Gluten free in Luminae

[Purplsmurf]

Hello all! We have booked our first Sunset SS on Reflection next May for our 30th wedding anniversary. Thought it would be a good time to have a suite for the first time. I have to eat gluten free and have been noticing that not only can I not figure out what most items are on the Luminae menu, but I definitely don’t know if anything is gf. I don’t want to have to order the night before, as that might not be what I want the following night. Starting to wonder if we should forgo the suite. It is twice as much as Aqua and even more than 2X Concierge or Veranda. Does anyone have experience with eating gf In Luminae? Reflection hasn’t been revolutionized either so not sure it’s worth the $$$. Thank you! 

[Jim_Iain]

All you have to do is tell Celebrity prior to cruise or let your waiter know and they will discuss with you the night before and you select what you want.   They will also work with your tastes and let you know what each item is as well as variations.

[DCPIV]

The wait staff in Luminae (and everywhere else) have been excellent about asking about dietary restrictions or preferences. It's pretty much the first thing out of their mouths.  

 

We were on Reflection six months ago, and we'll be back again in six months. She's a great ship!  Luminae was very nice, as was Michael's. We'll be back in a suite and are looking forward to it. 

[Retired888]

At Luminae, they were pretty good with gluten-free accommodations.  I was offered gluten-free muffins every morning.  All sauces and soups are gluten-free because the Celebrity has been smart enough to use gluten-free flour as thickeners.  This was explained to us by the chefs.  The nice thing in Luminae is that you will typically have your own server and assistants who are attentive to the your dietary needs and restrictions.  We love Luminae.

[bjahil47]

I need to eat gluten free.  We have been on Equinox for our last 5 cruises.  Since Luminae is near the MDR we can also order from that menu.  Everything is labeled on MDR menu for food allergies.  Nothing is labeled in Luminae.  I really have not ever had anyone go above and beyond in helping me.  They will give you the menu the night before.  The few times I have asked if something could be made gf I was told no.  I don’t go hungry but I would love lamb one night and it always has gluten crust and they will not make it any other way.  Gluten free desserts are blah in Luminae.  In fact on our April trip even the gf dessert options in buffet were terrible.  In Tuscan they told me a dish was gf and I knew it wasn’t after the first bite.  Luckily I did not get sick.  
 They must bring about 4 different types of bread by the table every night in Luminae.  If you want gluten free it will be a piece of bread toasted from a loaf of store bought bread every single night.  
 

There is still plenty I can eat.  I do bring my own crackers and bagels from home on the cruise.

[goofysmom99]

1 hour ago, bjahil47 said:

I need to eat gluten free.  We have been on Equinox for our last 5 cruises.  Since Luminae is near the MDR we can also order from that menu.  Everything is labeled on MDR menu for food allergies.  Nothing is labeled in Luminae.  I really have not ever had anyone go above and beyond in helping me.  They will give you the menu the night before.  The few times I have asked if something could be made gf I was told no.  I don’t go hungry but I would love lamb one night and it always has gluten crust and they will not make it any other way.  Gluten free desserts are blah in Luminae.  In fact on our April trip even the gf dessert options in buffet were terrible.  In Tuscan they told me a dish was gf and I knew it wasn’t after the first bite.  Luckily I did not get sick.  
 They must bring about 4 different types of bread by the table every night in Luminae.  If you want gluten free it will be a piece of bread toasted from a loaf of store bought bread every single night.  
 

There is still plenty I can eat.  I do bring my own crackers and bagels from home on the cruise.

That's exactly what I've encountered in Luminae.  I know the menus by heart in Blu, Luminae, and MDR and my go-to for GF is mainly Blu followed by MDR.  For sure, skip the bread.  Once seated, I immediately order a straight-up liqueur like Chambord, Kahlua, creme de menthe, etc, so it's there for dessert.  Poured over vanilla ice cream, it becomes a very tasty GF "sundae" no matter what's on the dessert menu.  I too bring along crunchy things and bagels/buns.  Makes for weird packing for a long B2B; definitely not gonna be "just a carryon." 😆

[Mimiya11]

Love the Reflection!

If Alfred is still on contract when you go, ask for him to be your waiter in Luminae. 

He was fantastic and ensured my GF husband was well fed, with offerings outside of the menu.   

One lunch, Alfred surprised us with a GF bun that he had arranged to be baked so my husband could have one of the yummy burgers we were eyeing the day before.    

 

I do suggest, as others have, to bring some GF crackers as there are none to be found on the ship. 

 

Cafe Bacio has some GF muffins, cookies and some cakes.  We tended to go there for dessert after dinner.  

      

[DCPIV]

8 hours ago, goofysmom99 said:

That's exactly what I've encountered in Luminae.  I know the menus by heart in Blu, Luminae, and MDR and my go-to for GF is mainly Blu followed by MDR.  For sure, skip the bread.  Once seated, I immediately order a straight-up liqueur like Chambord, Kahlua, creme de menthe, etc, so it's there for dessert.  Poured over vanilla ice cream, it becomes a very tasty GF "sundae" no matter what's on the dessert menu.  I too bring along crunchy things and bagels/buns.  Makes for weird packing for a long B2B; definitely not gonna be "just a carryon." 😆

 

If you get the right folks, you can have lemon sorbet for dessert! 😉

[edgee]

My DW is gluten free by choice..not medical need. We dined in Luminae on Eclipse (same restaurant configuration as Reflection) and she had no issues. There is no need to ask to see the next evening's menu since the app for the cruise has menus for every restaurant for every day of the cruise on your phone. On several nights we ordered from the main dining room menu.

[goofysmom99]

I've had no GF issues in Luminae, or any of the dining rooms for that matter, it's just that for all the Luminae hype, they don't or can't go out of their way to make something GF that should be relatively simple.  They have whole potatoes so one would think they could make a fresh french fry (they're coated & frozen) one time upon request during a two-week cruise since they already have a dedicated fryer to make fresh potato chips.  Nope.  And I've asked every time.  Maybe I'll try asking the F&B mgr next time.  When you cruise weeks at a time, it's disappointing.  

[Arubalisa]

On the Reflection do they permit guests dining in Luminae to order from the main dining room menu?

[DCPIV]

37 minutes ago, Arubalisa said:

On the Reflection do they permit guests dining in Luminae to order from the main dining room menu?

 

Yes, and also Blu.  That's the case for all M and S class ships.

[LuvCruzn4Evr]

1 hour ago, DCPIV said:

 

Yes, and also Blu.  That's the case for all M and S class ships.

We are currently onboard Equinox and dining in Blu. They no longer allow ordering from the main dining room, except for the 'everyday' items (salmon, chicken breast and ny strip).

[kk99]

So, just off Infinity, and I have been on all of the ships many times in all classes, celiac not by choice, and vegetarian by choice. In Luminae they usually use gf Canyon Bakehouse for white toast, and also have gf raisin bread. None of the menus are marked with gf symbols as the main dining room menu is or the labels in ocean view cafe.  At Cafe al Bacio, they usually have gf coconut macaroons, no other desserts that are gf, except sometimes  in the morning hours a small gf muffin which is okay but not very tasty imo. On the buffet, they will have jello (not vegetarian) and 2 other gluten free desserts that are usually vegetarian with signage. I have never seen gluten free crackers on any sailing. Blu and the main dining rooms seem to have more gf options than Luminae. I always bring gf crackers, gf protein bars with me. The chefs in Luminae, and the other restaurants will make you any basic meat, fish, vegetable or fresh fruit dishes gluten free without bread crumbs, or sauces that may not be gf. There is very good made to order gf pizza and pasta in the ocean view cafe made when you order it, takes 15-20 minutes.  At the gelato stand on my most recent cruise, none of it was  marked gf. However, they had ice cream in the ocean view cafe and restaurants that was gf. Please ask the chefs, and preorder the night before in which ever restaurant you may be eating in. Tuscan Grille has made some great dishes, and made from scratch gf bread if ordered in advance, same with Murano, and other speciality restaurants. I know they have dedicated toasters for the gluten free bread, and use separate tongs for no cross contamination. They do have gf soy sauce available, and they try hard to please.
Still, dining is not why I cruise Celebrity, as there is room for lots of improvement for those who must eat gf, and some of the modifications to menu items would be easy to make in Luminae. I just wish corporate would let those with dietary restrictions give them some ideas for fast, reasonable cost items to be included and enhance the shipboard dining experience. I really appreciate all of the staff on the ships who try and please you. For me, I prefer other speciality dining, Blu, and the buffet to Luminae. Please have your reservation marked with any dietary restrictions, and try and get the same servers for whatever your main restaurant will be, as they will be more aware to avoid cross contamination & not tempt you with amazing, and not gf breads and pastry baskets. Luminae needs to add all the codes for gf, sugar free, vegetarian, and other categories on the main dining room menus. They have had several years to do this, and it would save time when someone is ordering as well. 

Enjoy your cruise, and have a wonderful holiday.We always do.

 

 

 

 

[bjahil47]

4 minutes ago, kk99 said:

So, just off Infinity, and I have been on all of the ships many times in all classes, celiac not by choice, and vegetarian by choice. In Luminae they usually use gf Canyon Bakehouse for white toast, and also have gf raisin bread. None of the menus are marked with gf symbols as the main dining room menu is or the labels in ocean view cafe.  At Cafe al Bacio, they usually have gf coconut macaroons, no other desserts that are gf, except sometimes  in the morning hours a small gf muffin which is okay but not very tasty imo. On the buffet, they will have jello (not vegetarian) and 2 other gluten free desserts that are usually vegetarian with signage. I have never seen gluten free crackers on any sailing. Blu and the main dining rooms seem to have more gf options than Luminae. I always bring gf crackers, gf protein bars with me. The chefs in Luminae, and the other restaurants will make you any basic meat, fish, vegetable or fresh fruit dishes gluten free without bread crumbs, or sauces that may not be gf. There is very good made to order gf pizza and pasta in the ocean view cafe made when you order it, takes 15-20 minutes.  At the gelato stand on my most recent cruise, none of it was  marked gf. However, they had ice cream in the ocean view cafe and restaurants that was gf. Please ask the chefs, and preorder the night before in which ever restaurant you may be eating in. Tuscan Grille has made some great dishes, and made from scratch gf bread if ordered in advance, same with Murano, and other speciality restaurants. I know they have dedicated toasters for the gluten free bread, and use separate tongs for no cross contamination. They do have gf soy sauce available, and they try hard to please.
Still, dining is not why I cruise Celebrity, as there is room for lots of improvement for those who must eat gf, and some of the modifications to menu items would be easy to make in Luminae. I just wish corporate would let those with dietary restrictions give them some ideas for fast, reasonable cost items to be included and enhance the shipboard dining experience. I really appreciate all of the staff on the ships who try and please you. For me, I prefer other speciality dining, Blu, and the buffet to Luminae. Please have your reservation marked with any dietary restrictions, and try and get the same servers for whatever your main restaurant will be, as they will be more aware to avoid cross contamination & not tempt you with amazing, and not gf breads and pastry baskets. Luminae needs to add all the codes for gf, sugar free, vegetarian, and other categories on the main dining room menus. They have had several years to do this, and it would save time when someone is ordering as well. 

Enjoy your cruise, and have a wonderful holiday.We always do.

 

 

 

 

I agree with you 100%.  Every time I do the survey or talk to Restaurant Manager I suggest they put the dietary coding on Luminae and Specialty Restaurant menus.  The gf pasta, sauce and meatballs in buffet is very good.  Cruise in April had no macaroons, when I asked they made some and delivered to my room.  The Spa Cafe has some gf food and the gf cookies there are good.  I bring my own gf crackers and bagels.  

[DCPIV]

50 minutes ago, LuvCruzn4Evr said:

We are currently onboard Equinox and dining in Blu. They no longer allow ordering from the main dining room, except for the 'everyday' items (salmon, chicken breast and ny strip).

 

 I apologize for the misunderstanding.  I meant that one can order from the Blu menu when dining in Luminae.

[bjahil47]

5 minutes ago, DCPIV said:

 

 I apologize for the misunderstanding.  I meant that one can order from the Blu menu when dining in Luminae.

I’ll have to check this out in October.  We have eaten in Luminae on last 5 cruises and never once was I offered the Blu menu or that it was even a choice.  

[DCPIV]

1 hour ago, bjahil47 said:

I’ll have to check this out in October.  We have eaten in Luminae on last 5 cruises and never once was I offered the Blu menu or that it was even a choice.  

It's only on M and S class ships, and you may need to ask for it. 

[Purplsmurf]

2 hours ago, LuvCruzn4Evr said:

We are currently onboard Equinox and dining in Blu. They no longer allow ordering from the main dining room, except for the 'everyday' items (salmon, chicken breast and ny strip).

That wouldn’t be good. We will be in our first Aqua cabin soon and I got my husband to agree to it because we were told that we can order from the MDR menu. He wants his jerk chicken the first night and escargot every day. He won’t be happy 😡

[LuvCruzn4Evr]

3 hours ago, DCPIV said:

 

 I apologize for the misunderstanding.  I meant that one can order from the Blu menu when dining in Luminae.

We've never tried this but will ask next week. There are a few items we really enjoy from Blu. Thanks for the info!

[Host Anne]

We often travel with our daughter (dairy allergy) and our son-in-law (gluten free) and dined in Luminae on Summit last year.  They were offered all the menus every night (yes, the need to order the evening before).  The crew went out of their way to make wonderful items for them.  And when we dined in Tuscan, the chef actually went out of his way to make our son-in-law gluten free gnocchi!  We went back a second time because it was a special treat.

 

But believe it or not, I think the best dining experience for them has been in Normandie on Edge.  Because it's best for them to typically have the same wait staff, we mostly ate in Normandie.  The chef on that cruise (in 2018) went way over and above for them.  Typically, dessert had been sorbet on previous cruises but on this cruise, they had amazing desserts every evening. They had wonderful sauces with entrees. It was noticeable that the kitchen staff cared.  We were so well taken care of that I actually asked the chef to visit our table the last evening so we could give him and his staff an extra tip.

 

My recommendation, ask to see the head waiter when you board and review your needs.  Remind your wait staff (I find it much better to try and stick to the same wait staff that understands your needs) that you are gluten free and know that the specialty restaurants typically hand food allergies very well, especially if you visit with them prior to your dining evening.