Oceania Cruises Announces First Gluten-Free Ocean Voyage  

Oceania Cruises, a destination and culinary-focused luxury cruise line, announced on September 9 the industry’s first gluten-free ocean voyage. The company stated that the motivation behind the project was making the customers’ experience easier by removing the need to navigate menus, question preparation practices or worry about cross-contact.

Sailing aboard Oceania Vista on May 31, 2028, the cruise will leave from Southampton, heading to England, Ireland and Scotland, lasting for a total of 12 days.

Jason Montague, Chief Luxury Officer of Oceania Cruises, stated: “As a brand with food at its heart, we believe every guest should be able to experience the joy and discovery that define dining with Oceania Cruises, […] This voyage gives our culinary team an extraordinary opportunity to reimagine our acclaimed onboard dining experiences through an entirely gluten-free lens while remaining true to the creativity, quality and abundance at the heart of our philosophy to serve The Finest Cuisine at Sea. Most importantly, it will allow guests to relax into their vacation knowing the entire culinary experience has been created with them in mind.”

Reportedly, every onboard dining venue aboard Oceania Vista will offer gluten-free menus from signature specialty restaurants such as Toscana, Pollo Grill, Red Ginger and Jacques, but also from more casual venues like Aquamar Kitchen and Waves Grill.

The voyage is being developed in collaboration with Celiac Cruise, a specialty travel company that organizes dedicated, worry-free, gluten-free cruise vacations for people with celiac disease, gluten intolerances, and other dietary restrictions, the company providing expertise and insight into the needs of gluten-free travelers and will serve as an official booking partner for the voyage.

The Founder of Celiac Cruise, Maureen Basye, said: “For travelers with celiac disease, food is something that has to be considered at virtually every stage of a journey – where to eat, what to order, how something has been prepared and the potential for cross-contact, […] The opportunity to board a ship knowing the culinary experience has been designed to be entirely gluten-free fundamentally changes what travel can feel like for so many. Instead of planning their vacation around food, guests on this sailing can focus on the destinations they are exploring, the people they are traveling with, and the simple joy of traveling well.”