By Lily Donofrio<\/p>\n
My time with the Carnival Cruise Line was amazing. I traveled to Mexico,
\nBelize, Roatan, and Grand Cayman. I snorkeled, tubed through El Chibalba
\n(a cave named hell by the Mayan Indians), repelled from Honduran
\nmountains on a zip line, and swam with massive stingrays. This cruise
\nwas both relaxing and enlightening. I got to experience foreign
\ncountries for the first time, see beautiful landscapes, and hear riveting
\ntales. I also witnessed true poverty. Being my first time out of
\nAmerica, I had not been prepared to see such economic struggle within
\nthe countries that I visited. The streets were often filled with rubble
\nand litter, and water was not safe to drink. I learned a lot about my
\nhomeland in relation to “developing third world countries.”<\/p>\n
Everyone knows what goes down on a cruise. Boozing, partying, sunburns,
\nand eating. Food is always readily available. They have 24\/7 buffets,
\nburger and burrito bars, ice cream pumps, brunches, dinners, tea
\nparties, chocolate buffets, juices, coffees, desserts, fruit platters,
\nbread baskets, pastry lines, complimentary room service, you name it.
\nFinding vegan foods really isn’t an issue, but always keep aware of what
\nyou’re eating and ask questions. I enjoyed participating in the
\nstereotypical overeating during my stay.<\/p>\n
It was around three o’clock when I first arrived on the ship, and we
\nwere starved. The first thing we did was head to the buffet while we
\nwaited for our bags to arrive in our room. I immediately gravitated
\ntoward the salad section. I loaded my plate up with mixed greens,
\nturnips, chickpeas, cucumber, cauliflower, onions, sunflower seeds,
\ndried cranberries, and balsamic vinaigrette. As I moved down the line, I
\npicked up some fresh melon, a piece of a French baguette, and some
\nRosemary potatoes. I sat my food down and got a glass of lemon
\nconcentrate diluted with ice and water. I was in heaven.<\/p>\n
We convened again for dinner at the dining room. We were all dressed up
\nand feeling great. When the waiter passed out the menu, I was elated at
\nits diversity. They have tons of vegetarian options that can be easily
\ntweaked to be vegan. I immediately notified my waiter of my diet and he
\nwas very understanding. The staff aboard the ship is quite amazing, and
\nthey all memorized our names and preferences. We sat in the same station
\nevery night for dinner. Unfortunately, there aren’t any specifically
\nvegan options. I got the Indian dish that consisted of rice, lentils,
\nmushrooms, chilies, along with a side of ratatouille. I had never tried
\nratatouille. It quickly became one of my favorite dishes. With my Indian
\nentree, I had to omit some of the add-ons, like the cream based beans
\nand veggies cooked with sour cream. For dessert, I had a beautifully
\narranged fruit plate and a cup of black coffee.<\/p>\n
The next morning, we returned to the buffet for breakfast. I had
\noatmeal, grits, wheat toast, fruit, something called Rasta juice (guava,
\npapaya, orange), and my ever necessary black coffee. I made sure with
\nthe buffet operators that all of my selections were vegan. For lunch, I
\nwent to the burrito bar. It was as good, if not better, than our
\nAmerican commercial burrito bars. I began my burrito with a wheat
\ntortilla, then stacked on black beans, spicy corn, watermelon salsa,
\ngrilled peppers and onions, brown