special diet with flexible dining times

[auntjoy036]

This is a rehash of a question I posted, to limited response, on the Cruise Foodies board.

 

I am gluten intolerant. I need a gluten free diet. Most of the advice I've read is for people with special dietary needs to choose traditional, fixed dining. For reasons not related to food, i'd prefer flexible dining times. (Is it called my time dining on HAL?) Have any of you who have special dietary requirements tried my time dining? Did it go well? What did you do to help it work?

 

I hope to be in Alaska on the refreshed Volendam next summer.

 

Thanks.

 

Vicki

[Mtn2Sea]

On our two cruises during the past year, my wife was able to eat gluten free with the as you wish dining. On the first day at lunch, go to the main dining room and advise a waiter or the guys at the door of your GF diet. They will get you that night's menu and you will make your choices for that evening. Mark the menu Gluten Free and show your cabin number. Thereafter, beginning that night you should ask your waiter for the next night's menu since you must eat GF. When you go to dinner, advise your waiter that you've requested a GF dinner by marking a menu. My wife was also able on several occasions to get the lunch menu the previous day, so she could make her GF choices. HAL also has a form for you to complete regarding your diet that is suppose to be returned to HAL approx. 90 days before your cruise. Since we booked both cruises shortly before sailing, we've never completed the form. The dining staff we encountered on the Ryndam & Noordam were surprisingly well versed in GF restrictions.

[Kamloops50]

This is a rehash of a question I posted, to limited response, on the Cruise Foodies board.

 

I am gluten intolerant. I need a gluten free diet. Most of the advice I've read is for people with special dietary needs to choose traditional, fixed dining. For reasons not related to food, i'd prefer flexible dining times. (Is it called my time dining on HAL?) Have any of you who have special dietary requirements tried my time dining? Did it go well? What did you do to help it work?

 

I hope to be in Alaska on the refreshed Volendam next summer.

 

Thanks. Vicki

 

My DW is gluten intolerant . She just talked to the Maitre'de on the first day . He showed what was gluten free that evening. Later he drought the next days menu for her to see. She chose what she wanted and he made a note for the kitchen. In the buffet just ask one of the head waiters (usually wear a white shirt and tie) and they will tell you what is gluten free.

Keep in mind this is the procedure on Princess , my brother in law(celiac) this is the same proceed except it's the head chief comes out(they do fixed dining).

[cruisinjudy]

I have done gluten free on Princess and HAL. On Princess a head waiter was assigned tome and he brought the next night's menu out and discussed it with me. On HAL they bring the next night's menu to you and you mark what you want and they fix it for you the next night. On Princess they would do desserts also on HAL I just had creme brulee most nights.

[RMLincoln]

Set it up before you cruise or as soon as you board or can talk with a maître d'.

On HAL with Open Dining you give our room number to the host(ess) when you arrive at the MDR. That room number is flagged with your needs and no matter where you are seated the server will know your needs and if you have made choices the day before.

 

When making choices on the menu the night before add notes such as, no sauce, no stuffing.... no gravy, etc. when questioned about what was in the sorbet they brought it out to us to read the ingredients for ourselves! They were the best. And they really don't want anyone getting ill.

 

In the Lido we sought out the Lido Head Chef (wears a chef hat and white jacket) and told us he was always on duty whenever the Lido was open, always to ask for him and he will answer all our questions, and he was most helpful identifying what our granddaughter could eat and not eat. (She had very complex allergies and sensitivities).

 

There is gluten free bread available in the MDR and upon request in the Lido. They also offered to make her GF pasta.

 

Open dining works very well, no worries even with special needs. Just ask and send back anything questionable. :) Enjoy, m--

[auntjoy036]

Thanks, everyone, for sharing your experience. You have put my mind at ease.

 

Vicki

[bakcd]

Just off the Maasdam this am and had the very best gluten free experiences ever. We had anytime dining. Things were okay the first three nights but then found a really great waiter who served us the remainder of our cruise. Although we enjoy a large table we were more than happy with our table for two at the rear window. Gluten free was well handled and special request attended to.

 

Dining in the Lido was also a good experience. Introduce yourslf to the restaurant manager or maitre'd. I enjoyed burgers from the burger bar on gluten free buns. We also dined in the Pinnacle.