Gluten Free on Princess Ships and Excursions

Just let the shore x manager know which shore x you have booked that include meals and what your allergy is. They can usually notify the vendor and get a "special" meal for you. Generally it looks and tastes better than the food the others eat because it was not made in "mass" but especially for you. Good luck and enjoy.

This.

I have been diagnosed 11years and in that time done about 17 cruises with Princess. They have improved year on year the quality and choice of foods available. I have never failed to get gluten free on an excursion any where in the world. Just tell the excursion desk as early as possible and let the guide know who you are as someone once stole my food because they had not ordered gluten free but expected the maître de to pass it onto the excursion desk.

This is amazing! Thank you!!!!! :D

Of Gastric Reflux and millions of dollars on Tums and specialized tablets I found out at the age of 78 that I was Gluten Intolerant .What a difference a couple of years has made.Does anyone want any old packs of Tums gathering cobwebs that I used to gather from Costco.?:D;)

It is heart warming to read Princess accommodates our needs...especially a pizza which has been a no no for me.

Hi! Glad you asked the questions, sorry I didn't see it earlier. Hope you get this in time. Princess in general is excellent with GF. Especially in the dining room. There you will get your menu the night before and pick for the next day (the first day will be a little limited). They also offer GF bread warmed. It is packaged bread, but it is something. You will also get to pick a dessert!

Before you leave, you need to go your cruise personalized area and click on the box that asks about special meal requirements. They will send you a confirmation email.

The Regal/Royal are the best ships for GF--way more options. Especially in the buffet lines. On the older ships you can get GF muffins in there or toast, but you have to wait for them to find it.

You can also order GF cookies to be delivered to your stateroom on a daily basis thru room service. The Emerald will give you freshly baked ones, Crown does not. Don't know about the others. I only found out within the last year.

Pizza can be ordered GF. Some of the ships make you order it a day in advance (pool decks) some do not. It is good to check this out upon boarding.

On the Regal/Royal/Emerald/Ruby/Crown you can get a daily GF 'treat' in the international Cafe--unfortunately it is usually a 'soft' option like a pudding. Occasionally you will get a cake. This same option is offered in the buffet lines. I wish they would serve a dedicated GF pastry. I have offered to consult with them, because I've converted all my recipes to GF, but they didn't want to do that. Make sure you ask for the muffins warmed. Sometimes they are frozen and if room temp are crumbly

The soft serve ice cream is GF, on ships with gelato you need to watch the flavor. Same with the Coffee bar.

I do bring some GF pretzels with me and cookies. Also my protein bars--just in case. When we did the Mediterranean cruise in 2014, the excursions worked with me and I was able to have GF meals. Whale watching in Alaska they had crackers and salmon They brought me some salmon in a cup. People do try, but I always carry something--just in case

Hope this helps

Shell43...may I ask advice? Just recently diagnosed (2 months) as gluten sensitive. Taking first cruise (RCCL) in Nov with next Princess cruise in March. I appreciate everyone's comments and suggestions. But you mentioned converting recipes, I am having a heck of a time with this and the trash can has ended up with most of them. Can you direct me to a source that can guide me in the way to convert recipes? Taste has not been an issue but texture has. Most breads and rolls are so dense and heavy they are inedible. Same with pizza crusts and pie crusts. Sorry to hijack cruise related board with this question but I am really struggling with this.

Chris

Hi Pedirn

I'm afraid that I am not going to be much help to you in the bread/rolls category if you are talking yeast breads. That is a major problem with GF. Gluten is the key to making light textured yeast breads and rolls, and we take away the gluten. Your best bet for yeast products is to go commercial. What you like is your preference. My personal favorites are: Schaaf for bread (not frozen) Udi for pre baked frozen raisin bread, pizza crust, 'flour' tortillas and muffins, Against The Grain for dinner rolls (baked and then frozen). I have not found a pie crust recipe that I like, but I was never good at them--I always used the type that came in the red box in the dairy section. Therefore I recommend Whole Foods. They are the best by far!

If you are talking quick breads and cakes, I use Glutino all purpose baking flour. My sister, also celiacs, prefers to mix her flours. I do not like the fava bean flours that are out there--I was able to pick up a funny taste. To make the baked goods light and fluffy you need to use baking powder--a lot more than you think. I have a recipe for white cake that I put in 5 Tablespoons. This cake is so good that even my proudly glutinous husband loves it. In baking, you also need to do something to improve the moisture level. Always add a bit more water or oil. I like olive oil or butter. Also very IMPORTANT. You must add Xanthan Gum to anything you bake. A good rule of thumb is one teaspoon to 3 cups of flour. You will figure it out for your recipes. If you have too much, the finished product wil feel 'slimey' in your mouth and stick to the roof and your teeth. The XG replaces some of the elasticity in the recipe.

There are several GF magazines out there. My first year GF, I got or bought them. They are now available online, too. I found their recipes too complicated, mixing flours etc. My best bet was to 'tweak' my own. My sister (also a nurse) likes to follow the recipes in the magazines and still gets them.

I will be happy to answer any other questions for you

Hi, my friend who travels with us is gluten-free and says the flourless chocolate cake which sometimes shows up in main dining room is absolutely divine. She usually ends up with fruit, ice cream, or Creme Brulé for dessert, unfortunately. Perhaps, you could see if they are able to provide you with the chocolate cake on other nights as well, by making an advance request.

As others have already stated, Princess does an excellent job of looking after those who are gluten free. Again, the key is to have your waiter bring over the head waiter of your section the first night you go into the main dining room and discuss your issues. Each night, they will bring you the next day's menu to peruse. It was awesome for the rest of us, because we got an advance look at the menu as well! I do know that when she went to Alfredo's on the Regal, an awesome free Italian restaurant, she had to request her gluten-free pizza the day before so they could have the dough ready. She did not enjoy the taste or texture, but that might just be her.

Shell43...Thanks for advice. Yes most mishaps have been yeast based products. i have found a few premed products I like. Have not tried Whole Foods or Trader Joe's yet but will get there to check out there selections. I have become an Amazon frequent purchaser as I can find most things I need there.

I am optimistic about dining on my next cruise. Everyone sharing there stories has eased my mind greatly.

Chris

As many others have said princess is really good about accommodating for allergies.

Pre Cruise: Be sure to fill out your cruise personalizer to inform the dietary specialist of your allergy, you will get an email to confirm. If you already have your excursion booked you can let the dietary coordinator know as well at this time. Not a bad idea to pack a few snacks though (something pre-packaged that can be brought off the ship) for port days

On the cruise: The maitre'D or head waiter will usually find you at dinner on the first night to discuss your allergy with you. They will provide you copies of the menus for the following day. you can select whatever you would like and they will make it for you specially (if there is anything they can't make they will let you know which items they are). They suggest that if possible you avoid the buffet and eat all of your meals in one of the restaurants as they can't prevent cross contamination but if you choose to eat in the buffet, speak to the chef and he can let you know which items should be safe to eat. If you choose to go to one of the specialty restaurants you can have the waiter in the dining room make the reservation for you while you are reviewing the menu for the following day and they will inform them of your allergy. If you make the reservation yourself just let them know at the time of booking. As far as excursion go, head down to the shore excursions desk and speak to the shorex manager, let them know which tours you are on that provide meals, they can get in touch with the tour operators to inform them ahead of time about your food allergy. Most tours are pretty good about accommodating for allergies.

As many others have said princess is really good about accommodating for allergies.

 

Pre Cruise: ... If you already have your excursion booked you can let the dietary coordinator know as well at this time. Not a bad idea to pack a few snacks though (something pre-packaged that can be brought off the ship) for port days

 

On the cruise: ...As far as excursion go, head down to the shore excursions desk and speak to the shorex manager, let them know which tours you are on that provide meals, they can get in touch with the tour operators to inform them ahead of time about your food allergy. Most tours are pretty good about accommodating for allergies.

Thanks for the info, it is helpful for people like me with other food issues. Unfortunately, the Dietary Coordinator told me that I will need to select my meals from the menus available on the tours, and to speak to the Maitre d' when I get on board. I don't find that they have been very helpful, which is frustrating. :(

But I am glad that the service will be much better on board, so I will certainly speak to the Maitre d' and the Shorex Manager! Thanks. :)

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While watching a program recently that included doctors talking about Gluten free foods, they mentioned that only those suffering from "Celiacs" Disease should eat Gluten free. They stressed that for All others it can actually be harmful.

 

And all this time I thought it was a vegan thing!:)

Except GF is the easiest way to avoid wheat, which is a FODMAP, and thus problematic for people with fructose malabsorption, IBS, etc. When I ask for 'wheat-free', people look at me oddly!

But I am always quite concerned by medical "experts" who don't recognise wheat and other FODMAPs when discussing GF. It is a false assumption, which leads restaurant staff, not to mention the regular person on the street, to mistakenly believe anyone eating GF who isn't coeliac is faking it, or is being pretentious. While it can be a prevention, not eating wheat is also a sign of other medical food intolerances.

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Thanks for the info, it is helpful for people like me with other food issues. Unfortunately, the Dietary Coordinator told me that I will need to select my meals from the menus available on the tours, Once you are on the ship, go to the shore excursion desk and ask them to notify the tour vendors of your dietary restrictions. The vendors may or may not be able to have something special for you. You do not need to speak with the manager, anyone at the desk can assist you. and to speak to the Maitre d' when I get on board. Yes, as others have said, speak with the Maitre d' or headwaiter the first evening. I don't find that they have been very helpful, which is frustrating. :(

 

But I am glad that the service will be much better on board, so I will certainly speak to the Maitre d' and the Shorex Manager! Thanks. :)

 

 

see above in red

see above in red

Fingers crossed that the day tour I am booked into will have something I can eat, otherwise it will be a long day without being able to eat! Thanks.

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Wow! Thank you so much for all your info! We're thinking about going to a specialty restaurant, but are hesitant if I will just get a bowl of fruit for dessert. That doesn't seem worth the cover charge. We leave in a week for our cruise and I'm excited to cruise as a Celiac for the first time. Thanks again!!!

Bonnie (aka flourpot)

Wow! Thank you so much for all your info! We're thinking about going to a specialty restaurant, but are hesitant if I will just get a bowl of fruit for dessert. That doesn't seem worth the cover charge. We leave in a week for our cruise and I'm excited to cruise as a Celiac for the first time. Thanks again!!!

 

Bonnie (aka flourpot)

Bon Voyage!

Wow! Thank you so much for all your info! We're thinking about going to a specialty restaurant, but are hesitant if I will just get a bowl of fruit for dessert. That doesn't seem worth the cover charge. We leave in a week for our cruise and I'm excited to cruise as a Celiac for the first time. Thanks again!!!

 

B

Check with the specialty restaurant to see what they can do to work with your dietary needs. Do this at least one day before you want to go there.

Hi Flourpot

I have eaten at several of the speciality restaurants as a celiac and you have no worries there.:). I told our head waiter we'd be eating there and he passed the info on (as I also informed them at the time of reservation). They were all so helpful and it was a great experience.nnnow we always book one meal at a specialty

Have a great cruise!

Shell43...may I ask advice? Just recently diagnosed (2 months) as gluten sensitive. Taking first cruise (RCCL) in Nov with next Princess cruise in March. I appreciate everyone's comments and suggestions. But you mentioned converting recipes, I am having a heck of a time with this and the trash can has ended up with most of them. Can you direct me to a source that can guide me in the way to convert recipes? Taste has not been an issue but texture has. Most breads and rolls are so dense and heavy they are inedible. Same with pizza crusts and pie crusts. Sorry to hijack cruise related board with this question but I am really struggling with this.

Chris

I hope you've been able to find some recipes! There are so many now using almond flour that are yummy! Search for Wheat Belly recipes, which will be low carb as well as wheat free. There is a FB page for WB that has all kinds of recipes.

You need to be prepared. From experience, you cannot depend on the dining room to accommodate you. Might depend on the day.

My wife was diagnosed with coeliac disease in 1984. Since then we have completed many cruises with Princess and several other cruise lines.

Princess are usually very good at catering for special diets, so I will try not to repeat all of the previous advice.

Some chefs go beyond the call of duty to provide a wide range of appetising GF options - and will happily modify items from the main menus. Incidentally, Princess do not use wheat flour to thicken any sauces or gravies.

I recommend that when you pre-order meals for the following day, always specify the detailed items you require. Otherwise, Princess have a tendency to omit parts of a course that would normally contain gluten, but without serving any substitute. So for instance, if you order a main course that includes croquette potatoes (rolled in breadcrumbs), you must specify a different type of potato. Otherwise, your meal will probably arrive without any potatoes. And although they are not listed on the printed menus, steamed vegetables are always available.

Desserts cause more problems, because many of them are gateaux or have pastry bases. So if you fancy something that does not appear on the printed menu, ask whether it can be provided. My wife can recommend the gluten free soufflés, which were produced to special order. Seasonal fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, etc.), are usually available.

On sea days, the afternoon tea service in one of the main restaurants might include gluten free sandwiches, scones and cakes.

Sliced bead is available in the main restaurants and in the Horizon buffet - but not bread rolls. The kitchens use dedicated toasters, which avoids cross contamination. Princess do not offer pre-packed biscuits and crackers (for cheese). So take your own crackers, if you enjoy cheese and biscuits.

The ships restaurant and catering staff are not responsible for any meals during shore excursions. Consequently, you should always go to the shore excursions desk at least two days before each excursion and ask the staff to advise their suppliers ashore. We have never experienced problems.

We have just returned from a cruise on Crown Princess and unusually, the chef was not very cooperative. In the unlikely event that you experience similar problems, do not hesitate to contact the Maître d' or the Food and Beverage Manager. For further information, please see my review at www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=582103.

Thanks for all your advice!

We are considering a Princess cruise, but are concerned about taking excursions being Celiac and dairy free.

I see you took a tour in 2016, what was your experience?

WHen we've gone on Holland America, they have arranged all meals with the shore excursion tours.

Thanks

Sue

"This year we will be doing Princess for the first time for her so it will be interesting to see how they handle the dairy and gluten allergy she now has. I am sure we will report back if it is poor, but that is not our expectations. Be sure to note it in the cruise personalizer and princess will reach out to you.

"

Food allergies are the primary reason we prefer cruising. We don't have any experience with Princess yet, but Carnival was great with my wife's dairy allergy. She would order the night before for the MDR and in the buffet she would have food specifically cooked for her (I.e. Omelettes). We did a specialty dinning one night and spoke with the hostess the day prior to make sure everyone was aware. Most items were not am issue, but it took some convincing to cook escargot without butter. In the end my wife ended up with a bowl full of snails and it is a meal she will remember for ever. In short on the ship they are pretty great at handling this.

 

Off the ship via excursions is another story. We would talk to the tour guide and try to make sure something was available. Sometimes it worked out great other times less. Be sure to have some sort of back up snack.

 

Desserts can be difficult, but their were a few good surprises for my wife. She is always said when the option is fruit or sorbet.

 

This year we will be doing Princess for the first time for her so it will be interesting to see how they handle the dairy and gluten allergy she now has. I am sure we will report back if it is poor, but that is not our expectations. Be sure to note it in the cruise personalizer and princess will reach out to you.

We have booked our first cruise. All the advice about gf has me much less nervous and I have an email into the specialty diet Dept at Princess. However I have found that the excursions that provide "snacks" have not been able to accommodate gf. They have been willing to let me bring a snack however. I will just have to find a grocery after we fly in and before the cruise departs which is doable.