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In late August, my husband and I are sailing on HAL's Nordaam, with Bob and Ruth's gf travel and dining club.

I've only been on one other cruise (wasn't with Bob), and selected the land excursions way in advance.  For me to be waiting until only 3 months before sailing, goes against my nature to plan ahead.

Not having sailed with the club before (I did take several great tours with them), I didn't know that for gf lunches during the days we're on land, we're on our own for gluten-free meals.  

1. Have any of you sailed with HAL?  What do you do about land excursion lunches?  Were you able to take food off the ship? Boxes lunches?  Extra helpings from breakfast?  Tip the waiter for more food?  Did customs give you a hard time? 

2. Have any of you had any really good experiences in the following locations, given that we'll be off the boat only a few hours?  What I need is advice on shore excursions where you found being gf wasn't a problem....I'm o.k. with cheese and fruit and maybe gellato, to tide me over, but aside from being gf, I'm also diabetic, so my days of living on chocolate bars are over. (And shlepping my glucerna shakes....too heavy.)

We're disembarking in:
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Corfu, Greece
Katakolon, Greece
Santorini, Greece
Ephesus, Turkey
Piraeus, Greece
Messina, Sicily, Italy
Rome (one lunch only...the other meals are planned)

The reason I'm asking now, is so I can sign up for the land excursions...and have some information before doing it.  I did buy a Fodors travel book for the area, but that doesn't address special diets, for sure.

Oddly enough, on my one other cruise (not with Bob),  we were in Alaska, and the only thing I could be sure of, whenever we went on land, was steamed crab legs.  I had them every day.  Couldn't have the salmon, because the grills were contaminated with soy type sauces, and crowded tourist areas aren't catering to careful, separate cooking.  I expect the same in European ports.

Thanks.  Any advice...very welcome.  I'm nervous enough about Europe's economy.  Can't control that.  I just hope I can handle the on shore food...and that I'm not too late to sign up for the land excursions.

Thanks, Lin

*Please provide references to back up claims of a product being GF or not GF*
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