Royal Caribbean is Gluten Free Friendly!

I am long over do for a blog post, so I think it's the perfect time to share my experience sailing with Royal Caribbean, Allure of the Seas! I recently spent a week cruising to Haiti, Jamaica and Mexico with my family. Before every vacation I always make sure to do my research on gluten free options while traveling. When booking my reservation my travel agent put a gluten allergy notice on my account. Later-on I also called Royal Caribbean to confirm that I would not have a problem eating at any restaurant on the ship. I was pleasantly surprised by staff's knowledge and ability to accommodate my gluten allergy. If you have a gluten allergy you have nothing to worry about while sailing Royal Caribbean! You can eat EVERYWHERE on the ship! A major gluten free plus - Royal Caribbean uses a lot of Udi's products!! I definitely recommend spending a little extra money for Rita's, Chops and Giovanni's Table. My family really enjoyed our meals these nights. For the most part, we felt the "free" dining options providing average an dining experiences. 

Allure of the Seas in Labadee, Haiti

Here are some of my cruising tips:

-The first night you eat in the main dining hall for dinner, immediately notify your sever of your allergy (mine was already aware).  Although the menu identifies which items can be prepared gluten free, the sever will likely walk you through the menu. With the exception of the first sailing day, you will be asked to chose your dinner for the main dining hall a day in advance (ex - when you finish dinner on Monday night, you will be asked to choose dinner for Tuesday night). I believe this is done to ensure the best cross-contamination prevention.  The main dining hall is the only restaurant on the ship that severs fresh gluten free bread.

-In the main dining hall and any other restaurant look for a manager (they are likely wearing a different uniform and are easy to spot) and go to them with any food allergy related questions. 

-In the buffet style restaurants, tell one of the mangers of your allergy and they will likely bring you a chef who will walk you around the buffet.

-If you are going to dine at a specialty restaurant, stop by ahead of time or the night before to discuss and select your meal. 

-At the Central Park Cafe, one of the food managers took it upon himself to prepare my gluten free sandwich to prevent cross contamination. 

-I suggest bringing peanut butter, instant oatmeal and a few snacks as backup, especially if you plan on exploring your destinations. If you are on an island for lunch it may be difficult to find a gluten free option! However, Margaritaville in Falmouth, Jamaica was gluten free friendly.

Gluten Free Trip to New England!

A few weeks ago my boyfriend and I visited Maine, New Hampshire and Boston! I hope my blog helps anyone traveling to these areas. Enjoy!

Inn On The Blues

On our first night in York Beach, Maine we ate in town at Inn On The Blues. I was so happy to see that their menu identified gluten free options! Our server was very helpful and made sure to communicate my allergy with the kitchen. I ordered the Caprese Salad with grilled chicken and asked for the chicken to be grilled in a separate, clean pan. When our food was brought to the table they informed me again that my food had indeed been cooked separately to prevent cross contamination. For all of you non-gluten-free readers: my boyfriend ordered clam chowder and fried clams. We both loved our dinners!

Guac-n-Roll

Guac-n-Roll is another restaurant right in the town of York Beach. This restaurant has a gluten free menu! Our server was very helpful and aware of what could be made gluten free. I ordered the margarita shrimp with a side of guacamole and of course, a margarita! I went with a classic margarita and my boyfriend tried the orange, both were delicious!

Fit to Eat

We ate here for lunch when we were in Portland, ME. I was so happy to find a place that offered gluten free options. They even assured me that they grilled the gluten free food on a different grill. I got the Old Port sandwich on a gluten free wrap/pita roll. It was absolutely delicious! I wish I could have brought a few home with me. This is definitely a place to try in Portland!

The River House

This restaurant is on the water in Portsmouth, NH with beautiful views. I have to start off by saying that the service we received here was absolutely terrible, but I am going to look past it to tell you about the gluten free options! On the menu they identify the gluten free options for you. I had the award winning seafood chowder and it was to die for. I rarely find soups on menus that I can eat and being in New England I was dying for some chowder! I also had the River House Spinach Salad with grilled chicken and honey mustard dressing. They server (and the menu) assured me all gluten free food is cooked separate and they try their best to prevent cross contamination. 

Joe's American Bar & Grill
Absolutely loved this restaurant in Boston down by the waterfront. It has a great atmosphere, outdoor seating and a very gluten-free-friendly menu! The wait staff was very knowledgeable about gluten allergies and almost anything on the menu could be made gluten free. I ordered the Prime Rib French Dip on a gluten free roll with sweet potato fries (fried separately to prevent cross contamination!).  This wasn't a usual meal choice for me, but I loved it! Whenever I find a very gluten-free-friendly restaurant with a good menu I always take the opportunity to try a dish I can't get very often. Run, don't walk to Joe's American!

City Landing
Our last dinner was at city landing in Boston. This restaurant has outdoor seating and a gluten free menu. I ordered the Roast Chicken Breast. It was very good, but didn't quite wow me....I may have just had gluten envy as I watched my boyfriend eat his pasta dish! Nonetheless, I would recommend this restaurant if you are looking for a good date night dinner spot.

Gluten Free in Aruba!

At first I was a little worried about vacationing with a gluten free diet. With this being my fifth trip to "The Happy Island," I was really looking forward to some delicious dinners. In the months leading up to my vacation I was constantly researching gluten free restaurants in Aruba. I found Trip Adviser and other blogs to be very helpful, but emailing a restaurant prior to my trip was the most helpful. To my surprise many restaurants in Aruba were more than willing to accommodate my food allergy. When you make a reservation remember to mention your allergy and always communicate with your waiter. Unfortunately, gluten free beer has not made its way down to Aruba, but the grocery stores offer many gluten free items! Here are the restaurants I dined at while I was away:

The Jolly Pirates Sunset Sail

Texas de Brazil

My family ate here on the first night and I was amazed by the staff's knowledge of gluten. Our waitress completely understood my gluten allergy and arranged for a chef to show me around the salad bar. For those of you who have never been to Texas de Brazil I will explain the serving style of the dinner. First, guests visit the salad/appetizer bar for the first course. Next, you sit back down at your table flip your card to green ("yes, I would like more food!") and servers come around with a variety of meats that are carved right onto your plate! The chef walked me around the salad bar and told me all of the dishes and dressings that contained gluten. He also reminded me of which meats I would not be able to eat for dinner. For my entire dinner our waitress kept an eye on me and reminded me of which meats I could not sample. She even knew to avoid vodka in my drinks! I highly recommend going to Texas de Brazil while you're in Aruba gluten free or not! Our dinner was awesome!

Smokey Joe's

In the past this restaurant has been one of my favorites while in Aruba. The ribs here are amazing! My family ate here twice during our trip. Unfortunately (and not to my surprise) the ribs are not gluten free. The first night my waiter did not understand my allergy; he actually thought I said I was allergic to glue, so he brought the manager over. I ordered plain grilled chicken on a salad with oil and vinegar dressing. Although the salad was not nearly as satisfying as the ribs I was wishing I could have I did not get sick. The second night our waitress told me the dry-rub ribs did not contain gluten ingredients, so I decided to give them a try. After watching my family devour delicious saucy ribs early in the week I was green with envy. Although the dry-rub wasn't as good as the BBQ ribs I had years ago they were still tasty. Afterwards, I did have a bit of an upset stomach, but nothing too terrible. In the future I would just stick to the salad and suggest others do the same, especially if you have Celiacs.

Linda's Pancakes

One night my family decided to order in, so I picked up a gluten free pizza with peppers from Linda's. I was definitely one of the best GF pizzas I've had. One of my cousins even said he thought it tasted just like regular pizza. Unfortunately, I got a stomach ache pretty quickly. Although several other blogs raved about Linda's gluten free dutch pancakes I was too hesitant to go back after trying the pizza. The rest of my family stopped at Linda's for breakfast one morning and loved it. 

Yemanja Woodfire Grill

Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! Yemanja is the only restaurant I found with an actual gluten free menu. Most of their dishes are gluten free to begin with so I was able to choose from the same dishes as my family. They even brought me fresh, fluffy and delicious gluten free bread!! This night I had grilled mahi-mahi and was able to eat the family style side dishes that were put on the table. I highly recommend dinning here if you have a gluten allergy! 

Gianni's

Definitely put this restaurant on your list if you are looking for excellent Italian food. Although they do not have a gluten free menu they offer gluten free pasta and a knowledgeable staff. All but two pasta sauces are gluten free. We actually ate here twice because the food is so good and they could accommodate my allergy.The first night I had gluten free penne with carbonara sauce. It was so good I had it the next time as well, but the gluten free pasta of the night was fusilli. Both nights my waiters took great care in noting my gluten allergy. 

Chalet Suisse
When my cousin made our dinner reservation this night he actually spoke directly to the chef. The chef informed him that many of the restaurant's dishes did not contain gluten and he would be more than willing to accommodate my food allergy. I had the delicious filet mignon special with spinach, mushrooms and a baked potato. 

At the end of my trip I ate lunch at the Marriott's Aruba Ocean Club when my waitress told me I could have asked the front desk to make note of my allergy in the computer. She said all of the restaurants on the grounds  would be able to see my food allergy in the computer when processing our meals. I will definitely remember this for next time! I hope this helps all of you gluten free readers who may be traveling to Aruba!