Anyone with Gluten -and- Dairy Food Allergies?

We will be on our first Oceania cruise in two months (Sirena from Lima to Buenos Aires). We received our cruise package just before Christmas, and luckily I read through and saw that Oceania requires 60-days written notice regarding food allergies, either FAX'd or through a TA. My TA is on vacation until after the holidays and I don't have access to a FAX, so I called the cruise line and the agent I spoke to said no problem, she would take that information. I'll call my TA next week to have her follow-up on this, just to make sure there are no glitches.

Now to my main question...If anyone has dairy AND gluten allergies, and has sailed on Oceania, what do you think of the food choices? Does it seem like the chefs try to make your meals varied and enjoyable?

Since developing these allergies (about 5-6 years ago), I've sailed on Viking River, Disney, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Carnival, and I must say that most of the food choices have all been just dismal. Breakfast is almost always an over-easy egg (because scrambled may have dairy), bacon (because sausage may have gluten), fruit and dry gluten-free bread. I do enjoy salads for lunch, and generally have more choices for dinner. The gluten-free bread I've had on the other lines is always dry and tasteless. And desserts are usually fresh fruit or sorbet, which can get old after a while.

Also, Disney and Royal Caribbean staff really don't seem to be well-trained on food allergies. Every single morning of my last Disney cruise, when I requested gluten-free toast in the buffet, I received blank looks and it took the crew member 5-10 minutes to locate the bread. RC did a little better by having a gluten-free bread area, but it was dry, tasteless bread. Half-way into the cruise I noticed a package with a frozen Udi bagel near the toaster, and I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. It was 100x better than the bread being offered, but I had to ask for it behind the counter each morning after that.

Please tell me I'll enjoy the food choices on Oceania! :)

You could use an internet fax service for free.

Here is the link to it

https://faxzero.com/

Margie,

I don't have these problems myself but I've read plenty of posts from people who were very pleased with the options and service they got from Oceania. Try doing a search on "gluten free" or something like that.

I have not seen ANY complaints from problems with dietary concerns. From what I have heard you are notified a day or so in advance of the choices you will have. It MIGHT be more difficult at the buffet -- as I said, I'm not in your situation so I don't know. But from what I have seen posted here you should not have a problem in the restaurants.

But as you know, prompt notice to Oceania is a must.

Mura

My wife (SWMbI) is gluten-intolerant

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We just completed our 9th cruise with Oceania without problem. Recommend you go on Jo's website and fill out a customer service request to advise your ship's food service dept. that you are gluten & dairy intolerant. You should begin receiving a dinner menu depending on whether you have a specialty dinner reservation (otherwise they will assume you will dine in the Grand Dining Room) menu. Be sure to request a confirmation e-mail that your request has been transmitted to your ship.

Breakfast and lunch tell your waiter you are gluten/dairy intolerant and they will happily check with the kitchen for you.

Most important, go and enjoy!

JMBobB

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I’m gluten-free by medical necessity. No problem on O, even at tea. There are always gluten-free options available and O will custom make a gluten-free version of a dish with advance notice. Make the special need known and the following day’s menu will be delivered to your cabin to be turned in by 10 the next morning.

... Breakfast is almost always an over-easy egg (because scrambled may have dairy), bacon (because sausage may have gluten), fruit and dry gluten-free bread. I do enjoy salads for lunch, and generally have more choices for dinner. The gluten-free bread I've had on the other lines is always dry and tasteless. And desserts are usually fresh fruit or sorbet, which can get old after a while.

 

...

I am only GF so can't speak to combo with dairy, but breakfast won't be quite so limited. At the omelet station in Terrace you can request they use fresh eggs (broken for you) rather than the pre-mix - purists may call this a "scramble" but you can be sure of no dairy this way. There are also boiled eggs. The breakfast sausages are typically gluten free on O (always ask). The standard gf bread is, well, gf bread.

Since you will be on a longer(ish) voyage, I encourage you to get to know someone well up the line of command in Terrace, then you can find them easily and they can guide you at any meal as to what is or is not "safe" and/or make something for you (or at least get you an un-sauced portion). Not sure about Sirena, but on some voyages your pre-ordered meal for the main dining room may be able to be brought to you in Terrace.

The experience I had on the Regatta for 16 days April 2017 was excellent and you can ask to speak with the head chef when you are first onboard to discuss specific needs requests. I am gluten intolerant, so much so that cross contamination sickens me, and also intolerant of cow milk from casein protein. Just remind all the wait staff when you are seated. The menus do get delivered the night before and you can return those with selections by 10am. Bread they used for GF was actually very tasty. I personally tired of the fruit for dessert so have sorbet in the afternoon and after dinner have dessert wine and some goat cheese. The more they know of what you like within your allowed foods, in advance, the better they help and they do it well!

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I also am lactose-intolerant, and I didn't have a problem on Marina last year and found them to be very accommodating.

I faxed in my request this year, and then confirmed with a phone call. They did have my request in their system. We, too, are on the Southern Sojourns cruise next month.

Michele

I have a gluten allergy. Don't stress about the fax thing. You can have your agent put it on your file.

Go to the dinner reservations desk on Deck 5 when you board. Each day thereafter they will give you a copy of the menu where you are eating two days in advance. You choose what you want and they prepare it ahead of time or make suggestions from the chef.

The buffet is fine, although they don't label items GF or DF. All the staff will consult with the chef to be sure.

You will have NO trouble eating. They are extremely helpful with food allergies.

Enjoy!

P.S. make sure you indicate on the menu you want the GF or DF desert of the day from the main galley. They don't list desserts on the menu. THEY'RE AWESOME.

Oceania emailed me this:

The following Gluten-free products are always available onboard our ships:

· Gluten-Free Spaghetti Pasta (available with the sauce of the day)

· Gluten-Free Rice Bread

· Gluten-Free Rice Almond Bread

· Gluten-Free Brown Bread (excellent for sandwiches)

· Gluten-Free Breakfast Pancakes

· Gluten-Free Breakfast Cornbread & Muffin

· Gluten-Free Rice Pizza Crusts (Lunch and Room Service Pizza)

Thank you all for the very helpful advice! I will print out all the suggestions and take them with me. I've already confirmed with the cruise line that my allergies are on file, so I don't need to worry about that, but will follow up when I get on board.

Recommend you go on Jo's website and fill out a customer service request to advise your ship's food service dept. that you are gluten & dairy intolerant.

Sorry, I'm new to Oceania...what is "Jo's website"? Thanks!

The experience I had on the Regatta for 16 days April 2017 was excellent and you can ask to speak with the head chef when you are first onboard to discuss specific needs requests. I am gluten intolerant, so much so that cross contamination sickens me, and also intolerant of cow milk from casein protein. Just remind all the wait staff when you are seated. The menus do get delivered the night before and you can return those with selections by 10am. Bread they used for GF was actually very tasty. I personally tired of the fruit for dessert so have sorbet in the afternoon and after dinner have dessert wine and some goat cheese. The more they know of what you like within your allowed foods, in advance, the better they help and they do it well!

 

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Wow, I'm impressed that they were sensitive to your cross-contamination issue. Thanks for commenting...makes me feel better, and wine with goat cheese sounds like a great dessert to me!

I also am lactose-intolerant, and I didn't have a problem on Marina last year and found them to be very accommodating.

I faxed in my request this year, and then confirmed with a phone call. They did have my request in their system. We, too, are on the Southern Sojourns cruise next month.

Michele

Nice! I hope we get to meet on the cruise!

Oceania emailed me this:

 

The following Gluten-free products are always available onboard our ships:

· Gluten-Free Spaghetti Pasta (available with the sauce of the day)

· Gluten-Free Rice Bread

· Gluten-Free Rice Almond Bread

· Gluten-Free Brown Bread (excellent for sandwiches)

· Gluten-Free Breakfast Pancakes

· Gluten-Free Breakfast Cornbread & Muffin

· Gluten-Free Rice Pizza Crusts (Lunch and Room Service Pizza)

Oh yes, I'm feeling much better about my options now. ;) Thanks for posting!

Oh yes, I'm feeling much better about my options now. ;) Thanks for posting!

I should clarify this a bit. The list is for some simple substitutions. For example if you want a sandwich.

The chefs will modify just about any meal according to your allergy, given some advanced notice. They will even have GF goodies at Tea if you give them a heads up.

I should clarify this a bit. The list is for some simple substitutions. For example if you want a sandwich.

 

The chefs will modify just about any meal according to your allergy, given some advanced notice. They will even have GF goodies at Tea if you give them a heads up.

I understand. Thank you for the clarification!

My mother has both allergies and onboard Nautica she was really well taken care of, I think they made bread/rolls especially for her each day. They asked what she could eat and liked and made menu changes to suit. She was very impressed.

My mother has both allergies and onboard Nautica she was really well taken care of, I think they made bread/rolls especially for her each day. They asked what she could eat and liked and made menu changes to suit. She was very impressed.

That's fabulous! Thanks for the input!

Posted on an earlier thread elsewhere but didn't realize how old it was.The information here is great. I booked directly through an O agent. He said there was a notation made in my file about the necessity of having a gluten free diet. I have a form of celiac disease- DH. However, on other lines I filed a special medical dietary restriction form. The O agent said that was not necessary because this has become a routine request. Counting down to the cruise- 19 days. I am a bit nervous and wonder if I should contact anyone else or department in advance of the sailing. Any additional advice would be helpful.

Thank you!

My DIL is gluten free. She got menus a day or two ahead and picked. She didn't have any problems. She is not lactose intolerant though.

I am new to this forum and I am so delighted with the responses to my GF questions. Thank you!

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Usually you should contact the Special services dept 60 days in advance but as the agent said GF is more common than it was a few years ago so they should have enough GF food choices

Best to confirm with the chef what is safe to eat if you go to the buffet

Enjoy