Vacationing with food restrictions can be a challenge. Below I list my favorite celiac and allergy-friendly vacation spots!
Sun, sand, a drink in my hand…..that’s my ideal vacation. I love nothing more than eating and drinking my way through the day with my only worry being whether my poolside chair is optimally positioned for the best tan.
But, vacationing with food restrictions is not all puppy dogs and rainbows. It can be a huge challenge. Not only do you have to figure out destinations that can accommodate your diet, but you also have to work in things like a backup plan if it turns out your destination cannot provide you with safe food. You have to think about having food on hand for traveling to and from your destination. Sometimes it can feel like it’s not even worth the effort. But, we all need a vacation at some point, right?
I have celiac disease (read more about that here!) and several food intolerances. I’ve had the fortune of continuing to travel without issue, both for business and pleasure. Here I’ve rounded up my top 4 recommendations for vacationing with food restrictions, whether an auto-immune condition or severe allergy. These options fit into all types of families and budgets, so you are sure to find something that will work for you.
Cruises
The beauty of cruises is that there’s something for everyone – endless activities for all ages, and food is everywhere! Cruises are definitely one of my family’s favorite way to vacation. 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. You can read more about my experience here!
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. They assured me everything was going to be taken care of, and directed me to speak to the Head Waiter after boarding the ship. This was really important because – major tip here – the Head Waiter is the one who can get you anything you want. Yup, he or she is the one that can make cheesecake, French toast, gnocchi, amazing pork tacos, French fries, and really anything else you want actually come to fruition (those are just a few of my favorites!).
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 and delicious to eat. I found the Windjammer to be too chaotic and difficult, and I had my best meals in the Main Dining Room. It took about the same time to get my food, and it was a much more pleasurable experience for my whole family.
Other fun spots to eat on cruise ships may include a pizza place, ice cream parlor, and hamburger restaurant. Most cruise lines also offer self-serve ice cream and other treats as well. Even the private island barbeques offer accommodations! Cruising is an excellent choice if you want to go multiple places on a vacation but don’t want to deal with constantly having to sort through your next meal. You have it figured out for a whole week!
Walt Disney World Vacations
The Happiest Place on Earth also is one of the safest places on earth for someone with food allergies. Think about it….how can Disney make a kid’s dreams come true if they can’t feed her? Right?? They have a fantastic allergy protocol in place.
My family vacationed at Walt Disney World in September 2017. We had a blast, and boy was this mama’s tummy happy. Each and every restaurant and food cart has allergen lists at the ready, and they are very well trained to accommodate any allergy or sensitivity – because, you know, they’re making dreams come true. My dreams happen to be culinary! And this dream-making applies to both the parks and the various on-property hotels. They aim to please, and please me they did!
Nearly all of the sit-down restaurants have separate allergen menus available. For locations that feature buffets, they will provide an allergen list and you can speak to a chef to order food specially prepared in the back. Never, I repeat, NEVER, eat off of the buffet, even if you are assured it is gluten free or free of whichever allergen you are avoiding. ALWAYS play it safe and get fresh food from the back, even if it takes a little bit longer to get your food.
Some of my favorite meals in the parks included Crystal Palace at Magic Kingdom, La Hacienda de San Angel in Mexico, Nomad Lounge in Animal Kingdom (don’t miss the churros!!!), and Min & Bill’s Dockside in Hollywood Studios.
We stayed at the Art of Animation resort and I had an amazing experience with their food court. I ate everything from pancakes and French toast with sausage and hash brown casserole for breakfast to a delectable crab cake sandwich for lunch and butter chicken for dinner. They had a great supply of packaged desserts as well – great to use up those snack credits if you have the meal plan!
I also ventured over to the Port Orleans resort for beignets, which I would say is an absolute must-do! It was well worth the trip to eat fried dough – I mean, celiacs aren’t able to indulge in that too often! We also dined at ‘Ohana and Kona Café at the Polynesian Resort, which were both family favorites and wonderful meals.
Just to express how amazing Disney can be, let me tell you a little story. When I stayed at Disney’s Swan & Dolphin resort for a work conference in 2016, Hurricane Michael rolled in. A large function was held that night for the conference, and since we were all stuck inside anyway, it went on as planned. Of course it was a buffet. I tracked down a cast member, who took me to a little galley to speak to the chef. He explained that if I could give him about 15 minutes, he would bring me back safe food from the nearest allergen kitchen. He asked me what I liked to eat and promised to whip me up an amazing meal. Um……he LEFT the building in a HURRICANE to make me a meal. He brought me back a fantastic chicken dish that was absolutely divine. But the man left the building in a hurricane to make me safe food. Now that is magical service!
All-Inclusive Resorts
Similar to cruises and Disney vacations, all-inclusive resorts with allergen protocols can offer a bit of reassurance when planning your vacation. Some resorts are better than others, and you will want to do a bit of research before booking a trip. You should ask questions about whether the resort has an allergen protocol, a separate kitchen, specific processes in place, and training provided to staff members. You may also want to inquire about things like whether there is gluten or other allergens in their toiletry products provided, or if they can provide safe room service – whatever is important to make your stay a good one.
If you intend to venture off the resort property, you should prepare in advance for that as well. Particularly in Mexico, which tends to use corn flour more than the U.S., it’s actually quite easy to find gluten free foods. Your challenge, of course, will be the language barrier and ensuring that the restaurant staff fully understand cross-contamination risks. You can also use the Find Me Gluten Free app in Mexico to find good spots from celiacs who have traveled there previously. Yep, it works! But, do your research ahead of time because you may not have cell service once you leave the resort’s WiFi.
Palace Resorts, Riu, Dreams, Secrets, and Iberostar are popular resort chains in Mexico with gluten-free accommodations. Most resorts do have separate gluten-free menus or at least clearly marked items. However, many resorts do offer multiple buffet options. While it’s tempting to grab-and-go so that you can get to the pool quickly, remember that a buffet is NEVER safe for a celiac. Always, always ask for fresh food to be prepared for you by the chef.
I will be heading to the Grand at Moon Palace in April, and I’ll provide you with a full report of my stay!
Camping & RV Vacations
My family loves to camp. Er, “glamp.” Camping is not only affordable, but it also is very family-friendly and can provide a wide range of experiences across a variety of locations and attractions. And, very importantly, it allows you complete control over your food.
We camp a lot at nearby recreation areas on the weekends, and then we take a week-long trip with a bunch of friends to a new destination each year. We’ve traveled to Michigan, Missouri, South Dakota, and Colorado. Wisconsin is next! The kids absolutely love our trips, and it’s been fun traveling with the same group of friends each year. It’s become a lovely tradition.
Have you noticed that stress-free eating is important to me? Camping permits me to bring my own food and handle my own food. Control is key to food safety! Not only do I plan gluten-free meals that everyone can enjoy, but I also bring “backup” meals – individual servings I keep in the freezer to pull out and eat whenever needed.
When we travel with large groups, we like to rotate the cooking duties across families, and that way each family only needs to plan one or two main meals. We of course always plan a gluten-free meal, preferably one that can be cooked entirely outdoors rather than inside the camper. Between our grill that has a griddle, and my husband’s little meat smoker, we are able to make a wide variety of tasty meals. Some of my favorite camping meals include:
- Walking tacos – we pre-cook the taco meat at home with gluten-free seasoning, then freeze it and heat it up when we’re ready to serve.
- Smoked turkey legs – just like at the state fair!
- Pulled pork, brisket, or ribs
- Fish tacos with corn tortillas and coleslaw
- Skewers with meat or shrimp with vegetables
- Baked potato bar
For dessert, we love to use gluten free ice cream cones stuffed with toppings (marshmallows, chocolate, pie filling, or other goodies) and cooked in foil on the fire. They are kind of like s’mores, but a little more fun and versatile!
There you go! Super simple ideas to make camping allergen-friendly and enjoyable for all. And if you don’t have a camper, you can rent one! Or, try an Airbnb. That’s a little more complicated as you won’t be in your own gluten-free kitchen, but you can use disposable cookware and would still have more control over your food than relying on dining out.
A Few Tips Before You Travel
Hopefully you now have vacation fever and are planning out your next trip! Before you go, remember that regardless of the type of vacation, anyone with food restrictions needs to travel fully prepared. A few tips:
- Always pack a TON of extra snacks. You need to account for any travel delays, or lack of airport food. Check out my full guide to easy and healthy travel snacks here.
- Then, pack more snacks in case your destination ends up being a huge fail and you cannot get safe food as planned!
- Get TSA Pre-Check. It’s totally worth it! If you are traveling with lots of food or medication, Pre-Check makes the airport security process immensely smoother.
- Research ahead of time. Use the Find Me Gluten Free app to identify safe restaurants near your destination, or even at your connecting airport. Screen shot their address and phone number, just in case you have cell service issues later.
- I’ve said this before and I will say it again: never, ever, ever eat off of a buffet. Always ask for fresh food from the back.
- If you aren’t staying at an all-inclusive and want a few stress-free meals, check out a gluten-free meal service in the city you are staying. I’ve used this type of service when traveling on business, and it makes life so much easier!
Happy traveling! What are your favorite vacation spots? Leave a comment below!