Gluten Free on NCL Jewel=9/28/08

[cruznut1111]

After our very difficult dining on NCL's Star, I wasn't looking forward to this cruise, but it was a very pleasant experience.

 

First, I figured out the value of the small kitchen and have used it successfully the past few months on land as well as sea. Big kitchens just can't do all they might wish in accomodating the GLUTEN FREE.

 

For our ten days on the Jewel we chose to stick to two restaurants- Bistro and Tango for most of our meals on board. They were a delight and really "got it" when it came to keeping me safe.

 

Bad news for most was great for me- noro precautions meant everyone and their uncle weren't taking food off the buffet. I could go up there for breakfast and lunch without the normal worries that go with public practices.

 

One problem on NCL's buffet- although the 'sides' of the buffet are clearly marked 'fruit" and "pastry", the practice is to mix the two. There have been several occassions where I have seen bread crumbs in the adjoining fruit trays. This makes for a serious cross-contamination problem for us. There were several times I could not eat fruits I wanted because they were just too close to the unnecessary bread.

 

I tried eating at the Blue Lagoon to see if I could do a variation of the meal I had had on the Pride of Hawaii (Jade). It really didn't work very well. Good news was that the French's mustard had been replaced by Heinz as had the generic ketchup. Bad news- after waiting 30 minutes for them to "send someone downstairs for the gluten-free hamburger bun" they came back with the news that there was no such bun available. This was @ the third day of the cruise. One more try over the 10 days convinced me this was not a good dining choice.

 

We only tried the main dining room twice over the 10 days and it was a real reminder that this just doesn't work. One poor waiter looked terrified every time I took a bite. He was really trying to keep me safe, but didn't have a clue.

 

My bottom line - I'm ready to book 4 more cruises (in addition to the two coming up on the Jade), but I accept that eating in the main (FREE) restaurants is not an option.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Glad everythng worked out for you and that you had a great cruise and the food wasn't a problem for you this time.