Gluten free choices on Oceania?

[cruisetheworld67]

My  wife  needs to be gluten free and is also  lactose intolerant.

 

We  have  mostly  sailed HAL,  but things have been sinking in many aspects with HAL ( not the ships).

 

One problem is my wife mostly  orders the salmon each night cuz that is all she can tolerate.

 

Are there at least a few gluten free choices for dinner  or just the same choices each night in the dining room?

 

Do the specialty  restaurants have  at least  one gluten free  menu item?

 

I assume LActaid (lactose free milk) is available (for cereals and coffee).

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

 

[LHT28]

contact the special services  dept  & have it noted on your file

Do not just try to guess what is safe on the menus

They will give your wife menus the day before to choose what she likes & they will do their best to make it  for her

In the Terrace or Waves  ask to speak with the Chef  & confirm what items are safe

 

Yes they have  Salmon, Chicken. steak each night  on the always available  menu  but  why have the same old stuff every day

You can see the menus for the specialties online 

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/ships/marina/cuisine/

 

[KatieBelle]

Hello cruisetheworld67

 

Lyn is spot on.  Do your due diligence before hand and hopefully the service will be pleasant.  You did not state when you will be cruising nor on which ship.  I would think that making the call to special services should take place a minimum of 2 weeks prior, a month even better.  Also, if you have a TA that is Oceania savvy, he/she can also help with a timely call to just the right person.  A little pre-planning could make things work a lot more smoothly for you both.

 

Enjoy the cruise!

Katie

[LHT28]

I think  you should contact O 60 days prior if possible or ASAP

they may need to get extra GF  products  depending on how many other are also onboard  with the same problems

I know they have almond milk  but not sure what other types they carry

best be safe than ruin the cruise  due to illness

[clo]

7 hours ago, cruisetheworld67 said:

One problem is my wife mostly  orders the salmon each night cuz that is all she can tolerate.

 

I'm pretty ignorant on this subject.  I thought meat/fish/poultry is gluten-free.  No?

[Silver Sweethearts]

7 minutes ago, clo said:

I'm pretty ignorant on this subject.  I thought meat/fish/poultry is gluten-free.  No?

 

This from Google, and no great surprise:

 

Yes, meat is naturally gluten-free.  Plain, fresh cuts of meat, including beef, poultry (chicken, turkey, etc), rabbit, lamb and fish/seafood meat, are all gluten-free. However, be careful with breaded or floured meats, which typically contain wheat and therefore gluten.

[clo]

4 minutes ago, Silver Sweethearts said:

However, be careful with breaded or floured meats, which typically contain wheat and therefore gluten.

Which I think is obvious.  And as others say, easy to ask them to not serve.  Not sure why salmon is her only choice.

[Classiccruiser777]

Gluten free pasta, breads, scones, rolls are available daily. If you have a TA ask to have your dietary requirements added to your profile.

 

Also, if you book any shore excursions that include a meal, notify Destination Services in advance.

 

[grsnovi]

12 hours ago, clo said:

I thought meat/fish/poultry is gluten-free.

It absolutely is AS LONG AS nothing else is done to it while cooking. For some, even cooking it in a pan that has previously had some flour in it is enough to cause problems. Then there is the whole bit with sauces and glazes. Even soy sauce generally has gluten it it.

 

We're also long-time HAL cruisers thinking about a move and like the OP, my DW is also gluten and dairy intolerant.

[Fredalyn]

On 8/12/2019 at 2:52 PM, cruisetheworld67 said:

My  wife  needs to be gluten free and is also  lactose intolerant.

 

We  have  mostly  sailed HAL,  but things have been sinking in many aspects with HAL ( not the ships).

 

One problem is my wife mostly  orders the salmon each night cuz that is all she can tolerate.

 

Are there at least a few gluten free choices for dinner  or just the same choices each night in the dining room?

 

Do the specialty  restaurants have  at least  one gluten free  menu item?

 

I assume LActaid (lactose free milk) is available (for cereals and coffee).

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

 

I am currently on the Insignia (B2B Bermuda) and have had absolutely no problem. I do have celiac disease and must be gluten free. My TA alerted Oceania, I introduced myself to Dining Services as soon as we embarked. Until the Maitre D's and wait staff got to know me, which they did very quickly, whether it was in the GDR or the Buffet at Terrace, I reintroduced myself. Either with the chef or Maitre D, we go over items that are gf or can be made gf. If I am unsure, I ask questions and they are patient. For evening meals, I am given the menu and I complete requests the evening before. They are aware of the cross contamination issue. Fortunately, I can eat dairy but have noticed plant based options. As I enter any of the restaurants, I am asked- "gluten free bread for Madame?" I do make a point to thank anyone who goes out of their way. One of the Maitre D's had a special chocolate dessert made for me, unsolicited, when he learned of my love of chocolate. 

[ORV]

Not sure if this is the right thread for this, but was served oatmeal apple crumble with plant based ice cream in GDR by mistake the other night. In a word, putrid. 

[Fredalyn]

12 hours ago, ORV said:

Not sure if this is the right thread for this, but was served oatmeal apple crumble with plant based ice cream in GDR by mistake the other night. In a word, putrid. 

Most "real" ice cream is gluten free. I stick with that and on the Insignia, it was delicious. I didn't have the plant based stuff. 

 

[babysteps]

On 9/23/2019 at 8:48 AM, ORV said:

was served oatmeal apple crumble with plant based ice cream in GDR by mistake the other night

 

On 9/23/2019 at 9:04 PM, Fredalyn said:

Most "real" ice cream is gluten free.

Some plant-based ice cream is better than others, but an unwelcome surprise is no fun. 

 

Ice cream may or may not have gluten free ingredients, but as a celiac it's not just the ingredients, it's also possible cross contamination with non-gf items such as ice cream cones, or a different flavor on the scoop (in the scoop rinse water), etc.

Edited September 25, 2019 by babysteps

[mbiggers]

We are just off 30 nights on the Riviera. While the food overall was excellent, I had several issues with my Gluten Free diet.

1.  Terrace Cafe had very limited options.  I had one of the Chefs walk around and point out what I could eat for lunch. Basically it boiled down to the Carving Station, possibly a fish, and salad. Dinner was somewhat better as the Grill offered lots of meat choices. Soups were frequently thickened with flour. Sushi was good but the GF soy sauce I requested never appeared (they did have it in Red Ginger). There was always a long wait for anything special  I requested. When I boarded I asked about a GF pizza and was told to request it 24 hours in advance. Two weeks later when we had a sea day I asked about having one and was told, "No, you need to ask 48 hours ahead."  They finally agreed to 36 hours.  The next morning I reminded them that I'd like a pepperoni pizza at 1:00.  I showed up at 1:00 and something sort of like a pizza arrived at 1:45- no pepperoni and very little sauce or cheese on a mushy, slimy rectangle of dough.  Inedible. Because the Terrace does not keep Gluten Free bread or muffins they have to send someone to the main galley each time. When I asked why I had to wait every morning for a muffin, I was told, "We have to keep them fresh!"

2. Grand Dining Room food was excellent, but wait staff occasionally delivered the wrong plate. I'd eye the plates and see that he'd given one prime rib with sauce to me and one without sauce to someone else, so I'd ask, "Is this one Gluten Free?" And he'd say he'd gotten the plates mixed up.  I noticed it about 3 times and afterwards suspected it a couple more.  All four specialty restaurants dealt with GF perfectly (except whatever brand GF pasta they use isn't very good).

3. Desserts- I never want to see Creme Brûlée again!  Ice cream is also an option. A few nights the Chef had prepared a special GF dessert, so I requested a gf brownie or chocolate cake. 2/3 of the times that I asked I got it. The last night the waiter asked for my dessert order and I said no, thanks. He offered Creme Brûlée or ice cream, and I said no, nothing unless the Chef had a special gf dessert that night. He went to check and returned with....Creme Brûlée!  At Jacques I had requested a gf soufflé. When we arrived the waiter said, "Madam, Chef did not approve your request for a soufflé.  Would you like Creme Brûlée."  Since on Seabourn ALL soufflés are made with rice flour, I was surprised that Riviera couldn't handle it. Good thing they had Creme Brûlée!

So, overall quality was fantastic, but Gluten Free options were downright dismal. HAL, Celebrity, and Seabourn all had more options. Good thing was that by skipping lots of sweets and carbs, I came home without gaining an ounce!  

Michele

 

 

 

[Cruseforme]

I am heartbroken, and told our good friend who is GF, and will be on the Marina again next month.  She has always filled out the forms the night before (what is available), and turned them in and received exactly what she checked off.   I told her your experience with not having your selections available, and she was devastated, and may end up bringing things so she can eat snacks etc.  Last cruise we were on, (last Fall), the Chef brought out not only the cookies and pastries she selected, but also other options for the table to try.