Celiac Cruiser

Thank you. Curious to know if the breads and muffins are decent.

 

 

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The rolls (GF) in the dining room are OK. I like the white one. I don’t like the whole grain one. I am told they have a dedicated toaster in the World Cafe and presumably GF breads. I have not tried them.

I have not seen any muffins or other GF baked goods.

I still long for the GF croissants 🥐 that were made by the chef on the river boat of our first Viking cruise. They were ‘to die for’.....3 cruises later and still no sign of them. :-(

I see that the room service menu and Restaurant menu NOW have notations of which items are naturally prepared gluten free. Of course, you can still request changes to have them specially prepare items without gluten as well. All good changes that help ensure a happy journey for Celiacs and Gluten Intolerants.

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LIVE on the Viking Star! I can report that since May ‘17, progress has been made on the Gluten Free offerings. Under the supervision of Zrinka (restaurant manager) currently on the Star, I have noticed improvements. The World Cafe now has signs under each name noting which items are gluten free!!

There was a new chocolate dessert at Manfreddis (forget the name) tonight that was gluten free and Delicious!

More later.

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I am heading back out on the Open Seas January 2018! I will be happy to report back the improvements that Viking has made in regards to Gluten Free dining options. If any of you have any questions or inquiries regarding dietary issues, pass them along and I will report back. Cheers!

Does a request for a table for 2 get priority based on your cabin level or your Captains Club level or is it random?

Thanks CruisingChick, that is how I would hope it would be.

If I knew I was going to be a burden, I certainly would not thrush that upon other guests.

Cheers!

We always request a table of 8.

 

We sat with a couple that both had celiac disease. The asst. maitre'd came over every evening at the end of dinner (after dessert) to consult with them regarding the next evening's meal and take their order. There was absolutely no delay in our being served our meals all together. They were not a burden.

Well EatonDoolittle, my food restrictions are something to consider. I would not want my or anyone else's dietary / medical issues to be the topic of conversation. That is why my meal is preordered. All the food ingredient discussion is had in private the night before. I am willing to bet that there would be less delay over my dinner order than the average guest.

But my question remains- does the waiter have to wait for everyone to be seated before taking orders? If the others don't show up, how long do they leave you waiting?

If you have a table for 8 does the waiter have to wait until everyone is seated to start taking orders?

it is just the 2 of us traveling but it is nice to socialize at dinner. We have asked for early dining but not sure what table size to select. What have been your experiences?

1) Main Dining Room is 'open seating'....no assigned time. Different waiter, different table every night. (I am 'old school' and like having the same waiter each night so that they get to know your preferences you get more personalized service). If you go to dinner between 6:30-7:30 expect to wait to get in. At the speciality restaurants you make a reservation. BTW: Manfreddi's was awesome (better than fabulous) food! Chef's Table was not good. Food was just a little too weird tasting and quantity small.

2) Didn't use the Gym. Free use of Spa is a nice perk!

3) a little too quiet - no party atmosphere - no casino. The evening entertainment options were lacking. Sure didn't miss the lines! Easy on and off for shore excursions.

We did the 14 day Homelands Cruise this past May. I will say that Viking is very attentive to customer service. I made some comments on their questionnaire early in the cruise and followed up with a post on Cruise Critic and Boy-O-Boy, I had attention to the issue from all sides.

Questions:

 

1. What times are meals?

 

2. How is the gym?

 

3. What you miss from larger ships?

 

Thanks!

 

 

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I have cruised Viking Ocean, Princess, HAL, NCL along with Viking River. I haven't tried Celebrity yet but have my eyes on their New Zealand/ Australia cruise on The Solstice. I liked Viking Ocean OK but I am not 'sold'. I priced the Viking 15 day New Zealand at $14,000 whereas the Celebrity 12 day New Zealand is $4400 in Concierge Class! Granted with Celebrity I will have to pay for shore excursions but the price difference is crazy.

Now for my evaluation of Viking: Very pretty ship, all brand new. Service, Food, Cabin, live classical music was Good -Very Good. Older (70's) clientele (No one under 18 allowed on board) - if you like to sit and read a book, they have lots of quiet spaces-

Now for the faults: Entertainment was lacking- Live show was High Schoolish - I saw several people walk out - live music (other than classical) was sad - no casino - the bars were shutting down by 10 PM.

- overall organized entertainment was boring (and this comment was shared by many whom I spoke with) - unless your idea of entertainment is a history lecture. Yes, it was an "expert" historian but it was still a history lecture. In their defense, they expect folks to take their cruise to get to exotic ports of call not to dance the night away in a fun disco.

On their river cruises, they will bring on local talent to entertain nightly. That is not done on the Ocean (I understand that is not practical but it was disappointing).

Of the 3 couples I know who enjoyed Viking River and then took Viking Ocean, none of them plan to return to Viking Ocean. Not that it was terrible - just wasn't Fabulous.

FYI- I (we) are a young retired couple in our early 60's. We have traveled to much of the world but want to see more and want to enjoy the journey not just the destination. Will we like the Celebrity Solstice?

Thanks! I appreciate your input. Julie

Mrsgoggins

This is an unrelated question but I see that you have cruised with Viking in the past and now are cruising with Celebrity. We are thinking of doing the same. We have been on both Viking river and Viking Ocean but are thinking of trying Celebrity. How would you compare the cruise experience between them?

Thanks, Julie

I booked Australia/New Zealand 2019 on board last week because in the U.K. the 'offer' was only a price drop guarantee until December 2017. On board I got the drinks package, gratuities and $200 OBC. In general discussion, the Agent did mention that the price of the regular Caribbean cruises did not move as much (as the one I had booked). That has been my experience also, so I doubt you have anything to lose by waiting until April when onboard to book. And, you never know, the pound to dollar rate may have improved by then, thus pushing the price (in sterling) down.... let's hope ..... ;)

Thanks Purplsmurf! Tito's is my favorite vodka!

Does anyone know if they stock Tito's Vodka ? And if so, is it a Classic or Premium liquor.

Many thanks.

I see the link to the 'Pricing Policy Change' thread which answers my question. Thanks to all of you replied there. I guess Viking is no longer a 'new comer' and does not need to boost sales. Oh well, it was good while it lasted.

Has Viking Ocean changed their price offers to travel agents? My TA used to offer 15% off the listed price right off the top for Viking Ocean cruises. She now says that Viking won't allow that anymore. Is your TA still offering discounts? If so I will search them out.

Thanks.

Thanks. I have cruised Viking Ocean as of late and hot spoiled with the in room coffee maker.

Do the cabins have coffee makers in them. Is there a place to get an early morning cup of strong coffee (at no extra charge)?

I hope I can answer your question. A gluten free diet is a recent (9/16) diagnosis for me so I am still in a learning curve. I sailed on RCCL Oasis in November. Even though things are marked gluten free, they are not always. Out of seven nights I was sick four. So I was hesitant when I cruised in March on the Crown Princess and actually boarded with GF rolls and cookies.

Night and day experience. Every night I would order from the menu for the next night. Now it is hard to decide what you would like to eat the next day but found I could make small modifications the night of dinner. Yes they had gluten free pasta. Actually had fettuccine alfredo. Well not made with fettuccine but pasta but still tasted good. I was able to get GF onion soup in Crown Grill. Nothing seemed to much of a hassle with the staff.

 

 

Each night the chef had a mystery GF dessert. All were very good with the exception of vanilla pudding/custard. Nothing really wrong with it but I found it bland and more of a gelatin consistency. If I could make one suggestion to Princess it is to vary GF bread. Same bread every meal. Maybe mix it up with a roll or corn bread.

 

 

As for pizza I just ordered and it took about ten minutes. They would actually make a pepperoni pizza where RCCL would not do anything but cheese. Now anyone who has had GF pizza know the crust is usually cracker crisp consistency. Not sure what Princess did but crust while still thin was soft.

 

 

I was surprised they would not serve me Caesar salad without croutons. It was explained to me that they did not make their own dressing but purchased it in bulk and the chef had reviewed the ingredients and found a couple of additions that made the dressing not GF.

 

Best of all....fourteen days and not sick one night. I was ready to give up cruising after RCCL experience but Princess changed my mind. I am now looking forward to my Alaskan cruisetour this summer. If I can answer any questions please let me know.

 

Chris

Thank you Chris for your review. I have Celiac and am very sensitive to gluten. On past cruises, I have found that foods marked gluten free can be ruined by cross contamination. In the buffet are there many GF options? Is it difficult to find out which items are gluten free? Does the kitchen staff seem to be aware of the cross contamination issue?

Thanks.

I am considering a New Zealand cruise on the new Majestic Princess. In reading the reviews, the most common excuse for discontent is "ship is designed for the Asian Market". I am an American but love Asian food. Can anyone explain what exactly is different because the ship/staff is designed for the Asian Market?

Thanks!

I have only used one cruise line because I had a wonderful experience on each ship when it came to my gluten free meals. I was able to order the next evening's meal while I waited for dessert.

 

I'm considering going on an Asian cruise with RCCL, but the number of people who talk about having issues with gluten free meals on the ships makes me reconsider.

HippieMama,

Which cruise line has given you consistent gluten free dining options? I am on a search.

Thanks.

A few more notations for those who are very sensitive to gluten (Celiac):

I mentioned that the staff are trained about cross contamination but you still have to remind them. For example: (a few things I witnessed)

1) at Mamsens the almond cake is listed as gluten free (and is VERY good) but they slice the cake with the same knife they use for all the other cakes unless you STRESS that you need it to be gluten free.

2) at the Pool Grill, I noticed that the burgers are handled with tongs that they also use to pick up buns and grab onion rings. I asked for a gluten free burger and they mentioned that the buns are grilled in a separate toaster but did not understand about the cross contamination from the tongs. (I gave up on the burger).

3) at the bread station of the World Cafe they have gluten free options but handed it to me with the same gloved hand that had just been slicing regular bread.

4) this is not cross contamination but - twice the sushi guy tried to tell me that their California roll and another roll with imitation crab meat were gluten free. Here in the US imitation crab meat contains wheat but I didn't insist on seeing the label. I just skipped them.

Viking certainly is trying and has a lot to offer that is gluten free. I was glutened one morning from a GF roll - possible cross contamination in the kitchen? (I am very sensitive to gluten) It ruined 2 days of eating for me but I am happy to be able to travel in the first place.

I was in Bergen last Saturday at the end of our cruise and had hoped to take the funicular BUT it was a glorious warm, sunny day and "everyone and his grandmother" from the town had the same idea. The line had a 2 hour wait at 10 AM.

But to answer your question, it is an easy walk from the ship.

FYI- The Stockholm Hop-On-Hop-Off bus and boat tours stop at the cruise terminal area. They will take you to all the sites including the Vasa. Go early to the Vasa to avoid a LONG line for buying tickets.