Royal Caribbean Vegan Food: Best Vegan Dining on the Cruise

Did you know that it's easy to sail aboard Royal Caribbean as a vegan? Royal Caribbean has had a vegan menu for a few years now, and the options continue to grow for those following a vegetarian or plant-based diet. Many people travel on cruise ships to indulge in all of the tasty meals, and Royal Caribbean ensures that vegans and vegetarians are not left out. Even the veg-curious will love the vegan options!

I recently sailed aboard an Oasis class ship, Symphony of the Seas, and was able to experience all of the vegan meals on board for a week. From the main dining room to the buffet and the specialty restaurants, I'm going to show you where to find the best vegan food on Royal Caribbean. Plus, I'm going to highlight exactly what I ate, show photos of the menus, and help you plan your Royal Caribbean vegan cruise.

Royal Caribbean Vegan: Main Dining Room

Overall, I found that the best vegan meals were served in the main dining room. Vegan dishes are plentiful at dinnertime, and you will find a vegan option for every course of the meal (appetizers, main courses and desserts).

Now, I didn't personally go to the main dining room for breakfast or lunch. There aren't any vegan meals on the breakfast or lunch menus. However, the staff on any Royal Caribbean ship will be able to cater to any special diet, so you can make requests for vegan options when you dine there.

Does Royal Caribbean Have a Vegan Menu?

Royal Caribbean used to have a separate vegan menu for the main dining room. I suspected that this would be the case when I boarded Symphony of the Seas. However, the main dining room of Symphony of the Seas was testing a brand new Royal Caribbean dinner menu during my cruise.

While you used to be able to choose from several appetizers, main courses and desserts from a separate vegan menu, Royal Caribbean is gradually doing away with the vegan menu across its fleet. Don't be alarmed! Royal Caribbean is integrating its vegan menu into its regular menu. This means that there are vegan appetizers, main courses and desserts on the regular menu every night as options for all.

I personally applaud this approach and think it is a vast improvement. First of all, it means that there are vegan choices on every main dining room menu. You don't need to ask for any separate menu. Simply order from the menu. Second, it means that anyone on the ship can order the vegan meals (which are naturally also vegetarian meals). I take this to mean that the Royal Caribbean vegan menu was becoming so popular that it's now offered to all.

While the average passenger wouldn't even know there is a separate vegan menu, now they can choose one of these dishes for themselves, perhaps not even knowing that they are vegetarian or vegan. With that said, there is a little symbol next to every vegan meal on the main dining room menu, easily denoting which options are the vegan ones.

Day 1: American Night

Now, I'm going to show you every vegan meal for every night of the cruise aboard Symphony of the Seas. These nights may be switched up when you sail. I'll show you photos of the menus, the food I ate, and their descriptions.

For American night, the Royal Caribbean vegan options are as follows:

• Roasted tomato soup (a blend of seasoned vine-ripened Roma tomatoes topped with crunchy garlic ciabatta croutons and basil pesto)
• Herb-crusted stuffed portobello (with vegan creamed spinach and fluffy vegetable couscous, baked until golden in marinara sauce and herb oil)
• Peanut-caramel bar (crispy peanut butter rice square with a touch of maple syrup over a sweet mixed berry compote

Day 2: French Night

For French Night, the Royal Caribbean vegan options are as follows:

• Creamy butternut squash soup (roasted harvest squash blended with coconut milk, topped with crisp toasted pumpkin seeds
• Spring pea and asparagus risotto (creamy short grain rice in simmering pea and mint sauce with jumbo tender asparagus)
• Dark chocolate chip cookies (homestyle favorite served with fresh raspberries)

Day 3: Italian Night

My apologies for this one, I forgot to take a photo of the menu. I'll describe all the dishes for you as they're listed on the menu, for Italian night.

• Italian minestrone (a classic Italian soup - diced mixed vegetables, cannellini beans and macaroni pasta cooked in a savory tomato broth)
• Vegan spaghetti Bolognese (al dente pasta in a rich marinara sauce with hearty mushrooms and tofu crumble)
• Crumbly oat and berry bar (layers of jam and brown sugar crusted oats baked fresh and topped with berries and mint)

Day 4: Caribbean Night

For Caribbean Night, the Royal Caribbean vegan options are as follows:

• Honey-Soy Tofu and Avocado Salad (chilled marinated tofu tossed with plump grape tomatoes, ripe avocado, and toasted white sesame seeds) **please note that it is not real honey used**
• (Not pictured) Stuffed Grilled Eggplant (whole wheat couscous with pomegranate seeds and bell peppers layered inside grilled eggplant with minted cucumber and a spring onion dressing)
• Pesto Tagliatelle (al dente flat noodles tossed with fresh pesto, cremini mushrooms and sundried tomatoes)
• Vegan fudge brownie (rich chocolate brownie with sweet whipped cream and caramel sauce)

Please note that I didn't order the stuffed grilled eggplant, but instead got the pesto tagliatelle. My server informed me that the pesto tagliatelle could easily be made vegan by removing the cheese, so I decided to order that instead. It's nice to actually have two vegan main course options on this menu.

Day 5: Mexican Night

For Mexican Night, the Royal Caribbean vegan options are as follows:

• Tortilla soup (tomato broth with hearty black beans and sweet corn, topped with cilantro, crunchy corn tortillas and lime
• Crunchy chili-crusted tofu tacos (served in baskets of flour tortillas with sliced pears and a peanut- sambal oelek sauce
• Toffee cheesecake (buttery toffee with velvety vegan cheesecake topped with fresh berries)

I must say that the tofu tacos were a little bit odd. Not that they weren't delicious (they were), but they didn't really resemble tacos in any way. The flavors themselves weren't really Mexican, and felt a bit more like an Asian food-Mexican food hybrid. It was still really tasty, but I was eating tofu and tortilla chips as my dinner, which was a tad strange.

Day 6: The Royal Night

For Royal Night, the Royal Caribbean vegan options are as follows:

• Bright citrus avocado and melon salad (sweet cantaloupe, ripe avocados, orange segments and figs in a maple-lime dressing, topped with toasted pine nuts)
• Stuffed red bell pepper (with whole wheat Mediterranean couscous, fragrant herbs and sauteed vegetables, hearty marinara and salsa verde)
• Chilled banana-cocoa custard (with a touch of tahini and sweetened with maple syrup and Medjool dates, topped with caramelized bananas)

Day 7: Mediterranean Night

For Mediterranean Night, the Royal Caribbean vegan options are as follows:

• Pan-seared asparagus (jumbo green asparagus with creamy white bean hummus and a hazelnut basil pesto drizzle)
• Vegetable Greek moussaka (layers of grilled eggplant, Roma tomatoes, tender potatoes and onions, topped with Panko breadcrumbs and served with oregano-tomato salsa)
• Vegan chocolate cherry tart (vanilla tart shell with rich dark chocolate ganache and cherry filling, sweet whipped cream and lemon zest)

Royal Caribbean Vegan: The Buffet

For breakfast and lunch, I dined primarily at the Windjammer, the main buffet on Symphony of the Seas. On one occasion, we ventured over to the Solarium Bistro, another complimentary buffet restaurant in the adults-only Solarium area.

The Windjammer

The Windjammer is the main place where I dined for breakfast and lunch during my cruise on Symphony of the Seas. My favorite part of breakfast was the avocado toast station. You can add toppings, like arugula and radish. There's also fresh fruit, hashbrowns, bread and bagels with jam or peanut butter. You may have an issue tracking down soy milk, almond milk or oat milk. In the morning, I always went down to the Vitality Cafe for my morning coffee with plant-based milk, and then went up to the Windjammer for food.

Do yourself a favor and don't order the room service breakfast in the morning. The coffee isn't great, the bagels are tiny and a bit stale, and you might not be able to order certain toppings like margarine or peanut butter. We were able to add the option for soy milk with room service, hand written onto the paper. Oh, and we never added on the hot breakfast for an additional cost (yes, any hot items cost extra) because there were only hashbrowns as a vegan option.

As for lunch, there are many options at the Windjammer for vegans. You can get pasta with marinara sauce, chickpea salad, green salad with a ton of veggies, fries, and stir fries. There's a vegetarian section of the buffet with mostly Indian food, like dal and chana masala. Those are always vegan unless it's paneer (cheese). Add rice and papadum, and you've got yourself an amazing meal.

Navigating the buffet can be a little challenging since none of the dishes are marked as vegan or vegetarian (except the vegetarian section with the Indian food). If you're unsure, ask one of the staff members if there's any meat, dairy or eggs in a particular item. They will be able to help you.

Solarium Bistro

Solarium Bistro focuses on nutritious and delicious meals, served in a buffet style. We only dined at the Solarium Bistro on the last sea day, and I wish we had gone here more often. While it is a smaller buffet, it seems as though there are more options for vegetarians and vegans. I enjoyed flatbread, hummus, baba ghanoush, a green salad, chickpea salad, and pasta with marinara sauce.

We only went to the Solarium Bistro for lunch and not for dinner. If you are dining here for dinner, you will need to book it in advance through the Royal Caribbean app. At first, I thought that you needed reservations for lunch, but you can walk right in (just as long as there are enough tables).

Royal Caribbean Vegan: More Complimentary Restaurants

While there are many restaurants on Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas that are paid, specialty restaurants, there are a few more that are complimentary. Aside from the main dining room, the Windjammer and Solarium Bistro, here are a few more places to find vegan meals on Royal Caribbean.

Sorrento's Pizza

Sorrento's Pizza offers pizza by the slice. Unfortunately, there aren't any vegan pizzas and they didn't have any vegan cheese on hand. However, the staff members can make you a vegan pizza with a vegan dough (apparently the regular dough is not vegan), tomato sauce and veggies.

While the pizza might not look like much, it was actually quite delicious. It could have used some vegan cheese, but I was satisfied with the vegan pizza at Sorrento's. I ordered it twice during my cruise. It's also nice to have an entire, freshly made pizza to yourself!

El Loco Fresh

El Loco Fresh is a Mexican venue on Symphony of the Seas and some other Royal Caribbean ships. It is a casual, buffet-style restaurant that's on the upper deck near the pools. It's only open for lunch, and you can pick up some Mexican eats to enjoy in the sunshine.

There weren't a lot of vegan options here, which was surprising. Most of the tacos and quesadillas were pre-made, and even the vegetarian options had tons of cheese. I suggest grabbing a plate of tortilla chips and toppings from their salsa bar. There's guacamole, salsa, jalapenos, onions and lettuce.

While it was insanely busy here and I didn't have the chance to ask a staff member, you may be able to ask them to prepare a taco for you with only rice and beans, so you can add your own veggie toppings without the cheese.

Royal Caribbean Vegan Food at Park Cafe

We didn't discover Park Cafe until the midway point of our cruise. It's a casual dining option within Central Park. You can stop by for light bites for breakfast or lunch. There's fresh fruit, bagels with peanut butter, and one wrap that's naturally vegan: a flour tortilla with red pepper hummus and chickpea salad.

One thing that we noticed was that Park Cafe was never nearly as busy as the Windjammer or other casual dining venues. If you're looking to escape the crowds (and the lineups), try the Park Cafe for the delicious chickpea and hummus wraps.

Royal Caribbean Vegan: Specialty Restaurants

Royal Caribbean's ships have quite a few specialty restaurants. You have to pay extra to dine at these restaurants, and some of them can be quite expensive. We didn't end up dining at any of them due to the costs, except Johnny Rockets for lunch one day. I also found that many specialty restaurants didn't offer vegan meals without modifications, and it made more sense to eat at buffets or main dining room where vegan food was plentiful.

Royal Caribbean Vegan Food at Johnny Rockets

Johnny Rockets is a fast food restaurant on Symphony of the Seas, and it's a great Royal Caribbean vegan friendly venue. It's also not a bad deal: for $15, it's all you can eat. While I didn't eat more than a burger and some sides, the food is yummy and it's a great place to find a veggie burger on the ship (they aren't available anywhere else).

The vegan options on Royal Caribbean's Johnny Rockets are: the Streamliner (vegan Boca burger with all vegan toppings) and fries. The burger was really delicious (I loved the caramelized onion topping) and the sides were good, too. Please note that the onion rings are not vegan, sadly. We were impressed with our meal at Johnny Rockets and it was well worth the additional price.

Jamie's Italian

While we didn't dine at Jamie's Italian, this is the best option for vegans on Royal Caribbean. Choose from penne pomodoro (vegan) or the eggplant parmesan (minus the parmesan). You can also order a green salad, fries, and bruschetta bread (minus the cheese). If I have to be honest, eating tomato sauce pasta and the side dishes is not worth the extra cost. Those are dishes that I can get for free at the Windjammer or the main dining room. I'd love to see some innovative vegan options added to the menu at Jamie's Italian.

Izumi Sushi

I didn't dine at Izumi Sushi because I didn't see any veggie rolls on the menu or anything aside from vegetable fried rice (and you need to ask for the egg to be removed). After writing this blog post, an amazing vegan cruiser from the Cruise Critic message boards, ShillyShally, shared the above photo with me.

This is the vegetable sushi that they made for her on a past cruise. Doesn't it look amazing? She allowed me to share her photo with you on my blog. It makes me want to order vegan sushi on the cruise next time for sure!

There are a few more specialty restaurants that didn't offer anything for vegans (or vegetarians in some cases). Avoid Wonderland, Hooked Seafood, and Chops Grill.

Royal Caribbean Vegan: Coffee Shops

Ah, coffee. I usually drink at least a couple of cups of coffee a day, whether it's hot or iced. I purchased a coffee card for the cruise where you can redeem beverages at Vitality Cafe or Cafe Promenade. Out of the two, Vitality Cafe had fewer lines and more consistent service during my cruise.

Vitality Cafe

Vitality Cafe is a coffee and juice bar by the spa and fitness center. You can order fresh fruit smoothies, protein shakes and caffeinated beverages. There were also a couple of snacks, but I don't think that either of them were vegan.

They have plant-based milks like soy and almond, which can be added to your coffee or smoothie. Vitality Cafe was my go-to coffee spot as it wasn't far from our cabin and ordering coffee here didn't come with a long wait time.

Cafe Promenade

Cafe Promenade is the most popular coffee shop on Symphony of the Seas. You can order pretty much the same espresso beverages here as at Vitality Cafe. There's also a glass cabinet with sweet treats, but nothing was vegan. Plant-based milks are available, too.

Starbucks

I didn't go to the Starbucks during my cruise because the drinks all cost extra. If I didn't purchase a coffee card, I probably would have gone here more often to buy coffee. You can expect most of your Starbucks favorites here, and there are a few different plant-based milks.

Royal Caribbean Vegan: Perfect Day at Coco Cay

Our cruise aboard the Symphony of the Seas had a "Perfect Day at CocoCay". Essentially, it's a beach day at Royal Caribbean's private island, Coco Cay in the Bahamas. Unfortunately, we had terrible weather during our day in Coco Cay. It was a bit cold and rainy, so we didn't spend much time on the island.

As the island is an extension of the cruise ship, food from the buffet is complimentary, and drinks are included if you have a drinks package. There is an additional charge to enter the Coco Beach Club. If you're looking for vegetarian and vegan food at Coco Cay, head over to the Skipper's Grill or the Chill Grill (the buffets).

At either buffet, you will find a taco station with flour tortillas, rice, beans, veggie toppings, salsa and guacamole. You can also get corn on the cob, fries, and salads. It's not too shabby, but there aren't really a ton of options beyond that. You can always venture back onto the ship for lunch and head back out afterwards.