Carnival Cruise Line goes vegan aboard Freedom and Horizon, more ships by year-end

Carnival Cruise Line has debuted an all-new vegan menu in the main dining rooms of Carnival Freedom and Carnival Horizon, with plans to roll it out fleetwide by the end of the year.

The new vegan menus offer a selection of appetizers, entrees and desserts made entirely of vegan ingredients.

Carnival said it had designed the menu in response to a rising preference among its passengers for vegan options on its ships. While there is no exact figure for the percentage of vegans in the US as of 2023, the World Animal Foundations says the number has grown more than 3,000% in the last 15 years.

“Plant-based food options are a rising preference on our ships just as they are on land, and so the new dishes we’re introducing are a direct response to that shift,” said Richard Morse, Senior VP of Food & Beverage at Carnival Cruise Line.

“Our skilled chefs work to accommodate all dietary needs and preferences but building on our vegan offerings and emphasizing them with specific menus will help to make ordering easier in the dining room and preparation more efficient in the galley,” he added.

Among the new options are:

Appetizers

Hawaiian Salmon Poke featuring plant-based salmon, edamame, mango and cucumber.

Stuffed Mushrooms stuffed with plant-based cheeses and spinach.

Spaghetti Carbonara with vegan bacon, onion and garlic.

Entrees

Grilled Tofu Steak covered in honey barbecue sauce, with a Hasselback potato and mixed vegetables.

Baked Vegetable Au Gratin sprinkled with melted plant-based cheeses.

Eggplant Cutlet a la Parmigiana covered in vegan mozzarella, topped with pesto and basil leaves.

Desserts

Key Lime Velvet Cake with raspberry and strawberry.

Dutch Double Chocolate Pave with buttercream frosting.

Cappuccino Pot de Créme.

The new vegan-specific menus will be introduced throughout the fall according to Carnival Cruise Line, with Carnival Dream the next ship to offer the menus and by the end of this month, Carnival Valor, Carnival Radiance, Carnival Miracle, Carnival Panorama and Mardi Gras.

By the end of October, the vegan menus will be available on Carnival Celebration, Carnival Sunrise, Carnival Glory, Carnival Conquest, Carnival Vista, Carnival Breeze, Carnival Sunshine and Carnival Elation.

Carnival Paradise and Carnival Spirit will debut the menus by the end of November followed by Carnival Legend, Carnival Venezia and the new Carnival Jubilee before the end of December.