Sunday, March 31, 2024

Connections Happily Accommodated: Traveling Gluten-Free

celiac cruise 2023

While the food on the ship is great, there were moments during traveling (airport, excursions, etc.) where having your safe gluten-free snacks was nice. Going on a cruise but have celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, or following a gluten-free diet for medical or health reasons? In this article, I share strategies to ensure you get safe gluten-free meals while cruising worldwide. The Celiac Disease Foundation, established in 1990, is a leading global patient advocacy organization committed to accelerating diagnosis, treatments, and a cure for celiac disease. Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of the millions of individuals around the world affected by this genetic autoimmune disease through our strategic investments in research, advocacy, and education. Our iCureCeliac® Patient Registry and extensive patient recruitment services at iRecruitCeliac.org enable us to identify qualified patient candidates and speed their enrollment to advance critical disease research.

Colorado Brewery Becomes the Official Beer Sponsor Of the First Ever Gluten-free Oktoberfest Celebration in Germany - Brewbound.com

Colorado Brewery Becomes the Official Beer Sponsor Of the First Ever Gluten-free Oktoberfest Celebration in Germany.

Posted: Wed, 12 Oct 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Oceania Cruises’ Vista

As I understand it, Royal Caribbean has a special kitchen prep area that is dedicated gluten-free where all my meals were prepared safely for me. Offer clearly labeled gluten-free meals every night in the dining hall. It’s so easy to make a meal gluten-free; many people who aren’t even on a gluten-free diet will enjoy it. The cruise staff works hard to feed many people simultaneously. The chefs and kitchen staff are moving at lightning speed.

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One thing we noticed in the Windjammer was the crush of people waiting in line, the chaos of people grabbing every food item in sight, and the mad scramble to find a table. We also enjoyed a gluten-free ice cream cone, available poolside on Deck 14 and manned by an attendant. We had to wait about 10 minutes for our fresh, hot-out-of-the-oven pizza to arrive. He said that only one member of a family of 18 needed to eat gluten-free, but all joined the Celiac Cruise experience so they could be together. For my Alaska cruise, I paid $4,350 for a balcony cabin, $375 for flights, $312 for insurance, $200 on Ubers, $400 in gratuities, and about $2,600 for two excursions, one in Juneau and one in Skagway. I highly recommend purchasing travel insurance if you’re unsure your plans will change.

Boston, MA

Of course, if your dream excursion is 9 hours long with no safe food in sight, just go! Cruise ships and ports generally allow sealed, prepackaged products on and off the ship. Note, your bag will be screened getting back on the ship at each port, and ports in Mexico will likely have food-sniffing dogs. If booking outside companies, choose tour providers with a large number of excellent reviews and a guarantee to get you to the ship or transfer you to the next port.

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Since we are both vaccinated and did not test positive, this was not an issue. In this post, I'm diving into all the details about the Celiac Cruise and why I think this is a great vacation option for solo travelers, couples, and families. Of course, we enjoyed one last gluttonous meal in Seattle at Ghostfish Brewing Company. We downed a tasty flight of gluten-free beers and stuffed our bellies with oversized beer-battered onion rings.

( Eat Naturally Gluten Free Foods

Mom and I got breakfast at the buffet before making our way off the ship to find a perfect beach spot. We snagged two chairs with an umbrella and were pretty much here the rest of the day. Each day at sea there were special events to attend for the Celiac Cruise in addition to cruise activities, music, shows, entertainment, movies, contests, and meals. This was also given to us in our welcome bags as well as in our lanyards to have on us at all times for convenience. The Celiac Cruise staff created several onboard experiences exclusive to gluten-free guests.

Celiac Cruise specifically works with Total Travel & Events to coordinate this and make sure every guest is accounted for as well as their dietary needs. I also feel Celiac Cruise is a wonderful travel choice for couples, friends, or honeymooners to have a worry-free experience and enjoy themselves, without having to stress over their food. The Celiac Cruise is a safe and fun travel option for solo travelers, because there are so many other celiacs to connect with on a daily basis through meals, activities, and events.

Buffets Are Harder to Navigate

celiac cruise 2023

Once on board, it is all hands on deck and the service is face-to-face and personal. The team travels on each Celiac Cruise journey, in addition to scouting trips and training the crew the week prior to each journey. Two Greek Isles Cruises for 2024 sold out in 21 days, and have a waitlist of 200 people. Additional allergies and dietary restrictions were accommodated on the cruise. Some families would take a few to share and everyone would get a bite. Other guests, in full cruise style, would each try a couple (or more) every meal.

I only made it to two late-night snacks because what Celiac Cruise considered “late night” was too early for me. One of the coolest parts of Celiac Cruise is the late-night snacks offered from pm each night. These are just friendly reminders that your food is missing something (gluten!). Much of the food I enjoyed was delicious, and there was a lot of variety to please every palate. If I didn’t like something, ten options were ready to take its place.

While guests will be guaranteed a gluten-free experience via Celiac Cruise, the Royal Caribbean staff can accommodate other dietary restrictions. Of course, a person must discuss and advocate for what they need. (1) Celiac Cruise has partnered with Boston Children’s Hospital to train the entire dining staff about safe gluten-free protocols.

This meant training all 1,000+ restaurant staff on the Ovation of the Seas before the ship set sail. While passengers are treated to a magical dedicated gluten-free cruise experience, they may not realize the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure an immersive and safe gluten-free experience. Her determination only grew after learning that her husband and three other family members also tested positive for celiac disease. She worried that they, too, would never be able to fully enjoy a cruise vacation again. Gluten-free dessert options include ice cream, souffle, and creme brulee. Always coordinate with your head waiter, and Norwegian Cruise Line will pull out all the stops whenever possible.

The industry has a long way to go to improve its communications and handling of special dietary needs. Still, overall, I feel like it was smooth sailing in the Atlantic Ocean once I advocated for myself. This means I would work with the same people each day, and those people would have been specifically trained to work with people following medically necessary specialty diets.

The Inn Berlin is a beautiful bed and breakfast in Berlin, Maryland that's also 100% gluten-free. The innkeeper and owner, Maya, has celiac disease, and takes fantastic care of her guests, creating scrumptious breakfasts, lunches, and dinners all gluten-free. Read more about how and why celiac disease became classified as a disability and how this classification protects your civil liberties on cruise ships, in prisons, and in other scenarios when food is not readily accessible. Overall, cruising is a great way to explore the world without worrying about getting glutened. Your cruise ship will always provide safe meals for you, albeit it will take time and effort to make it happen. Over the years, I’ve reflected on what Royal Caribbean and the entire cruise industry can do better to accommodate guests with celiac disease or special dietary needs.

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