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How to Eat Healthy on a Cruise

Last updated: May 2nd, 2024

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If you eat healthy at home, you might be worried about finding fresh, nutritious food during a cruise vacation. You may have heard stories about people gaining weight on cruises and the endless temptations to indulge at every turn.

While there are plenty of tasty treats on board, there are also numerous ways to stick to a healthy diet without missing out on the innovative cuisine onboard.

Here are some top tips on how to eat healthy on a cruise ship.

Learn The Menu Symbols

Murano’s Spinach Salad

If there’s a certain diet you follow, it’s easy to scan the menu to find dishes you can eat. Menu items are noted with a special symbol if they are gluten-free, free of added sugar, lactose-free, vegetarian, or fit fare. The fit fare menu items combine natural flavor and balanced nutrition without compromising on taste.

No matter which restaurant you choose to dine in while cruising with Celebrity, you can find healthy menu options every night of your cruise.

Read: 15 Ways to Stay Fit On a Cruise

Tell Waitstaff About Your Dietary Preferences

If you’re looking for healthier options or stick to a vegetarian, pescetarian, or gluten-free diet, let your waitstaff know so they can keep you informed about options on the menu that are meat-free. Sometimes, there might even be alternative dishes not listed on the menu.

With a set dining time for dinner in the Main Restaurant and the same waitstaff throughout your cruise, they’ll do their best to cater to your needs and help you identify the healthiest choices.

Order A Smoothie For Breakfast

The Spa Cafe’s Smoothies

You don’t have to compromise getting a generous portion of fruits and vegetables while on vacation. Ice-cold smoothies and nutrient-dense, fresh-pressed juices are another way to stay cool and enjoy a sweet treat without resorting to chocolate or ice cream.

Create Your Own Salads

One way to manage your appetite while eating nutrient-packed meals is to opt for a salad at lunch. Make them more filling by adding protein or nuts. Drizzle with olive oil or opt for a zesty vinaigrette.

Oceanview Cafe

Eating a salad for lunch helps you eat more vegetables during the day and allows you to indulge at dinner, whether that means ordering a small dessert or an extra glass of wine. The salad bar at Oceanview Cafe has every type of healthy salad topping you can think of.

Upgrade To AquaClass

If you want a menu that is entirely dedicated to healthy cuisine yet still deliciously decadent, opt to stay in an AquaClass Stateroom .

SEA Thermal Suite

AquaClass guests on Celebrity Cruises get a spa-focused vacation that even extends to dining. In addition to unlimited access to the relaxation rooms in the spa on board (the SEA Thermal Suite on Edge-Class ships and the Persian Garden on the rest of the fleet), access to a spa concierge, and special spa amenities in the stateroom, guests staying in an AquaClass stateroom get exclusive access to Blu.

Read: How to Make the Most of the Onboard Spa

Blu’s Summer Squash Salad

Blu is a Mediterranean-inspired dining room that serves healthy, flavorful cuisine. Exclusive to AquaClass guests and guests of The Retreat, Blue is open for breakfast and dinner each day of the cruise, as well as lunch during port days and on embarkation day.

Dine At The Spa Cafe

The Spa Cafe’s Acai Bowls

The Spa Café in the solarium is open to everyone and serves items that are included in your cruise fare. Located close to the onboard spa, the Spa Café offers healthy options for breakfast and lunch.

For breakfast, you’ll find healthy options like fruit and yogurt parfaits, organic bread and freshly made jams, and omelets filled with veggies.

For lunch, choose a handcrafted salad, a light antipasto platter, soup of the day, or a freshly prepared meat dish served with steamed or grilled vegetables. Treat yourself to a healthy dessert from the organic poached fruits bar.

Take your healthy lunch to one of the nearby tables and admire the sea view. Since these tables are adjacent to the hot tubs, pool, and lounge chairs of the Solarium, you’ll instantly be put into a relaxed mood, making for a meal with both mental and nutritional health benefits.

Read: Cruising After COVID: What’s Different?

Remember the Joy of Savoring

Savoring each moment rather than over-indulging will remind you just how important culinary experiences are when you travel the world.

Immersive animated tabletops that bring your meal to life before your eyes. The finest collection of wine and spirits at sea. On the ship, you’ll travel to a Parisian bistro or an Italian cafe. You’ll enjoy the freshest Japanese cuisine, or maybe follow a Mediterranean diet while you’re on vacation.

Learn more about the vast culinary options available on Celebrity Cruises and start planning your healthy getaway today.

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Gluten-Free Guide to Celebrity Apex

Valiant Lady – Day 2 – Irresistible Med – Toulon

I was recently invited onto a Travel Agent preview sailing onboard the wonderful Celebrity Cruises Apex ship. It was a short 3-night sailing departing from Amsterdam and ending in Cork. While I didn’t have enough time to sample all the food, I did have time to explore the main dining room, review the menus, and gather information directly from the chefs and waiters. Here’s my Gluten-Free Guide to Celebrity Apex, based on what I tried and the information I gathered.

Table of Contents

Gluten-free guide to celebrity apex oceanview cafe – the buffet.

The main buffet offers fantastic views over the aft of the ship, and has more of a market stall style set up with various counters/stations located in the centre, and flanked by further counters.

Each of these counters offers different cuisines from around the world, with a regular selection of salads, pasta, American-style home comforts and world cuisine like a selection of curries, and so much more.

As typical for day one on our cruise, I checked with the maitre de to ask how they operate their buffet gluten-free.

It was explained that Celebrity commits to providing clear dietary information on all stations to ensure there are no accidents and so that guests can self-service during their sailing, without having to wait for a member of the crew to explain what may be safe to eat.

I was very impressed at how easy it was to read the food labels and work out what I could eat, and there was always a wide range of options. Since most dishes are made from scratch in the galley, they clearly mark everything with dietary needs.

However, you should still be cautious about cross-contamination at stations where cakes and other items are served without permanent utensils. Requesting clean utensils will help minimize any potential reaction for those particularly sensitive to gluten that cross-contamination could cause concern.

For breakfast specifically, there was a marked station with gluten-free bread, and there was a section of desserts in the evening. Still, for lunch service, it was a case of checking each item to see what was gluten-free rather than having a singular gluten-free station to head to.

Unfortunately, they don’t offer gluten-free bagels or pastries, and the bread is toasted using a panini machine, resulting in a more pressed and warm texture rather than a crispy toast. Lactose-free milk options are located next to gluten-containing cereals, but no gluten-free cereal options exist.

In contrast to breakfast, the rest of the day, the selection and variety of food were fantastic, and I always found plenty to eat, never getting bored of the same options as has been known to happen on other cruise lines.

As a personal note, I would suggest avoiding the sausages at breakfast as they lack flavour and texture; on the other hand, I highly recommend the gluten-free pancakes from the pancake station, they prepare the batter on the ship and cook the pancakes to order.

My only niggle would be for the plates to be kept warm, as the bottom pancake was cold by the time I reached it. Nevertheless, they are currently my favourite gluten-free pancakes at sea.

The cake selection was limited to one choice per day until our last day when there were three options. The strawberry slice and caramel crumble had the best flavour. However, these were always served sheet-style, making it feel like a lesser option than the wheat-containing cakes on display.

More gluten-free options are available in the evenings at Oceanview Cafe than in the four main dining restaurants. So, if you’re on a longer cruise of 7 nights or more aboard Celebrity Apex, I highly recommend trying the buffet on one or two of your evenings if you want a more casual option and to mix things up a little.

Oceanview Cafe Gluten-Free Pizza

Located at the back of Oceanview Cafe, you will find the pizza station where you can order gluten-free pizza with your choice of toppings. They are made to order, which takes approximately 10 minutes to prepare.

Unfortunately, they are cooked in a foil tray, so the base tends to come out a little soft in the middle. The sauce and cheese flavours were good, but I couldn’t confirm if the pizza bases were made fresh onboard or ordered in.

Cafe al Bacio Gluten Free

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any gluten-free options available with my early morning coffees. However, from 11 a.m. onwards, when the cakes came out, there is a gluten-free cake of the day in the fridge.

If you are highly sensitive to gluten, be cautious, as the cake is stored on a lower shelf, and crumbs from the shelves above could fall onto it. The cafe does offer soy and oat milk options for your coffee if you need dairy alternatives.

Gluten-Free Main Dining onboard Celebrity Apex

The Edge Series ship for Celebrity Cruises offers four main dining rooms, each with its own design and decor. The menu is made up of three elements, there is a section of Celebrity Classics, which are the same in each restaurant and tend to be the same each night, these are signature dishes that have been well-loved by Celebrity Fans over the years.

Then, you have the menu for each evening, This is a changeable section of the menu each evening that can take its inspiration from the ports and regions you are visiting.

Lastly, each of the four restaurants has its own section, with a selection of items that are unique exclusives for that restaurant.

The crew did say if we wanted to order from another menu, we were able to, it may, however take a bit longer for us to be served,

You can choose to have traditional seating at the same time, in the same restaurant each night, dining with the same people, which many cruisers have loved for years. Or you can opt for anytime dining, meaning you can choose to dine in any of the four main dining rooms at any time you like. It would be best to make a reservation ahead of time to ensure you aren’t waiting, but there is no official requirement.

Normandie Restaurant Gluten Free

The Normandie restaurant takes its inspiration from contemporary french cuisine.

This restaurant had one gluten-free starter and one gluten-free entree as part of its signature menu selection, which was great.

Normandie Signature Menu

TURKEY TERRINE & RADISH CARPACCIO (GF) Pickles, Grain Dion Mustard Petit Mache Salad

COQUILLES SAINT-JACQUES Pinot Blanc Sauce, Crème Fraiche Gruyere, Crispy Breadcrumb

BAKED BRIE CHEESE Caramelized Apples, Port Wine Syrup

BEEF TENDERLOIN EN CROÜTE Puff Pastry, Roquefort Fondue Bordelaise Mushroom Sauce

MARMITE DIEPPOISE Shellfish. Creme Fraiche slow cooked Seafood Broth

PAN SEARED DUCK BREAST (GF) Apple- lavender Compote, Cauliflower, Calvados Duck Jus

Tuscan Restaurant Gluten Free

The Tuscan restaurant has a menu inspired after its regional namesake. With Italian specialties on the menu to choose from alongside the main dining room menus.

Sadly, the gluten-free exclusives in this restaurant were limited to the salad without croutons. I had hoped they would offer gluten-free pasta with the sauces, but that wasn’t possible.

Tuscan Signature Menu

ROASTED PUMPKIN SALAD Burrata, Pistachios, Pecorino, Balsamic Herbs Focaccia

CREAMY TUSCAN SHRIMP SOUP Crispy Guanciale, Slow Roasted Sorrento Tomatoes, Toasted Basil Croutons

EGGPLANT CAPONATA BRUSCHETTA Truffled Mascarpone, Toasted Pine Nuts, Basil

SLOW ROASTED HERBED TUSCAN PORK CHOP San Marzano Tomatoes-Mozzarella Farro Stew, Broccolini, Sorrento Lemon Pork Jus

PAPPARDELLE ALLA VENEZIANA Creamy Asiago Cheese Sauce, Roasted Chicken, Slow Roasted San Marzano Tomatoes, Black Olives

STROZZAPRETI CARBONARA Guanciale, Egg, Parmesan, Black Pepper

Cosmopolitan Restaurant Gluten-Free

Cosmopolitan has a contemporary American menu. This restaurant is the closest to the core offering available on the rest of the Celebrity Cruises fleet.

This restaurant had exclusive gluten-free starters but no gluten-free entrees.

Cosmopolitan Signature Menu

STARTERS CAULIFLOWER FLAN Poached Shrimp, Iberko Ham, Green Apple, Pumpernickel Croutons

SALMON GRAVLAX (GF) Doursin Cheese, Radish and Scallions

YELLOW CORN SOUP (GF) Charred Corn Kernel, Smoked Oil, Black Sesame Lavash, Pop Corn

SPAGHETTI A LA MALLORQUIN Aged Manchego Cheese, Garlic Blossom

OXTAIL ROYALE Salsify Puree, King Trumpet Mushrooms, Heirloom Baby Carrots

PAN SEARED BLACK COD Fava, Edamame, Quinoa, Smoked Tea, Beurre Blanc

Cyprus Restaurant Gluten-Free

The Cyprus takes its menu influence from its namesake, with greek inspired dishes on its main menu and ample sea food options.

There were no exclusives marked as gluten-free in this restaurant.

Cyprus Signature Menu

HOT MELTED CHEESE SAGANAKI  Kefalograviera Cheese, Lemon, Homemade Sourdough

GREEK MEZZE BOARD Tzatziki, Hummus, Dolmas, Taramasakata*, Oilves & Feta, Pita Bread

GRILLED OCTOPUS Gigante Beans Tomato Casserole, Lemon-Garlic Aioli, Water-Cress Petit Salad

GREEK STYLE SLOW BRAISED LAMB SHANKS Roasted Baby Potatoes, Feta, Baby Eggplant, Lemon Zest

CYPRIOT SHORT RIBS Olive Oil Potatoes, Apricot, Olives, Charred Onions

HOMEMADE KORDELIA PASTA Smoke Metsovone Cheese, Boutari Wine Sauce, Bottarga*, Citrus Fragrance

I was only offered sorbet or creme brulee each night for desserts across all the restaurants. If I had been on a longer cruise, I would have quickly become bored and disappointed with the limited options.

Celebrity Apex Gluten-Free Speciality Dining

As mentioned, we didn’t get the chance to sample the speciality options onboard, however, I did head to each restaurant to speak with the maitre de to ask them what options were available for each restaurant.

Fine Cut Steakhouse Gluten-Free

The menu in this restaurant did not have any specific gluten-free markings.

When I asked the maitre de, they pointed out four starters that could be made gluten-free. Unfortunately, there were no gluten-free entrees available. However, you can choose from various steaks and sauces, and most side dishes are gluten-free except for creamed spinach and parmesan fries.

The signature dessert of the restaurant is the Ultimate Chocolate Sundae, which is available gluten-free.

Eden Gluten Free

Eden is a concept kitchen and also features a plant-based tasting menu alongside its standard tasting menu.

I was able to chat with the chef of Eden during the daytime, who informed me that 80% of the menu is gluten-free.

They suggested booking an evening meal and informing the team in advance about any specific dishes you may like to try, such as crab cake, so that they can prepare a special batch for you gluten-free.

It’s worth noting that dining at Eden costs $60 per person, but the food sounds amazing, and the view over the aft of the ship and its wake is stunning.

Eden Cafe Gluten Free

Unfortunately, this venue was closed during my visit, and we didn’t find a time it was available on our sailing; this could be due to the ship sailing at 60%, we’re not sure, and we were unable to find out for sure.

Raw On 5 Gluten Free

Raw on 5 is the seafood and sushi restaurant onboard; nothing on the menu is explicitly marked as gluten-free, but most items can be prepared as gluten-free upon request.

Le Grand Bistro Gluten-Free

Although nothing is marked as gluten-free, the Maître d’ mentioned that sandwiches and soups can be made gluten-free, and there is no need to provide advance notice.

Rooftop Grill Gluten Free

This area was closed during my visit, so I couldn’t view the menus. However, this is a casual eatery offering grill-style food alfresco. BBQ-style food, salads and elevated comfort food.

Suite Level Dining Gluten Free

There are two levels of suite service onboard Celebrity Apex. Aqua Class offers its own exclusive restaurant and Retreat Class offers a Restaurant, and two lounges, one inside and one private sun lounge.

Blu Gluten Free

This restaurant is exclusively available to Aqua Class guests. From looking at the menu outside the restaurant for guests to view during the daytime, there were no markings for gluten-free options or crew members available to ask, so I can’t say for sure how easy it would be to dine here gluten-free.

However, given that Aqua Class is a curated wellness level of service onboard, I would expect the crew to offer the ability to tailor menu choices for gluten-free guests.

Luminae Gluten Free

This restaurant is exclusively available to Retreat Class and Suite Class guests. Similar to Blu, there were no markings on the menu. As part of our Retreat tour, we spoke to the Retreat manager, who informed us that your waiter will inform you about the gluten-free options each evening.

Furthermore, you can also make specific requests and receive personalized service when dining in Retreat class and Luminae.

Retreat Lounge and Retreat Sun Deck

Both spaces offered their own snack and drinks services; once again, items aren’t specifically marked as gluten-free, but we were advised that the service team looking after these spaces can suggest alternatives and offer alternatives if desired.

Summary of Celebrity Apex Gluten Free

For my next Celebrity Cruise Apex experience, I would probably choose to stick to one main dining room and fixed seating time to keep the same waiter and table throughout the cruise.

This traditional approach makes it easier for the waiting team to offer more options for gluten-free guests as they can plan ahead if they know when we will be dining. It’s unfortunate that this is still necessary, but given the nature of how main dining rooms prepare food on a mass scale, cruise lines operate best when sticking to this approach.

From my conversations with the crew, if I were staying in Aqua or Retreat class, I wouldn’t be as concerned about quickly becoming bored about the limited options in the main dining rooms as the is more scope for dining off the menu in these levels.

Celebrity Cruises is at the top of my list for traditional style cruising when it comes to gluten-free dining; they were very aware of their menus and could make suggestions. However, much like most mainstream cruises, the concern still stands that I would be offered similar food all sailing unless we choose to mix it up and dine speciality or in the buffet some evenings, but that is an issue with most cruise lines and the way main dining rooms are built to function.

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Gluten Free Cruising Options

Sue is the Operations Manager at the Atlas Travel Network with over 25 years of experience in the travel industry and has coordinated travel for hundreds of large travel groups she also suffers from Celiac Disease.

I will state with certainty that your experiences can and will vary. I have gone on 60+ cruises, even the same ship in May and then again in October of the same year. The options & my overall experience could have been more consistent. Based on that fact, we welcome and appreciate any personal experiences you can share about a recent cruise with our readers in the comment section of this post.

In recent years, gluten-free cruising has become more and more accessible, with nearly all major cruise lines increasing their gluten-free celiac friendly options aboard their cruise ships.

Yes, cruise ships are celiac friendly and you can contact the cruise line ahead of time to discuss your options. Many lines have celiac friendly gluten-free menus available in the main dining room and buffet. They may also have gluten-free room service options.

They all offer options, but Royal Caribbean and Carnival have an excellent reputation with gluten-free cruisers. Whether you are gluten-free due to Celiac disease or avoiding gluten for other health reasons, more and more cruise lines can now provide plenty of delicious, safe options.

Page Contents

Here are some tips for gluten-free cruising and some of the best gluten-free cruise lines.

Advance notice – contact the cruise line ahead of time.

While the major cruise lines have started to offer more standard gluten-free food on their cruise ships, many prefer you to provide notice of your dietary requirements right after booking your trip. Providing advanced notice to the cruise line means they will be sure to stock up on more gluten-free ingredients and provisions for your cruise. Most cruises already serve gluten-free breads, pizzas, and pastas but may not include gluten-free desserts and beer. Your ship’s maître d’ will also be aware since it will come up when your key card is run to take you to your table, and they will be able to advise you what menu items do not contain gluten and can also handle any special requests you may have. We suggest meeting with the maître d’ each day and pre-ordering food for the next day. This holds true for even dining at a specialty restaurant. Many cruise lines have a special needs form that needs to be completed in advance, or you will need to provide the information in your online profile. We suggest doing this at least 4 to 6 weeks in advance. Your travel agent will be happy to assist you.

Alert the staff to your needs. Check in with the maitre’D, head waiter, and dining staff about safe gluten-free choices. I have Celiac and want to feel “normal,” especially on vacation. Therefore, I don’t want to find the chef and talk about what is safe on the buffet line or order my meal the night before, but the truth is if I don’t do these things and speak up about my likes and dislikes, the experience is not the same. When I stop being embarrassed or frustrated by my condition and talk to the chef, 9 times out of 10, it goes better than expected. Suddenly, I am being offered items even off the menu that can be prepared for me the next day. Ask about sanitation protocols regarding gluten. The crew should be able to tell you how they clean surfaces, utensils, and dishes to avoid cross-contamination.

Watch the Buffets

Although buffets will have gluten-free items, the chances of cross-contamination are quite high. You also can’t be certain if flour was used in any of the sauces offered on protein dishes. We suggest the main dining room or even fresh grilled items by the pool as an alternative to eating at the buffet. If you go to the buffet, find a chef and have them walk you through their gluten-free options for the day. Look out for hidden sources like soy sauce and thickening agents. Ask questions about ingredients. I avoid the buffets as I have gotten sick even when eating items that were gluten-free, so I can only assume it was cross-contamination.

Go Prepared

If you spend long days in port, plan ahead and take some backup items, such as Kind bars, trail mix, or chips. Research gluten-free dining options at ports of call if you plan to eat off the ship. You may or may not be able to find anything gluten-free easily while walking in port, particularly in the Caribbean, where many things are fried. Most ports in Europe and larger cities have plenty of gluten free options, but it’s still a good idea to have something with you just in case. If you are not part of a shore excursion and on your own, check the internet ahead of time and look for gluten free restaurants in the ports you are visiting. Bring some ziplock bags from home. Grab a few extra gluten-free muffins or pastries from the buffet or dining room and store them in Ziploc bags in your stateroom. They can certainly come in handy when you need a late night snack.

Express Appreciation

The bar staff, servers, and room attendants get tips on cruises, but the chefs do not. If one of them went above and beyond, mention their name at the end of the cruise on the survey. Other options are to buy them a small gift in port or give them a tip.

If your budget allows it, discuss with a travel consultant the benefits of booking a suite. Many ships offer an exclusive specialty restaurant for suite guests to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which means there is a dedicated kitchen, and they cook for fewer guests than the main dining room. It is easier for them to cater to your specific needs and wants. If a suite is not within your budget, consider saving up for a specialty restaurant. These meals can range anywhere from $15 to $75 pp, depending on the ship and menu, but you are going to get a fantastic selection of menu items not found in the regular dining room.

Here is an overview of various cruise lines and how they handle gluten-free food items.

Celebrity Cruise Line Gluten Free

Celebrity has a reputation for having many gluten-free options for guests, particularly in their specialty restaurants. Even in the regular dining room, there is a special order line in the galley where meals are prepared to avoid cross-contamination. All food and beverage crew are required to complete Dine Aware training, which educates them on food allergies. I experienced this firsthand in the main dining room. The waiter brought bread for the table, including some gluten-free bread for me, but he took it further and brought me my own butter. Not every waiter realizes it gets complicated to share the butter with those who do not have gluten-free allergies. While on the new Celebrity Edge cruise ship, I was so excited to not only find an extensive gluten-free only bar in the buffet area, but there were also clear signs on all food items throughout the entire buffet area, so I knew what was safe without asking. One evening, they had an amazing cake (picture above.) I tend to enjoy salty over sweets, but I still think about this slice of cake months later. It tasted like an elegant wedding cake with a light raspberry filling. My only mistake was thinking they would offer it again on the cruise, and it was only available that one night. Had I known, I would have gotten a few slices to return to the cabin!  Celebrity Cruises  itineraries are now also available for booking.

Holland America Gluten-Free

Holland offers several gluten-free options on all of its menus. With 24 hours notice, they stated that they could make just about anything, including gluten-free pasta, bagels, pancakes, waffles, and even Asian dishes using tamari. In the main dining room, Holland America tends to have more gluten free options each night as part of their regular menu than other cruise lines. Most ships offer hamburger & hotdog buns and gluten-free pizza at the New York Pizza bar. The best gluten free meal, I feel, can be found at their Asian restaurant, Tamarind. The Thai chicken & rice soup was delicious. For dinner, I had Szechuan shrimp, which was great.  Holland America Cruises  is now available.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line Gluten Free

Royal Caribbean is another popular cruise line that thoroughly caters to gluten-free cruisers. They offer plenty of gluten-free sandwiches, pastries, and pizzas with separate designated cooking areas to avoid cross-contamination. Most people don’t realize they can go to Sorrento’s, the pizza place onboard, and order a gluten-free pizza. We just cruised on the Mariner of the Seas, and I could order gluten-free pizza via room service, but it took about an hour and a half to arrive, so be sure to plan ahead. At Sorrento’s, they make it fresh in about 25 minutes. I also went to Izumi with my family and watched the chef cook, but my food was prepared in the back with gluten-free soy sauce. The rice was slightly bland, but they did give me extra tamari. I was just happy to enjoy the evening with my family. The next day, I took a sushi class, and again, I was set up with my own station. My krab and tempura shrimp were replaced by ahi tuna (yum!) They went to great lengths to ensure there was no cross-contamination, including cutting my rolls in the kitchen with a separate knife. I am no expert, but I think my sushi rolls pictured below didn’t come out half bad! Please note that eel sauce has gluten, so only tamari, ginger, or spicy mayo must be used on your rolls.

I also ate at Chops Steakhouse. The goat cheese salad caught my eye and is usually not gluten-free because it is served crispy with a breading, but they made me one without the breading. I then ordered shrimp cocktail. The kitchen staff was unsure of the cocktail sauce, so they made some from scratch, which was delicious. On our last day, we ate at Jamie’s. They gave me the most delightful bruschetta with gluten-free bread and my own plate of cheese and meats to avoid cross-contamination with my family, who were served various appetizers to share. If I had any comment, it would be about limited dessert options. Izumi only had fruit, and Chops & Jamie’s Italian had a pavlova or lemon sorbet. In the main dining room, they had creme brulee or ice cream. It was not a big issue for me because I was always too full for dessert from all the great food.

Royal Caribbean also offers gluten-free beer on its cruise ships. Browse  Royal Caribbean Cruises  to explore cruising options and find more information about the cruise line.

Update:  We just sailed on the Allure of the Seas. I was pleasantly surprised at a few things. In the main dining room, I asked for french onion soup (thinking they would only give me the broth & cheese.) It took some time, but the chef made it for me with gluten free bread. It was delicious! There was a wine sauce available for the filet, which was not gluten free; once again, the chefs prepared a gluten free wine sauce. I found the Coastal Kitchen, which was for suite guests, could have been more accommodating overall. They had a handful of gluten free items on the menu for breakfast, lunch & dinner, but even though it was a smaller kitchen, they did not take the time to make any adjustments to dishes that had gluten.

Norwegian Cruise Line Gluten Free

Norwegian has a number of gluten-free options onboard automatically, including pre-packaged cookies & toast, but with advanced notice, they can arrange gluten-free baguettes, buns, pasta, and even gluten-free pancakes. How about chicken parmesan or crab cakes? Just work closely with your head waiter, and NCL seems to pull out all the stops whenever possible. Gluten-free dessert options include ice cream, souffles, and creme brulee. Browse  NCL Cruises  to see which ships and itineraries are available.

Princess Cruises Gluten Free

Currently,  Princess Cruises  offers a variety of gluten-free products such as bread, cereal, spaghetti, and macaroni. They also have a special gluten-free mix to make cookies, cakes, muffins, pancakes, and pizza crusts. In addition, they offer gluten free beer and vodka on request. Princess is happy to accommodate guests with special dietary needs; however, it is important to notify them in writing at least 35 to 65 days in advance, depending on the cruise. If you like seafood, we highly recommend Steamers restaurant. Also, if you book a balcony cabin or above, you can order a deluxe balcony breakfast or dinner (for a fee,) and they will include items such as gluten free muffins, french toast, pancakes, or pastas when arranged in advance.

Disney Cruise Line Gluten Free Does Disney cruise do gluten-free? Just as Disney theme parks have an excellent reputation when it comes to accommodating those with special dietary needs,  Disney Cruises  are no exception. All they ask is that you make note of your gluten intolerance or any other dietary restrictions on your reservations when you book your trip. One unique thing they offer is popcorn for sale, which is gluten-free, like the Disney Parks. It’s easy to grab and take to the cabin for a snack. They have the typical muffins, toast & pancakes for breakfast, but again, something I have yet to see on too many cruises: they will make gluten-free donuts. On the private island, Castaway Cay, grilled items are available on gluten free bread, including burgers & hot dogs. You will even find gluten free cookies for dessert. At Flo’s Cafe, you can enjoy crispy chicken strips & fries (on my list of comfort foods I miss being able to order when out!) If you splurge for a specialty restaurant, you can order a fantastic chocolate souffle at Palo – place the order when you order your dinner so they have time to prepare it.

Carnival Cruise Line Gluten Free

Due to Carnival’s large fleet of ships and status as a popular commercial cruise line, they are one of the best-stocked cruise lines for gluten-free cruisers. All of Carnival’s cruise ships serve gluten-free breads, pastas, pizzas, and desserts. At the popular Guy’s Burger Joints, you can get bunless burgers and french fries as gluten-free options. Read more and see the menu on our blog,  Which Carnival Cruise ships have Guy’s Burger Joints onboard . Gluten-free beer is also available onboard Carnival’s cruise ships, and the chefs can bake you a gluten-free cake if requested ahead of time.

Seabourn Cruise Lines Gluten Free

Luxury cruise lines, like Seabourn, go above and beyond to cater to gluten-free cruisers. Known for ultra-luxury cruises, Seabourn Cruise Lines ensures your gluten-free requirements are met by providing a variety of gluten-free breads, buns, baguettes, and even breadsticks. All menu items are labeled gluten-free, and chefs are more than willing to make any gluten-free menu item if requested. Seabourn also has a pre-cruise online portal where guests can specify their gluten-free needs prior to cruising.

Azamara Cruises Gluten Free

Like other small ship cruises, my recent experience with Azamara gluten-free cruising (on the  Azamara Pursuit cruise ship  8-night sailing in South America) was mostly excellent. They offered a choice of whole grain dinner rolls, hamburger & hot dog buns, various gluten free pasta, risotto, rice noodles, some soups, gluten-free soy sauce, pancakes, waffles, plain bagels, muffins & cookies. Let me go through the negative first since there is little to mention. At the lunch buffets, the options were more limited. Although they could make pancakes, waffles & other items for breakfast, you have to order them the night before as you do on the large cruise ships. Dessert options were limited. That being said, it was a completely different experience for dinner, particularly in their two specialty restaurants, Aqualina & Prime C. We ate at these 6 out of 8 nights since it was included with the cabin category we booked. In Aqualina, they had carpaccio & antipasti as options and an amazing white bean or Tuscan lentil soup. I was interested in pancetta-wrapped scallops, which also came with crispy calamari that was not gluten free, so I asked if I could get just the scallops. The dish came back, and much to my surprise, they had also breaded the calamari with rice flour so I could enjoy it like everyone else. You can also have risotto and pasta made with various sauces. At the steakhouse, there were again a few soup & salad options, steamed veggies, twice-baked potatoes & gluten free french fries. My favorite part of the day was tea time! For suite guests, the butler would come around with coffee & tea daily and a selection of baked goods. They offered the most delicious gluten free scones with jelly and whipped cream I have ever tasted. Overall, it was a great cruise experience. I never felt stressed about ordering and had no cross-contamination issues.

Regent Seven Seas Cruise Lines Gluten Free

Another impressive luxury cruise line, Regent Seven Seas, is willing to make a gluten-free alternative for almost any menu item. In addition to offering all the gluten-free staples such as breads and pastas, Regent goes the extra mile to ensure you are not missing out on delicious dishes just because you have a gluten-free diet. For instance, Regent’s Chocoholics high-tea service offers an entire gluten-free menu consisting of finger sandwiches and gluten-free desserts such as meringue and fruit tart. Browse  Regent Cruises .

Be Patient and Remember to Relax

The most important thing is to  Be Patient and Remember to Relax . Sometimes, no matter how many precautions you take, you get exposed to gluten while traveling. If you are traveling with friends or family who are not Celiac, they don’t completely understand the stress & anxiety avoiding gluten can cause. That does not mean you are alone. Thousands of people are going through the same thing, but don’t let it stop you from traveling. Go with rest and relaxation in mind.

If you are somehow exposed to gluten, take steps to speed up your recovery. My physician prescribes something for nausea that I always have with me. Take digestive enzymes such as GlutenEase, gluten digest, or gluten defense.* (*Of course, speak to your gastro prior to taking any of these supplements.*) I also find activated charcoal pills help me. Double up on your probiotics for a few days after gluten exposure. Make sure to drink plenty of fluids. Teas with chamomile, ginger, or peppermint are good for the digestive system. Rest allows your body to repair the damage, so read a book or nap. Ships have some amazing spa treatments that you should consider. Lastly, ease back into solid foods for the first 24 hours. Chicken broth, mashed or baked potato, baked fish or chicken, and steamed veggies are easier to digest than raw foods and heavy meats. Remember that feeling tired, anxious, down, or irritable is okay.

I assure you that the positive experiences and lasting memories from travel outweigh any obstacles.

Have you had any positive or negative experiences with gluten-free cruising? Please share your comments below.

Note: We share tips for health, travel & preparedness, but this is not official medical advice. Please get in touch with your medical professional if you have questions or symptoms.

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I just returned from an Alaskan cruise on the NCL Jewel I did inform them when I booked that I must eat gluten-free. At my first meal, I was introduced to an employee, Cris, who met with me each day to select gluten-free options that could be prepared for me in the main dining room, alternate free dining room, and the specialty restaurants where we had reservations. I was very pleased with that service. Many offerings were altered for me so I could eat them. I also was impressed that all of the waitstaff seemed knowledgeable about what gluten-free means and were able to make suggestions or find out information about ingredients from the kitchen staff. Anyone who has tried to eat gluten-free in many restaurants knows that most waitstaff and even cooks seem completely unaware of whether their foods contain wheat flour. It was so nice not to have to go through the usual contortions to get this information from the NCL staff. Eating at the ship’s buffet was a bit more of a challenge since I am also avoiding carbs. They do list which main dishes on one station are gluten-free, but these mostly included only roasted meat or poultry and high-carb items. There was a station with Indian and other Asian foods which looked appetizing, but almost none were gluten-free. It would have been nice to see more buffet items prepared without flour or with gluten-free soy sauce: soups, noodles, Indian dishes, desserts.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience. It is refreshing to hear that staff are being better trained. It’s taken several years, but it does finally feel like Celiac is being taken seriously and the food options are now expanding. I do agree that the buffets are still an issue with no only with limited food options, but with the concern of cross contamination as well. I currently avoid eating at the cruise buffets to be safe.

Great post! Thank you.

I have cruised on Celebrity, Crystal, and Carnival, with Celebrity being my ship of choice. I hope to do a Disney cruise, too. Disney is amazing at gluten-free.

I would add that if a person does get cross-contaminated on a cruise, to be sure to report it to the ship right away. That way, they can maybe make adjustments so maybe it doesn’t happen to someone else.

On one cruise sometime back, a specialty restaurant messed up by serving me an appetizer with barley in it. I assumed it was brown rice. Not! After taking a couple of bites, I asked the waiter if it was rice, and that’s when I learned it was barley. No fun.

When the mistake is an out-and-out error such as this and not just cross-contamination, and you have witnesses, then report it for sure. I was given a generous future cruise credit. I was careful to not get angry and to speak of the servers with the highest respect.

I was excited to hear that The Edge has a dedicated line in the buffet! I hope the pizza station is far removed from it. On The Eclipse, the pizza prep area is on a counter in front of guests — flour and all. Since flour stays airborne and can settle on anything, I avoided the buffet completely. (I’m just that sensitive.) That said, I have had OUTSTANDING meals on Celebrity and excellent service. I can hardly wait to go back.

In addition to the products you mention for cross-contamination, I have had good results with a newer product called GlaidinX You might want to check it out.

Thanks again, and happy cruising!

Thank you so much for your comments & tips. I never considered the flour situation in Celebrity’s buffet area while they are tossing the pizza dough. The Edge exclusive gluten free section is at the entrance of the buffet with no pizza nearby. As guests walk around, other items are available and noted on a card above the dish if they are gluten free, but this is where cross contamination could certainly occur easier. Also a great point that if we report any incidents, this will help the ships make continued improvements so that we can all enjoy our cruise without anxiety or worse yet, getting sick. Since I make it a habit to take a gluten blocker with any meal I am uncertain of, I will certainly give GlaidinX a try. Again thanks for sharing!

I have Celiac Disease and am very sensitive to even tiny amounts of gluten. I was delighted to learn around 2013 that some cruise lines are very accommodating, but from experience with about 8 cruise lines, I have decided to never again take a cruise with some of them, but I can feel quite safe with others. Top of the list for taking Celiac Disease very seriously are Viking (both river and ocean), Tauck, Windstar, Regent Seven Seas, and Queen Mary 2. I had more than one bad experience on both Princess and Holland America; as a result, I will not sail with either of them again. I understand from Celiac friends that Disney is also excellent, but I have not yet taken a Disney Cruise. Unfortunately, the cruise lines that handle gluten-free the best also tend to be relatively expensive, but the higher cost is worth it if I can relax and enjoy the trip without being nervous after one or two bad experiences.

Thank you for your comment. I agree that the upscale cruise lines offer not only a better variety, but also a safer environment, as they are cooking for less people. I am sorry to hear that you felt ill on both Princess and Holland in the past. It can certainly ruin a vacation. Although not always possible, it’s always greatly appreciated when a maitre de or chef personally takes the time to meet with a guest the first day of cruising. It seems to make all the different in what types of meals are available and ensuring the food is properly prepared.

Just returned from an Alaskan cruise with Holland America–it was a nightmare and we were ready to leave the ship at the first port. My husband wrote a lengthy note to the hotel staff and they called us in for a meeting, convinced us to stay and that they would accommodate my Celiac disease requirements. However, this meant that I had to choose my dinner the day before, had to eat at a specific time, and the buffets basically were off limits for me as nothing was labeled and the wait staff had no idea what I was talking about when I asked if something was gluten free. The staff said to just pick the gluten free options, but several times for both lunch and dinner, there were none listed on the menus. We will never go on a Holland American cruise again.

Thank you for sharing your experience. I know how stressful it can be and how it can ruin the vacation. One of the most frustrating things is having to order food for the next day as I am never certain what I will be in the mood for. Although there is no excuse, I wonder if this has anything to do with the fact that cruises just resumed a couple of months ago after COVID and they are dealing with training a lot of new staff. That being said, we were just on the Celebrity Apex this past week and they had plenty of gluten-free options not only for main dining, but also in the dedicated buffet section.

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Gluten-Free Travel With Me

  Travel stories and reviews from a gluten free traveller

Celebrity Solstice One Week Alaskan Cruise May 2022

A bucket list cruise for both of us, this review will cover our experience of eating gluten free aboard the Celebrity Solstice ship. With a landscape as incredible as Alaska is I might slip in a fair few non-food pictures too (sorry/not sorry!). This was our second time on a Celebrity ship, but our first since having to eat gluten-free. Read on to find out how we got on!

Before I start, it’s important for me to state that this cruise was the very first cruise on the Solstice since she was grounded due to the pandemic. Although I have no gluten-free point of reference for Celebrity, I think there were certain aspects of our experience that may have been down to that. For anyone reading this who has sailed Celebrity before, it may be that our experience didn’t match yours. I therefore wanted to make it clear that this could be the reason why.

Celebrity Solstice

Although this is a gluten-free food blog I always like to give a few details about the ship we’ve sailed on. Launched in 2008, Solstice has a passenger capacity of 2852. I don’t know the numbers on our sailing, but there were a lot of empty dining room tables, so I’d estimate we sailed at around 60% capacity? Celebrity pay a lot of attention to art-work on their ships, in particular sculptures, and there were a lot of these around. There is also plenty of glass-work, which is no surprise given that there is a glass blowing studio on board where you can pay to make your very own glass work of art!

With such stunning scenery to look at as on an Alaskan cruise, we were very glad that there was an observation deck, in the form of the Sky Observation Lounge. During the day it was a quiet refuge, somewhere to just relax and savour the beautiful scenery all around. By night, it was a lively music venue, and a really fun place to be.

Here are a selection of pictures showing the wonderful artwork and many areas of the Solstice.

Booking and Prior to Cruising

I booked directly with Celebrity Cruises over the telephone, as I am a blue light card holder and get a 10% discount, but couldn’t do this online. I let the sales advisor know that we were both gluten-free, and it was noted on our booking. She also sent through a special needs form which I completed and sent back. This can also be completed online here (don’t let the fact it talks mainly about wheelchairs put you off, there is a section at the end specifically for allergies and dietary requirements).

Check-in and Boarding

Like the majority of cruise lines, particularly since Covid, Celebrity has an app . Most things relating to check-in and boarding are dealt with by the app. The app also shows all the food menus (sadly with no allergen markers), drink menus, and details about entertainment. Because this was the first cruise on the Solstice since re-starting, we were able to access our cabin and get rid of all our hand luggage straight after boarding. We did all of the muster-related things, then headed to lunch. We had a concierge cabin and, as you’ll see below, decided to go to the concierge lunch that is hosted in the main dining room on embarkation day. (Btw this sounds posher than it actually was, it was the same price as a normal balcony cabin when we booked! Concierge on Celebrity is not the same as concierge on some other lines!),

Concierge Lunch

One of the few ‘perks’ of concierge on Celebrity is a special lunch on embarkation day. We decided to give it a go to see how it was. Here is a photo of the menu we were given, and the first thing you’ll notice are absolutely no allergen markers. Not a great start, and a little surprising, given that when we were given dinner and lunch menus for the main dining room to order from, they do have allergen markers. No idea why the concierge class lunch menu doesn’t.

After some back and forth discussion with the server (he had to keep on going to the galley to check with the chef) we were told that the soup was safe (and also vegetarian for me), and that all the meat and fish dishes were safe. I explained that I was also vegetarian, and eventually I was cooked a vegetable stir fry with rice noodles. The soup and mains were nice, but we weren’t offered any gluten-free bread, and also no dessert.

After lunch, we were given the menu for dinner so that we could pre-order. It was reassuring to see that there were allergen markings on the menu, as I’d been starting to get really worried. The allergen markings include gluten free, lactose free, and also cover vegetarian dishes. I also noticed that there were dishes where vegetarian parmesan was specifically mentioned. A big thumbs up for this, as Celebrity seem to be the only cruise line so far that know the difference, with real parmesan in Europe not being vegetarian due to animal rennet being used.

Main Dining Room Dinner

In general, we were really impressed with our MDR dinners over the course of the week. For our first evening, we had pre-ordered at lunch, and we of course let our server know that we were both gluten free, and that I was also vegetarian. Every evening we had the Maitre D/Assistant Dining Room Manager come to our table to take our order for the following day, which included breakfast, lunch and dinner (if we wanted to eat in the MDR for all those meals). It was also confirmed that all ‘allergy’ meals are prepared in a separate area of the galley with special allergy chefs.

It was great to see the menus marked up for lunch and dinner, making it easy to choose. If there was nothing suitable (eg nothing that was both vegetarian and gluten free for me), then they were happy to mix and match bits from other dishes, or cook something completely different. For example, one evening there was a vegetarian dish of gnocchi with four cheese sauce. They were able to adapt this to be gluten free by serving it with GF spaghetti instead (I don’t know if the sauce had to be adapted too, or was naturally GF, as I didn’t ask). Below are some examples of the dinner menus.

The gluten-free bread that was served at dinner was actually really nice! Often homemade, and some different varieties. Obviously not as nice looking as the standard bread baskets other tables got served – not sure I’ll ever stop drooling over those!

Desserts were good too, there was a vegan gluten-free chocolate cake that was particularly tasty. Overall we really enjoyed our dinners.

Buffet Breakfast

It appears that Celebrity don’t bother labelling any of their buffet with allergen markings (this was the same at lunch, and later on in the evening too) which makes it very difficult to know what you can have.

As seasoned cruisers, we knew to look for someone who looked like an officer in the buffet, and a Maitre D was sent to deal with us. It took quite a while for him to find out what we could have – I don’t know if this was just because it was the first cruise back in service and people were still learning (trying to be generous here). Eventually told that we could have eggs, my husband could have bacon, the beans were fine, and they could do GF toast. The hash browns and sausages were not gluten free.

When breakfast turned up, the bread appeared to have been cooked on some kind of griddle, as it was black and inedible. The Maitre D did apologise, and said he hadn’t been able to find a GF toaster anywhere (one did appear by the last day of the cruise).

We waited a few days before trying the buffet again, and the experience was only slightly better. My husband asked if there was any gluten-free cereal. The Maitre D thought they had some, and phoned down to the main dining room. They found what they thought was GF cereal, but it wasn’t in any packaging, and they were only 90% certain that it was gluten free. Clearly we didn’t risk it. Ordered some eggs, beans, mushrooms and toast through him, and the toast was at least edible this time, so a definitely improvement! The following morning (last morning of the cruise) a sign had appeared for gluten-free toast, complete with toaster.

Buffet Lunch

On the first day we popped up to the buffet after our concierge lunch to have a look round. At the start of the buffet was a display of gluten-free food, which we thought was a good start. However, there were no allergen markers on anything, and that remained the same throughout the cruise. This is definitely an area where Celebrity need to improve.

We’d found a Maitre D and asked how we dealt with lunch in the buffet. They explained that we would need to pre-order gluten-free pizzas (which we actually found out wasn’t true, they didn’t need pre-ordering) and that there were GF cookies that also needed to be pre-ordered, as they were made fresh. This actually turned out be that they were frozen, and popped in the oven (and they were coconut macaroons rather than cookies, but very nice). We had placed an order of pizza and cookies for the next day.

The next day, with no Maitre D in sight, we went to the pizza counter, where we explained we’d ordered a gluten-free pizza. We then watched the server not change his gloves, use the ladle from the sauce to smooth it over the pizza base (which would have previously been used to smooth it over the standard pizzas), then use the same unchanged gloves to get the toppings and put them on.

I got quite upset by this, as there was clearly absolutely no understanding of the problem of cross contamination, and I was worried we were going to have problems for the whole cruise. I left it to my diplomatic husband to explain the problems, and he then watched the server make the pizzas again. This time he changed his gloves, and used untouched sauce and toppings from a cupboard. The pizza was kept completely separate from everything, including from oven to plate. Every time we ordered pizzas for the rest of the cruise we did stay and watch, but didn’t have any further problems.

Based on that experience of buffet lunch, it was really poor. However, we decided we’d try again the next day, and were lucky enough to find a Maitre D who was fantastic. She explained she had a son at home who had 16 different allergies, so totally understood our concerns, and was going to do all she could for us to make it a better experience, and that she did. Her name was Gorica, and she was a complete credit to Celebrity.

After hearing about our experience to date, Gorica told us that she was going to make us her personal responsibility for the rest of the week. Without her input, I think we would have considered the buffet experience pretty dire, but it definitely improved after she got involved. She took orders from us (which for me, included getting a meat free gluten-free burger that was only available in one particular dining room that you needed to be in a special cabin to access).

We also learnt via Gorica that there is always gluten-free pasta available in the buffet, cooked separately, and she was happy to take us round the buffet each day and tell us what would be safe (and if it was safe directly from the buffet, or would need to be got fresh from the kitchen). Without her help and insistence on helping us, I think we would have left our cruise with quite a poor impression of Celebrity. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of room for improvement, but I think our experience shows just what a difference a single member of staff can make.

At the time of our cruise, the buffet is severed to you by staff. I think that is one of the huge benefits to come out of the pandemic, and I hope it continues. It definitely makes the risk of cross contamination between dishes a lot less, and from cruising over the years, lets just say I’ve seen some very unhygienic behaviour from passengers perusing the buffet!

Gorica told us that the salad bar was always safe for us to eat. There were also jacket potatoes available, which again were safe. I’ve often wondered why cruise ship buffets don’t have jacket potatoes readily available, so was great to have them. Fries could be ordered (there weren’t any GF fries available there and then), and there was pizza and pasta available every day.

Late Night Buffet

We didn’t eat dinner in the buffet at all, but if you’re feeling hungry, the buffet is open very late. Not a great deal of choice for anyone gluten free, but the salad bar was always available, as was GF pizza (which we indulged in a couple of times!).

Main Dining Room Breakfast

Gorica persuaded us to place an order for MDR breakfast through her, and assured us it would be waiting for us when we got there. As I’m sure you’ve already guessed, this wasn’t the case. In fact, that first breakfast took 25 minutes to get gluten-free pancakes delivered to us, followed by a further 20 minutes after that to get our cooked breakfast. On top of that, there were items missing!

What came was nice, but the speed and the missing items were disappointing. There seemed to be no evidence of any gluten-free cereal or bakery items.

It’s really difficult to feel as if you’re not constantly being negative, but when we saw Gorica at lunchtime in the buffet, she asked us how breakfast had gone. We told her the truth, and she was really cross that it hadn’t all been ready for us as it should have been. I felt so sorry for her, she couldn’t have tried harder to get a decent experience for us, but communication between staff and the galley definitely appeared to have some issues.

She asked us to try again, and we did, and it was a much better experience the second time. Everything came out very quickly, and although there was still an issue with communication, it worked in our favour this time, as we got double amounts of things rather than having them missing! As well as pancakes, we were brought GF vanilla french toast. Everything was there with our cooked breakfast, including some fried sliced potatoes (I’d asked for something potato based seeing as the hash browns weren’t gluten free). We pretty much rolled out of breakfast, and both agreed that it had been a much improved experience from the day before.

Main Dining Room Lunch

We only went to lunch one day in the MDR, and had pre-ordered the evening before at dinner. The food was fine, we just found the experience quite slow, and decided that the buffet was a better fit for us.

Like dinner, the menus do have allergen markings (but not on the app), but if you are coeliac or cross contamination is an issue, it is recommended you order the evening before as we did to ensure your food is cooked safely. On another day we considered going for lunch but on the lunch menu we looked at, the markings weren’t correct. There were dishes that were clearly vegetarian not marked up as such, and nothing gluten free (so not surprisingly didn’t bother with MDR lunch that day!)

Room Service

As room service was included at no extra cost with our cabin, we decided to try breakfast one morning when we were due to get off at a port. We booked it with enough time to spare that we could run up to the buffet if it didn’t come, but it did (eventually!).

You can hang the room service card outside your cabin until 2am, and whatever you have ticked will be delivered to you within the time slot you indicate. The choices are fairly limited, and there is nothing on the card about allergens. As you will see from the photos I put up, we made it extremely clear that everything needed to be gluten free!

Maybe overkill, but we wanted to be very sure that the person dealing with the order understood exactly what was needed. It seemed to work, as we got everything that we ordered.

Not the best looking breakfast in the world, but it did the job and kept us going whilst we were exploring the port. At the time when we ordered, we hadn’t had our breakfast in the main dining room and so we didn’t know that they could do gluten-free pancakes. If we were to sail Celebrity again, I’d probably try asking for GF pancakes as part of the room service breakfast, or try the buckwheat ones (as in spite of the name, buckwheat is GF). It was definitely nice to have another breakfast option which involved not leaving our cabin!

Unfortunately, it seems neither of us took a picture of the other room service menu. Not sure how that happened! From memory, there were no allergen markings on it, but we didn’t call them to investigate further. Given that breakfast was dealt with well, it’s quite likely they would have been able to find something suitable.

Cafe Al Baccio & Gelateria

Celebrity describe Cafe Al Baccio as inspired by the ambiance of European cafes. It’s a lovely place to sit to enjoy coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, although it was always very busy on our cruise. If you have a drinks package, as we did, then all of the hot drinks are included in this. The cakes are included for anyone, you just need to ask. Something to be aware of if sitting in (you can also ask for takeaway) is that they automatically put some kind of biscuit (biscotti I think) on your plate with your cup. My husband kept forgetting to tell them beforehand, and it happened a couple of times.

There were supposed gluten-free cakes. However, you’ll notice from the pictures I put below, that cross contamination was a huge issue. I actually spoke to staff when seeing a gluten-free cake on the bottom shelf, and explained why this was such a problem. To be fair to them, this must have been passed on, as later on in the cruise the cakes tended to be on the top shelf. However, they were still put right next to gluten filled cakes, and you could see that there were crumbs all over the place. Definitely not suitable for coeliacs.

They did have another gluten-free option, which was actually kept completely separate, and with it’s own serving tongs. These were coconut macaroons (the same ones as we’d had in the buffet), and they were really nice. Sometimes they were plain, and other times chocolate. Mornings were definitely the best time to get these, as they weren’t out all the time, so we used to ask for a few to take back to our cabin to keep us going for the day (or take off on port days).

These were kept in their own container, on top of the counter. Only once was there something else up there in a different container that wasn’t gluten free, and we chose not to have any macaroons, as it appeared the there was only one set of tongs for the two containers. This is obviously something to be aware of, but in general, apart from that one time, we felt confident that cross contamination wouldn’t be an issue.

The gelateria was the other side of the seating area. No photos unfortunately. I asked twice if there was anything we could have. Once to the person serving the gelato, who said no. The other person was an officer, who took my details including my cabin number and said he would find out and let me know, but unfortunately never did.

Poolside Mast Grill

This is your typical cruise ship food place next to the pool, offering burgers, hot dogs and fries. There was nothing to indicate that anything there was gluten free, and when we asked, we were given a few puzzled looks, followed by a no. Given that we were in Alaska, and it wasn’t really outside pool weather, it wasn’t a problem to us on this particular cruise!

Located by the indoor pool (which was a lovely area for chilling out), the menu suggests that there are a few GF options. However, the opening times didn’t really seem to match up to what was on the paper daily planner, and the things they had available didn’t seem to match the menu on display (which looked as if it had plenty of options). My husband visited a few times, but wasn’t able to get anything gluten free. When asked, he was told it wasn’t available, and they seemed surprised when he pointed out that the menu said there were many gluten-free options. Bit of a strange experience really!

Speciality Restaurants

As is usual for us on cruises, we didn’t eat at any of the speciality restaurants on board. Your choices are Tuscan Grille, which is an Italian style restaurant, Sushi on Five, Le Petit Chef, described as a fusion of entertainment and cuisine, and Murano, a luxurious restaurant.

We did speak to one of the chefs as we walked by Sushi on Five and asked about gluten free, he did say that there were a number of items on the menu that were GF or could be made so. I assume that if we’d visited the other restaurants, we’d have been told the same.

Gluten-free lager is widely available in bars, and is included in the drinks package (although when we booked and looked at the different packages, we did have to upgrade to the middle one, as it didn’t seem to be included in the basic package).

The syrups used in cocktails were gluten-free, as was the hot chocolate at the cafe.

This was our second cruise on a Celebrity ship, and our first one as gluten-free passengers. I feel like we’re getting more and more in the swing of it with every cruise we go on, knowing the right kind of questions to ask, who to look for in dining rooms/buffets, and how to eat safely on board. Trying not to be negative, I’d say that on this particular cruise, it’s lucky that we were confident in asking questions and not being afraid to speak to dining room managers as otherwise we’d have had quite a tricky time.

Celebrity’s most major failing is in not labelling up the buffet at all. This is a problem, as you don’t even have a starting point of knowing what might be a safe possibility, and so have to seek out a member of staff who actually knows their stuff to go through everything with you. If you are gluten intolerant, and can handle a bit of cross contamination, I can imagine this would be really frustrating, as on other cruise lines who do use labels, you can just take what you want without needing any staff input.

If you are coeliac, or cross contamination is an issue, then you would expect to need to speak to someone to see if you could get something directly from the kitchen, but again, with no labels, it makes it much harder to know what might be a possibility. Celebrity really need to do a better job here.

We were lucky that after a couple of days, we found a senior member of staff who basically took us under her wing, and from then on, our buffet dining experience improved hugely. It shouldn’t be down to luck though, and every member of staff should have the knowledge that Gorica did, and the ability to help us. I’m going to be generous here, and say that some of this may be down to the fact it was the first cruise on the ship after a two year break, and that there still seemed to be staff training going on and getting things up and running (such as the the gluten-free toaster on the last morning of the cruise).

If this had been our very first experience as gluten-free cruisers, I think we may have been put off a little bit, as things were definitely not as easy dining wise as they should have been (especially in the buffet). However, I’d like to think that this wasn’t up to the general Celebrity standard due to the reasons I’ve outlined above, and as such, we would be happy to cruise Celebrity again.

The main dining room dinner experience was a very pleasant one. It was great to have some different types of homemade GF bread that was actually tasty, and we had plenty of choices (or if not, things made specially). The dessert choices were good, including a really tasty gluten-free cheesecake. Lunch wasn’t so good, but that was really only down to how slow we found it. Others might enjoy a more leisurely lunch. Breakfast in the MDR improved as the week went on, but again, I think that was largely down to the fact we ordered through Gorica, and she really pushed it to be a better experience. It would be good if all staff knew that there were things like gluten-free pancakes available for example.

If you want safe sweet treats to enjoy at your leisure, and are not a fan of macaroons, you’re probably best to bring some of your own packaged goodies on! We always tend to do that just in case, but we did actually really like the macaroons. There definitely needs to be more training given on displaying gluten-free cakes and the problem of cross contamination if they’re not kept separate though.

I always do a little cheer when gluten-free lager is available (Princess, you really need to take note of this, as you’re one of the few cruise lines that don’t seem to have it!), and it was brilliant to find it in all the bars.

Overall, the actual standard of food was high, and if Celebrity could get rid of some of the issues I’ve described, then their gluten-free offerings to passengers would be a really good product. I try to be as fair as possible when writing these cruise reviews, and of course, they are based on our actual experience at the time. However, I hope that they show the good and the bad, and give any gluten free cruiser a realistic view of what they might expect on board.

Normally I don’t really write anything about the places we visit, but the scenery of Alaska is just so mind blowing, I felt the need to write a few lines and put a pictures in! If you’ve ever done a Norwegian Fjords cruise, it’s a bit like the Fjords on steroids! Extraordinary scenery, serene sailing, glaciers, wildlife, snow, lumberjacks…..! It was absolutely incredible, and I would highly recommend an Alaskan cruise to anyone out there.

2 thoughts on “ Celebrity Solstice One Week Alaskan Cruise May 2022 ”

Thank you! We are cruising on the Solstice on April 15 for one week and this is very helpful. I’m on the Discovery Princess the week before and they do a great job in the dining room with gluten free. I hope I’m not frustrated on the Solstice!

I’m glad you found it helpful. I don’t think our experience was as good as it could have been on Celebrity, but I definitely put that down to it being the first cruise back in service for Solstice, possibly with lots of new staff still learning things. We would definitely be happy to sail Celebrity again (it was our second one with Celebrity, but the other one was prior to having to be gluten free), as we really like their ships and the general experience.

Hope you have a fabulous cruise!

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Celebrity Cruises

$$$ • cruise, most recent reviews.

Overall Rating

The celebrity summit cruise is amazing for celiac!!! The head chef has celiac and gave me an entire tour of the buffet. he said that 95% of the foods are gluten free and if they aren’t they can be made gf upon request. there is a dedicated panini press with canyon bake house bread at the panini station, gluten free pasta at the pasta station boiled and cooked in separate pans, and even gluten free desserts in their own dessert section. the chef said the japanese restaurant can use gluten free soy sauce as well. most of the buffet can be made gluten free even the pizza on its own pan made in a section away from the gluten containing pizzas. the main restaurant has already been notified of my celiac and the chef says anything i ask for in advance can be made. if you want gf cookies ask for it and it will be there the next day. so amazing that I don’t have to worry and they are so accommodating and kind. when i ask for food from the back and to change their gloves they do it happily without complaint. if you’ve been hesitant to cruise with celiac don’t worry on this ship!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Safety Feature Ratings

• Completely dedicated gluten-free kitchen
• Dedicated gluten-free space in the kitchen
• Other dedicated kitchen equipment (oven, toaster, pots, pans, utensils, etc.)
• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions
• Staff will clean kitchen space or change gloves if asked

Quality & Quantity

Is there a gluten-free menu.

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for breakfast/brunch
• Good for dairy-free
• Good for dinner
• Good for kids
• Good for lunch
• Good selection of healthy options
• Good vegan options
• Good vegetarian options
• Good with other allergies

Gluten-Free Features

• Reported to have dedicated kitchen space
• Gluten-Free Menu
• Allergy Friendly
• Dairy-Free Friendly
• Kid Friendly
• Vegan Friendly
• Google Maps

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Gluten Free Edmonton

Search this blog, eating gluten free on celebrity cruises got better.

• Gluten Free Travel on Celebrity Cruises: Part 1 - Caribbean 2010
• Gluten Free Travel on Celebrity Cruises: Part 2 - The Gluten Free Meals

Thanks for this information. I really appreciate your work, keep it up. I hope you continue writing this kind of info!

This new addition really makes choosing your meal easy. However, Amanda did admit she still preferred being able to see the menu the day before because there are items that are not marked as gluten free that they can prepare gluten free for you ahead of time if you ask. Cruise Packing Tips

In summer the big cruise ships travel 8-14 days from Vancouver, British Columbia to Ketchikan and other Alaskan ports. Cruise Secrets Exposed

That is still an option if you want to do that, however, now the main dining room menu's have markings for what is gluten free, vegetarian and dairy free. This new addition really makes choosing your meal easy. However, Amanda did admit she still preferred being able to see the menu the day before because there are items that are not marked as gluten free that they can prepare gluten free for you ahead of time if you ask. norwegian cruise secrets

This new addition really makes choosing your meal easy. However, Amanda did admit she still preferred being able to see the menu the day before because there are items that are not marked as gluten free that they can prepare gluten free for you ahead of time if you ask. Cruise Line Jobs

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All pasta and no chocolate: What it’s like eating gluten-free on a cruise 

"Will I be able to eat anything on this cruise ship?" is not a question you often hear about floating holidays known for 24/7 dining and enormous buffets. But if you have celiac disease, like my mom, it's a logical concern.

I had invited my mom to join my kids and me on a seven-night Caribbean cruise aboard MSC Seashore from MSC Cruises, an under-the-radar line unknown to many Americans. In fact, though I've written about cruising for almost 20 years, I'd never sailed with that line. Its dining options were not familiar to me, so I couldn't guarantee what gluten-free options we'd find on the line's newest cruise ship.

Spoiler alert: My mom did not starve, but we couldn't have foreseen that based on the limited information we were able to find before our sailing. Here's the good, the bad and the glutenous we experienced on our sailing, so future gluten-free cruisers can decide if MSC is the line for them or not.

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Pre-cruise information was either lacking or not encouraging

Let's start with the official word from MSC Cruises' website:

We were pleased to find this information, but our ship – MSC Seashore – was not listed. Did it offer the gluten-free cuisine program and Bureau Veritas certification? The MSC phone reps could not give us a definitive answer.

Online reviews were decidedly mixed. One woman raved about the gluten-free menu at dinner, while another reviewer claimed, "MSC was the best GF experience I've had including Royal and Celebrity." On the other hand, one Cruise Critic poster was forced to eat the same chicken with carrots and zucchini for meal after meal and concluded, "Frankly, I couldn't wait to get off this ship. It was singularly the worst gluten-free experience I've experienced on a ship. Carnival and Norwegian do 10 times better without even trying."

So we looked for travel agents who specialized in gluten-free cruising to see what they knew. One gluten-free and celiac travel specialist at Travel Leaders told my mom flat out that she would not recommend going on an MSC cruise. Another recommended Celebrity Cruises. My mom's trusted AAA travel agent didn't even sell MSC Cruises.

Finally, I asked a public relations representative for MSC Cruises about MSC Seashore specifically, and she answered that the ship did have dedicated areas for handling gluten-free food. My mom was willing to take a leap of faith with that answer, and we booked.

My mom filled out the MSC special needs form, indicating that she had celiac disease and could not eat gluten. She got a generic response back that said to talk to the maitre d' on board and that the line "cannot guarantee a 100% allergy-free zone." No one contacted her to discuss dining options or ask if she had any special food requests.

With that lack of reassurance, we headed to our ship.

The main dining room was best — but there was no gluten-free menu

When we boarded the ship on the first day, the buffet was the only venue open for lunch. My mom flagged down someone on the restaurant staff, who basically said she couldn't eat anything on the buffet and they'd make her some chicken with gluten-free pasta. The kids and I finished eating before she even got her meal. But she ate something, and it wasn't horrible.

At dinner on the first night, one of the dining room managers came to discuss menu options with my mom. MSC Seashore does not have a separate gluten-free menu, as online reviewers reported from other ships, but he pointed out which regular menu items could be made gluten-free.

He also brought some pre-packaged rolls. At every meal for the rest of the cruise, a waiter would bring my mom pre-packaged, gluten-free bread products. At breakfast, it might be a packaged muffin or croissant. At dinner, it was one of two kinds of rolls. It was always a surprise, and variety was limited. (To be fair, the regular dinner rolls didn't have much variety either.)

After the first night, we switched dining times and dining rooms, and our knight in shining gluten-free armor became Jason from South Africa. I swear he was the hardest working person on that cruise ship, assisting all the guests with allergies and dietary restrictions at dinner, supervising the buffet at lunch, even biking around Ocean Cay delivering ketchup from one food truck to another.

Every evening, he'd discuss with my mom what she could and couldn't eat from the main menu, and even show us the next day's menu so he could run any questions by the chef in advance. He told her about off-menu items she could order, such as gluten-free pancakes at breakfast and gluten-free pizza at lunch. We wondered if there were other off-menu items she should be considering, but no one could give us a good answer.

My mom was able to eat osso buco and lamb shank, gluten-free pasta dishes and French onion soup, among other dishes. She had a different meal each night at dinner – no endless chicken dinners. Her dining experience was not any worse than those of us eating off the regular menu. She probably had more choices than I did as someone who does not eat meat or shellfish.

Dessert was a bust

Dessert was a different story.

The gluten-free dessert in the main dining room was always some variation of a white cake with frosting — or she could order the cheese or fruit plate. But we are chocolate people.

When my mom asked if she could get a chocolate dessert, the manager responded that the line's chocolate providers did not guarantee their products were gluten-free, so they couldn't make her a chocolate cake or gluten-free cookies.

He also said none of the ice cream on board was marked gluten-free, so he couldn't serve it to her. She ate it at the buffet and Venchi gelateria anyway and felt fine.

We were glad to see the restaurant staff taking the allergy situation seriously. The downside was that anything that was obviously gluten-free, like plain chocolate ice cream, still could not be served to my mom. You want to be able to have fun desserts on a cruise line, and flourless chocolate cake and ice cream are so simple to make gluten-free. It was disappointing that the line couldn't bother to find suppliers for these items.

The buffet was mostly off-limits

Nothing on the buffet was marked in any way. Not only could you not tell if a dish was gluten-free or vegetarian, but you also couldn't find out what an unassuming dish contained without tasting it. Case in point: One day, there were two vats of mushy yellow-orange stuff side by side. I asked the server — one was polenta and the other a squash dish, but that was not obvious to anyone by sight.

My mom figured she could eat the salad, the fresh fruit or any made-to-order eggs. It wasn't worth ordering a gluten-free meal that would take 20 minutes to arrive. So she avoided the buffet, meaning she took nearly all her meals in the dining room.

Luckily, my daughter and I weren't big fans of the buffet either, and often came with my mom to breakfast in the main dining room. One day I had a leisurely lunch with her when the kids weren't hungry and stayed behind to watch TV in the cabin.

Snacks and bagged lunches were tricky to acquire

One of the online reviews mentioned gluten-free snacks at an onboard bar, but we never came across those. (I did find a gluten-free drink list, including gluten-free beer, at the Brooklyn Café.) My mom asked her buddy Jason about snacks, and he gave her a few, including one that was essentially a gluten-free Twinkie.

My mom's other concern was lunches off the ship. We had several excursions that took place over the midday mealtime, and she'd read that there wasn't gluten-free food on Ocean Cay, which Jason confirmed.

She asked the first night about the possibility of getting a packed lunch and was told to ask Guest Services. They said they'd have to contact Shore Excursions, which reported back that they did not handle food nor could they ask the tour operators about their food offerings. It was like a wild goose chase just to find information.

Once again, Jason came to the rescue. I can order you packed lunches, he said, just tell me which days and remind me the night before. The lunches were great, packed with two sandwiches (usually turkey and/or tuna), fruit and several snacks. The downside was of the three days my mom ordered them, twice they weren't ready and she had to wait 20 minutes before the lunch appeared.

Eating gluten-free, it turns out, involves a heck of a lot of waiting around.

There was no sliced bread

My mom certainly ate her fill of carbs – rolls, cake, croissants, pasta and pizza. What the ship did not have on board? Gluten-free sliced bread.

Any time my mom got a sandwich, it was on one of the same pre-packaged rolls she got with dinner. She would have liked some sliced bread, either to eat as toast with eggs in the morning or as a sandwich base at lunch, but for whatever reason, the ship did not stock it.

Bottom line

Cruising gluten-free on MSC was not the horror story some online reviewers and travel agents made it out to be. My mom had plenty of different foods to eat, and she did not get sick.

Were her options limited? Yes. Were there foods, like ice cream and bread, that MSC could have provided but did not supply? Certainly. Were there extra hassles involved with making sure my mom got fed — and was her satisfaction with cruise dining dependent on us being assigned to Jason's table and not a less helpful dining manager? You betcha.

Ultimately, I don't think my mom will be cruising on MSC again, but that's not entirely due to the gluten-free dining situation. My takeaway is that your experience eating gluten-free on MSC Cruises may vary based on the ship you're sailing and the region of the world you're traveling (since that could affect provisioning). The best tip I have for successful eating with a dietary restriction, and this applies to any cruise line, is to keep asking questions and advocate for yourself until you get what you need.

The squeaky wheel, in this case, gets the grease — ideally, in gluten-free pizza form.

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• Celebrity Cruises

Gluten Free on Celebrity's Eclipse

By akebog , January 1 in Celebrity Cruises

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Has anybody cruised recently on Celebrity's Eclipse that is Gluten intolerant?  Is the food good & are there enough gluten free options at each meal?

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I did. At breakfast (buffet) you can order gluten free toast at the toast man. All dishes in the buffet have a marking for gluten free. It's a bit confusing at first because the symbol is always there and only when it's gf is it a darker color. There were plenty of things to eat for all meals in the buffet. In the MDR we didn't care for the food so we mostly ate in the buffet. But we had a few meals down there and there were enough gluten free options.

• 1 month later...

Curious to see if there is any updates. We just booked for a June sailing. Curious if we need to bring gf bagels, etc.

I have done several trips on Celebrity since being diagnosed as Coeliac. (I have always been lactose intolerant so I need to have meals catered for both now).  Eclipse was last September, January and March, Solstice this January as well as the Millennium this January. Bread is very hit and miss so if you want bagels you are better off bringing your own, however I have found that I can get a good amount of food that I like.  I pre-order the night before in the MDR and anything I want is altered to suit, with some exceptions. The only problem I have had recently is on the Millie which had very few options in the buffet for breakfast compared to the Soltice which I was on just beforehand (a S2S cruise). HOWEVER for some really good GF options you can go to the Spa Cafe for breakfast and lunch as they always make sure they have them and they have lovely cookies there as well.  

I had good GF options but we mainly dined in Luminae. I did have an excellent GF pizza cooked to order at OVC. I brought my own GF crackers and granola.

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• Celebrity Cruises

Gluten Free - Upcoming Infinity Sailing

By BlueSkiesTX , November 28, 2023 in Celebrity Cruises

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BlueSkiesTX

This will be my 15 year old daughter's first time sailing as gluten free. She has a newly diagnosed wheat intolerance (within the past year). She is not celiac, yet.  I have read through the threads and plan to talk with the maître de after the muster drill or as soon as we can. We have the same dining reservation every night in anytime dining, so I expect we will have the same service team nightly. I have just emailed "[email protected]" to alert them. Is there any other form or any other pre-cruise notifications I can give them? I didn't see any way to indicate this in the cruise planner.  

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WrittenOnYourHeart

12 minutes ago, BlueSkiesTX said: This will be my 15 year old daughter's first time sailing as gluten free. She has a newly diagnosed wheat intolerance (within the past year). She is not celiac, yet.  I have read through the threads and plan to talk with the maître de after the muster drill or as soon as we can. We have the same dining reservation every night in anytime dining, so I expect we will have the same service team nightly. I have just emailed "[email protected]" to alert them. Is there any other form or any other pre-cruise notifications I can give them? I didn't see any way to indicate this in the cruise planner.  

That is fine. That's all I've ever done - the email prior to sailing. Then I just check in with my service team in the dining room. I have almost always been given the menu for the next night during dessert so that I can place an order and they can be prepared.

4 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:   That is fine. That's all I've ever done - the email prior to sailing. Then I just check in with my service team in the dining room. I have almost always been given the menu for the next night during dessert so that I can place an order and they can be prepared.

Thank you! Just confirming, I sent the email to the appropriate email address/team, correct?

6 minutes ago, BlueSkiesTX said: Thank you! Just confirming, I sent the email to the appropriate email address/team, correct?

Yes. That's the one I used.

2 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said: Yes. That's the one I used.

Thanks again! 

31 minutes ago, BlueSkiesTX said: Thanks again! 

You're welcome!!

kokopelli-az

There is a form (attached, see last section: other disability related needs...).   The Special Needs Dept will probably request that it be completed.   We were on the Reflection a couple of weeks ago and they had signs indicating the gluten free breads and pastries in the buffet.  

CEL-Special-Needs-Form-Revised-062221x.pdf

Ex-Airbalancer

We just did a 16 night on the Connie , our daughter is anti gluten 😁

our daughter didn’t do anything before boarding , the waiter asks if anyone has any allergies,and he walked her though the menu , and than they would give her the next night menu where she would pick out what she want 

We were in anytime dinning and had multiple tables without having any problems 

She did like the mashed potatoes 🤣

23 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said: We just did a 16 night on the Connie , our daughter is anti gluten 😁 our daughter didn’t do anything before boarding , the waiter asks if anyone has any allergies,and he walked her though the menu , and than they would give her the next night menu where she would pick out what she want  We were in anytime dinning and had multiple tables without having any problems  She did like the mashed potatoes 🤣

I will just say from experience that the ship provisioning will order a small percentage of gluten-free bread, etc. over those who have reported needing it, but it's not a huge percentage. I was on a sailing (RCCL, but provisioning works pretty much the same way - especially under the same umbrella like X and RCCL) and about halfway through the cruise my server asked if I wanted cinnamon raisin bread with dinner or no bread and said that there were many more people who were gluiten-free than had reported and it was above the percentage. We were fortunate that Venice was also an embarkation port so they were able to get more gluten-free supplies. But ever since then I've made 100% sure that I've reported it beforehand. It's just better to let them know so they can be as prepared as possible.

9 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:   I will just say from experience that the ship provisioning will order a small percentage of gluten-free bread, etc. over those who have reported needing it, but it's not a huge percentage. I was on a sailing (RCCL, but provisioning works pretty much the same way - especially under the same umbrella like X and RCCL) and about halfway through the cruise my server asked if I wanted cinnamon raisin bread with dinner or no bread and said that there were many more people who were gluiten-free than had reported and it was above the percentage. We were fortunate that Venice was also an embarkation port so they were able to get more gluten-free supplies. But ever since then I've made 100% sure that I've reported it beforehand. It's just better to let them know so they can be as prepared as possible.

You cannot compare Celebrity with RCCL 😁

Italy is great for anti gluten foods , did you know  Italians take the problem so seriously that people suffering from Celiac disease receive a stipend from the government of up to €140 per month.

@BlueSkiesTX  Your daughter will be well taken care of and have a large selection of food.  We have cruised for years with RC and I always take a small suitcase of gf food just in case.  When we used to cruise on RC I would eat thru most of the suitcase.  

We cruised on Summit and I came home with 98% food still in my suitcase.  The gf food was delicious, servings were perfect and they are well versed in food handling to keep us safe.  In the Oceanview Cafe (buffet) I ate a Panini sandwich and Pasta for the first time in 12 years while on vacation.  For the Panini sandwich there is a dedicated grill, they change gloves and they have their own cutting board and tongs.  At the buffet every item has a placard above which shows all 4 allergens.  If the item is duplicated above then it's safe if you are gf, vegetarian etc.

1 hour ago, Ex-Airbalancer said: You cannot compare Celebrity with RCCL 😁 Italy is great for anti gluten foods , did you know  Italians take the problem so seriously that people suffering from Celiac disease receive a stipend from the government of up to €140 per month.  

I am aware. But that doesn’t help on the ship when way more people than reported are requesting gluten-free stuff.

It is always better to let them know so they can be prepared adequately. It would suck for your “anti gluten” daughter to not have adequate options because a lot of people decided not to let them know in advance.

Everyone gave you good information.  I am gluten free and bring my own gluten free bagels and crackers on board as they do not have those.

Perhaps similar to your daughter I am somewhat intolerant of wheat/gluten but I don't have coeliac disease. Generally if I sub out bread, pasta and pizza with GF alternatives I am fine. I always report it before we go, but have never had any problem. The gluten free bread is fine (maybe not as good as what I have at home, but adequate). I usually take a box of GF crackers with me for cheese. Otherwise, always a good selection to choose from, with things clearly labelled, so I can decide what I might risk and what not.

Boatharbour

I was very happy with the way GF was handled on board. I did submit the special needs form before boarding. It was obviously noted because in every dining room the staff were aware I was GF without me telling them.  After several weeks of land travel where I often struggled to find GF food, it was a relief to find GF options so easily. The only glitch was the night we ate at Fine Cut and there wasn’t a single GF dessert so I chose from the MDR menu instead. 

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Home » 10 Best Cruise Lines for Gluten Free Food

10 Best Cruise Lines for Gluten Free Food

Last updated on March 7th, 2024 at 01:23 pm

A quick background…

A Gluten-free diet excludes the protein gluten, which includes the exclusion of wheat, rye, and barley. The diet has been known to aid people who are diagnosed with celiac disease in managing its symptoms.

This form of diet has become widely popular among people who aren’t diagnosed with a gluten-related medical condition. It has been claimed that going through this nutritional regime improves health, aids in weight loss, and increases energy, although more research is still needed.

People who adhere to gluten-free diets ( like Keto for example ) and who would like to go on a cruise have to go through the extra burden of meal planning, restaurant research, and preparing packed food and items from their kitchens.

There is good news for those people as all cruise lines, without exception, now offer gluten-free meals.

All a prospective cruiser has to do is to make the request in advance and give the cruise line notification prior to their sail date.  Notifying a cruise line of an incoming gluten-free cruiser (or cruisers, as is more usually the case) gives them ample time to order larger quantities of gluten-free ingredients.

This allows the cruise line plenty of time to lay in the amounts necessary and ensure that all requests are met.

For those who are interested in taking a gluten-free cruise, we have listed below 10 of the best cruise lines for gluten-free food.

1. Royal Caribbean

The Royal Caribbean menu is incredibly helpful for those who are trying to avoid gluten. Amazingly, every night they provide at least one (on most occasions several) gluten-free appetizer, a main dish, and dessert. They offer gluten-free sandwiches, pastries, and pizzas from separate cooking areas to avoid cross-contamination.

Be sure to contact your travel advisor, Certified Vacation Planner, or the cruise line directly and request that the gluten-free remark be noted in your reservation details.

If your reservation is made online through royalcaribbean.com, add your request to the “update personal information.” section.

To cover all your bases, you may also send an email request to [email protected] ; be sure to include in your e-mail the guests’ names, booking number, ship name, and sail date, then your email will receive an automated response.

If you want to experience the ultimate in a gluten-free vacation cruise, Royal Caribbean and AMAWaterways have partnered to offer Celiac Cruise . Offering cruises around the world, this offers a worry-free experience.

Traveling can be a challenging undertaking that can make staying at home the best, but not the most fun, option.

Now the whole family can experience new places and make lasting memories without the anxiety that accompanies menu options that may or may not be truly gluten-free. You can explore places like the Caribbean, Greece, Alaska, the Danube River and Amsterdam.

AUTHOR NOTES (2023)

In 2019 we were seated with a guest who was recently diagnosed with Celiac disease. She communicated clearly with the waiter and the assistant at each meal. Each interaction was respectful and they went above and beyond to provide a safe dining experience.

However, recently we were made aware that Royal Caribbean’s new menu as of January 2023, isn’t offering Gluten-Free options as freely as it did in the past. Long-time cruisers who sailed RCL for over 20 years have not been happy with the Gluten-Free options.

2. Carnival Cruise Line

Since Carnival has a large fleet of ships and is noted for being a famous commercial cruise line, they are adequately stocked all the time for gluten-free cruisers.

Without exception, all of Carnival’s cruise ships serve gluten-free bread, different kinds of pasta, pizzas, and desserts.  They also have a well-known restaurant called Guy’s Burger Joints, where you can get bun less burgers and French fries as gluten-free options.

In the Main Dining Room, the evening meal will have a “featured gluten-free” menu that includes an appetizer, entree and dessert. In the past, although Carnival offered gluten-free options, the icons and notes on the menus were not consistent. 

The dedicated gluten-free menus will take the guesswork out of ordering. Just make sure to ask your waiter for the menu. Carnival also offers Menu Mate, which is a food ingredient program that helps accommodate guests that have food allergies.

Staff enters dietary restrictions into a software program that sorts through all options and displays those items which are allergen-free for the guest. You can find a Menu Mate tablet on display near the Lido buffet stations. 

Gluten-free beer is also available onboard Carnival’s cruise ships, and if you request ahead of time, the chefs can bake you a gluten-free cake.

3. Cunard Line

A cruise line committed to providing deluxe accommodations on the seas, the Cunard team oversees dietary specifications in a professional manner.

All of the ships in the line employ specialist head waiters and chefs to manage special dietary requests, and they’ll coordinate with you about the options available.

Gluten-free breads are available throughout meal times, and sauces are whipped up separately to meet dietary requirements. On top of this, gluten-free kinds of pasta, biscuits, cookies, and cereals are provided throughout the cruise.

To ensure you receive gluten-free service aboard your Cunard cruise, you are required to inform your operator at the time of booking and confirm the request at the purser’s desk when you board the ship.

4. Holland America Cruises

They made dining for cruisers with Celiac disease or gluten sensitivities more convenient by marking food items without gluten with the symbol of wheat next to their descriptions. Customers can also request gluten-free buns in their Dive-In burgers.

For your special dietary needs that require assistance, you may contact Holland America Cruises Ship Services at least three weeks prior to your departure at 1–800–541–1576.

5. Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian offers a handful of gluten-free options onboard as part of their regular menu, including pre-packaged cookies & toast. But with advanced notice, they can prepare gluten-free pastries, pasta, and even pancakes.

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.

6. Princess Cruises

They offer a variety of gluten-free products such as bread, cereal, spaghetti, and macaroni. They have created a special gluten-free mix that they use to make cookies, cakes, muffins, pancakes, and pizza crust. Princess Cruise will accommodate guests with any special dietary needs.

Like any other cruise line, it is crucial to notify them in advance, at least 35 to 65 days in writing, depending on the particular cruise you’ll be booking.

Another perk of booking a balcony cabin or above, by giving them a head’s up, you can order a deluxe balcony breakfast or dinner (for a fee,) and they will include items such as gluten-free muffins, French toast, pancakes or kinds of pasta.

7. Disney Cruises

Disney theme parks have earned a successful reputation when it comes to accommodating special dietary needs, and Disney cruises did not fall far from the tree.

Simply make a note of your gluten intolerance or any other nutritional restrictions when booking your trip.

Onboard Disney Cruises, they sell their famous gluten-free popcorn, grab one and take it to the cabin for a snack.

During breakfast, you will not be limited with their pastry spread such as muffins, toast & pancakes. To keep up with their awesomeness, they also prepare gluten-free donuts. You can wrap up your dinner with gluten-free desserts.

8. Seabourn Cruise Line

Famous for providing luxurious cruises, Seabourn Cruise Lines guarantees your gluten-free needs are met by arranging a variety of gluten-free pastries, and even breadsticks.

All menu items are provided with a clear gluten-free label. Chefs are fully equipped to make any menu item as long as requests are made in advance.  You can specify your gluten-free needs on Seabourn’s pre-cruise online portal prior to cruising.

9. Azamara Cruises

Though Azamara is a small cruise line, they can provide the necessary accommodations for gluten-free cruisers.  Specify your gluten-free orders the night before, they can make pancakes, waffles, and other items.

You can enjoy gluten-free dinners, particularly in their 2 specialty restaurants, Aqualina and Prime C. They offer a choice of whole-grain dinner rolls, hamburger & hot dog buns, various gluten-free pasta, risotto, rice noodles, some soups, gluten-free soy sauce, pancakes, waffles, plain bagels, muffins & cookies.

If you are planning to book a suite, expect the butler to drop by with coffee and tea along with the most delicious gluten-free scones, jelly, and whipped cream

10. Regent Seven Seas Cruise Line

A luxury cruise line, Regent Seven Seas goes above and beyond in making a gluten-free alternative for almost any item on the menu.  In addition to all the gluten-free staples such as bread and various kinds of pasta, Regent goes the extra mile in ensuring that you don’t miss out on delicious dishes.

For instance, at Regent’s Chocoholics high-tea service, offer an entire gluten-free menu, consisting of finger sandwiches and gluten-free desserts such as meringue and fruit tart.

Additionally, MSC Cruise Lines

Another cruise line that caters to its passengers gluten free needs, is MSC. MSC has partnered with the Italian Celiac Association to create an extensive gluten-free menu.

These options are available for breakfast, lunch and dinner at all of the restaurants onboard the Preziosa, Fantasia, Orchestra, Poesia, Musica, Splendida, Magnifica and Divina. 

MSC follows strict regulations when preparing their gluten-free menus onboard, and all gluten-free products are stored in designated areas and one kitchen on each ship is reserved exclusively for the preparation of gluten-free dishes. 

Head over to Adventures of a Gluten Free Globetrekker , which is a gluten free travel blog. On this website, there are posted MSC’s gluten free breakfast, lunch and dinner menus.  There are also gluten-free lunches that you can get packed for shore days. 

Communication is Key to a Successful Gluten-Free Cruise

Cruise lines are very good about going above and beyond when it comes to meeting the requirements of guests with special needs .

The most important element in the success of a cruise with a Gluten-Free diet is communication. Communicate with the cruise line and your wait staff. Always be kind, courteous, and respectful and you will be sure to have a great gluten-free cruise!

This page contains affiliate links for which we may receive financial compensation when a purchase has been made through one of our affiliate partners.

About Jonathon Hyjek

Jonathon is the tech guy behind CruiseportAdvisor.com. When he's not stuck in front of his computer, Jonathon enjoys travel & cruising (even after being on a cruise ship that caught fire - a story for another day!)

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Celiac Cruise

Families and individuals who are gluten-free due to Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity know that travel can be a burden and at times, scary—if you choose to travel at all.

You leave your kitchen and home grocery stores behind and enter a world that is often unknown. What if there’s nothing safe to eat? What will my options be? They say it’s “gluten-free” but how do I know?

These are the reasons Celiac Cruise and Total Travel and Events have partnered with Royal Caribbean and AMAWaterways to offer gluten-free sailing options in the Caribbean and Europe!

Sign up for our mailing list

Inspiration for Your Gluten-Free Journey

Celiac Cruise: The BEST Way to Cruise Gluten-Free!

Relaxed. Carefree. Normal. Flexible. Delicious. Amazing. All words that describe being on a Celiac Cruise!

What is a Celiac Cruise?

A Celiac Cruise is a dedicated gluten-free experience at sea with fellow celiacs and those who love and support us.

On large Royal Caribbean Cruises, this means your safe, gluten-free food is cooked in a dedicated kitchen.

For smaller river cruises in Europe, there is ZERO gluten on the ship. Yes, you read that correctly. Celiac Cruise charters an entire AmaWaterways ship for its 100% gluten-free sailings on the rivers of Europe.

My family just took our first Celiac Cruise on Royal Caribbean International to Alaska . We loved it so much that we booked another Celiac Cruise while on the ship.

Beginnings of Celiac Cruise

This blog, Go Gluten Freely, was born out of my desire to travel, celebrate, and live fully after my daughter’s and my celiac diagnoses… and  to inspire and encourage you on your own adventures .

Similarly, Celiac Cruise started with the dream of a mom, Maureen Basye, whose son, Peter, was diagnosed with celiac disease, followed by her husband’s diagnosis. 

Like many of us, unwillingly thrust into navigating this journey she didn’t ask for nor want, Maureen found the challenges of traveling with celiac disease overwhelming and far from ideal.

Out of that struggle, she had this fabulous (and crazy) idea that those with celiac disease could have a safe gluten-free experience without the worry and burden that typically accompanies gluten-free travel.

She took that dream to her friend Connie Saunders, the CEO of Total Travel and Events, and the Celiac Cruise was born. 

Imagine, a dedicated gluten-free kitchen, a travel posse of about 200 travelers who “get it” and make you feel normal, no asking questions, no vetting ingredients, no over-planning, and no worry. That is a Celiac Cruise.

22 Reasons You’ll Love a Celiac Cruise

• Dedicated gluten-free kitchen and dining room  on Royal Caribbean Celiac Cruises. For river cruises,  the entire ship  is gluten-free.
• Everything is vetted by an expert . Celiac Cruise has a representative from Boston Children’s Hospital Celiac Center on the ship training the food and beverage staff and checking every ingredient the week before your cruise. She’s behind the bar and in the belly of the ship reading labels, so you don’t have to!
• Rare gluten-free finds : churros, fried chicken, freshly-made corn dogs, cheesecake, donuts, danishes, calamari, fried fish, schnitzel, French onion soup…. and a wide selection of desserts that aren’t just sorbet. There were plenty of healthy options, but these treats stand out as foods we can’t normally have or don’t make at home.

• Your food is ready to eat, right away . No waiting around for a specially prepared meal. No watching your family eat from the buffet and dig into dessert by the time your safe food is served. Your entire party shows up at the gluten-free dining room together, and your food is ready to go at the buffet. For dinner service, all of the entrees are served at the same time. 
• Welcome Aboard Cake . Celiacs finally get to participate in this cruising tradition. So grab a slice of cake or one of the seven other desserts (that’s how many I counted at our Welcome Aboard Lunch) and enjoy a sweet start to your cruise!
• Extended hours in the gluten-free dining room . You’ll never go hungry! From the Welcome Aboard Lunch to Debarkment Day Breakfast, the dedicated dining room is open for every meal plus a late-night snack. Hours vary by cruise, but we had generously long dining hours. Extra early and late hours were added for long port days.
• Variety at every meal . This is expected by your average cruiser, but not necessarily by those of us with celiac disease. It’s such a treat (and a bit overwhelming, in a good way) to have so many choices.
• Flexibility and Spontaneity.  No pre-ordering the night before. Who knows what you’ll want to eat tomorrow for dinner?! On a Celiac Cruise, you get to be normal. Decide what you are craving in the moment.

• Social opportunities  to connect with other celiacs: coffee & conversation, pub crawl, meet & greet for tweens/teens, kids’ craft, family bumper cars, and a family scavenger hunt.
• Carefree vacation . You don’t need to plan, think about food, worry about getting sick, or ask questions while eating in the dedicated dining room.  This is an indescribably worry-free, gluten-free cruise vacation experience.
• Details are covered . Play-doh is removed from the kids’ area. Gluten-free ice cream cones are by the pool, and the staff is trained to change gloves when you request the gluten-free cone. Even the straws on our cruise were confirmed safe at the time of sailing.
• Additional vetted food and beverage options throughout the ship . While the dedicated dining room is the safest, the Celiac Cruise team trains all food and beverage crew members. There were other offerings throughout the ship from Sorrento’s Pizza to every bar on board.
• Pre-trip planning guidance . The Celiac Cruise team provides a packing list and a pre-trip webinar to answer all of your questions. 
• Group rate for pre-cruise and post-cruise hotel stays . I was not aware of the hotel group rate until the pre-trip webinar, by which time all of the room blocks were booked. Oops! But, now  you  know, so you can take advantage of this benefit. In Seattle, Celiac Cruise had blocks of rooms at hotels in various price ranges and locations, from downtown to the airport. 
• A Facebook group for each cruise , so you can get to know fellow gluten-free travelers in advance.
• Embarkation port tips and tricks. For Seattle, we were given a one-pager with recommendations for popular gluten-free restaurants. For some European pre-cruise nights, such as in Paris, the Celiac Cruise is able to coordinate a dedicated kitchen at the hotel for breakfast. 
• An educational session . On the Alaskan Celiac Cruise, we heard an informative presentation from Schar Dietician, Meghan Donnelly. Takeaways : eat more plants, veggies should take up half your plate, eat the rainbow, and eat a fruit or veggie with every meal and snack. While most of us weren’t perfectly implementing Meghan’s advice on the cruise, it was excellent information to take home.

• Swag . We received a welcome backpack with Celiac Cruise shirts and lanyards to hold our sea passes and identify us as Celiac Cruisers to all crew members.
• Prepackaged snacks . In our swag bags were a couple of Kind bars and prepackaged Schar goodies (which were also available throughout the cruise). Pack extra prepackaged snacks for any day-long excursions and for your flights. Once you are off the ship, you are back in the real world.
• Sushi-making class ! Cruise ships often offer cooking classes that aren’t especially suitable for those of us with celiac disease, from sushi making to cupcake decorating. On the Celiac Cruise, guests had the option to sign up for a completely gluten-free sushi-making experience (extra cost).
• Gluten-free beer from Holidaily , made from gluten-free grains, was available all over the ship and Stephanie Bernier, a Holidaily representative sailed with us.

• Cruising for a Cause . The Celiac Cruise includes an opportunity to give back. During Meghan’s Schar presentation, she shared that according to Boston Children’s Hospital,  up to 24% of celiac patients experienced food insecurity since 2020 . On our cruise, Holidaily donated all of the beer for a ticketed beer-tasting event. The proceeds went to Boston Children’s Hospital to help those facing celiac disease and food insecurity. There is a Cruising for a Cause component to every Celiac Cruise.  Learn more .

Gluten-Free Dining on a Royal Caribbean Celiac Cruise

Many years ago, I went on my first cruise and received some sage cruising advice from an experienced cruiser, “ Eat what you want, but always take the stairs .”

I have followed that advice on every cruise since, and it is especially good advice on a Celiac Cruise!

As we walk through the gluten-free options on our Celiac Cruise, keep in mind that the logistics can vary by cruise ship.

Some sailings allow for more formal dinners. Others are more casual. On some cruises, there is a dedicated space in the Windjammer. While on other ships (including Ovation of the Seas) there is a dedicated dining room. In all cases, the focus is on safe gluten-free food.

Dedicated Gluten-Free Dining Room: Solarium Bistro

On the Ovation of the Seas, Celiac Cruise offers gluten-free meals in the Solarium Bistro, a private dining room reserved just for Celiac Cruise guests. Here’s what you’ll find in the gluten-free private dining room:

Welcome Aboard Lunch

At our Welcome Aboard Lunch, which was a buffet, Miss E (my daughter) asked me how a buffet works. All of her previous buffet experiences had consisted of asking for a chef and waiting a long time for our food to be prepared safely in the back. 

Walking right in, grabbing a plate, and immediately having food to eat was unreal!

A “Welcome Aboard Cake”, Caesar salad with croutons, and a huge selection of entrees, sides, and desserts were all waiting for excited celiac cruisers to dig in.

Breakfast Buffet

Service consisted of a wide selection of gluten-free items that were similar every morning: bread, lox bagels, eggs, omelets, bacon, sausage, yogurt, fruit, pancakes, waffles, Chex cereal, and pastries, including muffins, donuts, and danishes.

There were slight variations in the daily offerings. Caramel donuts, raspberry danishes, and blueberry muffins transitioned to sprinkled donuts, blueberry danishes, chocolate muffins, and so on.

Lunch Buffet

The salad bar and a few daily sandwich options were staples at lunch. There was a fresh selection of entrees for everyone, from vegetarians to meat lovers, and always a great selection of side dishes.

Hybrid Dinner

Dinner was a bit of a hybrid between buffet and table service.

We were seated by a host(ess), placed our drink and entree orders with the server, and then helped ourselves to salads, sides, and desserts from the buffet.

We consistently saw fish, steak, chicken, pasta, and vegetarian options at each meal. Some sides were fairly constant, like salads, certain vegetables, and mashed potatoes, while others would pop up once or twice, such as French onion soup or calamari.

Late Night Snacks

Late Night Snacks were a highlight, if you could still manage to eat at 10 pm.

Each night was a different theme. Mexican Night brought churros, nachos, and quesadillas.

American Night had mac & cheese, chicken wings, blueberry crumble and according to Miss E “the best corn dog (she’s) ever had”. They were battered and fried on-site with a sweet crust that was crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy inside, the perfect complement to the salty hot dog.

Other nights were British, Asian, Subs, International, and Pizza.

Somehow delicious  nachos and churros appeared several times , and the vegan nachos that showed up one night were amazing!

So. Many. Desserts. There was a new selection of dessert choices at every lunch, dinner, and late-night snack.

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. Whichever style suits you, your sweet tooth will be completely satisfied on a Celiac Cruise.

Here’s just a sampling of the many desserts we saw in the Solarium Bistro over the course of a week: churros, cheesecake, Boston cream pie, matcha passion fruit cake, tiramisu, warm apple crumble, cappuccino chocolate cake, and banh flan.

Chef Jay, a Corporate Pastry Chef who always travels with the Celiac Cruise on the Royal Caribbean bookings has risen to the challenge of delighting gluten-free cruisers!

Other Dietary Restrictions

Additional allergies and dietary restrictions were accommodated on the cruise.

There were signs throughout the buffet noting: contains dairy, dairy free, contains nuts, vegan, no sugar added, and contains egg. There were no oat products.

The servers started each evening’s dinner order by asking if we had any additional food allergies.

Prior to sailing, Celiac Cruise provides advance notice to Royal Caribbean of any additional special diets for your party.

Kid-Friendly Options

Kid-fare was ubiquitous. Burgers, hot dogs, French fries, pizza, spaghetti, mac & cheese, and grilled cheese frequently appeared on the menu and at the buffet.

In addition to Holidaily’s 100% gluten-free beer (not gluten-removed beer), the Celiac Cruise brought Chopin gluten-free Vodka on board.

All mixers and straws were vetted and gluten-free.

We skipped the popular Royal Caribbean drink package, as our drinks of choice are primarily Arnold Palmers and sparkling water. We mostly stuck to included drinks or purchased beverages one-off. 

Debarkation Breakfast

On the last morning of your cruise, Celiac Cruise will take good care of you with a filling Debarkation Breakfast, and then the magic is over… until the next cruise!

Shared Venues with Gluten-Free Dining Options

Cafe promenade.

Gluten-free sandwiches were prepared in the gluten-free kitchen, wrapped in plastic, and stored separately in the Cafe Promenade.

Sorrentos Pizza

Sorrentos Pizza had gluten-free pizza made in a gluten-free oven, with crusts prepared offsite and separate dedicated toppings.

The Dog House

In the Seaplex (large sport/activity area) you could buy hot dogs with gluten-free buns stored and heated separately.

Poolside Soft Serve Ice Cream with Gluten-Free Cones

This popular treat always seemed to generate a line next to the pool. It was wonderful for celiac cruisers to have access to gluten-free cones, rather than the usual ice-cream-in-a-cup option.

Non-Dedicated Dining Rooms

• Main Dining Room
• Specialty Restaurants (for a fee)
• Windjammer Buffet : Ask a chef to make safe food in the back, due to cross-contact with gluten on the buffet line.

To be clear, you can eat in these non-dedicated dining rooms, but there is certainly no need to. Nothing trumps a dedicated gluten-free dining room, so we personally opted to skip these non-dedicated dining rooms on the Celaic Cruise, in favor of the ease and safety of the Solarium Bistro.

Keep in mind, that once you are outside the dedicated gluten-free space, you will need to self-advocate. However, you’ll receive the usual Royal Caribbean allergy protocols . Plus, all Royal Caribbean kitchen staff has been trained by the Celiac Cruise team prior to sailing, so celiac awareness is heightened.

Coastal Kitchen

Suite guests have access to dine in the Coastal Kitchen. It is a quiet, full-service, dining room, with a wall of windows.

The server said they could make almost anything gluten-free.

Once again, Miss E and I could not find anything compelling enough to leave the fabulous, dedicated gluten-free dining room. The gluten-eaters in my family dined there one night, and my husband said the food in our Celiac Cruise dining room was better.

Are There Downsides to Booking a Celiac Cruise?

Not, really. But there are a few things you should know in advance.

Limited Sailing Dates & Locations (and Most Sell Out)

This is the primary complaint I hear about Celiac Cruise, “the sailings don’t match my schedule”.

Celiac Cruise is still in its infancy, but growing fast. Currently, there are about six sailings a year, and Connie said she would love to get that number up to 10. 

All signs point to hitting her goal quickly. Every sailing for 2023 was completely booked. Two Greek Isles Cruises for 2024 sold out in 21 days, and have a waitlist of 200 people. 

Tip! If you see a cruise you want, book right away.

This demand and growth means Celiac Cruise can add more sailings to the lineup. The more cruises offered, the more likely you’ll find one to fit your schedule and dream destination. Keep an eye on the Celiac Cruise website as new sailings are added.

The Total Travel Team Is Busy

This is a good problem!

When Celiac Cruise announces new cruises, Total Travel agents are slammed, so pack your patience. Fill out your online request form and give them a few days to get through all of the registrations from so many excited celiacs. A Total Travel agent will get back to you!

Email is the best way to communicate with Total Travel. The team travels on each Celiac Cruise journey, in addition to scouting trips and training the crew the week prior to each journey. Plus, they love cruising personally. All of that means they are often relying on ship wifi.

Once on board, it is all hands on deck and the service is face-to-face and personal. 

For the river cruises, there’s no way around it. A European river cruise is simply a luxury purchase. However, Celiac Cruise pricing is transparent and in line with the industry. There are a range of available cabins in different price ranges.

Sea/ocean cruises are a different story. Celiac Cruise sailings on Royal Caribbean give you significantly more budget flexibility . From Royal Suite Class on a Greek Isles cruise (splurge) to an inside cabin on a 5-day Bahamas cruise (affordable), you’ll see options for every budget.

Note that there may be a slight premium for booking on Royal Caribbean through Celiac Cruise.

Connie, from Celiac Cruise and Total Travel, let me know that our next cruise could cost about $50-100 more per person when it was transferred to the Celiac Cruise block. 

As it turned out, we saved money when the “Next Cruise” offer we booked on board was transferred to Celiac Cruise and Total Travel. The cost went down by almost $150 total when Connie found us a better cabin configuration for less money.

Tips to Save Money on a Celiac Cruise with Royal Caribbean

Book Your Cruise Early

You’ll have the best choice of rooms, and most likely the best prices, which can go up dramatically as you get closer to the pay-in-full date. Prices can change, but you can adjust the price downward if it drops .

Book Excursions Early

Same as with room choices. Popular excursions fill up. You’ll have a spot reserved, but can get a lower price if you notice a Royal Caribbean sale.

Consider Outside Excursion Companies

Depending on the port, your comfort level, and the price difference, you may want to book privately. One of our port excursions would have been double the cost if booked through Royal Caribbean.

However, booking directly with Royal Caribbean can provide extra peace of mind, as the ship will wait for you or connect you to the next port if your excursion is delayed.

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. Many are the same vendors that Royal Caribbean uses and are adept at getting guests back to the ship on time.

Watch for Black Friday Deals

Royal Caribbean offers deals on cruises, beverage packages, excursions, internet, and the Key (Royal Caribbean’s VIP program with onboard benefits). Snag these items on sale!

Sign up for Crown & Anchor

Crown & Anchor is Royal Caribbean’s loyalty program. After one cruise, you’ll automatically be a gold member, giving you a slight discount on things like drinks, ice cream, internet, and laundry.

Eat Your Meals on the Ship

Not only will you save money by sticking to the food already included in the price of your cruise, but you’ll also avoid worrying about finding safe, gluten-free meals in port.

Many excursions are only a few hours long, so you can easily eat a hearty breakfast, head out on your morning excursion, enjoy a wonderful lunch back on board, go off the ship for your afternoon excursion, and be on the ship for dinner or a late-night snack.

Of course, if your dream excursion is 9 hours long with no safe food in sight, just go! Bring along a few gluten-free snacks. 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.

Book a “Next Cruise”

Take advantage of Royal Caribbean’s Next Cruise program to book your next Celiac Cruise while you’re on a current sailing. You’ll receive special benefits including a reduced deposit and onboard credit.

Bottom Line: Highly Recommend!

My family has traveled a lot over nearly a decade with celiac disease. We have gotten very good at it. Still, there is a certain amount of unavoidable work and mental burden.

On a Celiac Cruise, the entire burden is lifted while on the ship. It’s next-level gluten-free cruising.

If a Celiac Cruise matches your budget and schedule, book one!

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What about those that also have lactose issues?…Are items with lactose clearly noted?

This is a good question, David. I did not ask about lactose specifically, but it is fairly common for individuals who need gluten-free to also need dairy-free. So, it was definitely on the radar of Royal Caribbean and the Celiac Cruise team. There were signs on the buffet stating “dairy-free” or “contains dairy”. When the waitstaff took our dinner order, they always asked if we had any other dietary needs in addition to gluten-free. Also, when you register for the Celiac Cruise, they ask about other special diets for each person in your party.

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