Do any cruise lines offer extra virgin olive oil?Either at the dinner table or in boutiques? With the emphasis on wellness & health I cant understand why slabs of butter are served at every meal.

With the rate of obesity so high, many people don't have an 'emphasis on wellness & health'. They want their slabs of butter to smear on their piles of bread. Many people are just not nutritionally educated.

I haven't been on a 'cruise line' in years, but I suspect that they cater to those who disdain excessive movement and savor the multimeals which are served every two hours, during which they stuff themselves to get their money's worth.

Disclaimer: I'm not talking about those who eat reasonably.

Full disclosure: My wife is a dietitian.

"the emphasis on wellness & health" - this is your personal business, not the cruise lines. Sorry if this sounds rude. You will have a choice of dishes, from overly fattening to no sugar to salads and fruit.

Extra virgin olive oil is a very specific request. There is a choice of oil-and-vinegar dressing, maybe even low calorie. What kind of oil, who knows!

If this is extremely important for you, why not bring on board a small bottle?

If you call the cruise line, maybe you'll get an answer (that will be too difficult to confirm! they may not know at that 800 customer service)

And butter is served because nobody complains. That fresh sea breeze gives you an appetite, y'know

Jed the OP did not ask about your opinions about the state of health in our country and the profile of the average cruise passenger, based on not being on a ship "in years." She wants to know if the cruise line has EVOO available. I suggest you ask the cruise like like Faina said. Alternatively you can ask the head waiter on the first dinner night. If they have it you'll get it.

Oil, butter and margarine have essentially the same calories - although various healthiness claims are made by specific ones.

I have never heard anyone claim extra virgin oil is healthier than regular olive oil - and they certainly have the same number of calories.

I have been on 4 cruises and returned home weighing less than when I started - so it is not just fat, lazy pigs who go on cruises - and be honest - that is what Jed really meant to say.

Well, jacketwatch, OP said she (?) "cant understand why slabs of butter are served at every meal." I was giving my opinion on that. If I disturbed you and OP, I apologize.

My opinion about the cruisers is based on several people who I know who go on cruises.

I would say the comment was more offensive vs. disrurbing. Thanks for the apology in any case and you should extend that apology to Gail too BTW if you read the all thread. BTW I am one of those who exercises regulary and watches what I eat, just like Gail and we both cruise so maybe now your view of those who like cruising can be modified a bit. Cheers.

"BTW I am one of those who exercises regularly and watches what I eat" - why? so you can die healthy?

Sorry to interrupt with an answer to the original question, but, if you are on Azamara or Oceania, you will have a choice of Extra Virgin Olive Oils and Balsamic Vinegars offered at most meals.

Butter is not as much of a culprit as perhaps we are lead to believe.

It depends on how much and how often you use it.

Are you concerned about using butter over Olive Oil due to a cardiac condition or some other health reason?

Some people use Omega fatty acids pills because they either have a heart condition or a high cholesterol problem.

If it is Omega fatty acids that you are after them of course the Olive Oil is better.

If it is a weight problem then Olive Oil has more calories than butter and even more than peanut butter.

If you take a pound of butter and a pound of Olive Oil...then butter has 81 % total fat...
and

Olive Oil has 100% total fat.
yes really !!!!

You know where the difference comes in !?!!

It is the type of fat they contain.

In butter of the 81% total fat... over half of this is Saturated.

In Olive Oil... of its 100% TOTAL FAT,only 15% is the Saturated type.

What type of fat clogs the Coronary Arteries.

The Saturated Fats.!!!!

Now my point is this and it is only my opinion.

I do not think over the duration of the cruise ,your health will be compromised by using butter IF there was totally no Olive Oil available.

And I do not mean that in any derogatory way

I think why butter is served at every meal...is because more people would demand butter than Olive Oil..and the cruise ship have to please their clients.

<font color="green"> Happy New year </font>

Thank you Percy. Good answer.

HI Percy - Happy New Year. OK here is one for you. I don't eat the delicious breads and buns on the cruises because they serve &quot;unsalted&quot; butter (unless you are in the Lido) I love good old fashioned salted butter and if I can't have it I don't eat the bread. So, it is a calories saving experience for me. I know, I know if I ask for salted butter they will bring me some. I just save the calories for dessert. And to the original poster I know that Holland America has evoo. The wonderful thing about cruises is just ask and its yours!!!

Hi jacketwatch and traveller69 !

I am one of these fellows that eats anything.

I almost never ever fuss about food. Maybe I am just lucky.

I have not ever been on a cruise where I would say the food was not satisfactory.

We all know that cruise ships serve us all pretty good food.

I am not saying that vetralla is fussy...she just wants to know about Olive Oil.

About those buns on the cruise ship...many times I just eat them without anything...but if there is butter on the table I use it.

I seldom have or use butter at home..maybe once in a while but it is not a regular staple.

I am very lucky this Christmas ,I got sick on the evening of December 23rd with the Flu and have been bed and house ridden ever since !!

I am so glad the Flu shot helped

<font color="red"> All the best for 2009




</font>

Percy - Sorry to hear you managed to get the flu. I hope you make a speedy recovery so you have enough energy to plan the next cruise or European adventure!!

Happy New Year and get well!!

Sorry to hear you have the flu Percy. The flu shots help vs. the strain the &quot;experts&quot; think will be most prevalent. Looks like a different strain got you. I hope you get well soon. Take care, Larry

Thanks jacketwatch and traveller69 :

I am sitting her in my PJ's coughing and sniffling.!

I have to get better because on January 9th I have surgery on my right hand for Dupuytren's Contracture.!!!

I was going to plan a trip for April ,but now I have to wait and see how the healing process goes.

About the Flu shot:

The drug companies start making this vaccine about six months prior to its distribution.

The experts make the most educated guess as to the most common strains that will infect the population that year.

In the meantime if the virus mutates..then too bad for us !!!

I explain it to people like this:

1. You get the Flu shot against virus A and virus B

2. Virus &quot;A&quot; wears a red jacket

3.Virus &quot;B&quot; wears a blue jacket

4. Now if another virus &quot;C &quot; comes along wearing as green jacket....then your flu vaccine is not helpful....
and
you are fully susceptible to virus &quot;C&quot;

I use Tamiflu and always have some at home and I take it on all my trips.

You can get the flu anytime and any place.

It is one thing being sick at home , it is another being sick on a long holiday.

The thing with Tamiflu, for those that plan to use it ... you HAVE to take it within 48 hours of your symptoms.... 40 hours is even better .

Now who has Tamiflu with them within 40-48 hours !!

Tamiflu is not cheap, but neither is a wasted holiday.

Don't waste your money by taking Tamiflu on day 3-4-5 etc. of your illnnes, it will NOT help.

Let me explain briefly and simply why it will not help.

If you look on the box of Tamiflu,you see that it is a &quot;neuraminidase inhibitor&quot;.

This mean it inhibits an enzyme called neuraminidase.

Now the flu virus needs this enzyme in order to replicate itself.

So it replicates itself over and over and over very quickly.

In this way it infects one cell after another in your body.

You have to STOP this process rather quickly before it get too far out of hand.!!!

How quick?!!.....

well within 40 hours of your being infected, because once the virus gains the upper hand....the Tamiflu will not help..... and you are on your way to being good and sick.

Will Tamiflu cure everything right away...No , it will not...

BUT it will certainly lessen your symptoms and your duration of being sick.

( cough ,cough ,sniffle ,sniffle!!)

vetralla

Please accept my apology for hijacking your posting.

Maybe try a tsp. of EVOO. It couldn't hurt.

jacketwatch

Right now I am trying everything.

Going to check the cupboards for Olive Oil...the virgin type.

But what if the viruses love Olive Oil !!!!

I think it is time.