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MDR vs Unlimited dining for person with Celiac


Wethen

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Hi, needing some advice sailing with my adult daughter for the first time.  She has celiac disease and  we are going to celebrate her and her cousin being 21!  The food situation has kept her from cruising up until now but it my favorite vacation.  We are booked on symphony for may 2021.  We are considering the unlimited dining package because we would like to try a few of the restaurants however blogs are spotty on how well they do with true celiacs vs just gluten free diets.  I have emailed the special services several times asking about accommodations for her and they keep ignoring my questions about the specialty dining and referring back to MDR.  I know MDR will work but my nephew is a foodie and would love the package instead.  Any advice from experience using this package and getting modifications at specialty dining venues?  

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See this current post. In that post, there are some photos of some menus from one of the specialty restaurants. In the small print, you should see that there are Gluten-Free entrees available, but that Royal Caribbean galleys are not allergen-free zones. So both good and bad news. Call RC by phone and be a little insistent on getting to the correct people on the phone to get the exact information you need to get to the point of you being comfortable with the response. 

The answer might be "No" in certain cases in certain restaurants, but it's much better to have good, accurate information rather than the answer you might want - like "Sure, everything's fine." If you hear that, someone doesn't have a clue on what you are asking.

Here is the RCI FAQ on special dietary needs. Notify them ahead of time and they can do things for you, though it sounds like you already did this.

My impression is your daughter should be able to make this work, but this is not something you want to play around with.

Mazel Tov to your daughter and her cousin.

 

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On 8/9/2020 at 9:59 PM, Wethen said:

Hi, needing some advice sailing with my adult daughter for the first time.  She has celiac disease and  we are going to celebrate her and her cousin being 21!  The food situation has kept her from cruising up until now but it my favorite vacation.  We are booked on symphony for may 2021.  We are considering the unlimited dining package because we would like to try a few of the restaurants however blogs are spotty on how well they do with true celiacs vs just gluten free diets.  I have emailed the special services several times asking about accommodations for her and they keep ignoring my questions about the specialty dining and referring back to MDR.  I know MDR will work but my nephew is a foodie and would love the package instead.  Any advice from experience using this package and getting modifications at specialty dining venues?  

From our experience the unlimited dining package is an excelent choice! My wife has several food allergies and those has been taken care so well, that the dinning experience in speciality restaurants is one of the main reasons we choose a RCL cruise as our holiday destination. Eating in a restaurant with long list of allergies is often quite stressfull - specially when travelling - but on RCL it’s one of the highlights of the vacation.

While celiacic disease and allergies are not the same, celiacic disease is quite well known and should not require so much explaining. Some of the food alleriges my wife has causes an anaphylactic reaction, so those needs to be taken care of as seriously as celiacic disease. She is allergic to all grains (among other things) except oats.

We have had UDP on Allure 2018 and on Oasis 2019 and we hade 4 meals in speciality dinning restaurants on Allure 2019. The experience in MDR on Allure was good (our waiter Rachelyn was totally awesome), but the food was way better in places like 150CP and Giovannis. MDR allergy food was quite... plain.

We did inform the restaurants about the allerigies beforehand (personally onboard) and I recommend you to do the same. Email to speciality needs goes only to MDR as far as I know. We did the email as well, but I don’t know if it does anything.

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I agree about the food allergies my son has anpahylaxis to several food and we actually would never take him on a cruise because he has anaphylaxis with even "same equipment" type situations so we don't even eat out on land.   I will keep trying I just want her to have a good birthday trip without being sick in pain and vomiting the entire trip while still getting to try some interesting meals.   ?  Thanks for the advice ! 

 

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I would say go ahead and order the plan if you are interested.  Contact special needs beforehand and see if they can get you in touch with the specialty restaurants to see what is possible. 

They've stated it won't be a problem in the MDR, but that's because there's enough room in the MDR kitchen for them to have an area to prepare meals without worry of cross-contamination.  The Windjammer can accommodate as well if you speak to a chef when you are in there.  The specialty restaurant galleys are often smaller, so they may not do as well with avoiding cross-contamination as they might not have the space to have a dedicated prep area.  

When you get on the ship you can further speak with the individual restaurants to see if you could be accommodated.  They might find it easier for you to come in during the less busy early dining hours.  If it doesn't look like it will work out you can always go to Guest Services on the ship and cancel the package.

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Well I booked it and we shall see.  Worse case if there are no desserts for her  I wonder if I can preorder a dessert from main dining to end up at the restaurant for her.  I certainly don't want to eat dessert in wonderland and she has nothing for example.  I know she is an adult now but I really have never done that to her or my son, IF there is a treat like a funnel cake they can not have I do not eat it either lol   now if there is something else that they want and can have ......now that she is an adult I will enjoy a non gluten free item.   

 

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I had a few dinners with a celiac in Coastal Kitchen on Anthem in January.  They were very understanding and accommodating.  They identified which entrees were off limits and they were able to modify sauces or secondary items on other plates to satisfy her requirements.  

While not a specialty venue exactly, they do have their own small galley.  Most importantly they immediately understood and were very careful to check with the chef to validate safe choices and then repeated it again for dessert.  I was impressed how they handled the last minute request or special diet on the spot.  

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 8/17/2020 at 2:58 PM, Wethen said:

Well I booked it and we shall see.  Worse case if there are no desserts for her  I wonder if I can preorder a dessert from main dining to end up at the restaurant for her.  I certainly don't want to eat dessert in wonderland and she has nothing for example.  I know she is an adult now but I really have never done that to her or my son, IF there is a treat like a funnel cake they can not have I do not eat it either lol   now if there is something else that they want and can have ......now that she is an adult I will enjoy a non gluten free item.   

 

Hi Wethen,

I am a 37 year old Father of 2.  I was diagnosed with celiac disease in early 2017 and had my world flipped upside down.  Huge fan of bread, pasta and beer!  Haha.  Even though the MDR does a decent job of finding GF options for me, I find the unlimited dining package to be the perfect option for me.

First off the food is 10X better in the specialty restaurants.  They have many more GF options including the ability to make most dishes GF upon request. 
 

Second, the waiters and waitresses are typically more experienced and work far fewer tables than you will find in the MDR.  My experience with them has been amazing!  
 

For instance on our last cruise on Enchantment they only have CHOPS as their specialty restaurant.  Our waitress (Amelia) was the best we have ever had.  She knew how to turn any dish into a GF version and made sure the chef’s knew I was a celiac and took special care for my plates.  (I never once had an issue).  Each night she would have her chef’s prepare me a GF dessert that you might not find on any menu’s of the ship including the MDR.  (Cheesecake that was diff than the GF cheesecake in the MDR, a chocolate lava flow type cake, you name it and it could be done.).   I knew in the past that RCCL doesn’t have a GF soy sauce.  I brought packets of my own from home and she had the chef’s use it to prepare sushi and other appetizers that required soy sauce.  Again, never had a single (celiac) issue the whole time.  
 

Same experience on the Liberty this past Feb in both Giovanni’s and Chops.  
 

My wife and I not only find the food to be so much tastier, with better options, but the service to be 10 Star in the specialty restaurants.  We will never dine in the MDR again.

 

Let me know if you have any more questions, I would be happy to answer them for you and make your daughters experience that much better. 

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On 8/29/2020 at 3:48 PM, Crazycruiser50 said:

Hi Wethen,

I am a 37 year old Father of 2.  I was diagnosed with celiac disease in early 2017 and had my world flipped upside down.  Huge fan of bread, pasta and beer!  Haha.  Even though the MDR does a decent job of finding GF options for me, I find the unlimited dining package to be the perfect option for me.

First off the food is 10X better in the specialty restaurants.  They have many more GF options including the ability to make most dishes GF upon request. 
 

Second, the waiters and waitresses are typically more experienced and work far fewer tables than you will find in the MDR.  My experience with them has been amazing!  
 

For instance on our last cruise on Enchantment they only have CHOPS as their specialty restaurant.  Our waitress (Amelia) was the best we have ever had.  She knew how to turn any dish into a GF version and made sure the chef’s knew I was a celiac and took special care for my plates.  (I never once had an issue).  Each night she would have her chef’s prepare me a GF dessert that you might not find on any menu’s of the ship including the MDR.  (Cheesecake that was diff than the GF cheesecake in the MDR, a chocolate lava flow type cake, you name it and it could be done.).   I knew in the past that RCCL doesn’t have a GF soy sauce.  I brought packets of my own from home and she had the chef’s use it to prepare sushi and other appetizers that required soy sauce.  Again, never had a single (celiac) issue the whole time.  
 

Same experience on the Liberty this past Feb in both Giovanni’s and Chops.  
 

My wife and I not only find the food to be so much tastier, with better options, but the service to be 10 Star in the specialty restaurants.  We will never dine in the MDR again.

 

Let me know if you have any more questions, I would be happy to answer them for you and make your daughters experience that much better. 

Thank you so much for the reassurance.   I of course want it to be a great trip for her just like our trips to Disney World.   I had read they did have gluten free soy sauce so I am glad you responded, I did want to take her to Sushi at Imuzi,  I have read Wonderland which can't change dishes still has enough gluten free items to accommodate her as well.   Do you ever go to the buffet?  She is VERY sensitive (after she was diagnosed we actually but in a second kitchen to have gluten in the house  but to avoid continual exposure lol)  so I am guessing NO buffet even for fruit and non gluten containing options ?

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On 8/29/2020 at 3:48 PM, Crazycruiser50 said:

Hi Wethen,

I am a 37 year old Father of 2.  I was diagnosed with celiac disease in early 2017 and had my world flipped upside down.  Huge fan of bread, pasta and beer!  Haha.  Even though the MDR does a decent job of finding GF options for me, I find the unlimited dining package to be the perfect option for me.

First off the food is 10X better in the specialty restaurants.  They have many more GF options including the ability to make most dishes GF upon request. 
 

Second, the waiters and waitresses are typically more experienced and work far fewer tables than you will find in the MDR.  My experience with them has been amazing!  
 

For instance on our last cruise on Enchantment they only have CHOPS as their specialty restaurant.  Our waitress (Amelia) was the best we have ever had.  She knew how to turn any dish into a GF version and made sure the chef’s knew I was a celiac and took special care for my plates.  (I never once had an issue).  Each night she would have her chef’s prepare me a GF dessert that you might not find on any menu’s of the ship including the MDR.  (Cheesecake that was diff than the GF cheesecake in the MDR, a chocolate lava flow type cake, you name it and it could be done.).   I knew in the past that RCCL doesn’t have a GF soy sauce.  I brought packets of my own from home and she had the chef’s use it to prepare sushi and other appetizers that required soy sauce.  Again, never had a single (celiac) issue the whole time.  
 

Same experience on the Liberty this past Feb in both Giovanni’s and Chops.  
 

My wife and I not only find the food to be so much tastier, with better options, but the service to be 10 Star in the specialty restaurants.  We will never dine in the MDR again.

 

Let me know if you have any more questions, I would be happy to answer them for you and make your daughters experience that much better. 

Do I need to bring her salad dressings?  Do you know if there is anything she can have at Playmakers?   She is not a fan of gluten free beer but likes Margaritas so I think we have the drink package figured out.   What is hard for for her is she doesn't like meat at least not every day but a filet now and again is ok 
or seafood for the most part  and I am guessing she will have to learn to like those proteins more  lol.   She is more of a pasta, pizza salad and fries  kind of gal at least for what she considers treats. I told her is she has a cocktail first the food may seem more fun to try.   I read Jamies can do gluten free pasta I will just have to make sure they do it in safe manner ?

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On 8/31/2020 at 11:10 AM, Wethen said:

Thank you so much for the reassurance.   I of course want it to be a great trip for her just like our trips to Disney World.   I had read they did have gluten free soy sauce so I am glad you responded, I did want to take her to Sushi at Imuzi,  I have read Wonderland which can't change dishes still has enough gluten free items to accommodate her as well.   Do you ever go to the buffet?  She is VERY sensitive (after she was diagnosed we actually but in a second kitchen to have gluten in the house  but to avoid continual exposure lol)  so I am guessing NO buffet even for fruit and non gluten containing options ?

Ok, sorry about that I was exhausted last night.  
 

So, I have never been on Symphony which I know has all the specialty restaurants.  I have been on Oasis, but it was in 2016.  We only ate at Giovanni’s on that trip and I didn’t know I had celiac at the time.  
 

We are going on Adventure Dec 2021 (due to a lift and shift), I am very much looking forward to Izumi.  They might have GF soy sauce at that restaurant, but Chops on Enchantment definitely did not.  Glad we brought our packets.  I got them on Amazon, made life so much easier than carrying on a bottle and worrying about them losing it in one of the many kitchens each night.  
 

Giovanni’s and I’m sure Jamie’s has GF pasta and it was delicious.  We had multiple choices in that restaurant.  They even made me a custom dish one night.  A GF version of Chicken Parm.  I grew up in New Jersey and I am kind of an Italian food snob.  The food was good enough.  Plenty of fish choices in both Chops and Giovanni’s. The appetizer beef carpaccio is to die for! 

As far as salad dressing, I know the Italian and Caesar dressings are GF (those are my staples) I am pretty sure the ranch is not.  I did not bring any from home, but that’s not a bad idea if she is worried.  Amazon sells 1.5 oz packets of Kraft dressings (which are all GF).

As far as Pizza, we ate at Sorrentos for the late night post drinking snack.  They have a GF pizza, but I would def let the person taking the orders know you have celiac.  They will use a clean tray to put your pizza on in the oven.  I didn’t have an issue, but this is def a cross contaminated kitchen, so just for the heads up she might have an issue.   I guess I got lucky.  
 

We eat Breakfast everyday and most lunches in the Windjammer Buffet.  Most of the ships have a GF section, but you obviously need to use common sense as some people don’t even realize what that is.   For breakfast I would always order an omelette and get the roasted potatoes.  (The bfast sausage is NOT Gf).   Bacon, fruit etc is all ok.  I usually double check with one of the head chef’s if I am ever concerned and they always go out of their way to point out what I should eat and what to avoid.    They will also go out of their way to make Gf pancakes, French toast, and regular toast.  I never had an issue.  
 

For lunch their is plenty to eat that is Gf.  I usually make a cold cut sandwich and a salad.  Certain days their are Gf soups.  Some of them are Amazing.  Almost everything that is Gf has a label, but again if you are ever questioning anything check with the head chef’s.  Trust me they don’t want you getting sick. 

In the windjammer there are some Gf desserts that are labeled, mainly puddings etc, but here is a secret.  If you go to the dessert table and ask one of the assistant chef’s they usually have Udi’s Gf cookies below the counter.  (Hidden).  They are delicious!!!! ESP the snickerdoodle ones.  Sometimes I’ll put soft vanilla ice cream on top of it if I’m really looking for a cheat meal.  Makes my mouth water just thinking of it. 
 

As far as drinks, avoid the Bloody Mary’s as they use Zing Zang as their pre-mix and it has gluten in it.  (Sucks, because I love bloody Mary’s).  My drink of choice is Crown Royal with a splash of ginger ale.  I’ll also drink Tito’s vodka (gf) with soda water and a lemon.  Very refreshing when out in the sun.  Pina Coladas at the pool have always been safe, but make sure you ask for Bacardi rum or Meyer’s.  Not sure what well rum they use, but with the drink package I’d prefer the better stuff that I know is Gf.  Most venues have ciders (not a fan), and I did find one Gf beer in Hoof and Claw, but they are so filling I usually only have one.  

When you go to the specialty restaurants just make sure to tell the Matre d (Head waiter) that your daughter has celiac.  They will make sure your waiter and chef’s take extra special care of you.  
 

We love cruising and after 2 in a row with amazing food experiences in the specialty restaurants, it’s well worth the extra cost to us and especially me for the unlimited dining experience.   Like I said earlier, our days in the MDR are over.  
 

I hope this helps.  Let me know if you have any other questions.  Can’t wait to get back out to sea! 

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PS, one last thing.  My kids and wife do not have celiac disease.  I insist that they have the full experience and eat everything they can with gluten in it.   Although I find it admirable that you won’t eat gf desserts in front of your daughter you gotta live your life too!   
 

Just the card we were dealt and GF foods have come a very long way in the last 10 years.  The days of chewing on a cardboard box are over hahaha.  
 

I hope you have a great time!  

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 9/5/2020 at 5:59 AM, Crazycruiser50 said:

PS, one last thing.  My kids and wife do not have celiac disease.  I insist that they have the full experience and eat everything they can with gluten in it.   Although I find it admirable that you won’t eat gf desserts in front of your daughter you gotta live your life too!   
 

Just the card we were dealt and GF foods have come a very long way in the last 10 years.  The days of chewing on a cardboard box are over hahaha.  
 

I hope you have a great time!  

Thanks so much that truly does help!!  Now that she is an adult I may well eat things she can't have in front of her especially in this unlimited scenario!! LOL   You have really made me feel more comfortable and I am so very grateful!  I am starting to feel like this won't be any harder than taking her to Disney which is our favorite spot for gluten free fare!   You are probably already aware of this but RCCL has a group they work with for Celiac cruises this didn't work for us this time but we are on the list and watching https://www.celiaccruise.com/

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9 hours ago, Wethen said:

Thanks so much that truly does help!!  Now that she is an adult I may well eat things she can't have in front of her especially in this unlimited scenario!! LOL   You have really made me feel more comfortable and I am so very grateful!  I am starting to feel like this won't be any harder than taking her to Disney which is our favorite spot for gluten free fare!   You are probably already aware of this but RCCL has a group they work with for Celiac cruises this didn't work for us this time but we are on the list and watching https://www.celiaccruise.com/

Thanks for letting me know about that.  I have to plan vacations around my kids school and my work.  Maybe I can get one of those to work out for me someday.  
 

Enjoy your time with your family! 

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  • 1 year later...

Thanks for your advice crazycruiser50! My last cruise was 1/19 and I was still eating gluten! This January I am cruising with my family and me and two of my three children have celiac. I had planned on avoiding Windjammer as I thought the sit-down MDR would be safer for breakfast and lunch, but am glad to see the many safe options! Are you particularly sensitive to cross-contamination or not? Did you ask them to make your omelette in a clean pan or just the same pan with ones that had for example the sausage cooked to put inside another person’s omelette? Thanks again and sorry to add to an old thread!

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On 10/21/2021 at 10:21 PM, Kbarnes518 said:

Thanks for your advice crazycruiser50! My last cruise was 1/19 and I was still eating gluten! This January I am cruising with my family and me and two of my three children have celiac. I had planned on avoiding Windjammer as I thought the sit-down MDR would be safer for breakfast and lunch, but am glad to see the many safe options! Are you particularly sensitive to cross-contamination or not? Did you ask them to make your omelette in a clean pan or just the same pan with ones that had for example the sausage cooked to put inside another person’s omelette? Thanks again and sorry to add to an old thread!

DH went on one of the full ship tours, which included the kitchens, and was shown the separate "allergy" area where the gluten free & other items were prepared.  DD has never had an issue, although we have always done  set time dining with the same waitstaff, as opposed to MTD. We preferred the MDR for breakfast & lunch when available, but when we have had to use Windjammer she's been able to eat. Our next cruise is Anthem, & I know there is a GF section there, but to be honest, if they are serving from the buffet I would prefer that for her, as people are not always careful. We've done specialty, and she's always been safe there also.  

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  • 4 months later...
On 8/9/2020 at 2:59 PM, Wethen said:

Hi, needing some advice sailing with my adult daughter for the first time.  She has celiac disease and  we are going to celebrate her and her cousin being 21!  The food situation has kept her from cruising up until now but it my favorite vacation.  We are booked on symphony for may 2021.  We are considering the unlimited dining package because we would like to try a few of the restaurants however blogs are spotty on how well they do with true celiacs vs just gluten free diets.  I have emailed the special services several times asking about accommodations for her and they keep ignoring my questions about the specialty dining and referring back to MDR.  I know MDR will work but my nephew is a foodie and would love the package instead.  Any advice from experience using this package and getting modifications at specialty dining venues?  

My intolerance is as serious as celiac, plus I have egg and dairy. So if you're food concerns are on the severe end of the spectrum keep reading otherwise this may not apply to you.

Do NOT pay for Wonderland as they don't make alternatives, they only remove ingredients from their set menu apps (my niece ate salmon tartare with a bunch of ingredients, i got lemon ice), I think they modified my dinner, but I got sick so I can't be sure. 

Johnny Rockets gf burger didn't make me sick. And if you give them 30-45 minutes warning to heat up the oil in the dedicated fryer, you can have fries. 

150 central was amazing. They took lots of care making sure my food was safe (the veal was outstanding). 

At Izumi I did the sushi sake pairing and the chef was so great to make things that were safe for me.

Windjammer has the "gluten free corner" with 4 things that are gf. Breakfast was only eggs, which I can't even eat. There are other things like bacon excetera that are technically gluten free on the buffet however they are not prepared in a safe kitchen so it could potentially be risky. I did finally have somebody get the chef and he brought me out a plate of lox and cream cheese from an area that was safe. But half the time I went there nobody knew who to ask despite me asking for a chef.

Otherwise I got sick from every meal in MDR despite the head waiter taking order in advance. I am guessing I have an intolerance to something else (oil?) That might be used in their preparation. When they prepare your gluten-free food in a safe place they cook it in advance so for example if you change your mind or want to cancel your food entirely even doing so at 3:30 p.m. for a 7:30 dinner is too late.

And well they did make accommodations, I was told to order off of the menu and then they would modify it. The problem with that is I had no idea if one or 10 parts of what I ordered would be eliminated. Sometimes the meal I got was completely different than what was listed as far as sides et cetera. It would have been a better experience if they had someone who could suggest which dishes on the menu might be best with my intolerances. 

Also be prepared to wait. This was super frustrating for my normal eating family and I ended up eating a number of Meals by myself.

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When cruising with my celiac husband and daughter in the past, they both found it helpful to bring along little packets of gluten free condiments, particularly the packets of gluten free soy sauce that you can get on Amazon. They were great for sushi and for kicking up rice dishes etc. 

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