For gluten free cruisers...

[sparty1]

Thank you for your comments in response to the somewhat sarcastic and insensitive posting inferring those who request GF diets are mainly "fadish" with no scientific support! I wonder if this poster would feel the same if he/she had Celiac disease or a child who is autistic? My Celiac spouse and an autistic friend of ours have started living with fewer health issues and less pain since gluten has been removed from their diets(years of problems until the diagnosis, and removal of gluten!) There will always be SOME people who will attach themselves to any "new" diet as a fad, but GF food is generally with little taste and little substance. These dieters do not stay with the GF diet once they see it is not glamorous. Those with a diagnosed disease or condition find it necessary for their quality of life! As you suggested, doing research would show how the body destroys itself over time by the intake of gluten(Celiac being an autoimmune disease). I commend those cruiselines who are sensitive to the needs of others, and have procedures and options to accommodate them.

 

As parents of an 8 year old that 6 months ago was diagnosed with Celiac disease, we are extremely grateful that cruise lines like Carnival go out of their way to provide so many options. One of the symptoms our daughter suffers from is Dermatitis Herpetiformis (look it up) which is a horrible rash kind of like eczema x10. It's itchy, blistery and scarring so to have that gone on a GF diet is such a relief for her not to suffer through that. It took 2 years before she was correctly diagnosed so it was a very difficult time for her. The smallest amount of cross contamination causes the rash to come back for her so she is one of the more sensitive sufferers.

 

While a GF diet may be the latest "fad" now too, Celiac disease is most certainly not a fad and it's partly because there have been so many hybridized grains introduced into our diet over the last several years that our bodies can't determine if they're good or bad for us. Until you have to go with a GF diet you have no idea how difficult it is to find products that are GF. It's in everything!

 

It has been a huge adjustment to our family's eating habits so the more options the cruise lines have for Celiac sufferers the more we can look forward to our vacation and not have to worry that there will be food options for our daughter.

 

I encourage those that don't know what Celiac disease is to look it up. It's not an allergy, it's an auto immune disease. Big difference with big health implications!! Especially in a child with so much development ahead of them.

[carsastic]

When you have confirmed Celiac disease, there is no other choice but to remove gluten from your diet. I am grateful there are as many gluten free options out there as there is. Gluten free eating is not a "trend" for me. It is a necessity.

 

Not suggesting you were or were not . Just submitting it effects 1 percent

And it's a bogus fad

Btw. My wife. After 1 yr of mis diagnose which included having a antibiotic pump for Lyme was confirmed celiac

I know

[wantocruisemore]

Not suggesting you were or were not . Just submitting it effects 1 percent

And it's a bogus fad

Btw. My wife. After 1 yr of mis diagnose which included having a antibiotic pump for Lyme was confirmed celiac

I know

 

Where are you getting that GF is just 1 percent? Plus, is that even considering those that have to have GF who are not celiac?

 

Why can't you just be glad that cruise lines are sensitive to the needs of their passengers?

 

And what about in Italy? Everybody is tested for celiac while young. If they are positive the government gives them a monthly subsidy to help with the increased costs. Restaurants are very sensitive to this. That's one of the reasons eating in Italy was easy for my DD. Is that a "fad" too?

[ready123go]

I contacted Carnival and they confirmed that they do NOT have GF soya sauce. Does anyone have the website that sells the little packets?

 

 

Minimus.com used to, but I see they don't any longer. Amazon has some.

 

I got some GF Tamari packets from our grocery store. I have also simply taken a small 3 oz. travel-sized squeeze bottle of my Tamari. :)

[Dee777]

I was thinking of doing the same, and just putting my tamari sauce in a little bottle for travel. The way things are going, I'm going to need a carry on bag for my gf goodies lol

[L&J]

Can anyone here confirm if the ice cream at the self-serve stands on the lido deck is GF? Specifically, we'll be on the Dream. Thanks.

[wantocruisemore]

Can anyone here confirm if the ice cream at the self-serve stands on the lido deck is GF? Specifically, we'll be on the Dream. Thanks.

 

I had emailed carnival in the past and they replied that the soft serve is gluten free! just not the cones.

[jburk]

Soft serve is gf. That is what we were told on the magic.

 

Well, i wish that being gf was just a "fad" for my autistic 12 yr old. Those that think that can take my kid for a week and let him eat "normal" and watch him puke his guts out, poo on himself, itch himself like crazy, scream 24/7, cry for no reason, bang his head on the wall. Betcha then you'll see why he eats gf. Not that I'd subject my child to that due to the ignorance of others. I am thankful CCL offers gf and that it is so east for my son to eat. Dont get why my kid eating gf is such an issue to others anyway.

 

 

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[kangaand2roos]

I am GF by choice. A bit over a year ago, I stopped eating wheat and most sugar because they are inflammatory and offer little actual nutrition. I have mild arthritis and I wanted to see if it helped. It did, quite a bit, and the bonus is that I lost nearly 30 pounds. See...it turns out that most junk food is made of wheat and/or sugar! As I have neither celiac nor allergy, small amounts of contamination are not an issue for me. I don't use a lot of substitutes. I just don't really eat wheaty or sugary foods. But sometimes, it is REALLY nice to have that burger on a bun!

 

GF may be somewhat trendy, but giving up a highly processed, not-really-nutritious food seems, at worst, harmless. My main way of dealing with this is to eat other foods rather than just substituting. But sometimes...

 

I do not expect anybody to cater to my dietary choices. I don't demand that, for example, raw milk be provided. On my last cruise, I did not request GF foods. I just ordered what should naturally have been GF.

 

But, for people for whom this dietary restriction is not a choice, I applaud Carnival and other companies for providing options that allow them to live life (mostly) like everyone else.

 

PS...I made an awsome GF quiche yesterday! Mmmmmmm...

[L&J]

Yay! So happy to hear the ice cream is GF! She'll be thrilled :)

 

What seems like no big deal to others, are small victories to us. A GF bun offered here, GF pizza offered there, it's huge to us who NEED a strict diet. It's very difficult to see our little girl miss out on things she was able to have only 6 months ago. No more happy meals at McDonald's, no more cookies or cupcakes for classmates birthday celebrations, no more play dough when bored, stopping spontaneously at a hot dog stand, everything down to her shampoo and lotions had to be changed. We will still provide these things for her, but advance preparations and forethought are needed. So to the previous poster, that's the reason for all these GF threads.....we need to stick together and share our good experiences and tips to help other GF cruisers enjoy their vacations as much as anyone else. The GF diet is NOT easy!

 

Thank you to all the people who post their GF experiences. It sure helps the rest of us who are a little stressed about it.

[Gailerina]

I was shopping at our local Wegmans tonight when this thread came to mind. I was in the international aisle, Asian section (which has some interesting things) and what do I see? A box of individual packets of GF soy sauce. I believe it was 20 in the box and it was between 3 and 5 dollars.

 

So if you have a Wegmans near you, see if they have them :) (The store also has a few aisles strictly for GF also). I have no idea if the stores are limited to the east coast or everywhere.

[Lingalizzi]

We are taking our first cruise in 9 days and my husband is beyond ecstatic that he will be able to eat worry free. It's been 2 years since he has been on a GF diet and it has not been easy. It's such a relief to know we can all enjoy the meals. Thanks for suggesting the ice cream cones, I'm going to surprise him with bringing GF cones.

 

 

First time cruiser!

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[L&J]

Can anyone confirm if the bacon is GF?

[jburk]

Last year on the magic we were told the bacon was gf. Ds ate it daily and had no problems. Warning-the omlettes are NOY gf. It is a egg mixture and not pure eggs. But you can get made to order eggs or ask for an omlette with real eggs.

 

 

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[coasterjan]

I was on the Dream Nov. 2 - Nov. 9. I was served gluten free bread each night in the dining room, which was really nice when I couldn't have any of the bread basket that everyone else at the table was enjoying.

 

Lunch was the hardest part for me, usually ended up with fresh fruit and salads.

 

The thing I found most annoying was that there was a basket with gluten free bread out on the breakfast buffet, and even though it was labeled as such, it seems LOTS of people took some (including my husband and his parents, who took the last piece right in front of me....!), and then they threw it away when it was "dry" and "didn't taste very good..." ARGH!! I kept trying to explain to them that it was the only type of bread some of us could eat, and it would be polite of them to not waste it....

 

Janis

[judydoc]

I appreciate the efforts being made for Celiac people. I have friends who have died from complications resulting from Celiac. Not worth risking your health. Yeah Carnival!! What a relief to find gluten free food!! Thankyou!

[ooulio]

TO THE person looking for GF food for lunch. I go to Guys' Burgers. They are awesome. I just get it without bread. I tell them about allergy and they wiped the grill. Cucina Del Capiatana also will make special meals for you. At nite they made me GF Chicken Parm. You pay a charge of $12 per person I think. Great food. They have it on Magic and Breeze . not sure about what other ones. Steak house will also do gf too.

[ooulio]

TO THE person looking for GF food for lunch. I go to Guys' Burgers. They are awesome. I just get it without bread. I tell them about allergy and they wiped the grill. Cucina Del Capiatana also will make special meals for you. At nite they made me GF Chicken Parm. You pay a charge of $12 per person I think. Great food. They have it on Magic and Breeze . not sure about what other ones. Steak house will also do gf too.

[Ykgorbie]

I just got off of a B2B on the Breeze and cannot eat gluten. I emailed a letter beforehand to the maitre'd and received this reply:

 

Hi Mrs. xxxxxx,

 

 

 

Thanks for letting me know about your table preference and your dietary needs.

 

Rest assured that both will be taken care of. When you come to the Restaurant for the first time, I will introduce you to one of my assistants that will personally take care of your food during your stay.

 

 

 

Thank you and Regards,

 

 

 

Fernando Xavier Martins

 

Sr. Maître D’ Hotel - Carnival Breeze

Carnival Cruise Lines

 

 

The first night of the cruise, not long after we had been seated in the Lower Blush dining room, the assistant maitre'd, Marketa, came over to our table, introduced herself and helped me with the menu for the next days' brunch (if we chose to go) and/or dinner menu selections. She continued that for the next 13 days and she was WONDERFUL and very knowledgeable regarding what could and what could not be specially made as gluten free or what was and what was not already gluten free. She always encouraged me to order two appetizers, and entree and desert which is way more food than I'd normally eat (!!), but I sure enjoyed it. I really noticed that there were way more g.f. choices aboard the Breeze...or maybe it's Carnival across the board, don't know - our last cruise was a year ago on the Liberty and while there were quite a few options, I found things had improved immensely this year on the Breeze. Also, they have changed the brand of bread that they serve on the main dining room and it is WAY better than what they served a year ago !

I also received a letter in my room on embarkation day stating that my gluten free request was acknowledged and it listed some g.f. options available to me:

 

Guy's Burgers - they have g.f. buns available

Pizza - you could request a g.f. crust

Italian restaurant - they had g.f. pasta available

 

Anyway, the entire experience was great and I ate wonderful food for two solid weeks !

Edited November 22, 2013 by Ykgorbie

[RuthlessBoss]

TO THE person looking for GF food for lunch. I go to Guys' Burgers. They are awesome. I just get it without bread. I tell them about allergy and they wiped the grill. Cucina Del Capiatana also will make special meals for you. At nite they made me GF Chicken Parm. You pay a charge of $12 per person I think. Great food. They have it on Magic and Breeze . not sure about what other ones. Steak house will also do gf too.

On another thread recently, a woman claimed she got a burger with gluten free buns at Guy's for her son daily.

[sparty1]

I tried emailing the Maitre'D on the Freedom, but it came back. How did you find the correct email addy? Thx for any help.

 

 

I just got off of a B2B on the Breeze and cannot eat gluten. I emailed a letter beforehand to the maitre'd and received this reply:

 

Hi Mrs. xxxxxx,

 

 

 

Thanks for letting me know about your table preference and your dietary needs.

 

Rest assured that both will be taken care of. When you come to the Restaurant for the first time, I will introduce you to one of my assistants that will personally take care of your food during your stay.

 

 

 

Thank you and Regards,

 

 

 

Fernando Xavier Martins

 

Sr. Maître D’ Hotel - Carnival Breeze

Carnival Cruise Lines

 

 

The first night of the cruise, not long after we had been seated in the Lower Blush dining room, the assistant maitre'd, Marketa, came over to our table, introduced herself and helped me with the menu for the next days' brunch (if we chose to go) and/or dinner menu selections. She continued that for the next 13 days and she was WONDERFUL and very knowledgeable regarding what could and what could not be specially made as gluten free or what was and what was not already gluten free. She always encouraged me to order two appetizers, and entree and desert which is way more food than I'd normally eat (!!), but I sure enjoyed it. I really noticed that there were way more g.f. choices aboard the Breeze...or maybe it's Carnival across the board, don't know - our last cruise was a year ago on the Liberty and while there were quite a few options, I found things had improved immensely this year on the Breeze. Also, they have changed the brand of bread that they serve on the main dining room and it is WAY better than what they served a year ago !

I also received a letter in my room on embarkation day stating that my gluten free request was acknowledged and it listed some g.f. options available to me:

 

Guy's Burgers - they have g.f. buns available

Pizza - you could request a g.f. crust

Italian restaurant - they had g.f. pasta available

 

Anyway, the entire experience was great and I ate wonderful food for two solid weeks !

[specialdiet]

Lots of good advice on this thread, but I want to throw out a few more things.

 

Regarding soya sauce, San-J sells a travel pack of 20 packets of gluten-free Tamari. Not too hard to find online (e.g. Amazon sells it). Product info here: http://www.san-j.com/product_info.asp?id=26

 

For the person who said that most gluten free food was generally "with little taste and little substance", I would say that while some gluten free products would certainly fall into that category, I find that not to be true of most of the pre-made (e.g. bread, pasta) products available today, and certainly not of my own cooking. :) Having said that, going onto a cruise there aren't likely going to be multiple vendors for the same product type available, so if you don't like the one the line stocks, you'll be out of luck. No excuse for fresh cooking though!

 

On the subject of the "fad-ness" of gluten free diets, while on the plus side that does mean more people are more aware and more products are available, for the celiac or others with severe intolerances, it means many of the staff might not be as rigorous, thinking it's a "by choice" preference. Don't just say you need gluten free or go by items mentioned as gluten free in the menu, make sure you communicate you need gluten free because of a severe medical condition.

 

Finally, on the general subject of managing special diets on any cruise line, there is a lot to know to reduce your stress and avoid mishaps. I'll mention the free guide I have online at http://cruisespecialdiet.com as providing a good overview of the entire process, and of course there are lots of Cruise Critic threads on the topic, both with specific diets and cruise lines (which in actual fact tend to vary less than you'd think).

[joeyancho]

for an illness that affects 1 % of the population thee sure are a lot of gluten ee

threads

as the stretchy protein found in wheat and other grains has become the latest dietary bogeyman, sales at companies like general mills inc., kellogg co. And britain’s warburtons ltd. Have come under pressure. Yet instead of fighting back against what many dietitians contend lacks scientific grounding, they’re boosting output of pricier gluten-free foods while leaving industry groups to defend their traditional products.

Less than 1 percent of americans have the disorder that requires a gluten-free diet, yet almost one in three now eschews gluten, according to trend watchers npd group, influenced by bestselling anti-gluten books and celebrity endorsements. The u.s. Market for gluten-free foods will climb from $4.2 billion in 2012 to $6.6 billion by 2017, according to researcher packaged facts, as bread bakers, craft-beer makers and eateries from hooters to michelin-starred hakkasan embrace the trend.

Btw. It does nothing to lose weight too

 

 

yup!!!

[saydiver]

I agree GF has become a fad in the US, which has made it easier for those of us with an intolerance to find GF products, but many people don't even realize they have a gluten problem. Some Drs believe 95% of the people with GF issues don't even realize it. Either they have no symptoms at all or it manifests itself as other symptoms like joint pain, muscle pain, fatigue, etc. You also can be gluten sensitive or intolerant without being celiac.

 

I would love not to have a gluten issue. It would make traveling around the world so much easier!

 

I take the San-J tamari packets with me on all trips including cruises. I get my supply by ordering PF Changs gluten-free take-out. :) On my dive trips I take a bottle of the sauce to the resort chef. I wrap the bottle in bubble wrap and put it in a zip lock freezer bag in my checked luggage.

 

Sue

Edited December 2, 2013 by saydiver

[saydiver]

I'm so glad some drs in the US are finally realizing that gluten sensitivity is a real diagnosis. Dr Oz had an episode on gluten sensitivity earlier this week:

 

http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/gluten-warning-signs-next-epidemic

 

Sue

Edited December 5, 2013 by saydiver