A cruise trip to Alaska was never on my radar. I thought, "Why go cruising to a cold spot when the Caribbean beckons?" After many friends returned from trips to Alaska with stories of beautiful scenery and interesting history, I decided to give Alaska a try.
The main quandary was how could I stay healthy on the cruise to Alaska. That had been easy on the Holistic Holiday at Sea with Mark Hanna preparing all my delicious macrobiotic meals, but would a mainstream cruise line be able to meet my needs? First I researched all the cruise lines on Cruise Critic, Trip Advisor and some vegan sites to see which line would be the most accommodating. I had travelled on Royal Caribbean before I was macro, and remembered the elegant shows, warm friendly staff and delicious food and they seemed to be the most helpful for special diets so I decided to go with them. In addition, I filled out a special diet questionnaire, spelling out the foods I would like to see on the cruise. It turned out that some extra tweaking was required. First, as I was traveling with three other macrobiotic people, we had some strength in numbers to get what we needed. The first night in the dining room, we perused the menu and saw that pasta and salad might be our fate for seven days. During a chat with the head waiter, we described all the foods we could and could not have. He had not received the detailed notes we had sent from home, so we were starting from square one. After that, things still were not ideal because if we were not eating in the main dining room, we had trouble finding them and they had trouble finding us. Luckily, on the second day, we requested a meeting with the head chef. They sent the head sous chef and I told him that I was sure he could be creative with our meals while still not including anything with a face in the ingredients. He seemed excited that we were personal chefs and we developed a sort of kinship after that. We started seeing steamed Bok Choy for breakfast, Vegetable Stir Fries with Tofu for dinner, and Veggie Lentil Soup for lunch.
The best meal of the cruise was in the Italian restaurant, Portifino. We had a credit of fifty dollars from the travel agent and decided to use it there. This specialty restaurant has an intimate candlelit setting overlooking the ocean.
The Jamaican chef came straight to our table and we worked out a satisfactory menu. My table mate indulged in crusty Focaccia bread dipped in chopped olive dip and red pepper spread. We began our meal with a Puréed Soup of Green Vegetables flavored with thyme. It had a delicate and flavorful taste and we really enjoyed it. Homemade al dente fettuccini and tempura zucchini were appetizers. Our main course was a Vegetable Risotto. The chef seemed skeptical that it could be made creamy without the use of cream, but I told him I had prepared it many times with just the use of vegetable stock and mushrooms and it turned out delicious! Our dessert was a simple baked Asian pear with a Raspberry sauce. The chef had risen to the occasion and we enjoyed every bite!
The Jamaican chef came straight to our table and we worked out a satisfactory menu. My table mate indulged in crusty Focaccia bread dipped in chopped olive dip and red pepper spread. We began our meal with a Puréed Soup of Green Vegetables flavored with thyme. It had a delicate and flavorful taste and we really enjoyed it. Homemade al dente fettuccini and tempura zucchini were appetizers. Our main course was a Vegetable Risotto. The chef seemed skeptical that it could be made creamy without the use of cream, but I told him I had prepared it many times with just the use of vegetable stock and mushrooms and it turned out delicious! Our dessert was a simple baked Asian pear with a Raspberry sauce. The chef had risen to the occasion and we enjoyed every bite!
Other notable culinary experiences were a cooking demonstration and meal in Juneau. We were taken to a cooking school and the chef taught us how to prepare a zucchini noodle dish, Coho Salmon, Rice and a Strawberry Blueberry dessert infused with chocolate wine. Even though some of it was not in our diet, it was so enjoyable to talk to a local about Alaskan cuisine and cooking styles and to learn to use an Ulu. An Ulu is a curved knife, originally used by the Aleut women, with a sharp blade that rocks back and forth on a wooden bowl as it efficiently chops up herbs, onions or garlic. Our cooking class was a unique and educational experience.
Trying to stay healthy on a vacation cruise can be a challenge with the myriad of desserts, soft serve ice cream, rich saucy dishes, buttery vegetables and breads. We have to be our own advocates for our health so we are not compromising our conditions every time we leave the house. I learned that chefs know how to make delicious vegan food, use minimal oil and salt, and avoid nights shades, but most of the public is demanding the rich foods you see on most cruise ship buffets. After we overcome the fear of standing out as different or worrying that we are causing an imposition, we can really get the most out of our vacation dollars and return home happy and healthy.
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