This review and guide is written by Will. Will is a Cruise Packing List Contributor and has Celiac Disease.
A bit about me:
I have cruised extensively since being diagnosed with Celiac Disease nearly 10 years ago. I’ve found it a generally easy way to travel considering my dietary limitations. Cruise lines that I’ve sailed on have generally done a fantastic job accommodating me and I’ve felt safe and healthy.
I have most sailed on Royal Caribbean since needing to become strictly gluten free, but I have ventured out.
This write up is about my experiences on Celebrity Cruises. It’s offered as a guide to help you have a smoother and safer vacation if you need to eat gluten free on vacation. Note that this written from a sensitive Celiac point of view. If you aren’t susceptible to issues from cross contamination, adjust accordingly.
Gluten Free on Celebrity Cruises
Before your cruise
- Contact Celebrity and let them know you need to eat gluten free. They will notate your reservation. When being seated staff will generally read that note and anticipate your needs, however… always let your server know.
- Choose a set dining time. It is possible to choose anytime dining and eat gluten free, however it’s a lot more difficult in my opinion. Having the same staff means they’ll know what you need. You’ll also have a point person in the form of a head waiter or maître d’ that can not only help you in the main dining room, but serve as your guide and help for the entire ship. This was a conclusion I came to early on, on my own and now as of this writing has become an official recommendation of both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity.
During the Cruise
- Head to the dining room to talk to the maître d’ on duty and look at the menu, it’s possible some items can be made gluten free if you pre-order.
- Talk to a manager, supervisor, maître d’. Always let staff know what you need and ask for options. It’s important to talk to a supervisor, I’ve gotten conflicting information from first tier staff.
- Pre-order, pre-order… pre-order. This seems to vary by ship and by line but in my experience Celebrity really wants you to pre-order as much as possible. Some things were not available to me when I just walked up, but could be pre-ordered. Talk to your maître d’ each evening and look at the next day’s menu. Pre-order for every meal that you’re able to.
Places to eat
- Main dining room. This is the location that’s most well equipped to handle dietary issues. On Celebrity many gluten free items are marked on the menu. Speak with your maître d’ to pre-order the next day’s meals.
- Buffet – Oceanview Cafe. According to the manager I worked with in the Oceanview cafe, a high percentage of the dishes are gluten free. However… he made it clear to me that they do not consider food on the buffet to be Celiac-safe. This ironically includes the entire gluten free section when it’s in operation. If you have Celiac disease ask a manager for help. They will usually walk around with you, tell you what you can have an get the food from untouched trays in the back.
- Pizza – available in the Oceanview Cafe can be made gluten free. I was pleased that all available toppings are typically available gluten free. This is in contrast to other lines where pepperoni seems to be the most common option. They have a separate prep area and cook the pizza in it’s own aluminum pan. Tip: Getting an undercooked gluten free pizza seems to be pretty common. I think these take a little longer because of the aluminum tray. Maybe you like that, if not… ask for your pizza crispy and it’s much, much better.
- Most specialty restaurants. I’ve found that most specialty restaurants can accommodate Celiac disease. I highly recommend going to the restaurant the day before and asking to speak with a manager to pre-order. This simple step can make a potentially expensive meal at lot more enjoyable and smooth. It can mean the difference between a special order gluten free cheesecake and… a fruit cup. Fine Cut Steakhouse, Raw on 5, Eden (not Eden Cafe), Rooftop Garden Grill, Le Voyage by Daniel Boulud and Blu should all generally be able to accommodate gluten free eaters.
- Not… Eden Cafe. Eden Cafe was one location that I was told had 0 gluten free offerings. Eden Cafe is the quick service venue that’s open for breakfast and lunch. Eden on the other hand does have gluten free options.
A special order gluten free cheesecake that I received in Fine Cut Steakhouse. This is a picture of just the back of it, because I instantly dug into it before thinking to take a picture. This illustrates the magic of pre-ordering.
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Avoiding… Two Days of Tumult
I’ve settled on the term “Two Days of Tumult” to describe the first two days of eating gluten free on a cruise. There’s a learning curve between you and the ship. Learning how things work, getting to know your staff and communicating what you need and want. As an example. On one Celebrity Cruise I special ordered gluten free chocolate cake. First night, I got nothing, second night I got chocolate ice cream. I finally received something I wanted the third night.
In my opinion, the key to minimizing this is getting a set dining time and speaking with your maître d’ or head water. Tell them your situation, nicely and respectfully let them know about challenges you’ve had in the past and ask for what you want. You’re certainly not going to get everything you want, but you may get a lot closer by connecting with a maître d’ or head waiter.
Some pictures and thoughts
According to every menu I saw the ice cream and the signage in Oceanview Cafe, the ice cream is not gluten free. Well… it was gluten free. Speaking to a manager they make all the ice cream in house and it’s all gluten free. If you have Celiac disease they will get you some from a fresh tub in the back, but you need to work with a manager. The one pain point here is that some days a garnish will have gluten. Again, the manager can help you.
Café al Bacio
Café al Bacio is a delightful coffee shop on board most Celebrity ships. They have pastries and sandwiches as well as specialty coffees.
For breakfast they typically have a gluten free danish option. That was kept in the back and there was no indication it was available. Other than asking… do you have any gluten free options. They had two gluten free danish options each day.
See the case of beautiful mostly gluten laded pastries and baked goods
If you look closely the top shelf has two gluten free options. They have rightly placed these on the top so no crumbs should fall on them and if you look on the right of this picture there’s a plexiglass wall that separates gluten free from gluten containing. I don’t think it’s risk free but it’s a pretty good attempt and minimizing cross contamination. This is a rotating selection that changes daily.
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Gluten Free Matcha Cake
Gluten free Raspberry Chiffon Cake.
The first morning that I ordered gluten free pancakes, they looked spectacular. However, they were horrible. They seemed to be cooked on only one side. The underside was raw with a horrible consistency. Understandably these fell apart. I kindly and respectfully asked to speak to a maître d’ and explained my issue.
The next day the problem was resolved and I received some of the best gluten free pancakes I’ve ever had on a cruise ship.
Gluten free french toast. Pretty good.
Gluten free eggs benedict. This is another example of taking some time to get things working right. The first time I received this I had no Canadian bacon and very little Hollandaise. I brough the to a supervisors attention and received ham instead of Canadian bacon (there was obviously an issue with the Canadian bacon, but hey, ham works) and a side of Hollandaise. Really good. A good question that I’m getting in the habit of asking is… will the gluten free version of this be a complete dish? Will it have x, y and z? If not what options are available?
Beer options… No, there are no beer options
Unfortunately much like their sister brand Royal Caribbean, the “gluten free” beer they carry is Daura Damm. Daura Damm is not gluten free. It’s gluten removed. In fact, it cannot be labeled as gluten free in the US. With as many great truly gluten free beers that are available it’s mind boggling to me that they offer exactly zero options. Both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity should do better here. Wine, seltzers, ciders and mixed drinks are all avaiable.
The Problem with Pre-Ordering… 2025 edition
In years past cruise lines where much more accommodating when it came to pre-ordering.
The pre-order could be a modification to an existing menu item OR a special request. I have had head waiters completely disregard the menu and ask me… what would you like to eat? This offered a lot of flexibility.
This was actually also true for guests without special dietary needs. You could request something and generally they would make it for you the following day.
The tide has changed on pre-ordering. With cost cutting measures and staffing issues they are not as apt to take a pre-order.
That’s okay when you have a lot of options but how about if you have dietary issues. As an example the desserts on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity basically boil down to different forms of… pudding. Not much else is on offer for gluten free folk.
It is still possible to get a pre-order. See my cheesecake above. Talk to your headwaiter or maître d’ and nicely tell them… Hey, I know you can do this and it would make my vacation more enjoyable. Can you please talk with the chef and ask them to make xyz gluten free? If you’re having trouble you can take this to the next level by kindly and respectfully asking to talk to the restaurant manager or the chef in charge.
Keep Reading for Tips and Conclusions…
Related: Gluten Free Translation Card
Celebrity Cruises Gluten Free Quick Tips
- Make sure and request a gluten free meal 90 days prior to your cruise. Also let reservations know of any other food allergies or requirements.
- Email [email protected] with special requests or questions.
- Choose a set dining time for the best experience.
- Talk to your maître d’ about options and to pre-order meals for the following day.
- Pre-order, pre-order, pre-order. Pre-order everything you’re able to including visiting specialty dining venues the day before your reservation.
- Always speak with a supervisor when ordering outside the main dining room/MDR
General Thoughts on Cruising Gluten Free on Celebrity Cruises
Negative first… My experience was not as smooth as I thought it would be. There was a learning curve coming from mostly Royal Caribbean. The food was a little hit or miss. Follow my quick tips for a smoother experience.
Overall I had a great experience. Celebrity Apex is a stunning ship. Although I struggled at times with some of the food, overall I had some amazing food, some of the best I’ve had at sea and in some cases some of the best I’ve had ever. The staff was fantastic and I really felt like people were well trained and were concerned about my health and well being. I wouldn’t hesitate to sail Celebrity again, in fact, we have our next cruise booked! 🙂
A Great Resource For Gluten Free Cruisers…
Cruising Gluten Free is a great resource for gluten free cruising. Lots of helpful members that can answer questions and help.
What Else?
Let’s make this the best guide for cruising gluten free on Celebrity Cruises! Leave a comment on this post with your tips, tricks and experiences.
About me: I have Celiac Disease and as such I must eat a strictly gluten free diet. Not by choice but by medical necessity.
This write up will focus primarily on the food and service we experienced not so much the ship itself or the ports we visited. However, I would like to briefly say that The Allure of the Seas is beautiful. It’s a massive ship (one of the largest in the world), modern, very well maintained and offers diverse dining and entertainment options. Even though the ship accommodates 5,000 or 6,000, we very rarely felt cramped. There is ample room to move around and it was always easy to find a lounging chair. We’ve taken a good number of cruises, although this was our first Royal Caribbean cruise. We were very, very impressed. Overall, this was our best cruise experience ever. On to the food…
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In the packaging
Close up of the tag. The tag reads Material:100% Polyester+Nylon. Washing Instructions: Wash by hand. Do not bleach. Do not tumble dry. Do not iron.
Out of the packaging
For size reference next to a bottle of Sun Bum sunscreen (my standard size reference item on Cruise Packing List)
A look inside the bag
Close up of the mesh
A closer look at the carrying strap
Packed with some stuff in our cabin on Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas
The bag in action at Cas Abao Beach in Curaçao. Related (more beach pictures): Hands on Review: Airalo e-SIM – use your phone internationally!
Beautiful day at the beach
Spotted: This beach tote kept showing up towards the top of search results when I was shopping around. It’s a popular bag. Here’s someone else’s bag sitting in the Solarium on Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas.
On Eagle Beach in Aruba!
I really like the fact that the carrying straps on this tote are flexible enough to tie together to secure the bag.
Here we are just off the ship, walking to the beach on Cococay
Holding three beach towels with room to spare!
My iPhone with Royal Caribbean Adventure of the Seas Royal Promenade int eh Background. See “VZW Wi-Fi”
