Oceania Cruises releases new menu that is also halal for Middle East guests

Oceania Cruises has unveiled a new on-board menu that is sure to prove popular with Middle East guests, because although its vegan, it’s also therefore halal by default.

The new menu, part of the OceaniaNEXT revamp of the fleet, is the most extensive plant-based menu at sea, featuring more than 200 new selections – there’s even a ‘Middle Eastern’ section.

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It’s basically a massive revamp and expansion of the vegan cuisine options that debuted aboard Oceania Cruises ships back in 2017.

The plant-based choices will be available at breakfast, lunch, and dinner in The Grand Dining Room and Terrace Café across the fleet.

In each of the specialty restaurants, guests will also have plant-based options available upon request Oceania Cruises said in a release.

“These new plant-based options are flavourful, colourful, bold, and creative,” says Bob Binder, President & CEO of Oceania Cruises. “Our hallmark finest cuisine at sea now provides an innovative and appealing menu of choices that reflect our guests’ evolving palates and heightened focus on wellness while balancing our more decadent and extravagant dishes.”

The new menu offerings were developed by Oceania Cruises’ culinary leadership team in collaboration with world-renowned chef, culinary instructor, and author Christophe Berg.

The range of cuisines includes Middle Eastern, Italian, Greek, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Mexican, Italian, Malaysian, and more.

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There are healthy Power Bowls and Poke Bowls, hearty pastas and pad Thai, light and refreshing salads and soups and even a variety of decadent options such as the Impossible Cheeseburger, Truffle Mac and Cheese.

Desert options including creations such as Apple-Oatmeal Crumble with plant-based Vanilla Ice Cream and Coco-Vanilla Cashew Crème Brulee.

To give you an idea of the range of choices, we’ve included a few of the menu highlights below.

Selected Menu Highlights
Breakfast
Banana-Oatmeal Pancakes with Berries and Maple Syrup
Green Apple Müesli with Pistachios, Pecans, and Yellow Raisins
Avocado Toast on Rustic Farmers Bread

Lunch
Chilled Melon Soup with Port
Korean Kimchi Soup
Wakame Sesame Salad
Hawaiian Poke Bowl
Penne au Pistou with Broccoli and Sundried Tomato

Dinner
Som Tam Green Papaya Kelp Noodle Salad
Roasted Butternut Squash with Arugula, Mango, Black Radish and Hearts of Palm
Sweet Potato-Oat Tarte with Forest Mushroom and plant-based Truffle Cheddar Sauce
Falafel Fritters with plant-based Harissa Mayo, Cucumber, Mint, and Capers
Crespelle alla Fiorentina with Spinach, Mushrooms, and Tomato Sauce
Green Curry Stir Fry with Eggplant, Oyster Mushrooms, Green Peas and Thai Basil

Desserts
Plant-based Vanilla Mango Ice Cup, Crispy Granola
Vodka-Marinated Strawberries Romanoff with plant-based Vanilla Ice Cream
Summer Berry Pudding Chantilly
Shortbread with plant-based Orange Cream Cheese and Raspberries

Oceania Cruises new menu comes at a time when vegan menus are growing in popularity aboard cruise ships. The blog VeganCruiser has been documenting the rise of began cuisine at sea, with an increasing number of cruise lines offering vegan options in recent years.

MSC Cruises, Costa Cruises, and Celebrity Cruises all offer regionally-inspired Halal options on their Arabian Gulf itineraries during the winter cruise season.