Cruise food–photo by Joan Gilomen

Our River Navigator cruise director and concierge do everything but sing us to sleep at night.  They give us maps on our way out the door to take tours, suggest things to see at every stop, and never stop working or smiling.  I really suspect that Veronika’s positive energy is some sort of superpower, so many details, so flawlessly executed, and all the while exuding FUN.

Still, I’d have been in a bad way without Laszlo.  He showed up beside my dining chair a couple days into the cruise and said, “I’ve been shopping for you.”  He had gluten-free pasta, bread, cereal, and flour, so I could have crepes!  After that he visited with me at almost every meal to make sure I knew what “is good for you.”  The menu is coded to let people like me know what’s in every dish, but his special attention gave me more choices and more certainty.  I came through our month-long cruise without a hint of a rash or a single unhappy meal.  Laszlo even sent bread, rolls, and cereal with me for the trip home.  He was a gluten guardian extraordinaire, but as a gluttony guardian, not so much.