Prior to the cruise, I notified Carnival of my dietary restrictions and I was informed that I should meet with the Maitre d' when I boarded the ship. I was also told that there were plenty of gluten free selections in the Lido deck cafeteria.
After boarding the ship, my husband and I went to the dining room to speak with the Maitre d'. Since he was nowhere to be found, the hostess put a note for the Maitre d' informing him of my dietary restrictions. I was assured that it would not be a problem. We went to the Lido deck for lunch and my nightmare began. It turned out that my choices were limited to salad, fruit and a few Asian dishes. Those were my lunch options for the entire week. One can only eat so much salad....
Now onto dinner: The first night we did not sit at our assigned table, which was great because we met a very nice couple from the Netherlands and ended up spending a good bit of our cruise with them. Being that my diet was so limited, it was a bit difficult to select a meal and fish became my dinner of choice most nights. Considering we were not at our assigned table, they put in a good effort to work within my restrictions. They brought me some gluten free bread, which again was a nice effort but not too tasty. When dessert came around, the chef attempted to make cookies (without any flour) and couldn't figure out what to use to bind the dough. Wine became my go to dessert.
I had good, bad, and ugly experiences in the dining room at my assigned table. The Good: the hostess was very helpful working with me in selecting my next evenings meal. She appeared to be the only Carnival employee that understood what GF is. They did bring me GF bread each night, however there was no improvement in the taste from the first night. The other good; my doctor was happy because I ate a lot of fish. The Bad: neither of our waiters had a clue as to what gluten free meant and this was demonstrated by what they would offer me to eat each evening. The Ugly: even though it was made clear that I could have no dairy, my waiters tried to serve me ice cream with pie on more than one occasion. (The hostess actually called them idiots...lol), Each night I was given one scoop of raspberry sherbert for dessert. They literally walked up to the steakhouse each night to retrieve it, so my dessert never came at the same time my husband's did. The funny thing is that sherbert was on the regular menu for the dining room and it had more scoops and flavor options....and no gluten.
Breakfast was rough, but mostly because of my egg & dairy restrictions. I mostly ate oatmeal and fruit. Thank God for coffee and that I drink it black.
I have three suggestions for Carnival to make a more pleasant experience for gluten free travelers.
- Live up to what you claim. On the Carnival website it says: "Our chefs will make every effort
possible to fulfill your requests and will gladly prepare freshly made
options that meet your dietary needs. However, you will need to make
arrangements in advance with your headwaiter and hostess. Once onboard,
we ask you speak with them so they can assist in planning your daily
meals in the dining room. This will allow us the necessary time to
prepare foods, as requested, in a timely manner.
Additionally, we have available gluten free bread for deli sandwiches, hamburger buns for burgers, and cake upon request. Plus, our ice-cream and yogurt are Gluten-free and we offer Gluten-free pizza at the Pizzeria. However, please keep in mind that sandwiches, burgers, and pizza are prepared fresh upon request. Therefore, they may take a little longer than regular menu items. We ask for your patience while we prepare your requested dish. We’d also like to mention we carry Gluten-free beer, Estrella Daura for your enjoyment."
I was never offered gluten free bread for deli sandwiches, hamburger buns for burgers, or cake. We specifically asked for gluten free pizza at the pizzeria and were told there was none. No one ever offered to make me any pizza after I asked (the saga of gluten free pizza continues in a later blog). And I am certain that I was not offered gluten free beer! We notified them prior to the cruise and on the first day; how much more notice do they need to have gluten free items available?
- Make simple changes to allow more gluten free options:
- Use cornstarch to thicken gravies, sauces, etc. This would have allowed me to have turkey with gravy and pork chop with mushroom sauce for lunch.
- Identify items as gluten free on your menus and label gluten free foods on the Lido deck.
- Keep Rice, Coconut, and All-Purpose gluten free flours available. A quick substitute makes a good gluten free cookie or cake for a *GF guest.
- Have gluten free pastas available. They cook just as fast if not faster than regular pasta.
- Educate and train your staff.
- I found that most employees don't know what gluten is, let alone what menu options are gluten free.
- It is important that all staff be educated. Giving gluten to a celiac or gluten sensitive person, could ruin a guests experience and make them very uncomfortable or worse.
- Although the hostess took care of my dinner needs each night, I was left hanging when it came to lunch, breakfast and snacks. I mean really... How are you supposed to give notice for a piece of cake or a hamburger bun?
- Provide an area when booking for guests to list dietary needs. Why can't the cruise lines learn from the airlines and take that info in advance and FOLLOW THROUGH?
More on my battle at sea with gluten-free to come.....Its not just Carnival. If you have similar experience please comment and share.
*GF - Gluten Free
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