My husband and I are fortunate to have taken our very first cruise this year on the Norwegian Getaway.  I am excited to tell you about Gluten-Free Cruising With Norwegian.  Traveling with Celiac Disease is hard, but traveling with Norwegian was a breeze, with no cross-contamination, no celiac attacks, just pure unadulterated joy!  A big thank you to Norwegian Cruise Lines for providing this cruise!

We celebrated 25 years of marriage by “getting away” for a week at sea traveling to lands never before seen.  To say it was magical would be an understatement.  We took the cruise in May and I still think of our spectacular time aboard the Norwegian Getaway daily.  I find myself comparing the coffee I drink at home to the coffee served on board the ship.  That thought leads me to another thought of how peaceful the cobalt blue waters were and then I think of how the scenery was breathtaking!  My favorite part of the day was having coffee on our balcony with my husband, reading our Bibles, soaking in the sun, and listening to the peaceful waters that God created.  The whole experience was rejuvenating!

 

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We enjoyed ourselves… the water slides, excellent service, fireworks, and the shows.  The day trips to St. Martin, St. Thomas, and the Bahamas were educational, fun, and a study of beauty in regard to tropical plants and landscapes.  I loved learning about the history of each island!  Each tour guide was amazingly knowledgeable and very kind too! Did I mention the beaches? LOVELY!

 

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Ok, I know, this post is supposed to be about gluten-free cruising…

 

Let me be honest with you, I was scared to go on this cruise!

 

Having celiac disease does not make traveling easy.  The last thing I wanted was to be sick on board the ship on my 25th-anniversary trip.  I was determined to eat salad the whole time to avoid being sick.  I was sad because I had heard that a big part of cruising was the food.

 

Now, here is the exciting part, I did not get sick once!

 

Do I really need to say more? I will say more though…much, much more about the incredibly delicious, mouth-watering, gluten-free food I was served onboard the Norwegian Getaway.

 

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Oh!  The food!  I was blown away by all the gluten-free options at every single meal!

This is how it worked.  On the first day, I told the Maitre d’ I needed to eat gluten-free.  He was so pleasant, “No problem,”  he said.  We have our very own cook just for people with allergies!  I looked at the menu for the next day every evening after dinner.  I chose my meals and they made the dishes gluten-free. Sound easy?  It was.  This is a big shout-out to Rodney our Maitre d’ who cared so diligently for me during our cruise.  Now, here is something even more impressive.  I did not have to tell them which dining room I was eating in.  They could have it delivered to any place I chose to eat.  Yes…even room service!!

I kept a journal during my anniversary trip.  I wrote down every meal I ate on the cruise.  The food was that good! Here is a record of what I ate in just one day.

 

 

Gluten-Free Cruising With Norwegian

 

BREAKFAST

fresh fruit platter

gluten-free french toast

bacon

gluten-free blueberry muffin

coffee

orange juice

 

LUNCH

salad greens with vegetables and chicken

gluten-free vegetable-seasoned pizza (It was freshly made!)

for dessert…poached peaches with almonds and vanilla bean cream sauce

 

DINNER

gluten-free warm bread assortment

crab salad

beef filet mignon

sautéed vegetables and mushrooms

garlic mashed potatoes

for dessert…caramel flan with fresh berries

 

Gluten Free Cruising With Norwegian

 

PERFECTION!  I am unable to recall the last time I encountered perfection.  For this review, however, I can use no other word but PERFECT.   I award Norwegian Cruise Lines a 5 Star for their outstanding service to gluten-free individuals. I am counting the days until my next cruise, this time with my whole family!  Six of them have Celiac Disease.   Thank you NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE!

 

Interested in gluten-free cruising?  Check out the Norwegian Cruise Line.

 

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YOUR TURN…

I would love to hear about how you travel and manage a gluten-free lifestyle.

 

Blessings,

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Janelle Esker

Janelle Esker is the grateful wife of Michael and homeschooling mother of six amazing children. She lives with her family, 4 cats, 1 dog, 3 ducks and 12 chickens in scenic Ohio. Janelle received her B.A. in Education from Ohio Northern University. She is the author of CHOSEN: One Family's Journey with Autism.

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16 Comments

  1. OK………can we just start with I can’t believe you’ve been married 25 years! I remember you sitting in your RA dorm room planning your wedding like it was yesterday. I do not eat a gluten-free diet, but travel really worries me because my change to real food started with horrible digestive issues. I can really relate to your fear of being ill on your trip. Good to know that they were able to help you in such a pleasant manner. 25 years…………you look exactly the same. I just can’t believe it!!

    1. Thanks Christina…there is no way I look the same! You are however VERY SWEET for saying so! As added information, Norwegian can cook for any diet. Vegan, whole food…you name it!

  2. Hi Jannelle,
    I’ve been gluten free fro about three years now. I have not been on the Norweigian, but I had a similar experience with Royal Caribean.. They were excellent; the one thing I remember the most is sitting at the breakfast hall on about the third day and the waiter, whom I hadn’t met or told him I needed gluten foods, knew exactly I needed my gluten breakfast… ?. My whole family was amazed… I think cruises in general take the allergies very seriously; food is there big sell so I guess they make everyone feel comfortable, safe and welcomed. 🙂
    Thanks for sharing though, I’ve been considering trying the Norweigian cruises too!
    Lymari

    1. Thank you for taking the time to comment Lymari! I am excited to try Royal Caribean in the future…it is so good to have options!

  3. I don’t even know what to say, great review! thanks!

    1. Your welcome! Here’s hoping this will help you have a WONDERFUL cruise!

  4. Wow, Wonderful post, I’m a vegan myself…

  5. Hey! Would you mind if I share your blog with my facebook group?
    There’s a lot of people that I think would really appreciate
    your content. Please let me know. Thank you

    1. Would love for you to share…thank you!

  6. This was so helpful, getting ready to book a cruise!

    1. Have fun on your cruise, I know you will have a glorious time!

  7. You made several important points about traveling with Celiac Disease. Thank you for the great review!

    1. You are welcome, I find the more information I can get before traveling makes everything better!

  8. Hi Janelle thank you for this post. We are considering going on a Norwegian cruise. How did you find deep fried options? French fries, breaded fish? Do they have a separate frier? Do they prep gluten free food in a separate area? Thanks for any insight you can share!

    1. Hi Dana, I personally always stayed away from any fried foods in the giant food court. I just did not want to take any chances of getting sick on vacation. The dining room has a special waiter that sees to all your needs. They are specially trained to deal with dietary issues. Also make sure the cruise ship knows you have celiac disease before you go. You can easily contact them. Enjoy your trip!

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