Shell43

Thank- you so much! That is very helpful. I am a frequent snorkeler, but often times the water pressure will bother my husband’s ears. The PD might be a good option so he just doesn’t have to sit on the boat if his ears act up

Help! We are going on the Queensland cruise from Sydney on Princess on Feb 23rd. There are 2 different ports that we can snorkel the GBR, which is the best excursion to do. Also if anyone else has been on that cruise, any other suggestions for the best excursions would be wonderful

Thanks in advance

Hi Flourpot

I have eaten at several of the speciality restaurants as a celiac and you have no worries there.:). I told our head waiter we'd be eating there and he passed the info on (as I also informed them at the time of reservation). They were all so helpful and it was a great experience.nnnow we always book one meal at a specialty

Have a great cruise!

Hi Pedirn

I'm afraid that I am not going to be much help to you in the bread/rolls category if you are talking yeast breads. That is a major problem with GF. Gluten is the key to making light textured yeast breads and rolls, and we take away the gluten. Your best bet for yeast products is to go commercial. What you like is your preference. My personal favorites are: Schaaf for bread (not frozen) Udi for pre baked frozen raisin bread, pizza crust, 'flour' tortillas and muffins, Against The Grain for dinner rolls (baked and then frozen). I have not found a pie crust recipe that I like, but I was never good at them--I always used the type that came in the red box in the dairy section. Therefore I recommend Whole Foods. They are the best by far!

If you are talking quick breads and cakes, I use Glutino all purpose baking flour. My sister, also celiacs, prefers to mix her flours. I do not like the fava bean flours that are out there--I was able to pick up a funny taste. To make the baked goods light and fluffy you need to use baking powder--a lot more than you think. I have a recipe for white cake that I put in 5 Tablespoons. This cake is so good that even my proudly glutinous husband loves it. In baking, you also need to do something to improve the moisture level. Always add a bit more water or oil. I like olive oil or butter. Also very IMPORTANT. You must add Xanthan Gum to anything you bake. A good rule of thumb is one teaspoon to 3 cups of flour. You will figure it out for your recipes. If you have too much, the finished product wil feel 'slimey' in your mouth and stick to the roof and your teeth. The XG replaces some of the elasticity in the recipe.

There are several GF magazines out there. My first year GF, I got or bought them. They are now available online, too. I found their recipes too complicated, mixing flours etc. My best bet was to 'tweak' my own. My sister (also a nurse) likes to follow the recipes in the magazines and still gets them.

I will be happy to answer any other questions for you

Hi! Glad you asked the questions, sorry I didn't see it earlier. Hope you get this in time. Princess in general is excellent with GF. Especially in the dining room. There you will get your menu the night before and pick for the next day (the first day will be a little limited). They also offer GF bread warmed. It is packaged bread, but it is something. You will also get to pick a dessert!

Before you leave, you need to go your cruise personalized area and click on the box that asks about special meal requirements. They will send you a confirmation email.

The Regal/Royal are the best ships for GF--way more options. Especially in the buffet lines. On the older ships you can get GF muffins in there or toast, but you have to wait for them to find it.

You can also order GF cookies to be delivered to your stateroom on a daily basis thru room service. The Emerald will give you freshly baked ones, Crown does not. Don't know about the others. I only found out within the last year.

Pizza can be ordered GF. Some of the ships make you order it a day in advance (pool decks) some do not. It is good to check this out upon boarding.

On the Regal/Royal/Emerald/Ruby/Crown you can get a daily GF 'treat' in the international Cafe--unfortunately it is usually a 'soft' option like a pudding. Occasionally you will get a cake. This same option is offered in the buffet lines. I wish they would serve a dedicated GF pastry. I have offered to consult with them, because I've converted all my recipes to GF, but they didn't want to do that. Make sure you ask for the muffins warmed. Sometimes they are frozen and if room temp are crumbly

The soft serve ice cream is GF, on ships with gelato you need to watch the flavor. Same with the Coffee bar.

I do bring some GF pretzels with me and cookies. Also my protein bars--just in case. When we did the Mediterranean cruise in 2014, the excursions worked with me and I was able to have GF meals. Whale watching in Alaska they had crackers and salmon They brought me some salmon in a cup. People do try, but I always carry something--just in case

Hope this helps