Gluten Free cruising

[KimB730]

I will be taking the Inside Passage Alaska cruise the first week in August with my family. Since our last cruise in 2008, I have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease and am a little concerned about what my options will be. Has anyone else taken a cruise on the Ruby Princess with this "issue" and could offer me some tips or ideas? Thank you ahead of time for your help.

[paul929207]

Here is the contact at Princess HQ.

 

Marisa Sanders*special diets/Place order for distilled water/baby food

dietaryrequest@princesscruises.com (661) 284-4450

 

I would also talk to the MD upon boarding.

 

We met someone on a glutten free diet on one of our cruise. The MD would bring her the menus for the following day each night at dinner. She would make her choices. She said it was working great. You have to talk to the MD or his assistant. The waiters don't have the training to help you

[shredie]

Princess is good about special diets. I remember seeing some things labeled GF at the International Cafe.

[AZbeachboy]

On our last two cruises we have had people needing gluten free meals. It will be easy if you talk to the MD first. They will help with the menu's and I have seen some order food that is not on the menu.

[Goldenpaw]

Our experience is that you update your cruise profile to include your dietary restrictions and find a head waiter in the Horizon Buffet or MDR after boarding. In the buffet area ALWAYS ask a chef if items are GF. They are easy to spot as they wear tall hats. The head waiter will take care of you in the MDR, almost everything on the menu can be prepared GF, including pasta! Desserts are not the best, but the buffet always has at least one. The coconut cake and flourless chocolate cake are excellent! They can also make a GF pizza, some ships require 24 hours notice. We've sailed on Princess 4 times since I was diagnosed with Celiac and never a problem!

[rpcv77]

Kim,

We returned from our Alaska cruise, on the Crown, about 1 1/2 weeks ago. My adult dd also has Celiacs, and is extremely sensitive to cross contamination. This is our third Princess cruise and they have done a superb job of making sure her food is absolutely GF. Go to your cruise personalizer on the Princess web site. After signing in, there will be a place to note health conditions. On your first night on board, speak to the head waiter in your dining room ( works whether you have traditional or any time dining). He will give you the menu for the next evenings meal and let you know what is GF or can be prepared GF. Other venues, buffet and International Cafe, can be trickier but workable. We ate at Sabatini's on our first night on board and they were very accommodating as well. She did get sick on one cruise, when she ate mashed potatoes from the buffet and later learned they had been thickened with flour. Let me know if you have any other questions and have a great cruise.

[judydoc]

I have been sailing Celiac for 5 years now. Princess in my opinion is one of the best for gluten free. It does vary a bit from ship to ship depending on the cooking staff. No matter, they have some of the best desserts and gluten free food. That's why we are headed for Elite!! :} On Princess, you can always find something during the day to treat yourself. Go to the International Cafe or the Horizon Food Court. Each day it is a different dessert. Their hard ice cream is gluten free too! I am a dessert lover and find that's the one area cruise ships need work on. Princess does the best for desserts! Some ships the Chef will do things like carrot cake, cheese cake and chocolate cake if you request it. I found if you don't ask, you don't get. Place your order in the evening when you order the next day's meal.

 

I found for breakfast the Diningroom was the best place to go. They will make pancakes, french toast and have muffins available. They have gluten free bread for toast too. It's not the best but is an option. Best to preorder the night before in the Dining room. Then the wait doesn't seem as long as they prepare your breakfast.

 

There are gluten free hamburger buns as well. Alway's mention to the waiters if they are new that you need gluten free. It's getting easier and easier to feel normal and enjoy all thoes things we use to. We are cruising for two weeks at the end of July too, but on the Star! Enjoy your cruise!!

[KimB730]

Thank you. This is very helpful information.

[KimB730]

Thanks for the information. It is good to know!

[USNUZULOOSE]

It would be nice to see pictures of the gluten free dishes. I don't have those issues but, it is yeast and sugar that need to go as well. Not diabetic either. I know the dishes at home are very hard to do. It would be so nice for someone to cook for me with good recipes.

[Ilovetotravel]

How are special diets handled when you are on shore excursions. I have an excursion booked that includes a meal.

[cathystejuju]

I did a Mediterranean/Aegean cruise on the Crown in 2012 with my mother-in-law who has celiac disease. Our Amalfi coast shore excursion included a multi-course lunch at a hotel. I advised the Shore excursions desk of the dietary restriction a couple of days in advance, and checked again with the guide when we boarded the bus, and it had been noted. I brought along GF snacks, as I did throughout our trip, but lunch was great- she was served a GF pasta as a first course, and was told that the chicken main course was gluten free. She couldn't eat the cake that was provided for dessert but they offered a fruit cup. As long as you make your request in advance, there shouldn't be any problem.

 

Also, my mother-in-law really enjoyed the bread served in the dining room at dinner (I tried it and it was surprisingly good). She was also able to have GF bread toasted for her in the kitchen at Horizon Court so she didn't have to use the communal toasters.

[Goldenpaw]

We have sailed on the Regall, Crown, Golden and Star since December and all told me no GF hamburger buns were available. I wasn't a fan of the GF bread. On the Crown, Alfredo, the head waiter, was amazing, even remembering our cabin number.

[SadieN]

How are special diets handled when you are on shore excursions. I have an excursion booked that includes a meal.

 

 

You're at their mercy. Bring along something commercially prepared and sealed to eat, just in case. We need to do this also.

[judydoc]

We have sailed on the Regall, Crown, Golden and Star since December and all told me no GF hamburger buns were available. I wasn't a fan of the GF bread. On the Crown, Alfredo, the head waiter, was amazing, even remembering our cabin number.

 

Sorry, I may be wrong about the hamburger buns on Princess. We travel other lines as well and some do have Udi's hamburger buns and cookies. I was pretty sure I had a bun on princess though. Princess does have lots of options though!

[rpcv77]

How are special diets handled when you are on shore excursions. I have an excursion booked that includes a meal.

 

If a meal or snack is part of your excursion, I'm sure you could ask Princess to notify the vendor to see if they can accommodate your dietary needs. If you booked independently, contact the vendor directly. In Skagway, we booked the Glacier Point Wildeness Safari directly with the vendor (though they are the same company that provides the ship's excursions). They were very accommodating and had a sandwich on gluten free bread as well as gluten free snacks waiting for my dd when we had our picnic lunch. A woman behind us asked for a GF meal as well, but had not pre-arranged it, so no GF for her.

I think, unless the request is really difficult to fulfill, most vendors will do their best if given advance notice.

[caribill]

If a meal or snack is part of your excursion, I'm sure you could ask Princess to notify the vendor to see if they can accommodate your dietary needs.

 

Just stop by the shore excursion desk once on the ship.

[GUT2407]

Both DD and DW follow special diets.

 

DD is gluten and lactose free.

 

DW needs a vegan died due to pancreas issues.

 

Princess are great.

 

Contact the address above, but once on board see the maitre'd.