Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort

Gfreeatx

Recommended Posts

Gfreeatx Apprentice
Gfreeatx
Posted

My husband and I just took our first vacation since my diagnosis last year and it was great so I thought I would share my experience. We booked through a travel agent who deals with a lot of clients who have celiac disease or are gluten intolerant so that helped tremendously in our research to find the best resort within our budget for my needs. She highly recommended Sandals and after our visit I can see why. I was so nervous before our trip about being away from our kitchen, but I was determined that I was still going to travel since it is something I have always loved. Our experience started with an email from the Sous Chef about 60 days before our trip letting us know that she had received our request for gluten free meals and how they would be able to accomadate me. This definitely put my mind at ease, but of course I was still a little nervous since I know we have all been told before by well meaning individuals saying they understand gluten-free and CC issues only to get glutened so I am always a little leary.

After my arrival at the resort we met with one of the chefs to discuss again what they would have available for me and what I should expect during my stay. All of the chefs are trained on CC issues and assured me they would take good care of me. They do offer gluten free cookies, pancakes, bread and pasta. To be honest though I decided not to try them since it was more important to me to enjoy every day of my trip I didn't want to chance any cc issues since they do bake gluten products in the same kitchens. Each time I would go to a restaurant I would let the waitstaff know that I need to eat gluten free and the chef of that restaurant would come out to meet with me. They would ask me what I what I felt like eating and then the chef would prepare my meal of choice and deliver it to my table to make sure there were not any chances of something getting mixed up coming out of the kitchen. All of the chefs really treated me like a queen and I didn't have a single day feeling sick. My husband was even a little envious of the meals they were preparing for me since they were all so good.

Here are some of the meals I had during my visit. Balsamic glazed chicken with grilled vegetables, chocolate covered strawberries with a strawberry whipped cream, king crab legs, chicken curry with coconut rice, steak with bearnaise sauce and roasted potatoes, Mahi Mahi in a champagne sauce with veggies and potatoes, creme brulee, lobster tail, scallops with orange sauce. I did bring with me a stash of gluten free snacks just in case, but I came home with most of my goodies since I ended up having plenty to eat at the resort. :)

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


modiddly16 Enthusiast
modiddly16
Posted

Thank you so much for posting this! We're going to the Sandals Royal Carribbean for our honeymoon in October and after asking a few times on this site, I hadn't gotten much response. This makes me feel much better about the trip!

Gfreeatx Apprentice
Gfreeatx
Posted
  • Author

Congrats on your wedding!:) I hope you have as great of an experience as we did on our trip.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to ainsleydale1700's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      1

      Confused about HLA-DQ Celiac gene test result

      HLA testing can definitely be confusing. Classic celiac disease risk is most strongly associated with having the full HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 heterodimer, which requires specific DQA1 and DQB1 genes working together. Your report shows you are negative for the common DQ2 and DQ8 combinations, but positive for DQB102, which is one component of the DQ2 pair. On its...
    2. Aretaeus Cappadocia
      - Aretaeus Cappadocia replied to Thoughtidjoin's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      4

      Dried Chickpeas

      I agree with your post and have had similar experiences. I'm commenting to add the suggestion of also using nutritional yeast as a supplement. It's a rich source of B vitamins and other nutrients, and some brands are further supplemented with additional B12. I sprinkle a modest amount in a variety of savory recipes.
    3. ainsleydale1700
      - ainsleydale1700 posted a topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      1

      Confused about HLA-DQ Celiac gene test result

      Hi, could someone help me understand the result of my gene test? DQ2 (DQA1 0501/0505,DQB1 02XX): Negative DQ8 (DQA1 03XX,DQB1 0302): Negative The patient is positive for DQB1*02, one half of the DQ2 heterodimer. The doctor said I don't have Celiac genes. I asked him to clarify about my positive DQB1*02, and he said it's a gene unrelated...
    4. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Thoughtidjoin's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      4

      Dried Chickpeas

      If a package of dried chickpeas or lentils says “may contain” or “may have been cross contaminated,” that usually means they were processed in facilities that also handle wheat, barley, or rye. The concern is not gluten dissolved on the surface like dust that can simply be rinsed away, but small fragments of gluten-containing grains that may be mixed in duri...
    5. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Thoughtidjoin's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      4

      Dried Chickpeas

      Welcome, While picking through chickpeas and lentils I have found little pebbles and on occasion, a kernel or two of wheat. Farm equipment and transport trucks are used to harvest different crops. It would be really expensive to have separate trucks and packaging lines for each crop. I have found sorting or picking through the peas or lentils...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,432
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    ainsleydale1700
    Newest Member
    ainsleydale1700
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Confused about HLA-DQ Celiac gene test result

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      HLA testing can definitely be confusing. Classic celiac disease risk is most strongly associated with having the full HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 heterodimer, which requires specific DQA1 and DQB1 genes working together. Your report shows you are negative for the common DQ2 and DQ8 combinations, but positive for DQB102, which is one component of the DQ2 pair. On its own, DQB102 does not usually form the full DQ2 molecule most strongly linked to celiac disease, which is likely why your doctor said you do not carry the typical “celiac genes.” However, genetics are only part of the picture. A negative gene test makes celiac disease much less likely, but not absolutely impossible in rare cases. More importantly, both antibody testing and biopsy are only reliable when someone is actively eating gluten; being gluten-free for four years before testing can cause both bloodwork and intestinal biopsy to appear falsely negative. Given your positive antibodies and ongoing symptoms, it may be reasonable to seek clarification from a gastroenterologist experienced in celiac disease about whether proper gluten exposure was done before testing and whether additional evaluation is needed.
    • Aretaeus Cappadocia
      Dried Chickpeas

      By Aretaeus Cappadocia · Posted

      I agree with your post and have had similar experiences. I'm commenting to add the suggestion of also using nutritional yeast as a supplement. It's a rich source of B vitamins and other nutrients, and some brands are further supplemented with additional B12. I sprinkle a modest amount in a variety of savory recipes.
    • ainsleydale1700
      Confused about HLA-DQ Celiac gene test result

      By ainsleydale1700 · Posted

      Hi, could someone help me understand the result of my gene test? DQ2 (DQA1 0501/0505,DQB1 02XX): Negative DQ8 (DQA1 03XX,DQB1 0302): Negative The patient is positive for DQB1*02, one half of the DQ2 heterodimer.  The doctor said I don't have Celiac genes.  I asked him to clarify about my positive DQB1*02, and he said it's a gene unrelated to Celiac.  I have all the symptoms and my bloodwork is positive for antibodies, despite being on a gluten-free diet for the past 4 years.  He also did a biopsy but told me to continue a gluten-free diet and not eat gluten before the biopsy.  Based on the gene test and biopsy (which came back negative) he ruled out Celiac, leaving me very confused.    
    • Scott Adams
      Dried Chickpeas

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      If a package of dried chickpeas or lentils says “may contain” or “may have been cross contaminated,” that usually means they were processed in facilities that also handle wheat, barley, or rye. The concern is not gluten dissolved on the surface like dust that can simply be rinsed away, but small fragments of gluten-containing grains that may be mixed in during harvesting, storage, or packaging. Rinsing and sorting can reduce surface flour and remove visible stray grains, and many people do this successfully, but it does not guarantee that all gluten contamination is eliminated. Some limited testing has shown that naturally gluten-free grains and legumes can contain measurable gluten when cross-contact occurs in shared facilities, which is why manufacturers use precautionary labeling. The seriousness depends on the individual: for someone with celiac disease, even small amounts of gluten can trigger intestinal damage, so choosing certified gluten-free legumes is the safest option. Manufacturers are not necessarily being overly cautious; they are often acknowledging real cross-contact risk in complex agricultural supply chains.
    • knitty kitty
      Dried Chickpeas

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Welcome,  While picking through chickpeas and lentils I have found little pebbles and on occasion, a kernel or two of wheat.  Farm equipment and transport trucks are used to harvest different crops.  It would be really expensive to have separate trucks and packaging lines for each crop.   I have found sorting or picking through the peas or lentils along with a good rinse sufficient to make them safe for me.  Do remember that lentils and such are high in carbohydrates.  Eating a diet high in carbs can lower thiamine B1.  Good sources of Thiamine and other B vitamins are meats.  Extra thiamine is needed for tissue repair to grow the villi back and recovery from malabsorption.  Low thiamine symptoms (gastric Beriberi) are very similar to symptoms of a glutening.  Try adding thiamine hydrochloride or Benfotiamine and see if you still react to chickpeas and lentils the same way. Supplementing with extra thiamine is safe and nontoxic.   Best wishes.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.