Questions on Gluten Free & Bahamas

[cruisemama5]

We are taking our family on a 4 day Bahama cruise on Majesty of the Seas in May. One of our daughters has celiac disease. I saw on the boards that I needed to email the company about having a gluten free diet. I have a couple of questions:

 

1. I have emailed them, so will they get back to me? I just told them her name, my husband's name which the cruise is booked under, the ship and the dates. Is that enough info?

 

2. I am worried about cross contamination on the buffets. She is extremely sensitive to gluten and will be very sick within a few minutes of eating any gluten. Wondering if she should just stick to the main dining room for all her meals. Also what about eating at the buffet on the private island.

 

Thanks for any help you may have.

 

Now for a couple of questions about the trip.

 

1. On Nassau, how much is it to get to Atlantis on your own?

 

2. Is it costly to do things at Atlantis, or should we find other things to do while at that port?

 

3. On the private island I saw that there are things to do and rent. But was confused about how to pay. One place, I thought, said you needed cash for everything but drinks, which you can use your sea card. Is there activities to do there, and how do you pay for them?

 

Ok, I know I will have more questions, but this will get me started.

 

THANKS

[Irish90Cruiser]

Hi -

 

We were on Serenade in February and my younger daughter has celiac too. I e-mailed RCI but just got the standard "we received your e-mail" response. When we got on the ship, we went to see the maitre d' in the dining room and they said that they always have gluten free options on the first day. So that night we told our waiters about it and they were AWESOME. Every night they had gluten free bread for her (warmed up - I tried it - it was pretty good) and they would bring out the next night's menu for her to look over. She picked out what she wanted and they would make it GF for her if they could. This mostly involved leaving the sauce off or giving her a baked potato instead of whatever came with it normally. There were a lot of things that were GF to begin with so she had a wide variety of things to eat.

 

The Windjammer was a different story. We fed the kids in there one night because DH and I were going to Portofino. I had to have one of the chefs walk us around and point out what she could eat. Make sure it is one of the chefs and not just one of the people staffing the station. We had someone tell us the stir fry was GF but then the chef said that the soy sauce they use has gluten in it. So she did find food to eat but it was just a random assortment and not really a meal (rice, some fruit, jello).

 

We did eat in the Windjammer every day for breakfast because it was easier to pick breakfast stuff out (eggs, fruit, bacon,etc) that we were sure was GF. If we weren't sure about it I wouldn't let her have it.

 

We did talk to our head waiter in the dining room at the end of the cruise and he told us that accomodating a gluten free person is really easy for them. They run into problems when people are allergic to specific ingredients because they do buy a lot of food already prepared and they have to go back through all the ingredient listings.

 

I'd be happy to answer any other questions about the gluten free thing. I can't help you with the Bahamas though.

 

Katie

[My2Kitties]

When you get on the ship go to the dining room and let them know again to be sure they have the info...when eating in the dining room for breakfast/lunch you must tell them before you order and they will work with you...in the Windjammer, the same thing...there is a head chef up there any time it is open and that person will let you know what is ok and what is not...the most important thing to watch for is soups and gravies...I am allergic to tomatoes and we traveled with friends awhile ago that were gluten-free...he got sick one day eating off the ship but was fine onboard...they even brought him his own bread, pasta and soups...they even knew about soy sauce...

don't worry they will go out of their way for her safety!

[My2Kitties]

we must have been posting at the same time...

 

Atlantis...we were just there and it depends on what you want to do...it is 4-6pp (with tip) to get there by taxi...we paid to go thru the aquarium, access to pools, beaches and a lunch for $60.00 pp...if you want to do the water park it is different...go to Atlantis' website and email or call them...and when you are done you go back to the main entrance and the doorman will hail a taxi for you...

 

you can also get there by water taxi but we went thru the straw markets and the taxis are right there for you..

 

have a great time...we enjoyed the Majesty and the ports...

[My2Kitties]

sorry in three parts but here is what I know about CocoCay...to have drinks or food or rent float/snorkel/jetskis you need your seapass, since it is all supplied by rci...but there are shops on the island so when there is a ship in port the locals come over to the island to sell their wares...they only take cash...so leave the credit cards in the safe and only take seapass and cash...

 

I did not go this last time (had a headache and took a nap) but I have been there in the past and my dd went with just her seapass and a small amount of money...

 

it is a definate beach day...beautiful little island...here is a picture from the ship...you are welcome to go to my pictures and check out all the pics...

[Chip and Dale]

Hi Cruisemama5

 

We just returned from the Mariner. That was the first time I have emailed RCI about my food allergies (seafood, mushrooms and wheat) and they did respond with an email. It appeared to us that the ship was notified because we were originally at a table for 8 and when we went to our cabin they had already changed us to a table for 2 which is good, it is work making sure my food is okay.

 

Be very vigilant. They did really well with gf bread for me, which was pretty good and in Portofinos I asked if they had gf pasta and they made me a special dish of rice fettucine with pesto...it was to die for and I ate the whole thing! In the dining room one night they included a sauce which I was pretty sure was gravy on my chicken and said it was gf...it was not. I'm not celiac so I just get symptoms if I have wheat, but I would urge you to make sure that you notify the maitre d when you get on the ship, your waiter, your head waiter and also the assistant waiter before your dinner. On the nights that we went to Chops and Portofinos our head waiter ordered something safe for me to eat the next night. They actually came up with gf desserts for me as well which was really nice. In Chops they went to Portofinos to get me the wheat free chocolate cake. I'm not sure whether your daughter could have that or not. There was actually a recipe for it on cc a while back if you do a search. Our waiters were absolutely amazing with me they truly were on the Mariner. Unfortunately we didn't fare as well on the Serenade, our waiters were pretty useless so we went to the specialty restaurants more often.

 

Good luck.

Dee

[Cruisepucks]

Just off Monarch to the Bahamas. My sister needs GF diet as well as has an allergy to Soya. She emailed ahead of time with her name, cruise ship and date, cabin number and received the standard reply.

The first night, the first question the waiter asked was if anyone had any allergies. He went through the menu and let her know what was available that was GF and soya free. GF bread was available but only in the dining room. Before the end of the first dinner, the head waiter came by and reviewed the allergy, gave information on who to see in the Windjammer to review what was "safe". She was given the next evening's menu each night to choose something that if needed, they could modify the sauce to make it GF. They even made a flourless chocolate cake for her one night, without asking.

GF bread is only available in the DR, but she found that for breakfast, she eiher stopped at the MDR to pick some up and take to the Windjammer, or the head waiter in the Windjammer, could order some up with a 10-15 minute wait.

All in all they were extremely attentive to her dietary needs. In her travel experience, only Disney World was more accomodating.

Re Atlantis- very expensve to do the aquarium, water park approx 150/person.

Found that after 5 PM you can tour the aquarium and grounds for free. Aquarium prior to 5 is 30/person

Cruisepucks

PS My sister is a 50 + adult, not a child

[cruisemama5]

Thanks for the info. I did receive a reply from RCL. I need to get them the booking number. That was the only info I did not originally send them.

 

It seems like my daughter will have no problem finding something to eat, which is great. She was a little worried. She is finding this disease frustrating. She has known she has it for four years now, but still craves pizza and all the things she grew up with. (BTW she is 24).

 

Are there things to do at Atlantis that do not cost money?

[My2Kitties]

only the casino and shops are free...

[My2Kitties]

for gluten free pizza, use the gluten free bread and line the bottom of a cake pan (maybe use olive oil on pan first) and cover it with sauce and cheese and bake...see if that works...

[cb at sea]

You can walk around the hotel and use the shops, restaurants and casino. The beach/pool area will cost you. If you want to save a bunch of $$$, just swim on the ship--it will be virtually empty! We love using the ship on port days---after all, you've already PAID for it!

There's alot of "shopping" right off the dock area---that should take a couple of hours to wander through.

On Coco Cay, unless you want to buy some of the local junk, you won't need cash at all---everything--drinks, excursions, etc....will be charged just like on the ship.