Cruising with a gluten allergy

DS is being tested for celiac disease because he's fallen off the height growth curve. We have to do the blood test again to be certain but it looks like he does have celiac disease. He also has autism and sensory issues so he can not tolerate fruits and vegetables. We both have peanut and tree nut allergies. I'm assuming I would notify the cruise line to add the new allergy but I'm looking for other people's experience with cruising gluten free. I'm assuming we will probably need to eat most of our meals in the MDR. Can they make things like gluten free waffles and pancakes and pasta? Right now his diet is carb heavy.

We sail with Celebrity because they expertly take care of our food allergies (gluten, soy, egg, dairy, corn).

Yes, you should notify the cruise line of dietary restrictions.

Yes, the MDR is best for dinner. We pre-order our meals a day in advance.

But you can also use the buffet. Just talk to the main chef who is on duty at that time.

There are gluten-free menu options available, but make sure the dish does not contain any other allergens for your diet.

Enjoy the cruise!

I suggest you request the same waiters so they are aware of the dietary restrictions, but I always remind them every time I order anyway just to be sure. Also, you'll need to watch for cross-contamination. My DH (who has no dietary issues) and I (gluten allergy) ordered cookies from the coffee shop on the ship and I watched them used tongs to get the regular cookie, then use the same tongs to get the gluten free cookie. That can be a problem if you have Celiac.

No problem getting gluten free items, even pizza in the buffet.

DS is being tested for celiac disease because he's fallen off the height growth curve. We have to do the blood test again to be certain but it looks like he does have celiac disease. He also has autism and sensory issues so he can not tolerate fruits and vegetables. We both have peanut and tree nut allergies. I'm assuming I would notify the cruise line to add the new allergy but I'm looking for other people's experience with cruising gluten free. I'm assuming we will probably need to eat most of our meals in the MDR. Can they make things like gluten free waffles and pancakes and pasta? Right now his diet is carb heavy.

Celebrity Cruises provides a wide range of Autism Friendly products and services. We offer gluten free and casein (dairy) free options as well as accommodate other special dietary needs. Check with your Head Waiter for assistance with selecting appropriate menu items. We can accommodate most food allergies in the main dining room. Once you are on the ship, speak with our Head Waiter to discuss your allergies and review your menu selections for the next day. For complex food allergies contact our Access Department for assistance at 1-866-592-7225. Please note we may not be able to accommodate all food allergies.

All Celebrity Cruises ships have received Bronze and Silver Level Autism Friendly Certification except Celebrity Xpedition.

I have no experience with gluten-free (or autism) but I have a son who is peanut-allergic.

I can only sing the praises of Celebrity Cruises in this area!

On other cruise lines, we have been told "we can't be certain" "better not to take a chance" "we can't control cross-contamination" etc.

I've had situations where a front-line worker has told me the food does not contain allergens, but I have clearly seen the allergen present in the food.

None of this was experienced on our celebrity cruise. They were AWESOME and they made my son feel like a celebrity who got special treatment, not feel like an outcast that was excluded from taking part.

Each night, our waiter would bring us the menu to order the next night's meal and it would be specially prepared for him. He was also brought his own break basket to help prevent cross-contamination. And we were not limited to the MDR. We ate most of our breakfasts in the buffet. Ask for a manager and let you them know what you need. They will take care of you! By day 3, the manager would spot me at breakfast and let me know he had secured a plate of my son's favourite pastries for him.

Our experience on Reflection wrt to allergies was the reason we booked Silhouette while still on board.

Keep up the great work Celebrity Cruises!

DS is being tested for celiac disease because he's fallen off the height growth curve. We have to do the blood test again to be certain but it looks like he does have celiac disease. He also has autism and sensory issues so he can not tolerate fruits and vegetables. We both have peanut and tree nut allergies. I'm assuming I would notify the cruise line to add the new allergy but I'm looking for other people's experience with cruising gluten free. I'm assuming we will probably need to eat most of our meals in the MDR. Can they make things like gluten free waffles and pancakes and pasta? Right now his diet is carb heavy.

I tell ya, Celebrity will take excellent care of you. On our last cruise on the Celebrity Equinox, I mentioned to our waiter that I'm allergic to mushrooms, and would it be possible to have a certain dish without them. No only did they make the dish without the mushrooms, but dig this, after our (main dinning room) meal, the head waiter came over to our table with the menu for the next evening's dinner. He said for me to select any meal that has anything that I'm allergic to, and the chef would make it without any ingredient that I may be allergic to. They did this for every meal for the rest of our cruise. That's service above and beyond, GREAT JOB Celebrity.

Thanks everyone. We are used to being careful because of nuts but that is usually easy to spot. I think we are going to be sticking with cruising and Disney until he's on his own. I'm keeping my finger crossed that this was a false positive.

james'mommy - My son has Celiac disease and we have cruised on another cruise line and next month we will be cruising on Celebrity. I can advise you how it all went when we get back if you want! I know on the other cruise line it was awesome. Everyone was always very careful with his food. I am hoping our experience with Celebrity is just as wonderful!

I tell ya, Celebrity will take excellent care of you. On our last cruise on the Celebrity Equinox, I mentioned to our waiter that I'm allergic to mushrooms, and would it be possible to have a certain dish without them. No only did they make the dish without the mushrooms, but dig this, after our (main dinning room) meal, the head waiter came over to our table with the menu for the next evening's dinner. He said for me to select any meal that has anything that I'm allergic to, and the chef would make it without any ingredient that I may be allergic to. They did this for every meal for the rest of our cruise. That's service above and beyond, GREAT JOB Celebrity.

I think that presenting tomorrow's menu for those with dietary restrictions is a standard or at least semi-standard practice on Celebrity fleet wide. Anyway that has been our experience, primarily in Blu. My wife is a coeliac sufferer, and once we have made this known they always bring out the next day's menu before we depart dinner each night. We don't use the MDR, but correct me if I'm wrong that menu shows gluten-free items and certain other allergin-free items right on the menu. That of course doesn't reach the level of a particular ingredient like mushrooms, so in that case it makes sense that they would fall back on the policy of bringing out the tomorrow menu.

My wife is Celiac, what the Dr said is stage 4, where most of the lining in her stomach is gone. She was in her 40 ties before getting it diagnostic correctly.

On the Reflection in 2013 the care was about as close to perfect as the staff could get.

Last yr, 2014, on the Equinox the MDR staff was up to the task again, excellent. The made to order pizza in the buffet was better than the ones they fed the rest of us. ;) The best one on one service was in Silk Harvest, where we had a 12 person group.

2x in Murano and Tuscan both great till the next to the last dinner in Tuscan. A 17 yr employee, on his final contract, who served her soup with noodles in it. She spent our last day at sea in bed. Celebrity is more focus than we found on RCCL in 2011, and Princess in 2012. But most people don't know that one slip can cause far reaching issues for someone with Celiac.

Great positive thread. Really appreciate all the input. Am cruising for the first time with Celebrity having had mixed results with Royal. Was pleasantly surprised on Rhapsody to see a Gluten Free station in the buffet.

I put together a quite detailed web site with (free) info on doing cruises with special diets (i can't do gluten, dairy and don't eat meat/bird, my wife can't do gluten, dairy, soy and nuts).

While it's not Celebrity-specific, it is the line that we do most often, and have found them in general to be pretty good about it compared with others, though it varies with individual staff.

The site is http://cruisespecialdiet.com

Previewing tomorrows menu has happened on every cruise line I have sailed. I think it is a smart, proactive plan.

So, I email my allergy list to each cruise line as soon as we book.

I also get blank business cards and print my allergy list (English on one side, whatever country we are visiting on the other side). As soon as I can on embarkation day I go to the front desk and find out who I need to talk to. Then we talk.

I hand those cards almost every day.

The kitchen does their best. But they are juggling a lot. Recently on another line, the kitchen decided to fix me a special meal with my allergens included. I encourage you to look closely at what is served, ask questions, and if you question any ingredients, send it back and request something different.

Celebrity is the very best IMHO regarding the allergy issue. I am gluten free, as well as other sensitivities, and I have always been taken care of in the most attentive fashion. In fact, chefs themselves have escorted me around the brunch and other buffets, showing me what I can and cannot eat. In all the restaurants, I have had plenty of choices, with no slip-ups. The only thing, as another poster mentioned, cross-contamination can occur with an inexperienced server, using the wrong serving utensils. I have asked them to please use a clean spoon/tongs, when I observe the same one is used. Be vigilant and you will be fine.

Bon Appetit!

My son has been on each of these cruises:

Celebrity Silhouette- November 15 2015

Celebrity Reflection - November 14 2014

Royal Oasis of the Seas - October 12, 2013

Disney Fantasy - March 2, 2013

Disney Dream - March 13, 2012

Royal Freedom of the Seas - August 28, 2011

HAL Eurodam - March 19, 2011

Carnival Dream - March 6, 2010

I always submit the allergy information prior to cruising and I always have a discussion with the waiter and the maitre d. The ONLY ship that has ever offered us the menu to pre-select his meals the night before was Celebrity. Now I'm certain there will be variances among dining staff, and while one is educated about allergies, the next one will not be. I've had servers ask me if my son can just "pick off the nuts"; so clearly allergy training is not universal. My worst experiences have been on Carnival and Royal. We are sailing Royal again next year due to a group cruise. Based on my experience with Celebrity, I will expect a better showing from Royal. Hopefully we luck out with a good server.

Previewing tomorrows menu has happened on every cruise line I have sailed. I think it is a smart, proactive plan.

 

So, I email my allergy list to each cruise line as soon as we book.

 

I also get blank business cards and print my allergy list (English on one side, whatever country we are visiting on the other side). As soon as I can on embarkation day I go to the front desk and find out who I need to talk to. Then we talk.

 

I hand those cards almost every day.

 

The kitchen does their best. But they are juggling a lot. Recently on another line, the kitchen decided to fix me a special meal with my allergens included. I encourage you to look closely at what is served, ask questions, and if you question any ingredients, send it back and request something different.

Which Royal ship will you be on? I may have some tips....

Which Royal ship will you be on? I may have some tips....

Me? Our next sailing in two weeks is Silhouette. We have Oasis booked for this time next year. Our last Royal cruise was Oasis in 2013. Maybe things have improved since then. Based on our experience, I would NEVER recommend Royal as a cruise line that handles allergies well. Of all the liens we've sailed, Celebrity is the best. But I read here at Cruise Critic that others have had good experiences with Royal, so maybe things have gotten better.

Me? Our next sailing in two weeks is Silhouette. We have Oasis booked for this time next year. Our last Royal cruise was Oasis in 2013. Maybe things have improved since then. Based on our experience, I would NEVER recommend Royal as a cruise line that handles allergies well. Of all the liens we've sailed, Celebrity is the best. But I read here at Cruise Critic that others have had good experiences with Royal, so maybe things have gotten better.

I was on Oasis last year pre refit. Best GF experience on board was in 150 Central Park followed by the Solarium for dinner. Did not enjoy the MDR experience at all I'm sorry to say. Super pizza from Sorrento's though.

On Rhapsody this year they had a GF station in the WindJammer which made life so much easier. Trying Celebrity for the first time next year.

I was on Equinox last year and they had wonderful gf pizza. Sailed on Summit in January and again in May and the gf pizza crust was horrible, the crust just crumbled! I was on Equinox again in September and was looking forward to the gf pizza again, but I'm guessing the chef from the Summit is now on Equinox as the gf pizza was just like Summits........horrible.

Why mess with it when you have it right!

I haven't sailed RCI in years, but I'll be on Anthem of the Seas next year and am hoping they can get gf right!

My wife tends to live on gluten-free, no cheese pizzas for lunch when we're on a cruise (person at pizza station looks at her suspiciously first day, by end of cruise he can see her coming a mile away). :)

Cruise lines use the same suppliers as you'd find in your grocery store, some more consistently than others (e.g. HAL seems to always use Kinnickinick). While GF products are generally getting better, some are definitely still an "acquired taste"!

I was on Equinox last year and they had wonderful gf pizza. Sailed on Summit in January and again in May and the gf pizza crust was horrible, the crust just crumbled! I was on Equinox again in September and was looking forward to the gf pizza again, but I'm guessing the chef from the Summit is now on Equinox as the gf pizza was just like Summits........horrible.

 

Our experience mirrored yours. Solstice in April/May (out of Australia) and the GF pizza crust was inedible. Silhouette in Sept. (out of Amsterdam) and the crust was actually not bad. Maybe it's the luck of the draw.

I doubt the chef has much to do with pizza crust. It probably comes aboard pre-mix, and likely it's the particular supplier in each case whoever that is, but if anyone has better info on that I'd be interested.

My wife tends to live on gluten-free, no cheese pizzas for lunch when we're on a cruise (person at pizza station looks at her suspiciously first day, by end of cruise he can see her coming a mile away). :)

 

Cruise lines use the same suppliers as you'd find in your grocery store, some more consistently than others (e.g. HAL seems to always use Kinnickinick). While GF products are generally getting better, some are definitely still an "acquired taste"!

One of my local stores has recently started carrying Schar European brand gf breads, rolls, loafs, etc. and it tastes and has more of the same soft texture as wheat based breads. It is awesome, so why can't we Americans figure out how to make gf as well as the Europeans??? Anyway, next time I cruise I will bring my own Schar bread!

One of my local stores has recently started carrying Schar European brand gf breads, rolls, loafs, etc. and it tastes and has more of the same soft texture as wheat based breads. It is awesome, so why can't we Americans figure out how to make gf as well as the Europeans??? Anyway, next time I cruise I will bring my own Schar bread!

Our supermarkets have really come a long way with their GF produce in the past year. Schar is still relatively new but has been well received. Many do their own range of bread, biscuits (cookies) etc. And frozen as well as packaged shelf items.

One of my local stores has recently started carrying Schar European brand gf breads, rolls, loafs, etc. and it tastes and has more of the same soft texture as wheat based breads. It is awesome, so why can't we Americans figure out how to make gf as well as the Europeans??? Anyway, next time I cruise I will bring my own Schar bread!

Our supermarkets have really come a long way with their GF produce in the past year. Schar is still relatively new but has been well received, a growing selection of items http://nowinuk.schar.com/ Many do their own range of bread, biscuits (cookies) etc. And frozen as well as packaged shelf items.