When I booked my trip on the Rocky Mountaineer, guests were instructed to list their dietary preferences and restrictions. I'm a pescetarian and was thrilled to see all the options the train outlined for guests. I could choose between Asian vegetarian meals, diabetic meals, gluten-free meals, low-fat meals, non-lactose meals, vegan meals, and vegetarian lacto-ovo meals.
I eat eggs and dairy, so I marked the vegetarian option and excitedly anticipated a train ride with solid veggie-friendly options.
Once I boarded, I was disappointed with the menu. I had a breakfast parfait option as a non-meat eater, but for lunch, there weren't any vegetarian-friendly options. I told my car's chef that I don't eat meat, and while she was helpful at crafting alternatives, I thought my meals seemed lackluster in comparison to the main offerings.
For lunch, I had the appetizer salad that everyone ate, and for my main entree, I was served the same salad, only this time with a side of hummus, carrots, and broccoli.
On day two, the breakfast menu listed the same parfait, and I was also able to order the egg strata bake and frittata without meat. Post breakfast, the train served an hors d'oeuvre of chicken flautas. Since I couldn't eat that, the chef created an egg and mushroom dish for me instead.
A spokesperson for the Rocky Mountaineer said that "our onboard team does its best to accommodate dietary preferences wherever possible. Space in the train's galley is limited, so when we know in advance, there is an opportunity to work with our culinary team to bring additional meal options onboard."
She added that "the vegetarian meals are sourced and prepared in addition to the standard menu and may vary, based on the freshest options the culinary team can provide."
While I'm used to adapting what I eat for my dietary preferences, I anticipated more options based on the detailed booking process.