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Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Cruise Line Members are making it a priority to accommodate guests with dietary restrictions. According to research, an estimated 15 million Americans have food allergies, with even more adhering to dietary limitations.
Cruise lines are well-equipped and happy to accommodate a variety of diets including no/low fat, vegetarian, vegan, dairy or lactose free, gluten-or-wheat-free, low cholesterol, diabetic, Kosher and Halal diets, as well as allergy-specific diets.
Here are different ways cruise lines cater to those with allergies and dietary restrictions:
- Personal Consultation: Travelers are not alone when it comes to dietary restrictions and cruise lines are more than willing to offer one-on-one support and answer any questions about menu items.
- Very Vegetarian: A common misconception is that those following a strict diet will not be able to find fitting food at sea, CLIA said. In addition to most cruise chefs tweaking the general menu to accommodate any dietary restrictions, now there are more and more customized menus aiming to please the palate of any diner onboard.
- Raw Food Diets: Travelers focused on a healthy lifestyle can make their wellbeing the center of their trip with cruise lines celebrating healthy living and keeping wellness dishes in the spotlight.
- Religious Cuisine: Many travelers abide by religion-based dietary restrictions and it can be difficult to adhere to these restrictions while traveling. Cruisers can now alert the onboard kitchen team to their religious restrictions beforehand and be well taken care of for the duration of their trip. It’s about more than just the right ingredients, however; many cruise line kitchens are training their staff in the most strict religious food preparation techniques and have the necessary utensils to offer peace of mind to every traveler.
- Gluten Free Goodness: Traveling with a diet centering on gluten intolerance might seem like a daunting task but cruise lines are going above and beyond to provide a delicious and gluten free experience. Certain cruises even ensure that their cruisers are taken care of while away on shore and offer gluten-free lunchboxes for travelers to take on excursions.
Cruise lines offer dietary request forms to travelers at the time of reservation to flag any dietary needs: these needs go directly to the ship so each guest is well taken care of.