Vegan Cruise – Disembarkation and Malaba
The morning of our disembarkation from the Norwegian Jade, we found Jonathan, our cabin steward, just in time to get a quick snapshot of him with our youngest. He had been one of the true delights of the entire experience, with newly created animals made from towels gracing our beds each evening. Even the adults would scamper over to see what he had made for Justin, who took to hiding them under his bed lest the adults use the towels! One day it was a vampire bat hanging from the ceiling, another day it was a wonderful sea turtle on the bed. We found bulldogs, bunny rabbits, two duckies in a nest, a dinosaur, a hanging monkey, and our all time favorite, a two-toned snail.
Back on Land, a New Hotel
Our new hotel was not quite as slick as our first Malaga overnight stay, but it made up for it in being so kid friendly. Justin, the youngest, was welcomed into their Kids Club upon arrival, and went back to finish his drawing as soon as we were established in our room. He voiced a protest that he was “tired of living with Bubba” and stated quite clearly that he wanted to share a room with his big brother. At first, his brother tried to make that okay, but it would have meant I would be put in a room with the sixteen year old, who stayed up much later, and Justin would end up going to bed alone in his room anyway. Justin soon gave up the idea and willingly unpacked his things in the room with me. After finishing his drawing, he was told that Father Christmas would come to see him on Christmas day.
The two families with children decided to host a pizza party in their room with their boys, so I was on my own. I nearly forgot it was Christmas Eve – I was tired – but went down to the hotel cafe and asked if they could give me anything vegan for dinner that I might take back to my room? The hostess said the chef was too busy with the private parties and holiday (everything was elegantly decorated and all the guests dining were dressed up), but said they would make something if I could tell them what to fix. I suggest a baked potato, some veggies and french bread. “Okay, a jacket, some veg, and bread. It will just take a few minutes.” I was soooo hungry, as lunch had been the perpetual salad, so the prepared vegetables were the first real hearty meal since I had left, and I was so famished that I would not allow the boys to sample the bread until I had eaten a few bites. Then they were off to their party, and I was able to get some much needed rest. I brought two books with me on the cruise, Joan Dunayer’s Speciesism and Steven Wise’s An American Trilogy. They were both fabulous books and I whipped through them way too quickly. I still had some podcasts to listen to on my iPod, and there was some European television available, too.
Lone Vegan on Holiday
There were two main amenities that first drew the youngest to explore: the large swimming pool and indoor pool near the office, and a small miniature golf course that was near the side of the large grounds. Later, we discovered a small indoor pool near our rooms, and a small playground as well. The guys found a basketball hoop and had one nice evening talking and shooting hoops while Justin and I stayed in the nearby playground. Justin also played many games of golf, nearly missing the visit from Father Christmas. But he was there when Santa arrived, complete with snow on his boots, and he even received a gift with his name on it, wrapped in (how did he KNOW??) SpongeBob giftwrap. The bag of goodies were all an adventure and quite different than American treats. All the boys wanted to sample the bounty.
At one point, I saw what appeared to be foie gras on the adult’s dining table. I groaned, and said aloud, “Is that foie gras?” One of the boy s asked me what foie gras is and I explained it was a cruel delicacy that was created by force feeding ducks or geese through a tube. Worst of all, it appeared to have found little enthusiasm and was not being eaten (or maybe this was good because they would never purchase it again). This exploration of food without conscience was one of the most difficult aspects of traveling with my non vegan family members. Vacation was not a good time for consultation, either. As it was, I barely spoke to the adults but spent most of my time with the boys. I had to remind myself that family and close friends are often the most resistant, the most difficult to reach with information and awareness. It was inspiration, though, for future efforts.
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email Tags: Christmas in Spain, Father Christmas, foie gras, Joan Dunayer, kid-friendly hotel, Malaga, speciesism, Steven Wise
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Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I really never thought to search “Vegan Travel” I cant wait till the next time I am searching for a vaca and see if I can find some Vegan friendly places
Hope you visit my blog at veganfashionblog.com Thanks Kami
Thanks for stopping by, Kami. I did visit your blog; thanks for increasing the vegan message in the world!