Celiac Cruise is back in 2022
Nothing throws a wrench in the relaxation part of your vacation plans quite like gluten. Except maybe a pandemic! While we aren’t encouraging you to hop on a cruise right now, we’d like to give you some exciting news. First: there’s a full-fledged celiac-friendly cruise coming soon! Second: though they had to postpone their 2020-2021 cruises due to the pandemic, they are now scheduled to set sail March 2022!
About Celiac Cruise
Celiac Cruise was founded in 2018 by Maureen Basye, former speech pathologist turned celiac travel consultant, and Connie Saunders, founder of Total Travel and Events and longtime travel coordinator. It all started after Maureen’s son, husband, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law were all diagnosed with celiac disease. She realized during this time that celiac impacted more than just diet, it impacted travel plans and, in some cases, the will to travel at all. And so, she decided to team up with Connie, with the goal of making cruises safe and fun for people with celiac disease and their families, and to provide a unique opportunity to truly let go and relax.
“There are cruise lines that already have an understanding [of gluten-free safety] but you still have this sort of ‘blinking light’ in your head that you have to worry and be on guard, and that’s just not vacation. That’s not relaxing and kicking back,” Maureen explained. “Innately, you don’t trust people [to prepare safe food] when you have celiac disease and the last thing you want is to get sick on vacation.”
Because Maureen understands celiac disease on a personal level and is passionate about providing safe travel opportunities for people with celiac, it’s easy to trust and truly let go when you’re traveling with Celiac Cruise. The work Maureen and Connie put into planning every single detail with the cruise lines they’re partnered with is proof of their commitment to safety.
Celiac Cruise is partnered with Royal Caribbean and AmaWaterways and is endorsed by Celiac Disease Foundation and Dr. Schär.
Read more about Maureen’s story.
What to Expect on Celiac Cruise
Although typical Royal Caribbean cruises can already accommodate individual gluten-free (and other allergen-free) diners with advance notice, Maureen and Connie arranged for an entire deck to be designated gluten-free. This means every meal served on that deck is gluten-free, and the galley (kitchen) on that deck as well as the dining rooms are dedicated gluten-free. They’ve even re-routed room service for the Celiac Cruise guests to come directly from the dedicated gluten-free kitchen.
Maureen and Connie cruised with Royal Caribbean at least three times prior to the launch of the first official celiac cruise in January 2020, in order to ensure everything went smoothly. They assisted in countless training sessions with everyone from kitchen staff to dishwashers to bartenders and more. The chefs re-wrote their menus to be fully gluten-free on the designated deck, they ensured each cocktail mixer was gluten-free at the bar, and they even removed Play-Doh (which contains wheat) from the children’s play area for the duration of the cruise. Their initial cruise, which sold out months in advance, went off without a hitch – 512 guests and not a single person got glutened!
Read more about what to expect on Celiac Cruise
Planning Your Cruise
If you haven’t traveled since your diagnosis or if you’re looking for a real escape from worry to relax after the pandemic subsides, a trip with Celiac Cruise sounds like a great opportunity to meet others with celiac disease, create memories to last a lifetime, and put the feeling of being ‘free’ into gluten-free travel!
Right now, it’s only a $100 per person refundable deposit to hold your spot, with final payment due no later than December 1, 2021. This gives you time to plan ahead while still offering a risk-free commitment during these uncertain times.
Find out more about Celiac Cruise, check for new cruise destinations, and book your trip at celiaccruise.com.
