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

Gluten Free Cruise

iceman721

By iceman721
in Traveling with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

iceman721 Newbie
iceman721
Posted

I took my first cruise in December since being diagnosed with Celiac Disease. This was my 10th cruise, the 3rd with Holland America and the 1st on the Noordam.  I was very apprehensive about cruising with this rigid diet. I was advised to select fixed dining thereby having the same servers each day. This proved to be excellent advise. I met my dining steward Josie that first night and he assured me that being on a gluten-free diet was not going to be a problem. He explained that he will show me each night the following night's menu and that I could select ANYTHING on the menu and they would prepare it for me gluten-free. That is exactly what happened.  I could not believe it! 

 

Midway through the cruise Josie asked me what my favorite desert was and I answered black berry cobbler which I have not had since going on the diet. The next night he presented me with a delicious gluten-free cobbler. Now, that had to be made from scratch just for me! I have no knowledge if other cruise lines offer this kind of service but I wanted to make this known to all gluten-free cruisers.    


 

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


GF-Cheetah Cub Contributor
GF-Cheetah Cub
Posted

That's good to hear!!

 

We will be going on our 1st cruise with our daughter's celiac diagnosis in April.   I have a question: when you disembark for land for the day, do you ask the cruise ship to pack a gluten-free lunch with you?  Or how do you handle outings on land?

cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

I cruised RC this past summer (Baltic Sea). Hubby and I took our own food, supplemented with fruit from the cruise ship on port days. Even with the gluten-free language cards, we were not able to dine at restaurants. Just our luck maybe. We ate when we got back to the ship. Our headwaiter made sure we had gluten-free foods to eat at the coffee shop when the main dining room was closed. He did not recommend ordering room service.

iceman721 Newbie
iceman721
Posted
  • Author

I suppose I could have had a gluten-free lunch put together for shore excursions but never thought of it.  I was always back on ship before I was starving!   

I'm guessing that if you sign up for an excursion that include lunch,  it will NOT be gluten-free.  These lunches  are usually sub-contractedby the cruise line  to locals.

GF-Cheetah Cub Contributor
GF-Cheetah Cub
Posted

We will be on a Norwegian cruise to the Carribean Islands.   They already emailed me that they will accomodate our gluten-free diet, but said that we are not allow to bring our own food onboard.   I am worried about not finding food for my 11 year-old on the various islands.   So, I don't know if the cruise will provide a gluten-free brown bag lunch for us?  

cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

I brought Lara bars in my luggage and other food that we picked up in the UK before our departure. No one bothered us. I would not take on produce -- just packaged items in your checked luggage.

Eat a big breakfast on port days (no room service and note their scrambled eggs have gluten in them, so ask for fresh scrambled). Check out local port grocery stores for fresh fruit, etc. Meet with your headwaiter as soon as you board ship (or some headwaiter). On RC they only have the buffet open during departures. The headwaiter found safe food for us there on that first day. Otherwise, we never ate anywhere but the main dining room. Plus, they sent Udi's rolls and cookies individually wrapped to our stateroom. We took those in our backpacks on port days. We washed whole fruit from the buffet line in our stateroom for snacks and stored them in our room frig.

I even asked for soy milk at the Starbuck's counter when I got my free mug of coffee. No extra charge for that! Udi's pizza at the coffee shop. Had to wait, but it was worth it!

I am pretty sure you will not get a brown bag. I am sure it is against regulations. But they only check purses and backpacks when you reboard. Some yahoos are always trying to smuggle on shells, booze and fruit.

The Carribean cruise is super fun for the kids. Check out the kid's clubs.

iceman721 Newbie
iceman721
Posted
  • Author

Try going to the buffet before leaving the ship.  They should have gluten-free bread and buns for sandwiches that you can take with you.

If you port in Grand Caymans, Cozumel or other large ports you might be surprised at the gluten-free finds.

Best advise is to make good friends with your head steward in the dining room.  He can make things happen.

Don't Worry - Be Happy  

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


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. McKinleyWY
      - McKinleyWY replied to McKinleyWY's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      Accuracy of testing concerns

      I sure appreciate the information. I knew there had to be gluten consumption for the blood test, but I did not realize that also applied to biopsies. Thank you so much for that nugget of knowledge. I look forward to learning more as I dive into this website and the collective knowledge, experience, and wisdom from those who have gone before and/or those...
    2. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to xxnonamexx's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      1

      FDA looking for input on Celiac Gluten sensitivity labeling PLEASE READ and submit your suggestions

      Thank you for sharing this — it’s really important. The FDA is actively seeking public input on improving gluten and ingredient labeling, which could directly impact how people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity shop and stay safe. Clearer labeling would help reduce accidental gluten exposure and make it easier to identify hidden sources of gluten in ...
    3. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      1

      Low iron and vitamin d

      A low tTG is great news, but it doesn’t always mean the small intestine has fully healed yet—iron and vitamin D absorption can lag behind for months or even years, especially in young children. Many kids need supplements for a period of time while the gut repairs itself, and that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be lifelong. Morning stomach pain is also ...
    4. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to xxnonamexx's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      1

      Healthy Gluten Free Foods low sugar that you found?

      A lot of gluten-free packaged foods do rely on extra sugar, starches, or sodium to replace texture and flavor, so focusing on simpler options makes sense. Many people do better with naturally gluten-free proteins like eggs, plain yogurt, nuts, seeds, hummus, beans, and minimally processed protein bars with lower added sugar and higher fiber. Pairing those...
    5. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to lizzie42's topic in Traveling with Celiac Disease
      1

      Trip to Anaheim/Disney

      This article is a few of years old, but my still be helpful.
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,245
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Christine Ranalli
    Newest Member
    Christine Ranalli
    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

    • McKinleyWY
      Accuracy of testing concerns

      By McKinleyWY · Posted

      I sure appreciate the information. I knew there had to be gluten consumption for the blood test, but I did not realize that also applied to biopsies. Thank you so much for that nugget of knowledge. I look forward to learning more as I dive into this website and the collective knowledge, experience, and wisdom from those who have gone before and/or those who are just beginning the journey like me. Marilyn 
    • Scott Adams
      FDA looking for input on Celiac Gluten sensitivity labeling PLEASE READ and submit your suggestions

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Thank you for sharing this — it’s really important. The FDA is actively seeking public input on improving gluten and ingredient labeling, which could directly impact how people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity shop and stay safe. Clearer labeling would help reduce accidental gluten exposure and make it easier to identify hidden sources of gluten in foods. I encourage everyone here who is affected by celiac or gluten sensitivity to read the announcement and submit their own suggestions — real lived experience matters and can influence policy changes that benefit the whole community.
    • Scott Adams
      Low iron and vitamin d

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      A low tTG is great news, but it doesn’t always mean the small intestine has fully healed yet—iron and vitamin D absorption can lag behind for months or even years, especially in young children. Many kids need supplements for a period of time while the gut repairs itself, and that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be lifelong. Morning stomach pain is also commonly reported in celiac kids and can be related to slow healing, reflux, motility, or even low iron itself. It sounds like the supplements are clearly helping, which is reassuring, and ongoing monitoring with her doctor can help determine when (or if) doses can be reduced as absorption improves. The most common nutrient deficiencies associated with celiac disease that may lead to testing for the condition include iron, vitamin D, folate (vitamin B9), vitamin B12, calcium, zinc, and magnesium.  Unfortunately many doctors, including my own doctor at the time, don't do extensive follow up testing for a broad range of nutrient deficiencies, nor recommend that those just diagnosed with celiac disease take a broad spectrum vitamin/mineral supplement, which would greatly benefit most, if not all, newly diagnosed celiacs. This article has more info:    
    • Scott Adams
      Healthy Gluten Free Foods low sugar that you found?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      A lot of gluten-free packaged foods do rely on extra sugar, starches, or sodium to replace texture and flavor, so focusing on simpler options makes sense. Many people do better with naturally gluten-free proteins like eggs, plain yogurt, nuts, seeds, hummus, beans, and minimally processed protein bars with lower added sugar and higher fiber. Pairing those with whole foods can help you feel more “normal” without triggering symptoms. Subscription boxes can be hit or miss, so checking labels carefully and using them as an occasional supplement—rather than a staple—often works best.
    • Scott Adams
      Trip to Anaheim/Disney

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      This article is a few of years old, but my still be helpful.  
×
×
  • 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.