If you have celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, you know how difficult it can be to travel while following a strict gluten-free diet. Traveling can be especially difficult on a cruise when you don’t have access to a grocery store or kitchen, and you’re 100 percent reliant on the ship’s staff for meals.
For people like me who like to control their meals, giving up control and placing it in the hands of a cruise line’s staff isn’t easy to do.
The good news is that this week, I learned that Carnival Cruises now offers a dedicated gluten-free menu on all of its ships. The menu changes every night and is available in the main dining room only (at least for now).
In the past, gluten-free passengers would have to arrange their meals with the head waiter the first night. Then, every night thereafter, they would have to place their order for the next night. This is what happened to me when I went on a Royal Caribbean Cruise, and let’s just say it was a pain in the butt to have to do this every single night.
I learned of this news from Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald when he shared the following statement on his popular Facebook page on February 20, 2024:
“Every ship now has a gluten-free menu each night. You will need to ask your waiter for this because it is not on the app or the QR code yet. Here it is for tonight, and if you need this menu, just ask your waiter, as I said, and he or she will bring it. But there is a different gluten-free menu every night.”
As you can see from the pictures Heald posted, there are plenty of appetizers, main courses, and desserts to choose from, all of which will make the gluten-free community feel welcome and included onboard Carnival ships.
Even though Carnival offers a gluten-free menu, please be sure to alert your waiter about the seriousness of your gluten-free diet, especially if you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
What About Celiac Cruise?
Another way to travel when on a gluten-free diet is via a Celiac Cruise, where the Celiac Cruise team charters an entire dining room dedicated to gluten-free passengers, and all the food is prepared in a dedicated gluten-free kitchen.
While a Celiac Cruise is the ultimate gluten-free experience, and there are many benefits to it, which you can read about in my article, 22 Things to Consider Before Going on a Celiac Cruise, there are also reasons it may not be in the cards for you.
First, it can be more expensive because you’re not able to take advantage of cruising deals when you’re required to book through the Celiac Cruise team.
You’re also limited to a handful of cruise dates and locations chosen by the Celiac Cruise team, which doesn’t always neatly align with your family’s schedule and school breaks.
Celiac Cruises also sell out quickly, which means you have to plan your cruises well in advance if you want to snag a spot. This doesn’t allow you to plan a family cruise on a whim.
And finally, with a Celiac Cruise, you’re limited to cruises on Royal Caribbean and AMAWaterways, as the company doesn’t have partnerships in place with other cruise lines, such as Carnival.
Will Other Cruise Lines Follow Suit?
I, for one, would like to see all cruise lines follow Carnival’s lead and offer dedicated gluten-free menus in their dining rooms. It would go a long way in making the gluten-free community feel included in the food fun.
I also would like to see cruise lines take things a step further by offering a dedicated gluten-free buffet area in all buffet-style dining areas. Is this a pipe dream or a soon-to-be reality? I think the latter.
The more cruise lines can accommodate gluten-free travelers, the better their bottom line. In case they forgot, one gluten-free traveler can influence how an entire family or party travels. Cruise lines should take note of this when working towards creating a more inclusive environment for all their food-challenged guests and their families.
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Every restaurateur should hear these words. “ Brett told me that only 30% of all Celiac Cruise passengers are gluten-free, which means 70% are choosing to eat gluten-free to support a GF loved one.”. That might help them see the impact of offering safe GF options has on potential business or business lost.
It is not dedicated. The only dedicated cruise area I’m aware of is booking via a Celiac Cruise.
the question is…. cross contamination do they have a dedicated gf area…