Sandals & Flip Flops...Hold the Gluten!

Since my last blog, my husband Dave has decided to join me in the delightful world of gluten free eating.  He has quickly become "Ticked Off" too...lol.  Our first vacation as a gluten free couple went like this:

My husband and I arrived at Sandals Grand Riviera on January 31, 2015.  Prior to our arrival at Sandals, we notified them of our dietary restrictions: we are both gluten free; I am allergic to almonds and bananas and Dave is allergic to shrimp.  Upon our arrival, there were refreshments available for the guests, but there was nothing for the gluten free guest to nibble on while waiting.  Having not eaten since we left the U.S., that was a bit frustrating.  Our butler Jackie arranged for us to meet with Chef Wayne to discuss our gluten free restrictions and allergies.  We explained that I am sensitive to gluten, but not celiac and although my husband was not sensitive to gluten, he had made the decision to go gluten free as a choice.  This seemed to be understood and we were directed to let Jackie know where we wanted to dine each night and he would communicate our dietary restrictions to the other chefs.

Day One: Soy (All Good 'til the cookie crumbled)

Dining at Soy’s Sushi restaurant was a pleasant experience.  Our server was very conscientious of our restriction; she asked how bad the sensitivity was and she warned us that one of the rolls we wanted to order wasn’t considered gluten free because it was deep fried in the same fryer as breaded items.  We explained that it was okay and she proceeded to get us the rolls.  The funny thing is that Soy’s didn’t have gluten free soy sauce, but Kimono’s Japanese Steakhouse, which is right next door, did.  Our server told us that none of the desserts were gluten free, but she was going to make us a dessert.  She prepared a pineapple ring with a scoop of ice cream with cherry juice on top.  We totally appreciated her efforts, and we didn’t have the heart to tell her that we couldn’t eat the ice cream because it was Cookies & Cream! 
Overall dinner rating: B+  
Gluten Free Knowledge:

Day Two: Valentino's Italian Restaurant (That's Amore')

If I didn't know better, I would think that Valentino’s Italian restaurant was the only restaurant that received our dietary info and knew how to handle our needs.  They were spectacular, from host, to server, to chef! Gluten free bread with dipping sauces was ready and waiting for us upon our arrival.  We elected for the traditional Italian meals.  Dave had spaghetti and meatballs and I had shrimp & linguini.  Pasta was a tad over cooked, but whose complaining...it was delicious.  For dessert we had a vanilla crème brûlée.   
Overall dinner rating: A+ (its a hard grade to earn...just ask my friends & family).
Gluten Free Knowledge:

Day Three:  Candlelight Dinner on the Beach
(Romance is in the air)

This had to be the easiest opportunity for Sandals to provide us a delicious gluten free meal, since Dave selected the menu ahead of time (this was a "Surprise" for me; although they made the mistake of calling me to confirm the menu, and in doing so, ruined the surprise).  Dave had Pumpkin Bisque, Caesar Salad, Filet Mignon and Cheesecake.  I also had the Pumpkin Bisque; Organic greens, Jumbo Shrimp and Cheesecake.  The food and the ambiance were wonderful.   
Overall dinner rating: A (they ruined the surprise).
Gluten Free Knowledge:

Day Four: Kelly's Dockside Butler Class Only Restaurant (Wake-UP Doc!)

This was our first experience at Sandals where there seemed to be questionable understanding of what gluten is (this became a recurring problem throughout the remainder of the trip).  Although we requested to speak to the chef, he/she was nowhere to be found.  So we had to depend on our own knowledge, and the limited knowledge of our server.  The hostess informed the server that we were gluten free and he acknowledged with an "I know" (In U.S. teenage language, this translates to "Whatever").  After being seated, he brought us various dipping sauces consisting of olive oil & vinegar and herbs. He then brought us gluten free bread; the experience was going great...and then he took the sauces away.  So much for his knowledge of gluten free.  This maneuver displayed our server's "limited" understanding and we decided we were better off selecting our own dinners.  Overall Dinner Rating: C+
Gluten Free Knowledge:

Day Five: Neptune's Seaside Grill (Can you eat rice?...duh!)

At Neptune’s, the Hostess informed the server that we were gluten free and he said “I know” (this must be taught to all servers in Jamaica).  Moments later, he delivered a basket of bread and dipping sauces.  We told him that we couldn't eat the bread; that we needed gluten free bread.  He proceeded to take away the bread and the sauces (again olive oil & vinegar...they must make it in bulk).  We asked to speak to the chef, and Chef Leroy came to discuss the menu.  I believe his knowledge of what exactly gluten is, is "limited" at best, demonstrated when he asked me if I could have rice...You have got to be kidding me!  He recommended the Chef special and said that the sauce was not gluten free, so he would bring me a marinara sauce to put over my snapper; yuck!  The funny part was that the sauce my husband was served with his seafood meal “Lime butter sauce” was gluten free and would have paired perfectly with my fish.  By the way, when our gluten free bread finally arrived at our table, there was only enough for one person and the server again tried to give my husband regular bread.  You can imagine our frustration.  This is when Dave became Ticked Off Too!  Chef Leroy did explain to us that the desserts were not gluten free, but he would get a delicious dessert from Kimono’s.  It was lychee and large ginger slices…again yuck!  What a horrible ending to a mediocre dinner. 
Overall Dinner Rating: D-
Gluten Free Knowledge:


Day Six: Kimono's Japanese Steakhouse (What did we do wrong?)

This was the one restaurant I had been looking forward to.  The person that was getting ready to prepare our food asked who had dietary restrictions.  As we raised our hands, they immediately removed our plates from the table.  We watched as he prepared the food in front of us and were surprised that he didn’t do any fun entertainment.  I mean isn’t that what a Japanese steak house is known for?  So once the food was cooked, everyone at the table was served, except us.  An additional 5 minutes or so went by and then our plates were delivered to us.  While the food tasted fine, separating our meals from everyone else made us feel like we did something wrong.  I didn't know gluten free was a sin...punishable by segregation!  I understand they worry about cross contamination, however, as I explained earlier, I am sensitive to most gluten and hubby is doing it by choice.  So if someone would have communicated to us prior to cooking our food, we may have been able to have the same experience as other guests.  Still not sure why they couldn't have loaned their gluten free soy sauce to Soy's (next door).  
Overall Dinner Rating: C-
Gluten Free Knowledge:

Day Seven: Bayside French Restaurant (Where Everything is Gluten Free!)

When we were seated the host acknowledged that we were gluten free...again great start..  We reviewed the menu and waited to speak to the chef.  Waiter Wayne came to take our order and when we asked what on the menu was gluten free he said "all of it".  Dave asked "even the soup?" (which was cream of asparagus).  Waiter Wayne responded "No not that one.... and you can't have this... or this or this” as he pointed to several items on the menu.  We finally selected our appetizers and entrees.  He brought us gluten free bread with no butter or dipping oils (which we know they have an abundance of).  We asked if he could bring us butter and he asked us "can you have that?" (which we replied with an eye roll).  We ordered crème brûlée for dessert.  Wayne said "good because that is the only one that you can have".  Thank God he was there to provide his wisdom. When our delicious deserts arrived they had some sort of cookie on it.  I was beside myself...we of course didn't eat the cookie, but decided it was time for some education.  So we waited patiently until we could grab his attention and asked him about the cookie. He replied "Don't eat that!" Wayne saved us again...lol.   I explained how serious a simple cookie can be to someone with celiac.  He seemed appreciative of the new knowledge and admitted he knew very little about this allergy.  Whew! That went better than I thought. 
Overall Dinner Rating: C+

Gluten Free Knowledge:

We focused this month's blog on the dinners we experienced during our stay at Sandals Grand Riviera.  I do want to mention one breakfast experience.  While we were there, a new restaurant opened (Sabrina’s).  We were excited to try it for breakfast,  although we were leery of ordering gluten free pancakes.  To our surprise they were delicious!  Whoever made those needs to share the recipe with the other Sandals & Beaches Resorts.

Here are some pictures of our favorite Gluten Free Items:

Daily Fresh Coconut Water!

Celebrating Bob Marley's Birthday!

Yummy Coconut Macaroons!!!!

 

Crisp Chardonnay on a Hot Day!

In closing, our overall dining experience at Sandals was very good.  The biggest issues needing to be addressed are in education & communication.  There needs to be better communication between the chefs, the servers and the guests regarding dietary restrictions and options.  The entire staff, from the Head of House to the Executive Chef need more education regarding what exactly "Gluten" is, and how easy it is to serve a gluten free guest.  A little education goes a long way... 

                         

My First Gluten Free Cruise....How Frustrating!

My first cruise experience after going gluten free was on the Carnival Valor in May 2014.  I have to caveat this by mentioning that I also had other dietary restrictions (no dairy, eggs or chicken) during this cruise.  I should also mention that I stopped eating red meat a few years ago.

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.  

1. 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?
   
2. Make simple changes to allow more gluten free options:
1. 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.  
2. Identify items as gluten free on your menus and label gluten free foods on the Lido deck.  
3. 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.
4. Have gluten free pastas available.  They cook just as fast if not faster than regular pasta.
3.  Educate and train your staff.
1. I found that most employees don't know what gluten is, let alone what menu options are gluten free.
2. 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.
3. 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?
4. 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?

Although the cruise/itinerary was a lot of fun, (I did get to swim with the turtles in Barbados), there are definitely improvements to be made.  A few small changes could have a great impact on the guest experience which would lead to them being repeat customers.

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

Blog in Development - Coming January 2015