Question about "dietary restrictions ", GF options

[Cackyschmackers]

Hello ! I am always hesitant to specify on my preboarding profile that I would like the gluten free menu options at dinner. I do not have a gluten allergy; however, I am gluten intolerant and get unpleasant side affects that I would like to avoid while on vacation. Meaning, I do not have to worry about cross contamination; however, I do avoid eating wheat products. I am looking for advice from people who may have specified a gluten free diet while on board. I do not want any special accommodations made for me but I would be interested in knowing about GF options. Are they on the regular menu? Can I ask for GF substitutions? Or does this have to be worked out ahead of time ? What I am getting at is that I am normally able to modify a normal menu without having to request anything special . Wondering if this won't work for the servers unless I specify all this ahead of time. Hope this isn't too confusing , and thank you in advance !

 

[jrabbit]

DCL does a very good job with dietary restrictions. But I really don't think that they will go "half way" with you.

That being said, if you don't inform DCL with your ressie, you should be able to talk to your server and head server (area manager in the dinning room) at your first dinner and explain to them what you are looking for. You might be able to meet with your head server before dinner to find out options. You should be able to meet with A head server during your embarkation lunch and they would be able to help you make selections from the buffet that will work for you.

We sailed the a GF person a few years ago and DCL did a great job taking care of their dietary needs (as they did with the person with shellfish issues).

 

[sillecruisers]

I sailed on the Dream last September. Like you, I am gluten intolerant, but don't have to worry about cross contamination. I told the servers, and talked with the head server. They recommended that I order breakfast the night before, then order dinner at breakfast, etc. Most of the time, that worked out okay. However, on our Nassau day, I had ordered breakfast the night before as usual, and my family got their breakfast, that they ordered when we arrived in the dining room. They finished eating and mine still hadn't come, I kept getting promises that it would be right out. It never came. We had to leave in order to make our meet up for our Blue Lagoon excursion, so I ended up with no breakfast whatsoever. I was pretty unhappy but didn't make a big deal, just told them we had to go. That night at dinner, they were over the top apologetic, gave us all free flashy cups with exotic drinks in them, extra desserts, and tons of apologies from the server, head server, chef, etc. After that everything went smoothly. Also, we were concierge, and even though it was on our reservation that I was GF, there was nothing I could eat in the concierge lounge! They brought up some nasty hard (and cold) GF donuts that I couldn't eat, but that was all they did. That part sucked, because we spent a lot of time in there. They knew about it, and concierge is supposed to be all about catering to your needs. That was a disappointment. As far as the pool quick service, I ordered a GF pizza, and they told me they would bring it out, but it took 15 minutes or more, and again, my family was done eating before my pizza arrived. So, all in all, I would say I did eat well, but the service itself was sketchy as far as receiving my GF foods.

I'm going on a Carnival cruise in December. We'll see how they do.

 

[MunFam]

That was a disappointment. As far as the pool quick service, I ordered a GF pizza, and they told me they would bring it out, but it took 15 minutes or more, and again, my family was done eating before my pizza arrived. So, all in all, I would say I did eat well, but the service itself was sketchy as far as receiving my GF foods.

I am also gluten intolerant. In May 2015 on the Wonder, there were no GF hot dog or hamburger buns or crackers. They did have GF bread for me at the table, but it was not worth the calories. It was dry and hard and bland. Eventually, I just decided to avoid gluten as best as I could and have the migraine and intestinal issues

Like sillecruisers, GF food took FOREVER to arrive. I DID put the note of gluten intolerance on my reservation because we were sailing 14 nights and I wanted them to "be prepared". Honestly, I had expectations of DCL going above and beyond for my situation as well as DD's egg allergy and we were super disappointed. We paid the Disney price because "they were so good with allergies" and we were let down. No one offered, not were they "able" to make special desserts or anything like I had read here on DIS.

Given: We live in Southern California and I have got to hand it to SoCal, they have their gluten free and food allergies down. My sister just moved to Virginia and is dumbfounded with the way they handle food allergies there, so perhaps someone coming from a non-allergy aware area would be impressed with DCL, but I most definitely was not.

 

[cruisehopeful]

It's been very easy for my husband to eat gluten free on DCL. He has never preordered anything. The head server in the MDRs goes through the menu with him and lets him know if there is gluten in any of the sauces, etc. The buffet is easy, of course. For the quick service by the pools, you just ask them if they can make gluten free whatever it is that they serve.

 

[Dug720]

It's been very easy for my husband to eat gluten free on DCL. He has never preordered anything. The head server in the MDRs goes through the menu with him and lets him know if there is gluten in any of the sauces, etc. The buffet is easy, of course. For the quick service by the pools, you just ask them if they can make gluten free whatever it is that they serve.

That was pretty much my experience on RCCL. I did pre-order my evening meal the night before, but at the buffet I either stuck to the "Gluten-Free Corner" or the other things I had been instructed were safe. (Mine is also an intolerance that manifests as slight wheezing, so not a HUGE worry about cross-contamination.) When I went to try sit-down breakfast (and lunch) after my server told me there were options on those menus, I ordered when I sat the same as everyone else. No big deal. Unless it is a SEVERE anaphylactic reaction, I don't honestly think pre-ordering is necessary at least for the first two meals.

I anticipate the same on DCL, much like @cruisehopeful experienced. (I have not been on DCL since going gluten-free, hence not having experienced them first-hand yet.)

As for having to wait, yes, if I wanted a bagel or a pizza I had to wait because they didn't just have those sitting out and they had to be toasted and/or prepared - but that is to be expected ANYWHERE. I would expect that yes I'll have to wait for my pizza when other people can just grab theirs and go because they aren't going to be used up in the amount of time something is allowed to sit out, and given that g-f stuff usually has an increased pricetag, I'll happily take a wait. And TBH, 15 minutes is about what I've seen as far as cooking times on any of the g-f pizzas I've gotten, so I'm not sure why that wait was such a surprise to the poster it was.

(I've already decided I'll just bring a Luna Bar or two with me for Castaway day as my parents and I will be on Serenity Bay, and I'm not going all the way back to the family beach area just to get my food since that's where it seems the allergy meals are sent.)

 

[Dug720]

Sorry. Duplicate.

 

[Laine Anderson]

I would absolutely put everything in your pre-boarding information so the servers are aware of your diet ahead of time. On night 1 you will have to special order or modify off the regular menu but you can pre-order every meal at dinner the night before. Everyone is VERY accommodating and helpful. I can't eat gluten, dairy, soy or eggs and found plenty I could eat. They would even prepare something special for dessert and had a surprising number of options available.

Plus, you're on vacation, let someone else worry about feeding you so you don't have to think about it. They are quite good at it!

I ordered some french toast without thinking and the server came back and told me about the eggs. The chef wouldn't fix it until I was aware of the ingredients ahead of time. (My food allergy was relatively new to me at the time so I often forgot what recipes contain eggs.)

I was even able to order something special on CC. They had my meal information on hand and I just told them who I was and my cabin number. Took a few extra minutes but I get sick too often to worry about the wait.

 

[diznymom]

I would say that the food allergies / intolerance are hit or miss on the ships.

I'm allergic to corn, barley, soy and msg. I followed all the procedures, notified everyone. My experience was not very good.
I would order my dinner the night before; just to be told the next night that I couldn't have what I had ordered.

I got so frustrated with it all. It was not the happy, special experiences I have read about.

 

[Skittlesmom]

My wife is GF and we're leaving in a few weeks. I called DCL customer service yesterday to have a 'GF' note placed on our reservation and the agent said what Laine noted above. There are plenty of options available and they'll help make your vacation perfect.

 

[Sir William]

I would absolutely put everything in your pre-boarding information so the servers are aware of your diet ahead of time. On night 1 you will have to special order or modify off the regular menu but you can pre-order every meal at dinner the night before. Everyone is VERY accommodating and helpful. I can't eat gluten, dairy, soy or eggs and found plenty I could eat. They would even prepare something special for dessert and had a surprising number of options available.

Plus, you're on vacation, let someone else worry about feeding you so you don't have to think about it. They are quite good at it!

I was even able to order something special on CC. They had my meal information on hand and I just told them who I was and my cabin number. Took a few extra minutes but I get sick too often to worry about the wait.

Fully agree. DW is gluten intolerant. We have it put on the reservation and our servers have always been aware of it. In fact, we usually eat in the MDR for breakfast and lunch, and when we provide our room number on entry her allergy appears on the screen. She orders breakfast and dinner the night before. For the most part DCL does a pretty good job, but it varies by ship and the individual servers. Bread products are the biggest issue; some are very good, others are like hockey pucks. They usually have GF donuts which DW likes, but they are frozen and need to be heated. Sometimes they are served frozen, other times almost burnt.

In my case, I have an allergy to bell peppers. Usually, I just ask the servers to let me know what I can't eat, but since DW is preordering dinner, I sometimes do the same when I want something on the menu the next night that is cooked with peppers (the Pirate Night menu is a mine field for me) and have had good success.

I make the special dietary request when I make our reservation, and I double check about 2 weeks out to insure it's still listed.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

anyone have any experience with ordering room service with gluten-free options? Just wondering if it takes too long. Was actually thinking about the all hands on deck platter that we always order, but wondering if it would just take too long if I asked for gluten-free crackers (do they even offer gluten-free crackers?)

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

Hello ! I am always hesitant to specify on my preboarding profile that I would like the gluten free menu options at dinner. I do not have a gluten allergy; however, I am gluten intolerant and get unpleasant side affects that I would like to avoid while on vacation. Meaning, I do not have to worry about cross contamination; however, I do avoid eating wheat products. I am looking for advice from people who may have specified a gluten free diet while on board. I do not want any special accommodations made for me but I would be interested in knowing about GF options. Are they on the regular menu? Can I ask for GF substitutions? Or does this have to be worked out ahead of time ? What I am getting at is that I am normally able to modify a normal menu without having to request anything special . Wondering if this won't work for the servers unless I specify all this ahead of time. Hope this isn't too confusing , and thank you in advance !

Obviously, different people have had different experiences with GF on DCL. I think you are likely to be pleasantly surprised. My wife had a "gluten (and dairy) sensitivity" like you describe. The servers at the MDR were SO helpful! First they wanted to find out what here needs were? Was it an absolute "no contamination" thing, or just a "nothing directly with gluten" and was it life threatening or just discomfort? Then they brought her special bread every night (pretty decent, though the rest of us preferred the regular bread). They told her which menu items were GF, and starting that first night, they brought her the next nights menu. In most cases, they could make anything she ordered. In EVERY case, it showed up the next night no problem. The biggest issue for her was desserts. Being gluten and dairy free cut out just about all of them, but they started asking her what fruit she liked and each night, they brought her a huge bowl of fruit (guava, mango, strawberries, blueberries, etc.), that the whole table could enjoy. A lot of people got this kind of treatment, and the servers made her feel special in a good way, not a burden. They were happy to do it and servers all over the room were doing it.

DCL does a very good job with dietary restrictions. But I really don't think that they will go "half way" with you.

I disagree with this. In our experience, they will "meet" you wherever you want to be. Just as there are different ways to be vegetarian, there are now different ways to be gluten-free. The servers we encountered tried their best to serve you want you wanted to eat, and none of what you don't want to eat.

I would absolutely put everything in your pre-boarding information so the servers are aware of your diet ahead of time.

I agree with this completely. Knowing how many people are gluten sensitive on that particular sailing will help them prepare for it, and insure they don't run out of gluten free food. It is part of the service you are getting. They are glad to do it for you.

anyone have any experience with ordering room service with gluten-free options? Just wondering if it takes too long. Was actually thinking about the all hands on deck platter that we always order, but wondering if it would just take too long if I asked for gluten-free crackers (do they even offer gluten-free crackers?)

There were gluten-free room service options. I don't know about GF crackers. I doubt it would make it take longer, either they have them or they don't, but if you plan on ordering a lot of cheese platters, I'd say the easy solution is bring a lot of GF crackers with you. Then you will be sure to have enough. Crackers are easy to put in your checked bags (or your carry-on), and since they are sealed containers, there is no problem bringing them on.

Have fun!

 

[Cackyschmackers]

Great advice! Thank you for this detail @Anchors Away 2016 . Good point, I've been bringing gluten free chips and snacks with me to various places, makes sense to pack a box as well!

 

[Dug720]

Great advice! Thank you for this detail @Anchors Away 2016 . Good point, I've been bringing gluten free chips and snacks with me to various places, makes sense to pack a box as well!

I am definitely bringing my WeightWatchers GF pretzels! Those things are YUMMY!!!

 

[cmph]

I don't think I see it mentioned above, but FYI - gf was actually marked on all the Wonder menus (we did the 7 night over NYE). I was surprised to see that! Dairy as well. If you don't care about cross-contamination, it makes it super easy. DH has celiac, so cross-contam is an issue - and they will make the plates up elsewhere for allergies. My mom ordered the same dish as him one night, and she asked our waiter if she could give DH part of her meat b/c she'd never eat it all. He almost had a heart attack - "No, no, it wouldn't be safe!"

When he ordered gf things on the pool deck, the chef got his name and stateroom to keep records of his allergy orders. I'm not sure how that would work if you hadn't previously declared an allergy? And like others have mentioned, they need to be prepared with gf bread products for burgers, etc, but if you aren't eating that type of food, it's not an issue. So, if you know cross-contam isn't an issue AND aren't going to order burgers and hot dogs, I probably wouldn't be inclined to bother noting an allergy, knowing it's labeled on the menus. No special accommodations were made at Cabanas, in terms of food prepared in the back; the staff just walked him through to point out safe items and he stuck to carved meats mostly (which is what he would do anyway). There was one time no gf desserts were listed at dinner, and he had something special made up for him, but that was only once out of all the meals. He got fruit instead another night b/c he just didn't like the sound of the only gf dessert listed, which I would think anyone could do who is sick of tons of desserts!

If I recall correctly, there was just a salad listed as gf on the room service menu.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

I don't think I see it mentioned above, but FYI - gf was actually marked on all the Wonder menus (we did the 7 night over NYE). I was surprised to see that! Dairy as well. If you don't care about cross-contamination, it makes it super easy.

If I recall correctly, there was just a salad listed as gf on the room service menu.

Thank you for this! This was one of my original questions I hadn't heard an answer about. Hopefully if the menus on the Wonder have them, the Dream and Magic will as well!

 

[cmph]

Thank you for this! This was one of my original questions I hadn't heard an answer about. Hopefully if the menus on the Wonder have them, the Dream and Magic will as well!

Yes, hopefully they do too! I can't remember reading anything that mentioned gf labeling on the menus. Hopefully it's not just the Wonder, but they did just have their menus revamped after dry dock, b/c of Tiana's. Perhaps someone else on one of the other ships will notice this and chime in?

 

[MickeyEarrings]

If you want them to have enough GF pasta, breads, buns, etc you need to tell them in advance you are GF.

 

[clten]

Menus on the Magic are also marked to note Gluten Free selections. (Sailed on the Magic with a celiac so we noticed; hadn't taken note when we were on the Dream or Fantasy.)