Gluten Free Cruising Which Cruise Lines offer Gluten Free Options

Table Of Content

• Do you rent wheelchairs or scooters for use on board?
• ​"EAT WELL, TRAVEL OFTEN"
• Exploring Carnival Cruise Lines’ New Gluten-Free Menu Options
• Advance Notice – Contact the cruise line ahead of time
• Can I bring a blender to make my own food to accommodate a food allergy or specific dietary need?
• Download My Safe Dining Card
• What assistance do you provide guests with mobility limitations getting on and off the ship?
• A FEW OF OUR TOP DINING CHOICES

Her dining experience was not any worse than those of us eating off the regular menu. She probably had more choices than I did as someone who does not eat meat or shellfish. My mom filled out the MSC special needs form, indicating that she had celiac disease and could not eat gluten.

Do you rent wheelchairs or scooters for use on board?

If you are like me you have found it somewhat difficult to find good information on cruising gluten free. I really wanted to get as much information as possible on my last cruise with Carnival so I could better educate myself and also share what I learned with others. I feel this information would have been very useful to me prior to my cruise so I hope it is helpful to you. I reached out to Carnival before and after my cruise on the Carnival Splendor in May 2015 and they were extremely helpful. Aly at Carnival, was able to provide me with some great information and provided followup to questions after my cruise which I will share here.

​"EAT WELL, TRAVEL OFTEN"

While the major cruise lines have started to offer more standard gluten-free food on their cruise ships, many prefer you to provide notice of your dietary requirements right after booking your trip. Providing advanced notice to the cruise line means they will be sure to stock up on more gluten-free ingredients and provisions for your cruise. Most cruises already serve gluten-free breads, pizzas, and pastas but may not include gluten-free desserts and beer.

Exploring Carnival Cruise Lines’ New Gluten-Free Menu Options

Carnival Cruise Beer Menu - Cruise Critic

Carnival Cruise Beer Menu.

Posted: Wed, 09 Oct 2019 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Our head waiter, Bernie, quickly learned my name and each night at dinner he presented me with the menu for the next night to make my selection. The entire dining staff assigned to our table was outstanding and were always looking out for me to ensure I had a wonderful dining experience. Of course there are other dining options besides the main dining room on the ship and I will go over the different options below.

Items could be customized to their liking and varied greatly depending on the particular chef preparing them. These new menus appear to be an effort by Carnival to streamline menu offerings while accommodating common dietary restrictions. If you spend long days in port, plan ahead and take some backup items, such as Kind bars, trail mix, or chips. Research gluten-free dining options at ports of call if you plan to eat off the ship. You may or may not be able to find anything gluten-free easily while walking in port, particularly in the Caribbean, where many things are fried. Most ports in Europe and larger cities have plenty of gluten free options, but it’s still a good idea to have something with you just in case.

Can I bring a blender to make my own food to accommodate a food allergy or specific dietary need?

We strongly recommend accessible shore excursions be pre-arranged prior to your cruise. However, if you need assistance once on board, please visit our Shore Excursions Desk and specify your accommodations needed. Accessible tours are available in certain destinations only, and our shore excursion staff can provide you with suggestions. Motor coaches and other forms of transportation may require you to climb 2 to 3 steps. Most, but not all motor coaches, can accommodate collapsible wheelchairs.

Download My Safe Dining Card

The crew should be able to tell you how they clean surfaces, utensils, and dishes to avoid cross-contamination. If you eat in the main dining room, you order the night before and they take care of you. Even the nights I had to order on the spot, I had no issues. On the lido deck, you can order gluten free pasta, gluten free burgers, gluten free sandwiches, french fries, tacos with corn tortillas, salad bar. Each day they have a gluten free dessert that you can request and 24-7 soft serve. The only thing I would change is for them to mark allergens at the buffet so passengers can make educated choices, but I avoided the buffet since it was often fried foods.

What assistance do you provide guests with mobility limitations getting on and off the ship?

At the end of the week my wife and I had the opportunity to meet with the maître d' and the head chef of the dining room and take a personal tour of the galley where food is prepared for the two main dining rooms. We were so impressed by the organization and cleanliness of the galley. There was shiny stainless steel everywhere and everything was very clean, including the floors. Pastries are made in their own area and breads are baked in their own section, away from other food prep areas. The amount of food that moves through that kitchen every night is astounding and they do it so efficiently.

A FEW OF OUR TOP DINING CHOICES

Swirls was very good and I indulged way too much, probably! The really nice thing about Swirls was there are cups and spoons next to one of the machines, in addition to the cones. If you forgot which one, it was a bit of a pain to go to the other one, but I soon remembered which machine had them. I can order you packed lunches, he said, just tell me which days and remind me the night before. The lunches were great, packed with two sandwiches (usually turkey and/or tuna), fruit and several snacks. The downside was of the three days my mom ordered them, twice they weren't ready and she had to wait 20 minutes before the lunch appeared.

He was able to get prime rib, pork chop without sauce and chicken for dinner. I feel like the "Nima" really saved us and we just knew if the food was gluten free or not. The down side to the Nima is the expense and the capsules are a little costly. It was an incredible experience and if we go again we will just have to be extra careful and vigilant on what he can eat. Facilities, services and accessibility across ports of call vary significantly and accessibility may not be available for shore excursions or in certain ports of call due to limited infrastructure and other factors. We want our guests with mobility limitations to be able to enjoy their time ashore, and where possible, we will do our best to secure accessible tours, but options may be limited or non-existent altogether.

Due to Carnival’s large fleet of ships and status as a popular commercial cruise line, they are one of the best-stocked cruise lines for gluten-free cruisers. All of Carnival’s cruise ships serve gluten-free breads, pastas, pizzas, and desserts. At the popular Guy’s Burger Joints, you can get bunless burgers and french fries as gluten-free options.

They offer gluten-free sandwiches, pastries, and pizzas from separate cooking areas to avoid cross-contamination. There is good news for those people as all cruise lines, without exception, now offer gluten-free meals. Awaken and delight yours on a Carnival cruise with delicious main dishes, tempting desserts and general yumminess everywhere you look. The bar staff, servers, and room attendants get tips on cruises, but the chefs do not. If one of them went above and beyond, mention their name at the end of the cruise on the survey. Other options are to buy them a small gift in port or give them a tip.

The addition of more gluten-free items follows the recent expansion of vegan and vegetarian options as well. Carnival Cruise Line began rolling out vegan menus fleet-wide in late 2023. While Carnival Cruise Line has always offered gluten-free items on its menu, it has occasionally been difficult for passengers to note which items truly are gluten-free.

Check in with the maitre’D, head waiter, and dining staff about safe gluten-free choices. I have Celiac and want to feel “normal,” especially on vacation. When I stop being embarrassed or frustrated by my condition and talk to the chef, 9 times out of 10, it goes better than expected. Suddenly, I am being offered items even off the menu that can be prepared for me the next day.

We are unable to provide food preparation, refrigeration or storage for personal food or beverage items. A safety briefing video with open captions is televised in all staterooms throughout the cruise. Dining rooms menus can be provided in an electronic PDF file readable via screen reading software. Personal wheelchair push assistance service is not provided while on board or in ports of call. Mobility devices cannot be left unattended in any venue area unless the guest is temporarily away attending an event, and the device is parked in an area that allows all guests safe exit from the venue. When in public areas, guests must maintain their device clear of any exits or fire doors and ensure it does not obstruct any fire or safety equipment.

All cruises lines can offer a gluten-free cruise experience if you know what to ask for and what to look for onboard. From giving the cruise line advance notice to identifying yourself to the ship's maitre d', Cruise Critic has rounded up all the details you need to know to have a successful -- and enjoyable -- cruise without gluten. Gluten-free pizza dough, pasta, bread for deli sandwiches, and hamburgers buns, as well as cake are available upon request. All items are freshly prepared and may take a little longer than regular menu items. Gluten-free alcoholic beverages are available for your enjoyment on our U.S.-based ships. The buffet on the Lido deck proved to be challenging for me and I wished I would have thought to ask for a manager to help answer my questions as I later found out is what I should have done.