Celiac/gluten free food

[angelbearmom]

Hi! I'm sailing on the Konigsdam on April 13. Since my last cruise I have been diagnosed with celiac disease and have to be very careful about gluten food. What is available for those needing no  gluten. Will there be gluten free bread, waffles, pasta? How easy difficult is it to get items in the main dining room to get gluten free items. Do we get to see the next days entrees to choose what will/won't? How about desserts? I know it will be great anyways but just want a preview of what to expect Thanks

[pedirn]

4 hours ago, angelbearmom said:

Hi! I'm sailing on the Konigsdam on April 13. Since my last cruise I have been diagnosed with celiac disease and have to be very careful about gluten food. What is available for those needing no  gluten. Will there be gluten free bread, waffles, pasta? How easy difficult is it to get items in the main dining room to get gluten free items. Do we get to see the next days entrees to choose what will/won't? How about desserts? I know it will be great anyways but just want a preview of what to expect Thanks

Following as I too must have GF foods.   This will be our first cruise with HAL.   We are on the Rotterdam.   I have good luck with Princess    Not so much with RCCL.  I did hear that HAL had a better selection of breads and rolls than the ever present GF toast on Princess which is served every meal.   I usually take my own rolls and bread on board with me but maybe I won’t have to do that on the Rotterdan.

[Mary229]

I dined with a person with celiac.  She notified the ship prior to sailing.  Each night she was presented with a menu for the next night and would choose her items.  Those meals would be prepared especially for her.  We were anytime dining and the meal would be delivered to our table regardless of the table.   I assume she was offered the same option for  MDR breakfast and lunch but I don’t really know.   She seemed quite pleased with her alternative breads and other gluten items like breadings.  

[GeezerCouple]

We haven't sailed on HAL since Dec, 2019, but on that wonderful trip to NZ/Australia, DH was very pleased with his GF choices.  The breads/rolls were very tasty, and he had no problem with other selections.

 

We recommend that one ALWAYS double check, however, if GF is due to true celiac disease rather than just a preference.  So we remind waitstaff when we order and again, when food is presented: "This is the GLUTEN FREE <whatever>, correct?"  Better safe than sorry!

 

He had no trouble finding good menu items, and having the advance menu was always useful.

 

GC

[pschweig]

I will answer with my personal experiences with gf dining on HAL. Our last cruise was a 14-day one on the Oosterdam July 2022 but I’ve taken many HAL cruises on different ships since being required to eat gf. 
 

I fill out the SRI form mentioned below prior to every cruise. From HAL website: 

For guests with food intolerances or allergies that are not life-threatening, please contact our Ship Services Department at (800) 541-1576. For guests with life-threatening food allergies, we ask that guests provide detailed information to our Guest Accessibility Department by completing a Special Requirements Information (SRI) Form. Guests should indicate on this form which foods may potentially cause a severe reaction.

Guests with a variety of severe food allergies sail with Holland America Line regularly. Our galley staff on board is accustomed to and experienced in dealing with these types of needs. The galley itself has many different areas of food preparation, which can help reduce the possibility of cross-contamination. It is important to note, however, that meals are prepared in mass quantities on board, thus there is always the possibility of some cross-contamination. As such, Holland America Line cannot guarantee that a guest will not come in contact with those items. Although our Guest Accessibility Department will provide the ship with an advance notice of all food allergies detailed on an SRI submitted to them, it is recommended that guests also contact the Dining Room Manager upon boarding to review the details of these special dietary needs.

MDR - we always sit with the same waiters. They knew about my dietary requirements on the first day. You are given a menu at the conclusion of your meal for the next night upon which you make your selections with your cabin number. Waiter is able to answer any of your questions. Also, sometimes with advanced notice, they are able to modify dishes to meet your gf requirements. 
 

I am served gf bread with my meals which is quite good. 
 

Lido - there are gf selections. For example, there is gf pasta where they serve spaghetti/tacos. The Dive In serves hamburgers on gf buns. I informed them it was for a food allergy. They must’ve taken tge proper precautions because I did not get sick. 
 

We visited the kitchen on a Behind the Scenes tour on the Zuiderdam. I was especially interested to see that there was a separate, designated area with its own chef for food allergies. I was even shown my “ticket” hanging there for my dinner that night! 
 

Neptune Lounge - after I said something, they had some gf selections during the day. Tgey also have boxes of Rice Krispies for a quick breakfast. 
 

I’ve never gotten sick on a HAL ship and have taken 12 cruises. I always tell people that they worry more about what I can eat than I sometimes do! 
 

I’ll be happy to answer any of your questions. 

[disneyochem]

I have celiac. I would say HAL does a good job with a gf diet.  I think Princess is much better in accommodating a gf diet but we do like cruising on HAL so I make it work.  I also carry my own food on board—gf instant oatmeal, granola, crackers and cookies.  One area in particular that is really bad on HAL is desserts. They do not bake their gf items but buy the pre package stuff.  So you’ll get cookies, bagels, muffins, bread etc. but it is not freshly baked like on a Princess ship.  Dessert is generally limited to puddings, jello, ice cream and crème brûlées.  Training of staff is pretty good—but do be vigilant!  I had to stop a staff member once who tried to use the same utensils in getting my food.  They will change gloves etc upon request.  You’ll find the service to be excellent.

 

Gluten free in the buffet—there will be one section that has the gf items (prepackaged bread, muffins, waffle, etc), a dedicated toaster/prep area and gf desserts. You’ll also find dairy alternatives there as well.  If your food needs warming, they’ll take it to a microwave in the back (I was told that it was gf dedicated ).  I haven’t found any gf cereal/oats/granola on any cruise so I carry gf granola for Greek yogurt.  Plenty of fresh fruit available and eggs/omelet will be made in a separate pan.  I always speak with the staff wearing the white hats on the first day to make sure I know how to navigate the buffet.  After that, I’ve found that they keep an eye out for me and help me.

 

The Dive In has gf hamburger and hot dog buns.  They will grill your meat separately to avoid cross contamination.  Unfortunately the French fries are not gf!  The NY Deli has gf pizza and salads. I’m told they can make a sandwich on gf bread but have not tried that yet.

 

The dining room is similar to Princess—you will get the MDR menu ahead of time to make your selection.  Again, I think Princess is better with this—you get assigned a person who ensures you get safe food.  My experience on HAL is that you have to be more proactive in asking for the menu and making sure you get the food.  Princess stocks gf pasta, HAL doesn’t.  But kudos to HAL, they went and bought some for me (and I’m sure there were others) on a port stop so I could have gf pasta!  That was a nice touch and indicative of the outstanding HAL service.  But in general they do not have gf pasta.

 

Specialty dining—you can get great gf meals at the Koningsdam’s specialty restaurants (but not desserts!).  The gf options are listed on the menu and they will try to accommodate you if you want something else.  My favorite is the Thai beef salad at Tamarind—I like to ask for a dinner portion!  Just yummy!  The red curry dish is great as well.

 

Ask about drink mixes —many are not gf.  The bar staff will let you read the ingredients on the box.  I’ve moved away from those drinks that use mixes since the blenders are not dedicated gf.  I always ask for Tito’s or Absolute vodka in my drinks (certified gf brands)—most bars carry them.   I do ask that they use a clean shaker when making my Cosmo or lemon drop. 

 

Overall I think you’ll find some great food options on the Koningsdam.  Just be proactive in getting the food and recognizing that you will have a different dining experience than others.  Hubby and I joke about our first cruise after I had been diagnosed as a celiac (many moons ago).  When I asked the wait staff for a gf option at lunch, he thought about it and then said “For you ma’am, fruit!”

 

Enjoy your cruise—it will be wonderful!  We love the Koningsdam.

[angelbearmom]

Thanks for all the information on gf foods. I figured that HAL would probably have some food adaptations. My favorite breakfast is waffles. I'm happy to hear they are available gf. One question is whether I should fill out the SRI form. My major symptom is a severe migraine. It's not life threatening but the effects certainly interfere with my well being on the cruise. Thanks

[pschweig]

I definitely would fill out the SRI form. Makes things so much easier. 

[GeezerCouple]

7 minutes ago, angelbearmom said:

Thanks for all the information on gf foods. I figured that HAL would probably have some food adaptations. My favorite breakfast is waffles. I'm happy to hear they are available gf. One question is whether I should fill out the SRI form. My major symptom is a severe migraine. It's not life threatening but the effects certainly interfere with my well being on the cruise. Thanks

 

Fill out the form.

We always do, with all relevant details, but we *include* a statement that it is *not* a life/death problem.  We also mention, for one of us, that "cross contamination" is NOT a problem.  Avoiding that (cross contamination) makes the prep much more burdensome, so we don't want them needing to do that when it is not necessary.

OTOH, if it IS, then we'd specify that, too!

 

The more severe the consequences, the more we would urge someone to double check as we described above.

 

GC