Gluten free on first night?

[Bunnysue]

Hi, I am newly on a gluten free diet and wonder whether anyone can tell me what happens on the first night on board, and also in Freedom Dining?

 

I know that they ask you to choose your meals for the next night, which is fine, but wondered how you get round it on the first night on board. Also as we are doing Freedom Dining, and also hope to use the alternative dining options some nights how do they work?

 

Finally what about lunch times, are the menus marked with gluten free dishes?

Any advice and help on this would be very much appreciated.

 

Sue

[Brayman]

Hi, I am newly on a gluten free diet and wonder whether anyone can tell me what happens on the first night on board, and also in Freedom Dining?

 

I know that they ask you to choose your meals for the next night, which is fine, but wondered how you get round it on the first night on board. Also as we are doing Freedom Dining, and also hope to use the alternative dining options some nights how do they work?

 

Finally what about lunch times, are the menus marked with gluten free dishes?

Any advice and help on this would be very much appreciated.

 

Sue

 

When you are given the menus for the following day they also include the MDR lunchtime menu so you can order ahead for lunch as well as dinner if you wish. Maybe on the first night you need to be a bit careful about what you choose?

[CCFC]

I think there is a special requests section in the cruise personaliser that you can tell them about your specific requirements.

[rubydoobydoo]

Tell them in advance and they will come to see you on the first night when you are in the MDR, if not they always have an alternative meal for you choose

 

In the buffet I don't remember food being labeled but i know the deserts and afternoon tea cakes etc were kept in the kitchen and I just asked and they brought me a selection to choose from

 

I have to say the staff on Azura were excellent so I am sure your cruise will be just as good, the only thing that was awful was the bread rolls, they were like washing up sponges :D

[cardinal12]

I am also on a gluten free diet. Generally they are fine but you need to be watchful

a) when embarking they supply bits and pieces to tide you over - the waiters may not be clued up and not that brilliant at English and you need to speak to someone senior (head waiter) who knows the score on what's what. I fell ill as a result of assuming and asking the waiter but not seeking out the head waiter. Huge mistake and two days incarcerated as a result (they thought it might be norovirus but it wasn't)

 

b) In the serve yourself in the informal dining room- the conservatory- you can pick up what you know is gluten free. As for the hot dishes you must check with the head chef there, not just a counter waiter, about what is OK. They also usually do gluten free puddings- the guy at the pudding/sweet counter usually knows as that food is kept separate and out of sight if the usual fayre is not gluten free.

 

c) On the 1st night at dinner in the MDR the waiters will be able to let you have something you can eat. During the meal the head waiter will come along and hand over the following days menus for lunch and dinner which they can adapt.

 

d) Hopefully you have notified P+O in advance that you are a coeliac so they can ensure they have the knowledge of who you are as they will sit you at a table in MDR and miraculously the head waiter will find you on that 1st night.

 

Hope this helps

Edited March 5, 2014 by cardinal12

[silver wedding]

Having been on 20+ cruises gluten free. Just tell them on the first night you are the one who is gluten free and before you finish your meal they will furnish you with the following days menus. the first night they will offer you a number of gluten free options from that nights menu. In the self service go to one of the counters or see the head waiter on duty and tell him you are gluten free and they will sort you out. On my last cruise on the night before the last sea day the head waiter told me to go to tea in the MDR the next day. I went and they produced a plate full of sandwiches savouries and cakes. I couldn't eat it all so they wrapped it up for me to take back to the cabin.

My advice to anyone who is gluten free is ask and they will help .

[puffin108]

My mum is gluten free and a vegetarian. On the first night they will have a note of what dietary requirements you have requested, they'll offer you something suitable and then give you the menu for the following night so you can choose or if there's anything you want to suggest their pretty good about that too. Where my mum came a cropper was with the buffet, cross contamination and all that. You can pre-order lunch from the MDR and you can have gluten free afternoon tea in MDR also which is pretty good. I would agree with the poster who said to check with the head waiter if you're at all unsure just to be safe! One time on the Ventura the head waiter gave her a whole plate of gluten free biscuits to take back to the cabin because, in his words, 'I feel so sorry for madam!" it was very sweet of him.

[cardinal12]

Also as we are doing Freedom Dining, and also hope to use the alternative dining options some nights how do they work?

 

Finally what about lunch times, are the menus marked with gluten free dishes?

Any advice and help on this would be very much appreciated.

 

Sue

 

I should have answered this, sorry.

 

If you use alternative dining options such as one of the speciality restaurants you pre book anyway so tell them at the time. Dishes are not marked gluten free. In the buffet you need to ask the chef/head waiter and for lunch you pre-order the previous evening- the head waiter brings round both lunch and dinner menus for the dining room.

[rubydoobydoo]

I found that the cakes etc at afternoon tea were better than the ones out for everyone else, the others in my party were quite jealous by the end of the cruise :D

 

During the chocoholics event there was lots of gluten free goodies on offer but the restaurant manager still came and found me and brought me a selection personally :)