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Here are a few of the detailed responses I received. Sorry this is long, but I felt you'd get more by reading the personal experiences than if I gave you a total. Nearly all of the responses were positive for both Princess and Holland America. Although...glitches can occur. Read on. Thanks to all who replied. I'm absolutely jealous that you've already been to Alaska. My goal is to get there before the glaciers all melt away!  Lin

***I am the Celiac in the family and we took a trip with Holland America to Alaska in June.  They could not guarantee my food on the land portion of the trip.  However, we were in some remote areas of Alaska and Canada.  I needed to do my own careful screening on that portion of the trip.  The cruise was heavenly.  "Gluten free all the way.  Gluten free pastries and breads could be ordered from room service for breakfast.  I was provided a lunch and dinner menu to chose from the night before.  I made my selections at night.  Upon ordering the next day, I just told my server I needed my gluten free selection.  I gave him my cabin number and that was it.  They preferred that I eat in the main dining room but willingly accommodated my request for a pizza in the more casual dining room.  When making your reservations, be sure to request a gluten free menu.  hope that helps.  

***I am going to the Caribbean on a 10 day cruise Dec 7th
on Celebrity out of Ft Lauderdale.  We love the islands
around St Thomas.  We went on the same cruise last
year at the same time and met this couple from
VA so we are joining them.  I met another celiac on
board and we both thought the g/f bread out of a loaf was pathetic.
I called "Special Needs" and they assured me that it will be
 fresh baked this time.  We have been on many different lines
in our 11 cruises starting with Carnival but that was before I had
CD just diabetes. 

***I have done Royal Caribbean very
well and I've heard that Holland America stocks Kinnick Kinnick.  Bob &
Ruth's are planning a GF Alaska trip next August.

***My daughters (1 is celiac) just returned from a cruise to Alaska on Celebrity.  
I have to prepare a summary for the list, but thought I'd just tell you the meals and care for her diet on this line was perfect.  I had received various e-mails as I am sure you will also and everyone who had sailed Celebrity had praise.
Even one meal (plain salmon) at a lodge on one of her day trips was carefully prepared.  She feels she is sensitive to gluten and would have had problems if her food were not gluten free.

***I took a Princess cruise to Alaska 4 years ago. The cruise was awesome and 
the views even more awesome. However, I did struggle a bit with the food 
part of the cruise. Before the cruise I had sent a detailed letter to the 
person my travel agent suggested (I can't remember if it was the cruise 
director or someone like that) and I also did as she suggested and talked 
with the maiter d' the first day. Despite my efforts, most of the dinners 
were ok but the waiters spoke little English and didn't seem to understand 
the diet at all. Now, that was 4 years ago so hopefully things have changed 
but I would just say that if you go, bring some of your own food and plan to 
eat pretty much the same thing each night. I can say that I definitely never 
went hungry (or got sick) but I was a little disappointed that they had made 
such a big hype about accommodating special dietary needs and then didn't 
seem to hold up their end of the bargain (i.e., they didn't have any GF 
bread or things like that which they claimed to have). The cruise was 
amazing other than that. If you like taking pictures, bring lots of film 
because the views are just breath-taking.


***We did 6 Princess cruises so far including their Alaska cruise tour of 14 days.  We are a family of 3 Celiacs and none of us have ever gotten sick on any of these trips.  My Celiac son occasionally works for Princess as a teacher in their computer lab and he has no trouble just picking and choosing.  They go out of their way to accommodate and they will prepare anything on the menu to conform with our needs--we just need to give them a day's notice.  I always bring my own GF pizza shells since that is one thing they usually do not have, nor do all of their ships carry rice cakes.  They will bake bread and make cookies etc and adapt other meals like a Parmesaean dish minus the breadcrumbs, etc.  WE will be on our 7th cruise with them this December

***I had the best dinners on Princess that I have had on any ship to Alaska.
Just tip well before and after we even tipped the chef who just about fell all over himself to please. the whole table wanted to know who I knew. They even 
made me cakes for my birthday, a cheesecake for the last night and an ice cream cake for the night everyone else had baked Alaska. According to the table the ice cream cake it was better then the baked Alaska. The chef always gave me more food then the others, I am not by any means underweight but he doubled the portions (I could never finish anything.)Also always had a salad, bread which was great and if you do go on princess can you get the recipe or brand of cake for me. I was not going to respond but when I saw it was you I changed my mind. Any questions you have let me know. Also I brought my own pancake mix and the bags for toasting.

***We just returned on Princess Dawn, our first cruise, to Alaska.  We were 
very pleased with the ship.   I am not GF (our son is celiac and did not go) 
so did not research thoroughly, although we felt there was plenty in the 24 
hr. buffet to eat from.  Please give them a call.  You can read through this 
answer book and request your special diet in advance.  You would probably 
prefer doing the assigned seating dining room option where your food will be 
prepared and ready for you there. http://www.princess.com/answer/index.html 
Scroll to the bottom of the page.  See pg. 9 of the first book.

*** I had much better success w/ Holland America.  My chef even made me a pie.  Contact them first.


***I went on Holland America to Alaska last year (the 'Inside Passage' cruise, starting and ending in Vancouver).

I did all the right GF preparations....e-mailed Holland America in advance and contacted the Maitre D' when I boarded.  Basically, once on-board, all I got from them was GF....bread so I did the usual....ate only plain grilled items and steamed vegetables, baked potato, etc.  You know the drill.  To summarize, they talked big pre-cruise (in back and forth e-mails)....but really only produced the GF bread once I was on-board.

As an aside, for the most part Holland America had an older crowd...I'd guess 55+.

***I have had amazing success with Princess.  I cruised with Princess before my diagnosis three years ago and was very happy with the line.  When I was diagnosed I heard good things about Princess and made my first celiac trip on one of their ships.  Since then I have gone on four cruises with them while having celiac, different ships and different parts of the world.  You need to let them know in advance about being gluten free.  In the past this has required a fax to a special dietary needs department of the ship line at least one month before sailing.  I would also highly recommend having a fixed seating time so that you have the same waiters and maitre d every night.  They had available gluten free bread and pasta on all ships that I sailed on.  On one ship they baked me muffins in the morning.  You should definitely ask your maitre d what they can do for you.  Each night you order your food for the next day.  They will make things customized for you, for example if they have bagel, lox and cream cheese in the morning and you order it in advance they will give you GF bread, lox and cream cheese in the morning or if there is a sauce you can't have on your entree they will make you a special sauce.  You must try their creme caramel dessert/flan.  I look forward all year long to going back on board for this dessert.  Have a wonderful trip and please summarize about your experience if you have any additional feedback.  Also, I have in the past met other celiacs on board just by random chance overhearing them order in the dining room.

***I have had very good experiences with GF meals on Holland America.  It caters to a little older crowd, too; not as many children.

Visit the Celiac Web Page at Http://www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/index.html
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