My family and I went on an amazing cruise last April!  I had a great gluten free experience and would go again in a heartbeat.  Below I describe my experience along with some tips and tricks for gluten free cruisers.

Cruises are one of my family’s favorite way to travel.  Not only do we get to see a wide variety of locations, but the ships offer an endless array of activities for both young and old.  I’ve been on several cruises, both before and after my celiac diagnosis, and I can happily say that I ate just as well with my new restrictions as I did before. 

Last April, we took the kids on their first cruise (ages 7 and 3) and sailed on Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas.  This was a 7-day cruise sailing from Galveston, TX, and the itinerary included stops at Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Roatan, Honduras. We actually weren’t able to dock in Honduras because another cruise ship ran into the dock, but that’s another story!  Note: We went on this cruise before I even thought about blogging, so this was paid for entirely by us and this review was not influenced by Royal Caribbean in any way.

Dining Options

All of the main cruise lines have some sort of allergy protocol, and you should alert them to your allergy or food restriction right after you book.  I called Royal Caribbean and was directed to a link on their website to submit my restrictions.  This form applies to anyone seeking an accommodation, so if you have a wheelchair, cpap machine, or other medical concern, it’s certainly worth looking at.  Not only was I able to flag my various food restrictions, but I was also able to request an actual refrigerator for our cabin (many cabins just have “coolers,” rather than refrigerators).  This worked well, as I was able to stock up on some safe items to keep in our cabin for snacks later on (because anyone with a food restriction knows to stock up when safe food is available, right?!).

Some cruise lines have separate kitchens, some don’t, and it may vary across ships in the fleet.  The primary dining choices on most cruises include the Main Dining Room (MDR) and the Buffet, typically called the Windjammer.  There are also several specialty restaurants – some inclusive and some not.  Regardless of your preferred method of dining, you will likely be able to find something safe to eat.  I will discuss my experience with each of these below, but I would definitely say that I had my best meals in the Main Dining Room.

The Windjammer Buffet

Many cruisers prefer to stick to the buffet for quick meals and snacks (it’s open all day and into late night) and only go to the MDR for dinner.  That’s fine, and a safe gluten-free meal can still be found there!  If cross-contamination is not a concern for you, then you may be fine to eat off of the buffet’s gluten-free section.  Typically there were 3 options, such as a meat, vegetable, and side.  However, I never really found the choices to be appealing, and it was clear that there was a lot of cross-contamination as there were always crumbs and such near the area.  You can also order gluten free toast or bread from someone behind the counter; however, they use a shared toaster.

You may also order food to be prepared fresh by the chef, in a safe area.  However, this process is quite slow.  You must first find the chef, which I found to be quite difficult, and in peak times, there are massive crowds to battle.  Once you do find the chef, you can place your order with him or her.  They were always very accommodating to me and made me whatever I requested – I had pancakes, omelets, bacon, sausage, hash browns and fruit.  All were good except for the pancakes, which were like sawdust!  I visited the Windjammer once for lunch but did not really enjoy my meal.  The chef was less accommodating and simply brought me a fresh plate of the buffet gluten-free offering. 

By the time my food came out, my family was always finished with their meal.  I learned to place my order first while my husband battled to find a table, then help my children get their plates from the buffet and get drinks.  All-in-all, the Windjammer is okay and the food was fine, but I found it to be quite a stressful experience.

The Main Dining Room (MDR)

The Liberty of the Seas does have a separate allergy kitchen, and all gluten free food in the MDR is prepared there.  The MDR is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  They do not have a separate gluten-free menu, but the gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan options are all clearly marked on the main menu.  I definitely recommend that you establish a good relationship with your head waiter, because he or she can hook you up with just about anything your heart desires!

I was encouraged to pre-order my dinner the night before, but it’s not a requirement.  Ordering ahead of time gives them a bit more time to cook your specialty order, and that way your food can come out at the same time as the rest of your party.  The first couple of days I stuck to the marked gluten-free offerings, but upon discussion with the head waiter, discovered that they would try to make anything I requested!  There were several times I really wanted something on the regular menu, and they did their best to create a gluten-free version.  Sometimes, I even received two dinners – one thing I ordered and another entrée that they just thought I’d enjoy! 

My dinners were very satisfying, and I ate everything from lobster and steak to gnocchi and pork tacos.  I also received bread and butter service every night.  It was fantastic to eat just like everyone else at my table!  Desserts were a little more limited, and I ate a lot of Crème Brule.  After the second night I requested something chocolate and was given really rich mini cakes – they were fantastic!  The head waiter also surprised me with cheesecake one night, and it was also very good.

Don’t miss breakfast and lunch in the MDR!  I absolutely loved dining there and had many more options than the Windjammer.  I enjoyed very good French toast for breakfast along with pancakes (I decided to try them again but alas, they were still like sawdust), and other standard breakfast items.  Lunch was delicious as well and their hamburgers were on the best gluten free bun I have ever had!  I really wish I had asked which brand they used!  I could see in the Windjammer that they used Canyon Bakehouse, so it may well have been the same brand.  Lunch was also a favorite of mine because I could eat French fries from a dedicated fryer!  Yum!!

Chops Steakhouse

My husband and I celebrated our Anniversary on the ship, so we dropped our kids off at the kids program and treated ourselves to the specialty steakhouse.  The gluten free options there were quite limited, but I did enjoy a wonderful rack of lamb.  I was very disappointed, however, that for our special anniversary dessert, they brought out a huge piece of gluten-filled chocolate cake.  For me to watch my husband enjoy.  What?? I really felt they could have done better there!  The only gluten-free option available to me was a sorbet, although they did offer to get me a piece of Crème Brule from the MDR. 

Other Dining Options

There are a few other places to get a quick bite on Liberty, and many of these same places are in other RC ships as well:

1. The Promenade Cafe.  My whole family enjoyed this little café!  I stopped by a couple of times a day (at least!).  They had little gluten free ham sandwiches that were amazing – even my gluten-eating kids loved them!  They also had individually wrapped Udi’s cookies that they handed out quite freely – great to stockpile for a late night snack or shore excursion.  I also enjoyed specialty coffee there in the mornings. 
2. Sorrento’s Pizzeria.  They had fantastic gluten free pizza!  I was a little skeptical about cross-contamination so thoroughly interrogated them the first time I went.  Their practices are sound, and I enjoyed pizza several times on our vacation.  It does take a few minutes longer for the gluten free pizza to come out, but I didn’t mind waiting.  I always enjoyed the people watching on the Promenade!  Sorrento’s is open until 2am, making it a great late-night option.
3. Room Service.  The free offering for most cabins below suite-level is a standard breakfast that includes coffee, toast, pastries, fruit.  They do offer a gluten-free breakfast, though I was very hesitant to try it as I felt I would have less control over the safety of the food.  When I called Room Service they were very accommodating and assured me that my order would be made in the allergen kitchen, and my toast would be gluten-free and prepared in a separate toaster.   They brought my tray of food wrapped up separately from the rest of my gluten-eating family’s, and it all worked out great!
4. Soft-serve ice cream.  On the pool deck, a soft-serve ice cream machine was open from 11am to 9pm.  No bowls are available, but I had no issue taking a clean cup and spoon from the Windjammer out to the deck.  Now, keep in mind that the glutenous cones may potentially touch the spout, so there could be a risk there.  However, I simply let the ice cream run for a second to help clear out any contamination prior to filling my cup, and I was never sick.  Again, use your judgement based on your sensitivity.

Shore Excursions

After we booked our cruise, I became really worried about how I would be able to enjoy shore excursions. I knew I wouldn’t be able to go all day long without eating, and I also knew that finding a safe place to eat in a different country would be challenging.  Our cruise stopped in 2 ports in Mexico and one in Honduras, and I knew there would likely be language barriers. 

I called the cruise line and confirmed that no box lunches are available to take to shore, and really no food is technically permitted at all.  Because I seldom follow rules like that, I decided to pack an ample supply of pre-packaged snacks!  I also took sandwich bags with me from home, and was able to take some food from the ship off the boat without a problem.  Fueling up with a huge breakfast before departing the ship held me over for most of the day anyway. 

Our cruise did not stop at Royal Caribbean’s private island, so I don’t know what offerings are available at the on-shore lunch.  However, if we were to do that in the future, my strategy would be the same – fuel up before getting off of the ship, and bring my own snacks!

One additional tip that applies to anyone: bring some bottled water!  It is HOT walking around the beach and markets, and especially if you have little ones, it’s nice to have bottled water handy.  Some ships allow you to bring bottled water from home, and some of the drink packages you can purchase include bottled water.  Otherwise, it’s expensive to buy it on the ship – about $4 per bottle.  You may also want to just bring your own water bottle and fill it up on the ship before heading out for your day.

The Verdict

Overall, I enjoyed an incredible gluten free vacation on Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas.  I would not hesitate to book another cruise with Royal Caribbean, and I’m excited to try out other cruise lines in the future.  My family thoroughly enjoyed the experience as well, and there was little issue with me eating with them, and not much issue waiting on my food except in the Windjammer. 

And the most important part: I was NEVER sick.  Not once!  7 full days of eating to my heart’s content and I felt great the whole time (well, aside from over-eating!).  Now THAT is an amazing gluten free vacation!

Want other gluten-free vacation ideas? Check out this article highlighting My Favorite Celiac and Allergen-Friendly Vacation Spots.

Have you taken a cruise and eaten gluten free? What was your experience? Leave a comment below!