<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> I wanted to report on my 7 day cruise on the Royal Caribbean cruise line leaving from Galveston, Texas on Rhapsody of the Seas. About a month before leaving, I had my travel agent fax a letter from my doctor saying that I required a strict gluten free diet. My travel agent contacted the cruise line about a week before we left and verified that they had received the fax. I have to say, there was still some initial confusion about my dietary requirements amongst the kitchen staff when I arrived at the ship. It took a visit to the head waiter to get things in order. I had hoped that some special meals would be planned for me or a least some GF desserts. That didn't happen, although, I did request some gluten free bread from the cook and received it the next day. The head waiter and I worked together with the existing menu to make sure that my food was safe. I never became ill, so I consider it a success. I found out toward the end of the cruise that the cruise line publishes a cookbook that contain most of the foods served in the dining room. This is very helpful since it listed all of the ingredients of the food they prepare. It was about $25 dollars. I'd recommend anyone that cruises to try and secure one before they travel. Maybe you could do it on-line or through your travel agent. It would be very helpful. One word of warning that I'd like to pass along about cruise ships. When you board the ship you may be forced to eat buffet style until the dining room opens for the first evening. I tried to pick and choose carefully from their selections, but I never felt secure and no one seemed to know ingredients. Take some GF snacks with you or you'll find yourself hungry that first day. They next time I travel, I'll also take some GF cake mixes. I lived off fresh fruit, which was wonderful, but It was still torture to see everyone else enjoying all of these desserts that I couldn't touch. Also, if you're trying to avoid eggs and dairy, this is nearly impossible. It seems like everything is cooked in butter and full of eggs. I normally avoid eggs and dairy, but I gave up this restriction for the week. I hope this helps someone considering a cruise. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Health - Feel better, live better http://health.yahoo.com * Visit the Celiac Web Page at www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/index.html *