Planning my first cruise to Alaska

[Craiglk]

Hi Everyone

 

I'm starting to plan an Alaskan cruise in June 2024 with my sister for her 25th birthday.  She has celiac and is on a gluten free diet.  I am considering either HAL RCL NCL Carnival or Princess.  I live on the east coast near NYC and want to fly into Seattle to save on the airfare.  What is your suggestion for cruise line keeping in mind that glacier bay would be a plus but doesn't have to be included.  We also are going to want to stay in an inside cabin to save money for excursions.  Thanks in advance.

[dd57]

One reason we stopped cruising with Princess is the terrible time I had  with my gluten intolerance.  Our main waiter at dinner kept giving me regular dishes that the assistant waiter whisked away to replace them with the gluten free ones.  Unfortunately the assistant waiter had to rush home because of a death in the family.  So of course I ended up missing that I had the wrong dish and missed that evening and the whole next day being ill.  I ate at the buffet for the rest of the trip.

 

The head waiter always came by to take my order for the next day, but nothing was done to correct the main waiter after I pointed this out to the head waiter.

 

This happened when the service started going down hill on Princess around 2010.  Food service was fine before that.  We had Elite status on Princess. 

 

We had some really great times on Princess.  Maybe they have fixed this, but when the crew is stretched thin, like too many tables to service, mistakes can happen.  

[roupa]

Many changes in 13 years!  We took a Princess cruise-tour and loved everything about it.   Reportedly Princess is quite experienced with Alaska trips.

As many have suggested, do your research for cruise line, relatively smaller ships and itineraries.   I agree with comments about comparing best itineraries and times in port.

Much to consider and plan for this amazing destination! Get started!  😉🤔

[disneyochem]

I have celiac disease and cruise Princess because of how they accommodate my dietary needs.  On the first day, have your sister talk to the restaurant manager and he/she will walk her through the process in the MDR.  At the buffet, just ask to speak to the chef and get shown what is safe to eat.  Some ships also will have nutritional labels at the buffet as well as a special gluten free section.

 

The soft serve ice cream is not gluten free, a number of the drink mixes are not either.  The protein powder in the smoothies included in the Princess Plus package is not safe to eat.

 

Just ask—there will be very knowledgeable staff on board to assist your sister.

 

I do bring onboard gf granola, crackers and cookies on every cruise.  

[Craiglk]

2 hours ago, disneyochem said:

I have celiac disease and cruise Princess because of how they accommodate my dietary needs.  On the first day, have your sister talk to the restaurant manager and he/she will walk her through the process in the MDR.  At the buffet, just ask to speak to the chef and get shown what is safe to eat.  Some ships also will have nutritional labels at the buffet as well as a special gluten free section.

 

The soft serve ice cream is not gluten free, a number of the drink mixes are not either.  The protein powder in the smoothies included in the Princess Plus package is not safe to eat.

 

Just ask—there will be very knowledgeable staff on board to assist your sister.

 

I do bring onboard gf granola, crackers and cookies on every cruise.  

Thank you for the information I think you have made my decision easier now.

[janice2348]

NCL was amazing with my gluten intolerance on two sailings. I have booked the Bliss for Alaska in 2025

whatever line you choose, be sure to contact their special needs department in advance so they are aware of your sisters celiac. This is really important.  She should be assigned a dietary coordinator ( this varies by ship). Advance planning is key here.  Also, be vigilant. There are a lot of untrained staff who are unaware of food allergies as @dd57 stated.  Your dietary coordinator will work with her to make sure that she can eat safely.  I had some amazing meals on NCL. The only thing I found lacking was desserts. I only had fruit as a choice.  I’m hoping they have gotten better with that.  

[Craiglk]

16 hours ago, janice2348 said:

NCL was amazing with my gluten intolerance on two sailings. I have booked the Bliss for Alaska in 2025

whatever line you choose, be sure to contact their special needs department in advance so they are aware of your sisters celiac. This is really important.  She should be assigned a dietary coordinator ( this varies by ship). Advance planning is key here.  Also, be vigilant. There are a lot of untrained staff who are unaware of food allergies as @dd57 stated.  Your dietary coordinator will work with her to make sure that she can eat safely.  I had some amazing meals on NCL. The only thing I found lacking was desserts. I only had fruit as a choice.  I’m hoping they have gotten better with that.  

My sister has sailed on ncl before so if I go with her we might sail with them bc she knows what she can and can't eat.  I forgot to mention that in my initial post.