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With demand growing for plant-based travel, some wellness seekers are choosing to set sail. One of the better-known options is the Holistic Holiday at Sea, a fully vegan cruise that offers not just food but programming around nutrition, cooking, fitness, and relaxation.
Jenné Claiborne, the content creator behind the SweetPotatoSoul YouTube channel, recently spent a week on board with her mother and daughter. Though technically working, she hosted cooking classes and a book signing for her latest release Vegan Vibes. Claiborne says the trip left her “relaxed, rejuvenated, clearheaded.”
The video she shares documents what that experience looks like day-to-day: the meals, the stops, the people, and the activities. The cruise visited Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and a private island in the Bahamas, all while hosting fully plant-based meals and wellness events on board.
Here’s what the cruise offered and how Claiborne spent her time on board.
Read more: ‘I Dined At The World’s Only Michelin 3-Star Vegan Restaurant – Here’s What It Was Like’
A dedicated vegan buffet for breakfast
Each morning, guests in the Holistic Holiday group had access to their own vegan buffet. Claiborne describes a mix of sweet and savory offerings: tofu scramble, sautéed mushrooms, vegan sausage, pancakes, and French toast.
“I always got the tofu scramble and mushrooms and usually sausage,” she says, “and of course something sweet.”
Most mornings, they took their meals out onto the ship’s deck to eat in the Caribbean sun.
Exploring a private island in the Bahamas
One stop on the cruise was a private island owned by the cruise company, open only to guests. “This place is stunning,” Claiborne says. The family spent the day swimming, relaxing, and playing in the sand.
She points out the ease of the experience: cruise guests can use their onboard cards at the island’s bars and snack shacks, and there’s no need to return to the ship for meals.
Lunch on land and at sea
On the island, Claiborne and her family visited a general buffet that served the entire cruise, not just the vegan group. Options were more limited here but included fries, bean salad, roasted vegetables, and fruit.
“The vegan options were not great,” she says, “but the convenience of free food right on the island is hard to beat.”
Back on the ship, the Holistic Holiday guests had their own lunch buffet, with rotating options like curry, beans and rice, large salads, and a variety of vegan desserts. “My favorite was the walnut brownies,” she says. “I could eat these every day.”
When docked in Cozumel, Claiborne found a fully vegan Mexican restaurant called Vegan Bario, where she ordered enfrijoladas, cauliflower tacos, and quesadillas. She recommends it for anyone passing through the port, calling the food “amazing” and the staff “so friendly.”
Read more: UK Airports See Soaring Demand For Vegan Food
Take a look at the cruise
Cooking classes and book signings on board
Part of Claiborne’s role on the cruise was to teach cooking. She led three classes, two demos and one hands-on session, using recipes from Vegan Vibes.
Many people who attended the cruise had seen her previous video and joined this year as a result. “It was so much fun to meet so many of the SweetPotatoSoul community,” she says.
She also held a book signing, joined by her daughter, who appears in the new cookbook. “She’s basically a celebrity now,” Claiborne jokes.
Family-friendly relaxation and celebration
Back on the beach, the family spent time swimming, playing in the sand, and enjoying the last hours of sun. Claiborne did what she calls her “obligatory sand scrub,” exfoliating her skin with beach sand and rinsing off in the ocean – a ritual she says makes her feel smooth and refreshed.
Later that night, they rushed to make dinner reservations back on the ship. Every evening, the Holistic Holiday guests dined at a dedicated vegan restaurant with a five-course set menu. Claiborne says the food was healthy, balanced, and always included a dessert – her favorite part.
Nightly shows and a sunset send-off
Most nights ended with a live performance in the ship’s main theater. Her daughter insisted they attended, and Claiborne says she’s glad they did. Each night featured different acts like dancers, singers and acrobats, and the entertainment never repeated.
On the final night, they also caught a sunset from the ship’s deck. “What a beautiful ending to a fantastic journey,” Claiborne says.
You can find more of Jenné Claiborne’s videos and recipes on the Sweet Potato Soul YouTube channel.
