Gluten free the Westerdam is not!!

[Jemima]

Aren't these 21 items bakery items? Another poster stated they had choices such as breads, cookies, cake. Otherwise the person should be able to select appropriate items from the regular and always available menu.

The maitre'd and head waiters have the diet noted and see that either a head waiter or the dining steward presents a menu each evening for the next evening's choices. Unless the process has changed, this menu is presented around dessert time and the dining steward or head waiter writes down the order and collects the menu. Has that process changed?

HAL dining stewards are generally very good at knowing and/or checking if an item is gluten-free, sugar free, low salt, vegetarian or whatever. My HAL experiences have been better than my one Princess & 2 Carnival dining experiences, but all have been better than some land restaurants.

Yes, I did notice OP gave a good review of her cruise except for the dining. That wasn't typical of HAL.

[vbmom87]

Aren't these 21 items bakery items? Another poster stated they had choices such as breads, cookies, cake. Otherwise the person should be able to select appropriate items from the regular and always available menu.

The maitre'd and head waiters have the diet noted and see that either a head waiter or the dining steward presents a menu each evening for the next evening's choices. Unless the process has changed, this menu is presented around dessert time and the dining steward or head waiter writes down the order and collects the menu. Has that process changed?

HAL dining stewards are generally very good at knowing and/or checking if an item is gluten-free, sugar free, low salt, vegetarian or whatever. My HAL experiences have been better than my one Princess & 2 Carnival dining experiences, but all have been better than some land restaurants.

Yes, I did notice OP gave a good review of her cruise except for the dining. That wasn't typical of HAL.

 

From all I have read yes, what you have described is how it is supposed to work and many have reported it worked that way for them. However, the OPs experience was much different. It sounds like the Westerdam had a totally breakdown in the system.

 

I am a vegetarian and if by accident I get something prepared with a meat based broth or some meat/fish in the entree, I am not going to get sick. People with celiac disease can't afford to have a mistake made with their meals. It sounds like the crew on the Westerdam was not educated properly. That is why I keep encouraging the OP to please write Seattle. The crew on this ship needs some major training.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Aren't these 21 items bakery items? Another poster stated they had choices such as breads, cookies, cake. Otherwise the person should be able to select appropriate items from the regular and always available menu.

The maitre'd and head waiters have the diet noted and see that either a head waiter or the dining steward presents a menu each evening for the next evening's choices. Unless the process has changed, this menu is presented around dessert time and the dining steward or head waiter writes down the order and collects the menu. Has that process changed?

HAL dining stewards are generally very good at knowing and/or checking if an item is gluten-free, sugar free, low salt, vegetarian or whatever. My HAL experiences have been better than my one Princess & 2 Carnival dining experiences, but all have been better than some land restaurants.

Yes, I did notice OP gave a good review of her cruise except for the dining. That wasn't typical of HAL.

 

Yes, the limit of 21 is for "bakery items" and other items that would ordinarily be made with wheat flour. It does not count meat and veggies and fruits.

 

I think you have described the process correctly, at least as I've seen it in action, but in OP's case, the process broke down somewhere. The problem might have been newbie waiters who didn't understand what she needed. This is NOT an excuse, but a possible explanation.

 

As the dining room manager explained it to the woman at our table, when she checked in at the podium (open seating) each night, her cabin number would be "flagged" to show that she had a special meal pre-ordered and the waiters would be alerted.

[Arwen]

Thanks for the link. I did have sympathy for the OP until I read that.

 

I have gluten intolerance or celiac disease. I am confused as to why you do not have sympathy for the OP?

 

Perhaps he did not win friends but more enemies by his attitude. Don't know because I wasn't there. I know that using a bit of honey is much better than a dose of vinegar to encourage people to listen to you.

 

I have cruised HAL 7 times now and with X twice. HAL does an above average job of addressing GF in the MDR for dinner. You are given a menu the night before and circle what your choices are. Your choices then are adapted to be gluten free (no wheat, rye, barley and oats. Oats are ok, but regular oats are "cross contaminated" with wheat.

 

Many people do not understand cross contamination. The individual seems picky, no? Most of us know what happens when a person with a peanut allergy eats food that is peanut free but may have come in contact with utensils, etc that had peanut residue.....that can be life threatening.

 

While a celiac won't have an anaphylactic reaction, a very sensitive celiac can and does get very ill with cross contamination.

 

HAL has to accommodate so many pax. The only truly safe place is in the MDR. Even there, I have had meals delivered to me that were not gf. One occasion, I received a meal that had a dark sauce (possibly wheat filled soy). I questioned the waiter and he quickly realized it was the wrong plate.

 

I agree, that most of the other eating venues outside of the Pinnacle or MDR or even the Tamarind, do not understand cross contamination.

 

I always bring along my own snacks and cookies and candies. Cruising would be more fun on HAL if they just had a few things in the snack/fast food areas that were designated GF or if they allowed for us to order these prior to boarding....and I would willingly pay an extra fee for this service.

 

HAL rates an OK in this area, but they are not "great". Only when we were on our 33 day Hawaii/Tahiti/Marquesas cruise, did I see how wonderful HAL could be! But that was due to the Dutch Dining Room Manager who was A+. I gave him a glowing evaluation at the end of that cruise (He made sure I had a gf birthday cake AND a gf anniversary cake, both were gorgeous and delicious.)

 

And lastly, I have never found ordering for breakfast in MDR or even lunch to be an easy task. I still have trouble trying to get menus to mark for bkfst and lunch. HAL definitely needs to improve in this area.

 

There is room for improvement and if HAL could be more like Disney in just offering a little more to us folks (again, willing to pay an extra fee for service) they would garner a very loyal and large following....because the celiac community really spreads the word on companies offering great options and service. :D

[Arwen]

I wanted to add, that I always submit my gf menu requests 60-90 days before departure.

 

I am fairly sure that no one actually keeps track of what items are marked or how many....that is choices for gf cereals, noodles, pizzas, muffins, cake, cookies, etc.

 

This is one area that truly bugs me. Do away with that silly menu other than noting the pax is gf. On every cruise, they either don't have the cake, don't have the cookies or don't have ....fill in the blank. Now, mind you processed foods and desserts I can live without. But if you submit the requests in a timely fashion then why are the items not available?

 

It would be better for HAL to start charging for these items and actually have them on ship for me or other gf folks. I, for one, am used to having pay a little extra for my special items....they ARE more expensive. So HAL, if you are reading this, please try do better in this area. :D

[callmedeb]

Mardi ignore the ignorant posts.

 

I am an allergy sufferer, I have Oral Allergy Syndrome which causes me to be allergic to nuts and most raw fruit and veg. I am also in the 0.01% of people with OAS who have an anaphylactic reaction and can stop breathing or go in to seisure within seconds of injesting something that is even cross contaminated.

 

I've had no problem in my three previous HAL experiences, but I appreciate you sharing your experience with all of us. It's a good reminder for us to not rest on our laurals and let our vigilance slip when it comes to our food.

 

Thank you for your review and for your warning.

 

Cheers,

 

Deb

[Islandergirl]

I wanted to add, that I always submit my gf menu requests 60-90 days before departure.

 

I am fairly sure that no one actually keeps track of what items are marked or how many....that is choices for gf cereals, noodles, pizzas, muffins, cake, cookies, etc.

 

This is one area that truly bugs me. Do away with that silly menu other than noting the pax is gf. On every cruise, they either don't have the cake, don't have the cookies or don't have ....fill in the blank. Now, mind you processed foods and desserts I can live without. But if you submit the requests in a timely fashion then why are the items not available?

 

It would be better for HAL to start charging for these items and actually have them on ship for me or other gf folks. I, for one, am used to having pay a little extra for my special items....they ARE more expensive. So HAL, if you are reading this, please try do better in this area. :D

 

Very nicely said in both posts Arwen!

 

I have been following this post and thought I would give my own experience from my recent cruise on the Eurodam.

 

My background:

First of all, I am not celiac (thankfully!), but I am gluten intolerant, lactose intolerant, and allergic to garlic. (Want to take me out to dinner? LOL)

 

Celiac is a serious disease that may not make you react right away, but can slowly kill your body over time. There are SO many complications that celiac disease can be linked to...just google it! People really do not understand food allergies until they develop one themselves.

 

On my recent 10-day cruise on the Eurodam I actually lost 4 pounds. Months before my vacation I filled out "that form" with my 21 items (plenty of items on the list). Of course, when I got there no one knew what I was talking about and I never did see half of those foods. In fairness, I only ate in the dinning room twice and they did say that is the only place you could get the GF items. I feel they did a pretty good job in the dinning room and I definately ate better on the ship than at port! As for cross-contamination, do we ever really know what is going on back in the kitchen? The staff really didn't understand and I think education could go a long way. I ended up actually eating at the Lido most of the cruise because I could see everything. OHHH, but I wish they would put out soy, rice, or any lactose-free milk for coffee in the Lido!

 

As more and more people are developing food allergies and intolerances (4 girls I know from high school alone now cannot eat gluten!), then society as a whole (hotels/restaurants/cruises, etc.) are going to have to get educated. If a cruise line says they can accommodate us, then they should be able to.

 

To the OP, don't listen to the haters and thanks for your review!

[Bearnaise]

Mardi ignore the ignorant posts.

 

I am an allergy sufferer, I have Oral Allergy Syndrome which causes me to be allergic to nuts and most raw fruit and veg. I am also in the 0.01% of people with OAS who have an anaphylactic reaction and can stop breathing or go in to seisure within seconds of injesting something that is even cross contaminated.

 

I've had no problem in my three previous HAL experiences, but I appreciate you sharing your experience with all of us. It's a good reminder for us to not rest on our laurals and let our vigilance slip when it comes to our food.

I guess I am one of those ignorant posters. I can't figure out how you can maintain your vigilance over cross-contamination that could kill you in seconds when you're not watching what's happening behind the scenes in a huge, crowded, busy cruiseship kitchen staffed by overworked employees :eek:

 

It must take an incredible leap of faith for you to put yourself in their hands.

[AWorldCruise4Me]

I guess I am one of those ignorant posters. I can't figure out how you can maintain your vigilance over cross-contamination that could kill you in seconds when you're not watching what's happening behind the scenes in a huge, crowded, busy cruiseship kitchen staffed by overworked employees :eek:

 

It must take an incredible leap of faith for you to put yourself in their hands.

 

Eating out is incredibly challenging. Everyone who can't eat gluten eventually develops the skills of a fine detective. You learn to ask questions about food prep such as, where ingredients came from and were they checked, what utensils are used, if a gluten free toaster is used or the toaster bags to isolate your toast, if a separate clean pan and clean utensils are used, if the grill is ever used for breaded products, if the grease is ever used to fry breaded products etc. It can be really intimidating for new people and really exhausting for those of us who have to do it.

 

Sometimes you start getting good answers right away and you know the folks know what they are doing. Sometimes you get vague, or muddled answers and you know that the staff doesn't and it isn't safe to assume anything.

 

Many cruise ships have dedicated kitchen prep areas for all allergy suffers (celiac is an auto immune disease but it is easier to explain to people as an allergy). Once you get a good server who knows what they are doing and if the kitchen has a dedicated space with a specially trained staff then you can rest easy. Next time you go on a kitchen tour ask to see the allergy prep area. It's lovely for someone like me to see it all nice and separate. :-)

 

At home when I go to a known good (for us gluten free people) deli or pizza place they do things like take the toppings out of the freezer where they aren't sitting on the counter getting cross contaminated by people's gloves or flour being thrown around. They have separate pans for gluten free pizza. They always change their gloves before working on your stuff.

 

Two quick examples of trying a new place. I went to a local just opened breakfast place that advertise gluten free. I was thrilled to hear they offered gluten free waffles in addition to other options. When ordering I discovered during my questioning that they used the same waffle making machine that they used for regular waffles. This told me that nothing they offered was safe as they didn't know the basic principles regarding cross contamination.

 

Another new place I tried was our local Dairy Queen as I had heard that Diary Queen had great gluten free options. The guy at the counter was going through them for me and when he mentioned Blizzards I asked if that was possible since some of the offerings had gluten in them and the machine would be cross contaminated. He said, oh no, they had a dedicated machine on the other side of the shop for nut and gluten allergies which was never contaminated and he pointed it out to me. I knew right away that this shop 'got it' and I could order without fear of getting sick.

 

Michelle

[Bearnaise]

Thanks, Michelle. In a perfect world, it sounds like asking the right questions would be enough. In a less than perfect world, I see two big problems with that: (1) people make mistakes, and (2) people lie. If it's the vegan that accidentally gets a bit of dairy mixed in with his tempe because the new guy accidentally switched the cutting boards, oh well. But if the waiter accidentally grabs the pasta meant for the peanut allergy guy and not the gluten-free rice-flour pasta meant for the celiac sufferer, that's a bigger oops. Hopefully everyone will always do what they say, and do it accurately, but when it comes to preserving my life, I'd rather trust medical professionals and ship captains (who still, on occasion, make errors) than overworked and lesser-trained kitchen staff. YMMV.

[AWorldCruise4Me]

...But if the waiter accidentally grabs the pasta meant for the peanut allergy guy and not the gluten-free rice-flour pasta meant for the celiac sufferer, that's a bigger oops. .

 

You are right in that things are not perfect. Rice pasta almost always looks different than regular so right away when you get a dish you have to inspect it for mistakes. Is there a sauce there that shouldn't be or looks to have thickener in it? If so you have to ask was it thickened with corn starch. Does the pasta look like rice pasta or do you suddenly have fettuccine (most ships only care one type of gluten free pasta and you get to know the look of it)? Is there a crouton in your salad or a bit of one? If so it has to go back. Was anything you ordered taken off the buffet? So the questions don't stop.

 

But I ask you based on your post what would be the alternative? Gluten free people could not cruise or go out to eat but that is a very restrictive lifestyle. Instead we ask questions and observe and ask more questions. In addition I take GlutenEase a digestive enzyme that helps me not get glutened by a bit of cross contamination.

 

Michelle

[Arwen]

Yeah. Making them throw out a gluten-free pizza because it was cut with a pizza cutter that had previously cut a regular pizza? From wikipedia: "The term gluten-free is generally used to indicate a supposed harmless level of gluten rather than a complete absence."

 

How much gluten could possibly have still been on the pizza cutter to warrant throwing out a perfectly good pizza? Does HAL charge these sorts of people more than the rest of us, and if not, why not?

 

If you read the rest of this thread and the responses, I am sure you will have more sympathy for the OP and the rest of us who do get sick and have to dodge food that certainly can ruin our cruise. I forget what the level of miniscule gluten that can be tolerated but it probably can be found at the GIG website (Gluten Intolerance Group) that educates restaurants and others interested in learning how to prepare meals safely. Believe me, the amount is VERY tiny! I do know that the level of gluten on a pizza slicer would definitely be enough to make someone ill. And some do get sick in a similar manner like the Noro virus.

 

Yes, it is a shame that a pizza would have to be thrown out. But again, I hope that some rep from HAL will read this thread and provide prepackaged or other items that we can "buy" on board or prior to. Really, with the tight economy and with all the cruise lines in stiff competition, I can tell you that if HAL buffed up their gluten free offerings and education that they would gain a very loyal group of people. This autoimmune problem is not a diet fad and it is here to stay. More and more people are getting diagnosed as celiac can mimic arthritis, neurological problems, IBS, and a host of other illnesses. The University of Maryland in a study done years ago, found that 1 out of 110 people are celiac and the vast majority do not know.

 

And as you say.....yes "these people" should be charged more. I have no problem with that. Give us a choice and I will take it. By the way....a celiac gets no "credit back" for not eating all of the goodies offered at the midnight dessert hour, the ice cream stations, the pizza station, the vast majority of food we cannot eat in the Lido, and running to the coffee bar for a cookie or pastry....but I am not complaining. I always end up after a cruise either at the same weight (I am fit and thin) or even having lost a few pounds. :eek:

[3rdGenCunarder]

There are so many issues here, that I wonder how anyone with a severe gluten intolerance has the courage to travel. Not making fun of anyone, I'm serious. My uncle was an insulin-dependent (VERY dependent) diabetic. His food issues were easy to deal with compared with some others.

 

Someone commented that he/she understands the cruise line can't easily set up a GF table. Someone else, maybe the OP said something about language issues with the waiters. It is true that some of the waiters have better English language skills than others. And it's clear that some waiters understand the gluten issues better than others.

 

So HAL can't set up tables according to special food needs. But would it be so difficult for HAL to make sure that someone with severe food issues gets experienced waiters with better English? If you tell HAL in advance about a food issue, why can't they flag your reservation so that the restaurant manager knows you need experienced waiters who will understand what you need? This would mean assigned dining, but I would think eating at a set time as opposed to your own convenience would be a reasonable trade for service that would get you what you need.

[BalconyGal]

I have celiac as well so the gluten free title caught my eye. I cannot believe the nastiness the OP received as a response to trying to do a good dead for other GF cruisers.

 

 

For your imformation celiac is an autoimmune disease like lupus, MS and type 1 diabetes. Gluten free food is our medicine like insulin to a diabetic. How dare you question the OP's decision to throw out that pizza? Would you expect a diabetic to inject their insulin with a dirty needle? Learn your facts before you show your ignorance in such a public display.

 

Thank you OP I will be sure to consider this in my future cruising needs. I'm glad you found that knowledgeable chef. And I would try to get HAL to refund all the money you had to spend finding what was promised in the MDR elsewhere.

[Bearnaise]

For your imformation celiac is an autoimmune disease like lupus, MS and type 1 diabetes. Gluten free food is our medicine like insulin to a diabetic. How dare you question the OP's decision to throw out that pizza? Would you expect a diabetic to inject their insulin with a dirty needle? Learn your facts before you show your ignorance in such a public display.

Excuse me for showing my ignorance of a rare disease that doesn't affect me, I just thought it a waste of a pizza, that's all. Lots of people in the world suffer for hunger and that pizza could have been their medicine.

 

Much diabetes is fully or partially regulated through diet, not just insulin injections, and the ship doesn't provide insulin or hypodermic needles. The ships provided sugar-free desserts, but few diabetics will keel over and die if they eat one of these that was accidentally prepared with real sugar. If they offered a lo-carb pizza for diabetics, using the same pizza cutter to regular pizzas wouldn't hurt the lo-carb pizza by any significant means.

 

The reason why I am ignorant is because I still can't understand why people who risk death or at least serious distress in case of the slightest bit of "cross-contamination" would put themselves in the hands of kitchens that normally serve thousands of regular meals a day. If room service is notorious for screwing up orders (such as the ham they put in my cheese-only omelet once, even though I don't eat ham), I can't believe all of you have faith that there won't be similar mistakes with the gluten-free orders.

 

And Michelle: I know you say you can often tell the difference, say if regular instead of rice pasta was used, but if that pizza in question was sliced back in the kitchen, how would you have known whether it was sliced with a clean or a contaminated slicer?

[AWorldCruise4Me]

...

The reason why I am ignorant is because I still can't understand why people who risk death or at least serious distress in case of the slightest bit of "cross-contamination" would put themselves in the hands of kitchens that normally serve thousands of regular meals a day. If room service is notorious for screwing up orders (such as the ham they put in my cheese-only omelet once, even though I don't eat ham), I can't believe all of you have faith that there won't be similar mistakes with the gluten-free orders.

 

And Michelle: I know you say you can often tell the difference, say if regular instead of rice pasta was used, but if that pizza in question was sliced back in the kitchen, how would you have known whether it was sliced with a clean or a contaminated slicer?

 

Hi Bearnaise,

 

Some people don't risk eating out. On the celiac boards you will find those who won't eat anything that they don't prepare. But some of us find that too restrictive of a lifestyle. So you do your best to research, ask the right questions, and find out from others what their experiences are so that you can make good choices on where to go.

 

Most restaurants that we end up having good experiences with often have the gluten free meal either prepared by or supervised by a manager. The people in the allergy portion of the cruise ship kitchen are often excellent. Most chef's trained in Europe are very versed in gluten free so in many instances a cruise ship chef is pretty darn good.

 

I did a world cruise gluten free (107 days) and yes I did run into problems frequently due to staff turnover. Room service was one of the problem areas because I never knew who I was talking to and explaining the issue didn't always get the desired results. One time I had dinner delivered to my room and I could tell it wasn't gluten free pasta. I called back to question it and spoke to the guy who usually handled my food. He gasped, "Don't eat it!" and they would send someone right away to pick it up and deliver the right meal. Most educated service people want to do the right thing.

 

In terms of the pizza. You have to determine if the person taking your order knows what they are doing and is conveying the information to the food prep person. You do this through asking questions and determining if the answers are correct. As I mentioned above you pretty quickly learn to interpret the answers and know if things are OK or not. Some restaurants will flat out say they can't serve a gluten free meal and we just leave. No hard feeling, no fuss. I'd rather they tell me.

 

The waiter in question for this cruise, knew he goofed so he threw the pizza out. Most gluten free items are not very good so he knew he couldn't take it back to the kitchen and pawn it off on someone else. :-)

 

Even with all the vigilance in the world there is a good chance you will still get glutened. That is why I take GlutenEase when I eat out at an unfamiliar place. And why the boards are so important. If there is a trend of good experiences at a restaurant, resort or cruise line it make it easier for the rest of us when we choose where to go.

 

The original poster was attempting to let us know that there wasn't proper training on this ship. That is very, very valuable information for us.

 

Michelle

[bepsf]

A very dear friend has celiac. He always asks for the next day's menus at dinner & works out his food plan with the dining steward & area captain. So far it's been no muss no fuss. But he's a honey-type. Not an ounce of vinegar in him. :D

 

You're too kind...

...I do have some vinegar in me tho - Mostly Balsamic ;)

 

But yes - I deal with Celiac and fortunately don't have as severe a case as some others such as my Uncle who have the same type of sensitivity as the individual who wrote the review - so I completely understand and can verify the cross-contamination issue.

 

HAL does do a fairly good job, in my experience, dealing with this. If you have a severe case and let them know ahead of time through your TA it certainly can be a help - tho they tend to want to know what you'll want to eat before you step aboard, which is simply too much planning for me...

...but I've never found there to be a lack of suitable GF breads, English Muffins and such for my enjoyment - plus I simply avoid things like pizzas because I know that they use the frozen stuff which just isn't as good as the fresh-made GF crusts.

 

I've found it best to confer with the Maitre'd for a brief discussion about one's special dining needs before the ship leaves the pier - and to have fixed seating reserved so you're not re-educating servers every night.

 

If you're in a Deluxe Suite, the folks in Pinnacle do a superb job of looking after your dietary needs for Breakfast since they have very few people to deal with - I just take take a bit of extra time on the first morning to let the Pinnacle Maitre'd know what my needs are and I go back every day so the same folks can look after me. Otherwise, the MDR and Room Service is the best bet for Breakfasts and Luncheons, as the Lido is generally too chaotic and random to have our needs taken care of unless one makes a point of hitting up the same food station every single day.

 

As with anything else aboard ship - I find that the more I frequent the same venues and get to know the staff members there, the more they get accustomed to me and my habits, are better prepared to look after my needs, and we all wind up having an enjoyable time together.

:)

[lifeizgr8]

I am the original poster, lifeizgr8 and I have written to HAL to let them know the problems I had and to let them know, even 2 of the Chef's I spoke to said there was a lack of communication and education! I am hoping to hear from them, and in that response, I am hoping that education for the servers is the choice they make to help those with Celiac or who are gluten free!

 

Thank you to all, but especially to those of you to continued to post to the others, who had no idea what can happen if contamination is a factor!!

 

I have been ill for almost an entire week, and I was hoping the posts would help others with their cruise if they are on the Westerdam!! I just loved the ship, and really hope to cruise with her again! We had a great time, but wished I was able to do more and not deal with this, but I think it is my responsibility to let other CC posters know the problems, and to let HAL know as well!!

 

I thank Andrew in the Pinnacle (loved it so much, especially breakfast), and I hope Andrew will educate some of the other servers!! THANKS ANDREW FOR THE GREAT FOOD IN THE PINNACLE!!!

 

Happy cruising to all!

Mardi :):)

Portland, Oregon

lifeizgr8

[lifeizgr8]

In addition I take GlutenEase a digestive enzyme that helps me not get glutened by a bit of cross contamination.

 

Michelle

 

I have heard of GlutenEase, but have not tried it. I have read many reviews, but they are mixed, and many more thumbs up than thumbs down! What do you think, and when do you take it?

 

In the reviews I have read, people take it very differently...what works for you?

 

Thank you,

Mardi (OP)

Portland, Oregon

[AWorldCruise4Me]

I have heard of GlutenEase, but have not tried it. I have read many reviews, but they are mixed, and many more thumbs up than thumbs down! What do you think, and when do you take it?

 

In the reviews I have read, people take it very differently...what works for you?

 

Thank you,

Mardi (OP)

Portland, Oregon

 

Hi Mardi,

 

I take GlutenEase at the start of any potentially suspect meal. I addition I take the Digest Gold product at the same time. I usually skip it when home or at a restaurant that I've had tons of good experiences with.

 

When I was first diagnosed I found I got sick 4 out of 5 times when eating out. Granted I didn't know how to order and hadn't yet widdled my list of safe places down so that was part of it. However, it was so discouraging. I became like a hermit and only ate my own food, carrying a cooler in the car etc. When GlutenEase came out I read the reviews and decided to try it. The instructions said to take it with Digest Gold for best results so that it what I did. I then started going out to eat again. 10 out of 10 times I was safe! I almost never got glutened any more. In fact I thought maybe somehow I had gotten better. But then I stopped taking it and wham, got glutened so went right back on.

 

The best thing to do is to take it at the beginning of your meal with your first couple of bites but I find I can still take it afterwards and get rid of the symptoms. Sometimes when I try a new product at home or forget to take it at a restaurant and get glutened (which for me is 20 min. after I eat I get diarrhea) I can take one or two doses and it stops. If I don't then 10 min. later I have diarrhea again and/or a stomach pain. Also I feel like my whole body is poisoned.

 

From what I've read it isn't meant to allow you to eat gluten but it does seem to do a marvelous job keeping me from experiencing episodes of cross contamination. Sometimes if it is a bad glutening I take two after the fact. Usually it eliminates the symptoms very quickly. Once I ran out of Digest Gold and found GlutenEase worked on its own but I still take them together as I don't really want to mess with success.

 

Cheers!

Michelle

[Tamaracboy]

You were allowed and promised 21 gluten free items total, for the entire cruise. After the 21 were served to you, then they had your credit card and you would be charged $2 per gluten free item you ate over the allotted 21 for the week.

 

****** SNIP *******

 

I am over it, but I just think others need to know what could occur, so they bring enough gluten free food on their cruise if they are aboard the Westerdam!

 

Thank you for your concern,

Mardi

 

Mardi,

 

Thank you for this thread !

I had to wait to post to allow time to calm down enough to not FLAME the supremely (and willfully) ignorant posters who just had to expose their prejudices here.

 

Very glad you have written Seattle, however as many (non-cheerleader) CC`ers will confirm, they have a less than stellar history of responding.

 

JMHO they should, at the very least, refund your entire Pinnacle Grill expenses, including all of your party. After all the others could have eaten in the MDR.

 

For me it is totally inconceivable that, in this day and age, anyone in the food service field could be so unaware at all levels as evidenced by what you encountered in the Westerdam MDR.

Especially on HAL, where their staff is typically very well trained, and vetted for English competency.

Do they believe that just because they are legally protected from a law suit in case of injury or death by the fine print in the mandatory contract, that they should ignore the fact that they are in the "hospitality" industry?

 

In reading your experience with the pre-approved menu only allowing 21 items for a week; are you not entitled to (as are all other PAX) an appetizer, entree and desert at dinner? soup with lunch?? sausage with your omelette???

21 seems exceedingly restrictive!

And forget having to pay extra, what with all the other food you can/will not be eating due to your requirements. That should more than make up for the additional expense of GF ingredients.

 

Wishing you an intelligent response from Seattle,

r.

[Boytjie]

Thank you for this thread raising more awareness regarding gluten free issues and celiac disease!

 

At church we have a parishioner that requires gluten free communion wafers and we have been able to provide it. For her, cross contamination may not be an issue since it is placed in the bowl with regular wheat wafers. I have suggested that we rethink how we handle gluten free wafers in the future since cross contamination might be an issue for someone else.

[vbmom87]

In reading your experience with the pre-approved menu only allowing 21 items for a week; are you not entitled to (as are all other PAX) an appetizer, entree and desert at dinner? soup with lunch?? sausage with your omelette???

21 seems exceedingly restrictive!

And forget having to pay extra, what with all the other food you can/will not be eating due to your requirements. That should more than make up for the additional expense of GF ingredients.

 

Wishing you an intelligent response from Seattle,

r.

 

The 21 items refer to breads/desserts, etc. Those things typically made from wheat.

 

They have to be very vigilant about anything with marinades, dressings, etc, because many items have an ingredient that has gluten.

 

Usually plain meats, vegetables, fruits etc. will be fine.

 

I think the day is coming when the menus will be offering symbols for gluten free, vegetarian, vegan, etc. Many restaurants currently are offering this symbol system. Eventually I hope it will be part of the cruiseline menu.

 

I am glad the OP wrote to Seattle and I do hope she gets a satisfactory response. In this day and age there is no excuse for anyone in the business of feeding people to not be aware of gluten free diets. I think the biggest confusion lies in the fact that some choose a gluten free diet because they feel it is a healthier choice. Those people will nottypically be affected adversely by cross contamination. However, those that are on a gluten free diet because of Celiac Disease can experience very serious side effects and for them it is imperative they have no cross contamination.

 

This thread has been very informative to those who were not aware of Celiac Disease.

[lifeizgr8]

I wanted to let some of you know that have been following this thread, I DID GET A RESPONSE FROM HOLLAND AMERICA!! My letter has been send to the Office of the President for review.

 

After some review, they have assigned me a case number and have told me they will respond in a few weeks from the Office of the President.

 

So, time will tell, but maybe they will educate some of the servers!! :)

 

Thanks for all for your consideration!!

 

Mardi :)

[lifeizgr8]

Hi Mardi,

 

I take GlutenEase at the start of any potentially suspect meal. I addition I take the Digest Gold product at the same time. I usually skip it when home or at a restaurant that I've had tons of good experiences with.

 

When I was first diagnosed I found I got sick 4 out of 5 times when eating out. Granted I didn't know how to order and hadn't yet widdled my list of safe places down so that was part of it. However, it was so discouraging. I became like a hermit and only ate my own food, carrying a cooler in the car etc. When GlutenEase came out I read the reviews and decided to try it. The instructions said to take it with Digest Gold for best results so that it what I did. I then started going out to eat again. 10 out of 10 times I was safe!.

 

From what I've read it isn't meant to allow you to eat gluten but it does seem to do a marvelous job keeping me from experiencing episodes of cross contamination. Sometimes if it is a bad glutening I take two after the fact. Usually it eliminates the symptoms very quickly. Once I ran out of Digest Gold and found GlutenEase worked on its own but I still take them together as I don't really want to mess with success.

 

Cheers!

Michelle

 

Michelle~

 

Thank you so much for your responses!

 

Where do you purchase Gluten Ease? I am definitely going to add it to my tools for fighting my Celiac Disease!!

 

Where do you purchase it from? I have found it on line, but wanted to know if you have been able to find it anywhere else, so I don't have to purchase on line~

 

THANKS again,

Mardi