With the launch of Virgin Voyages first lady-ship, Scarlet Lady, less than a month away, the cruise line have released some exciting previews of the menus for some of their onboard eateries, giving us some hints of what eating gluten free on Virgin Voyages could look like.
Since the first whispers of Scarlet Lady started, Virgin Voyages have been promising to break the mould on cruising, and so far, it’s proving to be correct! I got my first glimpse of partying Virgin style at Scarlet Night in London, and finally got a glimpse of Scarlet Lady in person when she visited Liverpool!
From the superyacht inspired design, to the Gareth Pugh designed uniforms, to the quirky social media presence, nothing Virgin is doing is by the book.
This includes shaking up the way we eat onboard – Virgin Voyages is doing away with the “boring buffets and main dining rooms” and instead featuring over 20 onboard eateries, ranging from relaxed casual to redefined dining experiences, all included in the price of your cruise.
Having seen the previews of some of the onboard dining venues, the big question on my list has of course been, will Virgin Voyages offer gluten free food?
Here’s what gluten free foodies can expect onboard Scarlet Lady!
Before we start, I’ve no doubt there’ll be much more on offer, but at least this gives us a first glance!
The Wake
First up is The Wake – Virgin Voyages describes this venue as the perfect mix of sophistication, nostalgia and cool – basically Mad Men but less smoke and casual sexism.
This steakhouse style fare promises gluten free dishes including Hamachi Crudo, a raw fish dish, pan roasted King Salmon (served with caviar, because only the best will do!) and Shrimp and Grits (what are grits? I don’t think I’ve ever tried them!).
Interestingly, the grill section of this menu is not marked gluten free friendly, however judging from my dining experiences on other cruise lines I would be surprised if these aren’t included in the gluten free offerings!
The preview menu also shows gluten free sauces for your meat, along with a gluten free sides of asparagus & gribiche.
No sniff of a gluten free dessert yet, fingers crossed!
I actually ate breakfast in The Wake during Scarlet Lady’s Liverpool preview – check out my blog to see what I thought!
Pink Agave
Next up on the list is this Mexican eatery, offering what promises to be a highly curated dining and drinking experience inspired by the capital city’s red hot street food scene. We do love a bit of food education!
I’m not generally a huge fan of Mexican food, however it has to be said that it does usually offer a wealth of gluten free options!
Here we can see gluten free ceviche, corn salads, enchiladas and more, along with our first glimpse of a gluten free dessert!
Razzle Dazzle
With a title that makes the Chicago fan in me happy, Razzle Dazzle will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner with creative surprises on some classic, comfort go-tos.
Whilst I’m loving the sound of the gluten free tots I’m not seeing anything particularly revolutionary here so far (but maybe that’s because I’m not keen on cauliflower!)
The Test Kitchen
This is the venue leaving me the most intrigued – it promises part cooking school and part restaurant with classes and evolving tasting menus. What has been released here is admittedly less menu and more shopping list! No allergen markings as yet, but surely no excuse for not offering gluten free options here?
One thing I will mention though is beef and blue cheese is a match made in heaven!
Edit: No allergen markings needed, I ate dinner here on my Scarlet Lady preview visit – ready my blog to find out more!
Gunbae
Gunbase is the ship’s Korean BBQ venue, offering hands-on meat-grilling and plenty of soju drinking, perfect for getting competitive with your mates on who can cook up the best grill!
I’m absolutely loving the look of the Kimchi Jjigae and the gluten free seafood option!
Dock House
I do love a bit of Mediterranean cuisine, so The Dock House’s part elegant Ibiza cabana, part rustic-chic resort sounds right up my street! I’m all about a good Falafel and Spanish style octopus (seriously, I could eat my weight in Mediterranean style seafood!)
Extra Virgin
Although Scarlet Lady’s trattoria promises fresh, handmade pasta, the preview menu doesn’t seem to promise any for us gluten free foodies, unfortunately. However, most cruise lines do carry gluten free pasta on board so here’s hoping for some gluten free treats – what is on offer thus far though is a Mediterranean sea bass and a selection of gluten free sorbetos.
Will Virgin Voyages be haven for gluten free foodies?
These previews are of course a tiny glimpse of what to expect from Scarlet Lady – those of us used to gluten free are very used to a “order the night before” deal, whereby the chefs have time to adapt meals for you to try safely – one would hope that whilst eliminating some of the traditional aspects of cruise dining, Virgin Voyages respect those of us who want to fill our bellies full of delicious fare without being reliant to the salad bar!
What I would be intrigued to see is if Virgin Voyages will offer anything in the way of poolside treats like gluten free burgers or gluten free pizza – thus far I’ve only experienced Holland America offering these, though Princess Cruises does offer in my opinion some of the best gluten free pizza at sea!
What do you think about Virgin’s menu previews? Let me know in the comments!
Check out my other gluten free cruising reviews!
- Eating gluten free on Marella Explorer 2
- Eating Gluten Free Afternoon Tea at Marella Cruises’ Great Musical Afternoon Tea
- A gluten free guide to Scarlet Lady’s restaurants (Virgin Voyages Menus)
- A first glimpse of gluten free treats on Virgin Voyages
- Eating gluten free on CMV Magellan (Ship no longer in service)
The menus look amazing and well done Virgin Voyages being so innovative. We will have to wait and see how the gluten-free options pan out once cruising is back. Can’t wait to experience first hand in due course.
I cruise often and have gluten allergy (celiac). There does not appear to be that many options, compared with other cruise lines. That alone would scare me away, and I was really considering giving virgin a try.
I cruise often and have gluten allergy (celiac disease). There does not appear to be that many options, compared with other cruise lines. That alone would scare me away, and I was really considering giving virgin a try.
I have a gluten allergy (celiac). I was not impressed with the gluten free options. I was really considering booking with Virgin, but must wait until gluten options improve.