For some people, the thought of
sailing on the high seas on a large cruise ship is
heaven – their kind of holiday. For others, the
thought of being 'trapped' on a cruise ship with
hundreds of other people is not their ideal holiday.
For a celiac – being on a cruise ship can be heaven
because you will have all your meals cooked for you
and you will have lots of yummy food choices.
I
love cruising and have found it to be a great way of
traveling without all the hassles. You get on the
cruise ship and unpack your luggage (once!!) and
then all the fun starts. Most of the modern cruise
ships are very aware of the food allergies that
people suffer and provide beautiful food for you.
When you decide to go on a cruise, check with the
Cruise company or the travel agent to see what
information they have about catering for a celiac.
Certainly the bigger cruise ships have more of an
ability
to cater for celiacs and offer more choices than
some smaller ships. Do your homework well before you
book the cruise as the “ship” can make or break your
cruise. It is all about cruising and the ships
facilities rather than just the destinations.
After you have decided on the cruise you will have
to fill in a
booking form, (either with your travel agent or
through the internet with the cruise company), ensure that you state your
full dietary
needs.
When you arrive at the embarkation port and are
registering onto the ship, make sure you state your
dietary requirements (once again!!) to confirm that the information
has been passed on to the cruise company from your
travel agent.
Some
of the cruise ships have formal dinner arrangements
where you go to dinner in the main dining room and
sit at a table of (say) 10 people and you get served
by a Maitre d' and waiter. At your first dinner,
introduce yourself to the Maitre d' (he will be your
friend on the cruise) and also your waiter. They should advise you what
meals can be adapted to be gluten free. Most cruises
will adequately cater for a gluten free diet. You
may even be presented with freshly baked gluten free
bread at dinner. (For those cultures not used
to tipping or paying gratuities
remember if you are doing a second or back to back
cruise I would suggest you tip well after your first
cruise. You want the same excellent service on the
second cruise).
For breakfast you could go to the the buffet and
have eggs cooked to order, fruit, yoghurt and they
may have gluten free cereal. You can ask for
gluten free bread that you can toast. It may
be easier to go to the formal breakfast sitting in
the dining room where you are served breakfast. This
will allow you to talk to the waiter about what food
is gluten free.
For morning and afternoon teas you may find it a
little more difficult to get some food that is
gluten free. All the pastries and cakes from the
coffee shops will probably contain gluten but you
may be lucky to have a couple of choices. May be you
could go to the “pool” bar and have some fresh fruit
or yoghurt. Remember you do not have to eat
everything that is available – your waist line will
appreciate it after the cruise.!!
Most
ships also have boutique restaurants such as
Japanese (sushi), Italian, pizza bars, ice-cream
outlets, pool bars etc. You would have to check out
each food outlet to see what you can or not eat.
Regrettably you may not be able to eat at all the
restaurants but you should get a pretty good choice.
At least once you ask the question of what you can
eat, you will be right for the next time and not
have to keep asking.
Research your destinations on your cruise so that
when you go ashore for your day visits you are able
to sample the local food. You might find this
difficult due to a language barrier but you can find
comfort in knowing that when you get back on the
ship, you will be able to have your choice of
wonderful gluten free food. Sometimes going ashore
gives you an opportunity to have a break from
eating.
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I
love cruising and have found it to be a great way of
traveling without all the hassles. You get on the
cruise ship and unpack your luggage (once!!) and
then all the fun starts. Most of the modern cruise
ships are very aware of the food allergies that
people suffer and provide beautiful food for you.
ome
of the cruise ships have formal dinner arrangements
where you go to dinner in the main dining room and
sit at a table of (say) 10 people and you get served
by a Maitre d' and waiter. At your first dinner,
introduce yourself to the Maitre d' (he will be your
friend on the cruise) and also your waiter. They should advise you what
meals can be adapted to be gluten free. Most cruises
will adequately cater for a gluten free diet. You
may even be presented with freshly baked gluten free
bread at dinner. (For those cultures not used
to tipping or paying gratuities
remember if you are doing a second or back to back
cruise I would suggest you tip well after your first
cruise. You want the same excellent service on the
second cruise).
Most
ships also have boutique restaurants such as
Japanese (sushi), Italian, pizza bars, ice-cream
outlets, pool bars etc. You would have to check out
each food outlet to see what you can or not eat.
Regrettably you may not be able to eat at all the
restaurants but you should get a pretty good choice.
At least once you ask the question of what you can
eat, you will be right for the next time and not
have to keep asking.