HAL and Gluten Free?

[newcruisers2]

I was wondering if anyone could share any recent information regarding HAL and Gluten Free diets. I have searched and only found a few " older " articles regarding this...2009/2011.

 

Any recent stories of success or otherwise with having your needs met. We will be sailing on the Zuiderdam next year and I wanted to get my ducks in a row now.;)

 

Any advice would be welcome. I am not Celiac, I am gluten sensitive so a tad of cross contamintation would not be a big problem.

 

TIA

[Krazy Kruizers]

You can call Ship Services at 1-800-541-1576 and they will send you a list of the Gluten Free items they have.

[geoherb]

One of our tablemates in May ate gluten-free. The waiters always had her two pieces of gluten-free bread waiting at our table. Each night she would get the menu for the next dinner and have to make her choices then so that the kitchen could make sure her meal was gluten free.

[momatibm]

My daughter was gluten intolerant. The crew was exceptional in handling the dinner menus -- she would pick the night before and the food would be brought for dinner the next night. She did her own thing during the day with the salads etc. In the dining room for breakfast they always brought her gluten free when she asked.

[newcruisers2]

Would you know what brands of gluten free breads and items they use or do they bake from scratch? Did your daughter like the bread? We cruised another cruise line....I could not even swallow the bread...uck:eek: Although we did discover almost one week in that they could supply GF waffles and muffins........does Hal do the same?

 

My daughter was gluten intolerant. The crew was exceptional in handling the dinner menus -- she would pick the night before and the food would be brought for dinner the next night. She did her own thing during the day with the salads etc. In the dining room for breakfast they always brought her gluten free when she asked.

[olson99]

I was wondering if anyone could share any recent information regarding HAL and Gluten Free diets. I have searched and only found a few " older " articles regarding this...2009/2011.

 

Any recent stories of success or otherwise with having your needs met. We will be sailing on the Zuiderdam next year and I wanted to get my ducks in a row now.;)

 

Any advice would be welcome. I am not Celiac, I am gluten sensitive so a tad of cross contamintation would not be a big problem.

 

TIA

 

Our friend who we travel with on HAL needs to be gluten free. They handled it very well. Each night after dinner a menu was brought and Jerry chose what he wanted to eat and the chef would prepare it gluten free. Next night they would bring it to our table even though we had anytime dining. I assume it was based on the cabin number we gave when we sat down.

[specialdiet]

Would you know what brands of gluten free breads and items they use or do they bake from scratch?

 

They carry a pretty wide range of Kinnikinnick products onboard (breads, muffins, pizza crusts, etc.).

 

They do as good a job as any line on gluten free, which is to say, usual cautions apply, as all crew members aren't equally knowledgeable in this regard. Given you're not as sensitive as someone who is celiac, you should be fine as long as you keep your eyes open.

[Arwen]

Would you know what brands of gluten free breads and items they use or do they bake from scratch? Did your daughter like the bread? We cruised another cruise line....I could not even swallow the bread...uck:eek: Although we did discover almost one week in that they could supply GF waffles and muffins........does Hal do the same?

 

As mentioned,, Kinnikinick (sp?). Personally, most gf breads are awful.. Only 'Udi's GF bagels' taste like a real bread product, not carried by the cruise lines. You may like 'K's muffins, but they are super sweet.

 

HAL used to serve GF pax wonderful desserts, but with all cruise lines cost cutting, the desserts have gone by the wayside, too. Usually they will offer you ice cream, (though most times, I could not get it without that stupid cookie!! stuck in the center of the ice cream :-(

 

Other choices: creme brulee (actually a pudding mix with glazed sugar atop).

On formal night you might get a gf piece of cake, maybe.

 

Otherwise the MDR serves you the basic gf basic foods/entrees. Your menu will be filled out the night before the next night's dinner. Unfortunately, menus filled out ahead of time even in the MDR get 'lost'. Has happened on HAL and on Princess. Not a big deal as they can still serve you, but may be something different than ordered.

 

Having taken 16 cruises and about to take another on HAL this winter...it is wise to pack GF cereal and snacks. There is little to eat between meals on the HAL ships for GF. Often, I have ordered the cheese and fruit plate via room service.

 

Nuts and candy bars are sold aboard ship, but if you want anything else, you need to pack it.

 

I always fill out the GF menu required and that is submitted 90 days before departure. Rarely, if ever do I actually get anything I have marked on that menu. Not being critical, but there really seems to be no point to the GF menu. Only the bread and a few muffins were available anyways, not the pasta, nor the cookies, cakes, etc. that I had marked.

 

Take your favorite goodies with you. Easy to pack GF goodies...Think Thin Bars...(expensive but yummy), the individual packets of hot cereals like gf oatmeal/flax/etc,....gf cookies, if you are into them...trail mix...Pirates' Booty.

 

Arwen

[KirkNC]

On our recent cruise on the Prinsendam, we meet a couple where one of them needed gulten free meals. She indicated it was handled very well. I believe she talked with the chef or MD each day and they would prepare her a specific GF meal.

[protocrone]

Very thankful to find this thread! I'm gluten intolerant and just received the form from HAL for our upcoming cruise in December. I need to print it out and fax back to them this week so I was wondering how it worked. I don't have the form available right now but I remember it asking how many servings of bread, pasta and dessert I'd need per day. AND that any servings over that amount would be charged an additional $2 per piece. Since we have lots of island excursions planned, we won't be doing all of our meal in the MDR so how do they know when you go to the Lido buffet?

 

I know that I can survive on foods that don't have gluten: salads, grilled chicken or fish, veggies without sauce and fresh fruit so I'm not too concerned about going hungry ;)

 

Hoping to find others that are Gluten Free so I can find out how they are maintaining health while being faced with delicious dishes.

[KSH11]

We just got off the Oosterdam on Sunday (7 day Seattle RT to Alaska) and my partner eats GF, and was well fed.

 

Due to`my many allergies, we were both brought menus the night before in the Main Dining Room. The first night, she was brought a Rice Pasta and sauce dish (no meat for some reason). After that she selected for the next night, and the chefs would make it Gluten Free.

 

She was given gluten free bread at each MDR meal (which she didn't order), but seemed to be what they wanted her to have. She was given a GF chocolate cake several nights, and ice cream or fresh fruit on others.

 

In the Lido, they had GF Rice Krispies, GF waffles and bread with a dedicated toaster.

 

They also had rice pasta and quinoa pasta available in the Lido.

 

She is not a big bread eater, so we didn't order gf items from room service for breakfast. She found plenty of food, and only one slip up with gluten all week.

[specialdiet]

KSH11: Only one slip up is not bad, in my experience. Hopefully one that you caught quickly. Out of curiosity, what was the cause of the problem you had? Did you run into any problems at all with your allergies?

 

protocrone: They don't actually check or account for it, I think the advance request is just their way of making sure they have enough stuff onboard. Which given it all sits in a freezer until needed anyway shouldn't be too complex!

[KSH11]

The gluten was in the spices on some potatoes that were served with halibut (or so we think. Everything else she ate that night she ate other nights without a problem).

 

My allergies were a bit more problematic, they served me nuts twice (anaphylactic to tree nuts). I finally settled on plain salmon and rice for dinner in the mdr nightly, and that was good. I tried to order mixed greens, cheese and a simple dressing as as starter, but 3 of the nights it came with either bacon or nuts or both, so had to be sent back.

 

I had a few exposures, probably nuts, that resolved with zyrtec, benadryl, and zantac. No epi pens used this trip, so I count it as a success!

 

Room service got my egg whites correct of 5 of 6 days for breakfast, so that was good.

 

Lunch on the Lido was a bit tougher, though I had brought tuna packets and crackers on board as a back up.

 

In their defense, my allergies are long. Here is the list:

 

Tree nuts, Melons, Mushrooms, Squash, Pumpkin, Bananas, Kiwis, Avocados, Tomatoes, Cumin, Beef, Pork & egg yolks.

[specialdiet]

In their defense, my allergies are long. Here is the list: Tree nuts, Melons, Mushrooms, Squash, Pumpkin, Bananas, Kiwis, Avocados, Tomatoes, Cumin, Beef, Pork & egg yolks.

 

Ahh, so I imagine you've had the experience dining out where the chef pokes their head around the corner to see if there actually is somewhat at that table, or if the waiter is trying to play a joke on them. :D

 

Given your situation, I have something I'd be really interested in getting you to look at, but can't pass it along via CC unfortunately...

[KSH11]

I sent you an email