Discover the best Vegetarian & Vegan options at sea when onboard a Virgin Voyages cruise. Recently, Charlotte, our Vegetarian cruise food connoisseur, sailed onboard Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady for the first time and found that there were so many options for both Vegetarians and Vegans, which can be hard to find on cruise ships.
The best way to describe Virgin Voyages‘ food is the best cruise food that I have ever experienced, both non-veggie dishes and veggie dishes are delicious. If you’re a vegetarian foodie like me and you’re wondering what the vegetarian and vegan food is like onboard a Virgin Voyages cruise then keep reading!
I have cruised on other cruise lines as a Vegetarian and I can safely say that I have never had such amazing quality vegetarian & Vegan food onboard another cruise line as I did on Valiant Lady.
It can be a little difficult being a Vegetarian or Vegan when it comes to cruising as quite a few cruise lines don’t offer enough variety or enough options for Vegetarians in all of their eateries whereas Virgin Voyages do. In every eatery and restaurant onboard a Virgin Voyages cruise there is at least one vegetarian and one vegan option available.
If you’re a vegetarian or vegan wondering whether or not to book a cruise with Virgin, I would highly recommend that you do and I’ll back this up below!
All Restaurants & Eateries are included
All restaurants & eateries are included in the Virgin Voyages cruise fare and there is no main dining room, instead several different restaurants and eateries. Although if you want to go all out and order something fancy like fruits de mer or a fine-cut steak etc this will cost you extra.
Each eatery also has its own bar with specific drinks, so if you want to go to one restaurant for a drink or snack, and then another for dinner, the ship is set up for you to do this.
The Galley
The whole Virgin Voyages dining concept is different to anything I have experienced before on other cruise lines.
Virgin Voyages have created a change in dining on cruise ships in many ways starting with no buffet’s onboard any of their ships and instead having their take called ‘The Galley’. Each eatery in The Galley has its own kitchen, staff, chef, and servers, meaning the quality and service is high across the board.
The Galley is a mixture of shops and food truck-style carts, food is served to you from the different sections of The Galley, and you can order what you like when you like from these eateries throughout the day as well as the American Diner is open 24-hours.
The Galley also includes a bakery & pastry shop, a panini shop, a burger grill, a taco shack, a sushi bar offering bento boxes, a noodle bar and a soup and salad stand. You can get at least one delicious vegetarian option from all these places.
The food from The Galley is different to a buffet because you order what you want and are served it as well as the food is freshly prepared and such great quality food is served to you this is the same for all the other restaurants and eateries onboard as well.
The Vegetarian and Vegan options from the Galley include Vegan sushi bento boxes, vegetarian flatbreads including a lovely Mediterranean & garlic one, vegan deserts, the Impossible vegan burger & chips, vegan & veggie tacos & burritos, vegan tofu, vegetable noodle & rice bowl dishes from the noddle bar, veggie & vegan salads and soups are also available as well.
The 24-hour American Diner in The Galley offered an all-day vegetarian breakfast including omelettes, eggs, hash browns, baked beans, and toast. Overall, The Galley is the perfect place for a quick but great quality tasty breakfast, lunch or a midnight feast.
Extra Virgin – Italian Restaurant
Valiant Lady’s Italian venue serves regional dishes and handmade pasta made daily. Also on the menu are a variety of Amari, digestive and other traditional Italian aperitifs. The wine menu will feature an infographic to help diners better understand Italian wine and pick out the right option for them.
Extra Virgin also has an Aperitivo hour each day with drink specials and small plates.
Extra Virgin offers a vegetarian Cheese sharing plate, two vegetarian starters (I tried both the Ribollita soup and the crispy artichokes), vegetarian mushroom potato gnocchi, and one vegetarian main ‘Brussel Sprouts Arrabbiata’.
Most of the desserts were vegetarian with one being vegan and if you have room, you will be encouraged to try all of them.
Pink Agave – Mexican Restaurant with DJ
Pink Agave restaurant is a vibrant culinary haven that is very popular onboard the Virgin Voyages ships with its lively atmosphere and delicious Mexican offerings.
With a very Insta-worthy walkway as you enter the restaurant, as soon as you step foot in here you will see why this restaurant is so popular, with luxury decor and velvet seating plus electric blue metallic lighting fixtures, oversized banquet tables and porthole windows.
This dining gem boasts an array of genuine Mexican delicacies and vegetarian options. Vegetarian patrons can have an array of plant-based delights that reflect Virgin Voyages‘ commitment to providing diverse and satisfying culinary choices for all.
There are small plates, medium plates then large plates available to try here instead of starters mains puddings etc. The savoury vegetarian/ vegan small plates consisted of Guacamole with nachos, Chayote Yucateco (Mexican spiced squash & vegetables) which are both vegan as well as a veggie starter grilled sweetcorn with a spicy aioli dip.
I tried all the vegan and veggie small plates as you are encouraged to share all of the small plates, a few of the medium plates then one large plate each.
The medium plate options offered one vegetarian dish which could also be had as a vegan dish, and this was a Black Bean soup.
For my main course (large plate), I had the Vegan dish which was a large stuffed green pepper with a russet potato and roasted corn mix. This was personally not my favourite as it was quite spicy, and I don’t like a lot of spice.
Pink Agave ensures that vegetarian diners embark on a flavourful journey, and you can always ask for adjustments to meals etc to make them vegan or ask for something else that isn’t on the menu as they will be more than happy to get you what you want.
The chefs skilfully blend traditional Mexican flavours with modern twists, crafting an unforgettable dining experience that celebrates both creativity and sustainability.
Amidst the restaurant’s lively ambience, they have a live DJ inside the restaurant which makes the Mexican vibe even more enjoyable and prepares you for a fun night ahead.
Gunbae – Korean Restaurant
Gunbae Restaurant offers a blend of contemporary style and traditional Korean cuisine. As you are seated you will be sharing a table with other passengers and will sit around a grilling station in the middle of the table where your server will grill your tables requested veggies, meats, and fish from the menu.
Every meal at Gunbae begins with a Korean drinking game that includes a complimentary shot of soju a popular Korean spirit. Our table played the Gunbae drinking game and I wasn’t great at this, so I came 3rd but the game was so fun to take part in and to watch other tables doing it.
I found that the game really creates a fun atmosphere and is an icebreaker for the table to get to know each other. I would say that Gunbae is a different type of dining experience to any other that I have tried before and was probably one of my favourite dinners onboard Valiant Lady.
Vegetarians and vegans are treated to an array of delectable options that showcase the rich and vibrant flavours of Korean fare and Korean culinary traditions.
From mouthwatering starters like crispy tofu kimchi pancakes and Korean Seaweed crisps which were both amazing to delicious main courses such as boesut yache Modum an assortment of fresh vegetables (grilled in front of you before any meats or fish are grilled) and grilled in savoury Korean sauces.
There is a rice or noodle course in between the starter and main which includes two vegetarian dishes to choose from, one rice or one noodle dish and can also be asked for as vegan.
Our table was full by the time we got to the dessert course as many people had multiple starters but the desserts on offer are light ice cream-type dishes due to the heavy starter, noodles, and main dishes.
Razzle Dazzle
Razzle Dazzle was my personal favourite for breakfast and dinner as over half of the menu is vegetarian and vegan and, in my opinion, it had the most tasty vegetarian options and also offered some great vegan options. Not to mention that Razzle Dazzle is the first vegetarian restaurant at sea, and I love to see this as hopefully there will be many more to come.
Razzle Dazzle had a very Insta worthy walkway into the restaurant and by night the restaurant transformed into a quirky area with dimmed lights and neon signs. The dinner menu puts a bold twist on America’s favourite dishes.
The cuisine here is amazingly varied and made even my friend who I was with that likes meat enjoy vegan and vegetarian dishes, there are also a few non-veg options hidden away on the menu for meat lovers.
Razzle Dazzle gets its name and design from the practice of camouflaging ships during World Wars I and II using patterns of black and white paint.
This restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and you can expect the best breakfasts for vegetarians and vegans! They offer delicious Acai bowls, Mushroom Tartare, Vegetarian full English style breakfasts, avacado on toast, French toast and the best toffee chocolate cake and rainbow churros I have ever had and that was just for breakfast!
If you’re celebrating something special or just fancy a few drinks at breakfast, they have bottomless brunch where you are able to get bottomless mimosas and other alcoholic drinks for an extra charge.
The dinner menu included avocado salad, vegetable carpaccio, cauliflower wings with buffalo sauce, fried green tomatoes & Okra. For the main, I had the ‘beets’ dumpling type pasta which was delicious in a creamy beetroot sauce, this was vegan.
Everything I ate tasted amazing so this is a must-visit for Veggies and vegans when onboard Virgin Voyages ships.
Razzle Dazzle also offers Dazzle Hours, from 7 pm to 9 pm, where guests can drink in the disco vibes along with Virgin-red drinks.
The Test Kitchen
The point of the Test Kitchen is to give guests a Michelin-starred dining experience with a 6-course tasting set menu including different (sometimes weird) flavours mixed to test the palette.
As you walk into the test kitchen you will see that all the waiters wear lab-style white jackets and you will be greeted with a complimentary drink which consisted of a mixture of ingredients including honey and camomile, it was a lovely refreshing sweet drink served in a laboratory-style mixing glass.
The design elements of the test-lab-style restaurant included metallic furniture, beakers, and test tubes.
The test kitchen is used as both a restaurant and a cooking school and is inspired by Escoffier’s Ma Cuisine. The evolving chef-driven tasting menus are presented as an ingredient list, but the cooking techniques presentation and flavours are explored in ways you have never seen before.
The food is carefully prepared and presented and each dish is explained as it is served to you throughout.
The whole meal lasts around two and a half hours as this is a dining experience. In London, this sort of dining experience would cost you a lot of money and would cost a large amount extra on other ships.
When we were dining in the test kitchen, we were lucky enough to meet the talented chef afterwards who will explain what the food is about, the effort that goes into making the food as good as it is and making sure that each taste, texture and flavour is right every time which is very time-consuming as all the dishes are made fresh and daily. He also explained how the restaurant’s aim is to offer a Michelin Starred dining experience as good as the ones on land.
The Wake
The Wake is the biggest of the restaurants onboard Valiant Lady offering stunning views at the back of the ship.
The Wake reminded me of a main dining restaurant as the layout and decor are similar to what a main dining restaurant would usually be like. What is served in the Wake is also like what would be served in a main dining restaurant, the fancier food.
Guests can get breakfast lunch and dinner in the wake; we went here for breakfast and similar to Razzle Dazzle offers bottomless brunch-style breakfasts for an extra charge.
Food-wise for vegetarians the breakfast had a few different options which were lovely. The options consisted of salads, cooked eggs in different ways such as eggs cooked in bell pepper, avocado & spinach with poached or scrambled eggs.
There are also sweet dishes such as brioche French toast and desserts including the most delicious Crepe Cake, a mixture of a crepe and cheesecake put together.
I opted for the avocado & spinach with poached eggs and the crepe cake, and I was certainly not disappointed this was one of my favourite breakfasts.
For dinner, the wake offered more meaty dishes such as steak and seafood with offerings that include salads and sides with some being vegetarian, although there were no vegetarian or vegan main courses on the menu, so we decided not to have dinner here.
If vegetarian or vegan guests do go here for dinner all you would need to do is ask your waiter for a vegetarian or vegan option and they would be more than happy to get you something, they will always have a vegetarian or vegan option available if requested.
The Pizza Place
The Pizza Place quite easily serves the best pizzas at sea and unlike other cruise lines the pizzas aren’t pre-cooked, and they don’t serve them by the slice instead you get a whole pizza to yourself.
The pizza sizes are perfect as well they aren’t too big that you can’t finish them, they are just right to fill you up. The pizzas are made in front of you and when you order, you go to the counter to order what you want and then you can either take it away or eat in.
Alcoholic drinks can be purchased here as well as soft drinks. They also have a fridge with different types of fresh side salads to go with your pizza, which I thought were lovely too!
When you order your pizza you are given a buzzer if you opt for take away and within a speedy 10-15 minutes your freshly prepared pizza is all boxed up and ready to be taken away.
Whilst you wait there is a lovely inside waiting area with sofas, chairs, and tables as well as an outside area with a beach-club-inspired design including white and pastel-coloured furniture and navy striped pillows.
As a vegetarian who lives and breathes pizza, this was one of my favourite places to go for lunch as you can order whatever you would like on top of your pizza (build your own) or choose a pizza from the menu.
There were several vegetarian options on the menu and there was a vegan pizza option as well. I liked to get an original and add toppings onto that, but I also loved the ‘Pretty Fly for a White Pie’ pizza as this had a tasty white base and was something a little different.
The Pizza Place is open until 2:30am so this spot is a perfect place for those late-night cravings!
The Dock House
Located at the back of the ship on deck 7 The Dock is a beach club-inspired alfresco-style dining venue offering Mezze small and medium plates which you could order from the menu as well as salads and dips.
What I loved about the Dock House was that during the afternoon a member of staff would come round with a vegetarian and vegan-only Mezze cart.
The cart had all the delicious Mezze veggie goods available such as hummus, baba ghanoush, veggie dips, cous cous and watermelon and feta salad. I also ordered the Goat’s cheese Polenta from the menu which was so good and a great option for a light veggie lunch.
The Social Club
The social club diner was a great place to hang out where you can play shuffleboard, air hockey, foosball, and other arcade games as well as TV’s where you can watch programmes, news and sports on.
This is a great place to go pre-dinner as they serve modern takes on delicious milkshakes and floats with or without alcohol. If this isn’t enough to satisfy your sweet tooth there is also a Pic n Mix, freshly made fudge, marshmallows, cookies, and cake pop counter at the social club where you can grab and go.
The Social Club also does savoury American fairground-style classics such as pretzels, hot dogs, and popcorn. They offer a vegan hot dog which I tried with cheese sauce, and it did not disappoint!
It’s a Ship Show Dinner & Show
The ship show dinner and show were an amazing experience, and I would urge anyone who is able to book this for their cruise to do so. The food was lovely, and the performances were even better so mixed together this is a great evening of good food and great entertainment.
This was in The Manor a cabaret-style venue turns into a supper club for this event as it usually does not offer food. The food included a salad, starter, main and dessert.
When I got there, there wasn’t a vegetarian or vegan option on the menu, so I asked the waiter for the veggie option which was very nice. The starters included a grilled Mediterranean vegetable salad followed by burrata cheese, pesto, tomatoes, and flatbread.
The vegetarian main was a white creamy pasta which was lovely. They offered a vegan and vegetarian dessert which I went for, a chocolate ganache with a yoghurt swirl and fruit.
The show itself was incredible and was based on old-school variety acts meeting late-night talk show with a great host and included live music and dancers, comedy, exclusive performances, and lots of the unexpected.
Even if you don’t fancy the food, it is worth going to watch and then going to one of the other many fantastic dining areas afterwards.
Final Thoughts
My final thoughts on the vegetarian food onboard Virgin Voyages is that there is so much variety of fresh vegetarian and vegan food on offer in every dining venue.
I was surprised at just how many great options there were for veggies and vegans, everything I ate was very nice and that’s coming from a picky vegetarian’s opinion.
The Galley – Perfect for a quick bite to eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner and all through the night as well. There are loads of different veggie and vegan options and different types of food on offer
Extra Virgin – Could of offered a few more veggie or vegan mains or pasta dishes but the starters, main and desserts that I tried were all so delicious it is a must-visit for Italian food lovers
Pink Agave – Mexican and spice vegetarians and vegans will love this one as most of the veggie dishes that I tried were spicy and the food on offer was real authentic Mexican food. This restaurant also had a really good vibe with a Dj playing throughout the meal and dimmed lights along with stunning decor which really set the scene for a lovely dinner.
Gunbae – Gunbae is the perfect place to go for dinner if you are in a group of people or if you like to meet new people and have fun. It is also a great place to go if you like playing drinking games and enjoy interactive fun dinners with others. If you like great quality, authentic Korean food then you will love it here!
Razzle Dazzle – The best place to be if you are vegetarian or vegan, even some of the staff working here are vegetarian so they can give you the best recommendations from a like-minded individual!
The Test Kitchen – If you’re looking for a Michelin-starred truly unforgettable dining experience then The Test Kitchen will be the place for you.
The Wake – Good for meat eaters and fish lovers and a nice experience offering lovely views at dinner.
The Pizza Place – One of my favourite places to go for quick yet delicious fresh pizza, I had at least one pizza from here a day, and was just so good. If you are a pizza lover like me then you will love it here.
The Dock – Offers lovely views from the back of the ship, luxury sun beds and table/ lounger service as well as a Mezze Cart. This is a relaxing space, with chilled music playing throughout the day outside and live music or activities going on inside. The indoor part is similar to the beach-club-style decor outside and you can order food and drinks inside as well.
The Social Club – Perfect for a fun afternoon in the arcade, enjoying a hot dog, milkshake and some sweet treats transforming you to a traditional American carnival.
It’s a ship show dinner & show – Anyone onboard a Virgin Voyages cruise should go and see this fantastic show, there are multiple days that it is on and there will be an early show and a later show. The food is also good for vegetarians but it is so worth going mainly to see the show!