Gluten free on Oceania

[Sailnsurf]

After a number of Holland America cruises we are contemplating a cruise on Regatta. I am coeliac and HAL do pretty well in accommodating gluten free. It gives cruising holidays the edge for me because it can be difficult managing gf needs in some countries. So how Oceania manages gf is likely to be adeciding factor for us. I would really appreciate information from Oceania cruisers about how Oceania deals with gluten free needs.

[AMHuntFerry]

Until recent cruisers chime in, here are a couple of past threads:

 

 

 

Edited February 2 by AMHuntFerry

[Sailnsurf]

These links were so helpful. Thanks very much.

I would be interested to know whether gf confectionaries are available for snacks outside set meals.

[asnaleah]

I’m interested in this topic also. Thanks

[mountain grandma]

Rest easy as Oceania takes very good care of you.  You need to inform their Special Services department via phone prior to your cruise, then when you board, the Restaurant Manager will meet with you.  At that time, you can set up with him your request for mid-meal confections (I’m a big chocolate chip cookie person) and he/she will also explain how you will receive a copy of the menu for the next night in your cabin every night. They know where you will be dining and will send the appropriate menu for that night.  You can circle what you would like and they will make it gf for you.  The only place this is not done is if you will be dining in the Terrace Cafe.  I just ask to speak to the Chef for that venue and he comes out and will go along the buffet line and let me know what is gf that I can eat.  Be sure to tell them you are Celiac not just gluten intolerant because that, of course is more serious!

 

Enjoy your cruise,

Billie

[suefrankw]

HI

I am celiac.. very sensitive to gluten. Off O Alaska cruise in September 2023 (1st O cruise). O did a good job but IMO Azamara did a better job.  O had one gf muffin (same one) most of the voyage, that really did not have a lot of flavor. The other issue was for the muffin and gf cookies... they were in the same open case as the gluten ones so much room for cross- contact. Mentioned this to the staff at coffee bar... he did not respond at all. I could not take the chance. Did not bother me as I usually bring my gf snacks/muffins/dessert-ish items, etc with me so I don't feel left out.  We ate pretty much at the buffet which they did walk me thru everything that was safe to eat and did go to the kitchen to get fresh food 'IF I asked".

O did the usual. Azamara went out of their way every day to make sure I got what I needed/wanted even though it had to be made specially GF.

------

Now top of the line for me being GF.... Regent Seven Seas was spectacular.  I would not hesitate... they have some pretty good rates recently..

[AMHuntFerry]

As a follow up to mountain grandma's excellent tips, I believe contacting special services needs to be done at least 60 days before embarkation to be assured everything goes smoothly.

[mauibabes]

Your TA can do that for you as well and yes, O is very accommodating for any food allergies and special dietary needs. Billie is right on, (Hi Billie) just make sure you meet with the Chef. Also, there is no reason for anyone to limit their restaurant choices to the Terrace Cafe, ALL the restaurants should be available to you. We have dined many times with guests who had specific dining restrictions and the Chef was well aware of your needs. If you had not met with the Chef, ask for the Restaurant Manager or Food and Beverage Director to assist you. 
I would not expect your level of care and attention to dining details to be any less than Regent, Just Ask.  
Mauibabes

[Ronni7770]

For dinner, they give you the menu the night before.  If you want a cerain dessert, write that down too.  It may take a day or two but keep reminding them.  I spoke to the food and beverage manager upon boarding at the Terrace Cafe.  Just ask where he/she is.   In addition at each restaurant, I kept telling the check-in person, the maitre d' and the wait staff as well.  I am both gluten and dairy sensitive.  There were about 3 errors that I did catch right away: a regular pasta dish with cheese on it in the main dining room, asparagus in butter at Red Ginger and roasted potatoes that had cheese on them at Toscana.  I usually ate breakfast at the Terrace Cafe and asked for Gluten Free Bread or Toast.  It took a while for them to get it.  Also, please be aware that some of their crew don't speak English so well so when I asked someone where the Almond Milk was, they pointed me over to the oatmeal.

If you like calamari, ask for the fried calamari in potato starch.  It's very good.

[Sailnsurf]

Thanks to all who responded. I feel well informed. Its all very similar to HAL although HAL menus indicate GF dishes the chef will  meet all possible requests. The buffet also has marked GF options.

I am sufficiently comforted from all responses to book a Polynesian cruise on Regatta. Thanks again.

[ORV]

Just make sure you talk to someone that actually can understand you, because some of the front line servers in Terrace will just nod their head and smile to any question. Very nice hard working people, but some of these issues are well beyond their pay grade. 

[clo]

On 2/2/2024 at 12:27 AM, Sailnsurf said:

After a number of Holland America cruises we are contemplating a cruise on Regatta. I am coeliac and HAL do pretty well in accommodating gluten free. It gives cruising holidays the edge for me because it can be difficult managing gf needs in some countries. So how Oceania manages gf is likely to be adeciding factor for us. I would really appreciate information from Oceania cruisers about how Oceania deals with gluten free needs.

Here's some info from the Mayo Clinic:

 

Allowed fresh foods

Many naturally gluten-free foods can be a part of a healthy diet:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Beans, seeds, legumes and nuts in their natural, unprocessed forms
• Eggs
• Lean, nonprocessed meats, fish and poultry
• Most low-fat dairy products

 

Grains, starches or flours that can be part of a gluten-free diet include:

• Amaranth
• Arrowroot
• Buckwheat
• Corn — cornmeal, grits and polenta labeled gluten-free
• Flax
• Gluten-free flours — rice, soy, corn, potato and bean flours
• Hominy (corn)
• Millet
• Quinoa
• Rice, including wild rice
• Sorghum
• Soy
• Tapioca (cassava root)
• Teff

It doesn't seem like it would be hard to do this on a cruise ship or ashore. But I'm not celiac.

[Travrat]

13 minutes ago, clo said:

Here's some info from the Mayo Clinic:

 

Allowed fresh foods

Many naturally gluten-free foods can be a part of a healthy diet:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Beans, seeds, legumes and nuts in their natural, unprocessed forms
• Eggs
• Lean, nonprocessed meats, fish and poultry
• Most low-fat dairy products

 

Grains, starches or flours that can be part of a gluten-free diet include:

• Amaranth
• Arrowroot
• Buckwheat
• Corn — cornmeal, grits and polenta labeled gluten-free
• Flax
• Gluten-free flours — rice, soy, corn, potato and bean flours
• Hominy (corn)
• Millet
• Quinoa
• Rice, including wild rice
• Sorghum
• Soy
• Tapioca (cassava root)
• Teff

It doesn't seem like it would be hard to do this on a cruise ship or ashore. But I'm not celiac.

As someone who is gluten free it is difficult to do on both land and sea. You don’t realize how frequently soy sauce is used in dishes and sauces and soy is not gluten free. Wheat flour is used on chicken and fish prior to sautéing and is the most common thickening agent in sauces. Gluten is hidden everywhere. 

Edited February 5 by Travrat
Left out content

[clo]

52 minutes ago, Travrat said:

As someone who is gluten free it is difficult to do on both land and sea. You don’t realize how frequently soy sauce is used in dishes and sauces and soy is not gluten free. Wheat flour is used on chicken and fish prior to sautéing and is the most common thickening agent in sauces. Gluten is hidden everywhere. 

Thanks for the info. And I'm glad to see that you're finding lines to accommodate you. On land we're pretty much in airbnb-equivalents so we cook one or even two meals a day. And our meals can be super simple.
This meal and most others are GF.

[clo]

49 minutes ago, Travrat said:

As someone who is gluten free it is difficult to do on both land and sea. You don’t realize how frequently soy sauce is used in dishes and sauces and soy is not gluten free. Wheat flour is used on chicken and fish prior to sautéing and is the most common thickening agent in sauces. Gluten is hidden everywhere. 

Thanks for that info. Can you just stick with grilled, sauteed, broiled things. 

[babysteps]

6 hours ago, clo said:

Thanks for that info. Can you just stick with grilled, sauteed, broiled things. 

6 hours ago, clo said:

 

It depends. Was anything on the grill that had gluten? Was that a fresh saute pan with no dusting of flour? Was that a fresh broiler pan with nothing gluten-ey above it? Did you (well, your gloved hands) touch gluten before you touched my food? Did you par boil something in the pasta water? Us celiacs need "no contact" not just "no ingredients". 

 

All the time friends ask, 'does X have gluten?'. The answer is 'it depends'

 

I got glutened at home a few days ago (happens a couple times a year even with precautions). So far on 10+ O cruises I haven't (yet) been glutened onboard. There have been a few obvious mistakes over the years, but no hidden gluten. 

Edited February 6 by babysteps

[clo]

6 minutes ago, babysteps said:

It depends. Was anything on the grill that had gluten? Was that a fresh saute pan with no dusting of flour? Was that a fresh broiler pan with nothing gluten-ey above it? Did you (well, your gloved hands) touch gluten before you touched my food? Did you par boil something in the pasta water? Us celiacs need "no contact" not just "no ingredients". 

 

All the time friends ask, 'does X have gluten?'. The answer is 'it depends'

 

I got glutened at home a few days ago (happens a couple times a year even with precautions). So far on 10+ O cruises I haven't (yet) been glutened onboard. There have been a few obvious mistakes over the years, but no hidden gluten. 

Wow. Thanks for the education. And glad you've escaped problems on cruises. Best of luck.

[GeezerCouple]

8 hours ago, Travrat said:

As someone who is gluten free it is difficult to do on both land and sea. You don’t realize how frequently soy sauce is used in dishes and sauces and soy is not gluten free. Wheat flour is used on chicken and fish prior to sautéing and is the most common thickening agent in sauces. Gluten is hidden everywhere. 

 

Ooops!  I mixed up two of the previous posters.  Very sorry!

But the comments about GF diets hold.

 

I'm not sure where you've been having problems.

[Due to your spelling, I'm guessing you may be from the UK?  So what I write below may not be as appropriate there, but we've not had problems traveling outside the USA.]

These days, Gluten Free is remarkably well known and available.  It's still VERY important to check and double check (in advance and again when being served) if necessary, because obviously this is more important to you than to others!

 

Some time ago, it was probably very difficult.

But now... there IS "gluten free soy sauce".  Several brands are usually available at our regular grocery store, for example.  And if you yourself cook gluten free, then no doubt you know of all of the thickening agents for sauces, or for use to cover/coat some items.

 

Hoever, it is very important that you notify Special Needs well in advance to be sure that the ship knows of your needs and has made any arrangements, including any special ingredients.

 

I don't think there is much "specially needed" for a GF request, because there are most likely a lot of other passengers desiring or requiring a GF diet.  In addition to those who *must* have a GF diet for medical reasons, there are quite a few who prefer or require it for reasons other than critical medical reasons.  I'm sure it helps for the ship to have some idea of how many, in case there's suddenly a coincidence and there are far more requests for GF than usual.

 

DH was diagnosed late in life with celiac disease.  Not long after that, we had a trip to Italy.  He was so disappointed, as "pasta" is certainly something to get in Italy, right?

Well!! 🙂 Every restaurant had GF pasta, and usually several choices.  They simply requested just a bit of extra time to prepare it.

And at home, I enjoy the GF pasta that we use.  (Okay... I enjoy *most* of the GF pastas.  There are a few that... aren't quite as good as the others!)

And at a few restaurants these days, I actually prefer DH's GF "rolls", and then ask for them for me, too.

The various chefs and food services have come a long way, thank goodness.

 

We always announce in advance, including as soon as we make cruise reservations (or a restaurant reservation).  And then he announces it again when ordering, and yet again, when served:  "This is the GLUTEN FREE <whatever>, correct?" as a final check.

 

Also, our most recent cruise was on HAL, and we had no problems there, either.  That was a place where I preferred one of the GF rolls!

 

So take the few extra steps, and then enjoy!

 

And FINALLY:  We *always* travel with some GF snacks, protein bars, etc., for times when we might be delayed, etc., or "just in case" there isn't anything appropriate that is appealing.  That latter situation has never, yet, occurred. 🙂 

 

GC

Edited February 6 by GeezerCouple