Eat your vegtables?

[sbosnick]

My family and I are travelling on the Disney Wonder next March for our first cruise. We are concerned about not being able to get enough vegetables with our meals. The reviews of the wonderful meals available on the ships don't usually say very much about the vegetables, so I am asking specifically about it here.

We find that a typical restaurant meal comes with a few vegetables on the side (almost as a garnish). This is fine for a few meals here and there, but when we are travelling we always have to supplement the restaurant meals with fruit and vegetables that we either have delivered to our hotel or that we buy at a local grocery store. Neither of these will be an option on the ship.

How easy will it be to get extra vegetables with meals on the Wonder? Generally any kind of vegetables (except deep fried ones) would be fine. Boiled, steamed, raw, or stir fry would all be great. Is this something we could ask for on the first day and, if so, who should we speak to?

Does anyone have any suggestions that might help?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

My family and I are travelling on the Disney Wonder next March for our first cruise. We are concerned about not being able to get enough vegetables with our meals. The reviews of the wonderful meals available on the ships don't usually say very much about the vegetables, so I am asking specifically about it here.

We find that a typical restaurant meal comes with a few vegetables on the side (almost as a garnish). This is fine for a few meals here and there, but when we are travelling we always have to supplement the restaurant meals with fruit and vegetables that we either have delivered to our hotel or that we buy at a local grocery store. Neither of these will be an option on the ship.

How easy will it be to get extra vegetables with meals on the Wonder? Generally any kind of vegetables (except deep fried ones) would be fine. Boiled, steamed, raw, or stir fry would all be great. Is this something we could ask for on the first day and, if so, who should we speak to?

Does anyone have any suggestions that might help?

Super easy. Just tell your server you want extra veggies. And no deep fried ones.

As a bonus, tell them to surprise you as to what's served. The chefs do like to go "off menu".

There are lots of veggie options in Cabanas, also. Just head up there and fill up a plate.

 

[Racer X]

Good grief... why do you think this would be any different than any other restaurant? OF COURSE there are vegetables. And SALADS! AND Fruit! Amazing its not just all chicken fingers and french fries. Amazes me that people just assume that a cruise is 100% junk food.

 

[TestingH2O]

Good grief... why do you think this would be any different than any other restaurant? OF COURSE there are vegetables. And SALADS! AND Fruit! Amazing its not just all chicken fingers and french fries. Amazes me that people just assume that a cruise is 100% junk food.

True, but as someone who really likes veggies, I find DCL to be lacking. I'm sure it's a logistics thing. I mean, fresh produce takes up a lot of room and spoils quickly. (Though the fruit selection is generally great.) Nevertheless, I always find myself eating like a vegetarian for the first few days back.

As with all things food related, it is so subjective and dependant on your taste.

 

[Ravenne]

Just communicate with your serving team. Kindly let them know your preferences on the first night and they will make every effort to accommodate you from then on. I've been told that many of the entrees are pre-plated by the cooking/plating staff, so worst case, you can order a vegetarian option. There are several on every sit down menu. Of course, at buffets, you can help yourself. Like any dietary request, the key is communication. If you'd like, you could probably call DCL and have them note it on your reservation, but I would still be sure to reiterate it with your serving team once on board.

 

[3monkeys4me]

I always order a salad with my meal and ask for extra veggies at dinner time. During the day I have a harder time, but usually find a few different vegetables that I like at the buffet and always have at least one piece of fruit at breakfast, and grab an extra piece for a snack later.

I too find it to be an area that is lacking on cruises in general (not just DCL). I also find I eat a lot less fruits and veggies while traveling in general. We do try to hit a market and grab some easy things like apples, oranges, bananas and grapes when we are at a hotel, but that doesn't work on cruises.

 

[Weedy]

Each restaurants servers about 500 people per seating/each night. All the food is pre plated. So while asking for something at the table can be done it's not always a quick response from your servers.
So the first day when you get on the ship there is a place you can go to make dining requests and seating requests. It's usually in one of the restaurants and will be listed in the Navigator (newsletter).
Disney really wants everyone to be happy with their food. But it helps if they have a little heads up.
Also there is a vegetarian item on the menu each night. It's possible to order two entries. If this would give you what you want. But it's not all vegetables.
Or take me and you can have my vegetables.

 

[Disney_Princess83]

Good grief... why do you think this would be any different than any other restaurant? OF COURSE there are vegetables. And SALADS! AND Fruit! Amazing its not just all chicken fingers and french fries. Amazes me that people just assume that a cruise is 100% junk food.

While the food is quite good on the ship, I have also found vegetables lacking in the meals at the MDR. Of course my meals at home would be 80% vegetables.

Speak to your servers on your first night. I have found all serving teams to be very accommodating where possible. Explain you want extra vegetables every night and you shouldn't have any issues.

 

[clareyfairymouse]

i eat sooooo much fruit and veg too. I just asked my server to bring me veggies on the side. You can normally see them on the menu under the more simple meal options (bakes potato, chicken breast etc).
They were more than happy to bring me extgra veggies, not a problem.
Also instead of a sweet, i asked if I could have fruit some days and I got so much, and so much variety, it was yummy!
It became a running joke to see how much they could bring me and whether I could get through it all
Just ask - they are really accommodating.

 

[arielmomma]

Like others have said, you can always ask for extra veggies. My daughter had an extra side of asparagus most nights on our last 14 nt cruise.

 

[Flossbolna]

Also, remember that the main dining room is not something you have to do. And traditionally it is only dinner that you would eat there. It is open for breakfast and lunch, bot most people opt to go to the buffet for those meals. The buffet always has quite a few vegetable choices and a salad bar for lunch. For breakfast you would find more fruit. There is also one of the counter service places up on the pool deck that always has small salad bowls available, so you can get an afternoon snack salad. There is also plenty of fruit at this place (I think it was Daisy's Delight, but was renamed in the refurb).

There is always an entree salad on the menu for dinner as well.

 

[PurplePencil]

i eat sooooo much fruit and veg too. I just asked my server to bring me veggies on the side. You can normally see them on the menu under the more simple meal options (bakes potato, chicken breast etc).
They were more than happy to bring me extgra veggies, not a problem.
Also instead of a sweet, i asked if I could have fruit some days and I got so much, and so much variety, it was yummy!
It became a running joke to see how much they could bring me and whether I could get through it all
Just ask - they are really accommodating.

I had commented to my traveling party that there was nothing catching my fancy on the menu that night (I'm a vegetarian). I later found something but my head server happened to hear me and brought out a wonderful assortment of fruit (mangoes, papaya, banana, grapes, pineapple)

 

[cruisehopeful]

We had good experiences with requests in the MDRs except getting more vegetables. We've asked for double vegetables, extra vegetables, heavy vegetables.... never had many vegetables. The way we deal with it is to have a salad, a soup if it is mostly vegetables, an appetizer if it is vegetables and then the entree doesn't matter as much. Not sure why they are so focused on rice and potatoes as sides for all the entrees.

Outside of MDRs, you can get salads and some veggie sandwiches at the pool deck, limited hours, sadly. I can usually fine raw carrots and celery in the Cove Cafe or the bar areas later in the evening. Don't waste your time with the vegetable patty burger by the pool. It is black beans and corn.

 

[disneyholic family]

just off the Dream....as a vegetarian, i tend to make weird dinner orders...

each night i ordered two salads from the soup/salad list...

and then i ordered just vegetables for my main meal....(i don't eat pasta or what typically is served for vegetarian)...

no problem whatsoever...and yummy yummy yummy yummmy food!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! mmmmmmmmmmmmm.....

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We do try to hit a market and grab some easy things like apples, oranges, bananas and grapes when we are at a hotel, but that doesn't work on cruises.

Um.....I've always seen/been able to get apples, oranges, bananas and grapes on cruises.

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[Barbydoll8]

Always have seen lots of veggie/fruit options. I typically do not eat carby things so I always skip potatoes, pasta, bread and always had and got extra veggies. I sub broccoli for everything and never had an issue in getting it.
I would go to the hea server the first day of your cruise at the first restaurant of your rotation and let them know this in advance. They'll even make you nothing but veggies if you want.
Also, lunch at Cabana's always had several veggie options with of course, tons of salad. It really is a speak up early thing. I've always had them be more than accommodating. You might even want to call DCL in advance and see if they can note it on your reservation.

 

[disneyholic family]

the

Always have seen lots of veggie/fruit options. I typically do not eat carby things so I always skip potatoes, pasta, bread and always had and got extra veggies. I sub broccoli for everything and never had an issue in getting it.
I would go to the hea server the first day of your cruise at the first restaurant of your rotation and let them know this in advance. They'll even make you nothing but veggies if you want.
Also, lunch at Cabana's always had several veggie options with of course, tons of salad. It really is a speak up early thing. I've always had them be more than accommodating. You might even want to call DCL in advance and see if they can note it on your reservation.

and the fast food area on the swim deck has lots of fruit and vegetables as well..

 

[kboo]

Recently off a week on the Fantasy - I had been vegetarian for years and decided to go "flexitarian" recently - it's true it's not as easy to get vegetables and often the vegetarian option on the menus was a vegetarian pasta. But - as others have said, it is totally possible to ask for veggies on the side (the kids menus almost always have steamed broccoli as the side, so you can always get that). I found it easier to get fruits and veggies at lunch and breakfast. At breakfast at Cabanas (the buffet on the swim deck), there was always beans, sauteed spinach, grilled tomatoes and sauteed mushrooms, as well as fresh fruit. I can't remember if the salad bar was there for breakfast. The kids loved the mangoes in the fruit salad so by mid-cruise there was someone just cutting up mangoes for the kids. We asked for fresh strawberries after we saw a baby eating them at dinner in the MDR, and after we asked the first time, we always were brought bowls and bowls of fresh strawberries at dinner. As PPs have said, there's also plenty of whole fruit available.

The only thing that seemed "odd" to the servers is on occasion at dinner and lunch in the MDR, I would sometimes order just a salad or 2. They seemed unable to comprehend that I could actually be full on that, so sometimes they would just bring a meat-heavy entree to the table "in case" I was still hungry. Ha! Somehow among all our table mates, it would get eaten.


Caveat: This was also my first big ship cruise ever, and overall I was very pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food.

 

[msmama]

While I agree that the veggie side dishes at dinner are on the small side, I understand why they do it. I'd rather serve less and have people ask for more. It's gotta be crazy logistics to figure out waste on a cruise ship.

That said, I get the most of my fruits and veggies at breakfast and dinner when we usually eat at Cabanas. My son, too. He knows he needs fruits and veggies at breakfast and dinner because I would never make him eat the gross stuff that passes for vegetables on the kids plates (and have yet to see a child eat those vegetables - think microwave veggies, but microwaved 5 minutes too long).

The salad bar isn't out at breakfast, it's mostly fruit there, but they do have some veggies (tomatoes maybe some other) in the case where the desserts are at lunch - they serve you.

 

[cmph]

While I agree the side dish veg with the MDR entrees are minimal portions and would definitely recommend ordering a salad, I think the Wonder does a pretty good job of offering vegetables and fruits over the course of the day. You'll definitely find plenty of fruit in Cabanas, plus they'll have salad at lunch as well as other cooked vegetables that you can take as much as you want of. I know they had grilled and/or griddled veggies near the eggs benedict at breakfast too. I'd recommend checking out Daisy's De-lites, as well. They have whole and sliced fruits, and the left-hand side of it has build-your-own bowls that will change (so if you don't like the theme one day, do try again a different day).

To answer your primary question about dinner, though, certainly ask and don't feel bad about it! The kids' meals often have steamed broccoli, so I can't imagine that's hard to bring last-minute as an addition. (I would think they have a big pile, constantly replenished, that they are spooning onto the kids' plates over and over again.) Super specifically, if you get the beef wellington in AP, ask for extras of the accompanying veg; I really really liked them there and will be doing that myself in the future.