-dependent. On board, let the maître d’ know on night one and they’ll steer you toward the best picks each day. If you’re vegan, they can cater, but advance notice matters. 

HX (Expeditions)

Expedition ships skew thoughtful rather than fussy: Aune for main meals, Lindstrøm for Nordic-leaning fine dining, and a growing emphasis on plant-based dishes. HX asks guests with special requests (dietary or medical) to notify them as early as possible, and no later than 12 weeks before sailing, because remote itineraries limit last-minute provisioning. In practice, vegetarian and vegan travellers are well looked after, but do the polite thing and pre-warn, then check in with the restaurant team on embarkation. 

Ambassador Cruise Line

Classic British comfort with modern flexibility. Ambassador can provide vegetarian and vegan meals (along with gluten-free, low-salt and more) across the restaurants; the official line is to add your requirements at booking, and—ideally—no later than four weeks before departure. Once aboard, introduce yourself to the maître d’ and they’ll line up suitable options at dinner and flag the best daytime choices. Afternoon tea can be adapted too if they know you’re coming. 

Travelmarvel (and APT)

On Europe’s rivers, Travelmarvel’s dining is set-menu with choice, plus beer and wine with meals—easy to keep vegetarian, and vegan is usually fine with notice. The brand and its parent APT ask you to advise dietary needs during booking so chefs can plan; crews commonly tailor plates or swap sides if you chat to the head waiter on night one. It’s not a “secret menu” culture, just small-ship hospitality that works best when you tell them early. 

Practical tips from a vegetarian who sails

Book first, flag your diet second, then meet the maître d’ on embarkation day to preview menus. If you’re vegan, carry a brief “yes/no” card on your phone for ingredients you avoid, and ask for next-day pre-orders at dinner so the galley can prep something you’ll be excited about. If you’re in a mixed-diet party, choose lines that publish or promise vegetarian menus in the main dining room so everyone eats together without detours. Princess’s vegan menu and Celebrity’s vegetarian card are reliable examples. 

Quick line-by-line who suits whom

If you want the smoothest mainstream experience with clearly signposted veggie choice, start with Celebrity or Princess. For big-ship bells and whistles with steady veggie coverage, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian are safe picks, with NCL’s Planterie a bonus on Aqua. Prefer a quieter dining room and traditional service that will adapt around you when asked politely and early? Cunard, Viking and Fred. Olsen do this well. MSC works fine with form-then-maître-d’ discipline. Disney is the crowd-pleaser if you’re travelling with kids and want plant-based labels without hunting.

If you remember nothing else, remember this: tell them, meet them, and pre-order tomorrow’s star dish tonight. It turns “Do you do vegetarian?” into “That was excellent—what are you making me tomorrow?”