*This gluten free dining experience took place in January 2020. It includes information about dairy free options, as well as a review of fish/shellfish free, peanut free, cabbage free, hazelnut free, and chicken & turkey free options.

Lunch at Royal Palace

On our recent 3-day cruise on the Disney Dream, Brandon and I had lunch on day 2 of our cruise at Royal Palace in between getting off the ship at Nassau, Bahamas and a bit of relaxation in the Senses Spa Rainforest Room. I had already enjoyed breakfast there earlier in the day, but I always look forward to lunch at Royal Palace.

Atmosphere

I mentioned this in another review, but one of the things that I truly love about eating at Royal Palace during the day is getting to really see and enjoy the restaurant. As you can see by this photo Brandon took, the restaurant is elegant and spacious.

Royal Palace - Interior / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

Lunch at Royal Palace is currently offered from noon to 1:30 p.m. on the Disney Dream. Admittedly, we got there around 1 p.m. as we had been at the Rainforest Room relaxing just previously. I'm always surprised at how empty the restaurant can be during lunch. There were very few tables with guests, so we truly had a relaxing and chill lunch which was nice.

Royal Palace - Seating / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

Brandon and I did not pre-order our meal for lunch, so we talked through the options with our server team. Both of us have been to Royal Palace for lunch so many times that we have a pretty good idea what the options were. We both quickly ordered, then took in the atmosphere.

I love that at lunchtime you can get beautiful views of wherever you are docked. I loved the crystal blue Bahamas waters that we could see from the portholes near our table.

Royal Palace - Seating / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

Here's a much better photo of the large dining area at Royal Palace. As you can see, there's lots of space and different kinds of seating options for guests and parties of all sizes.

The Food

Unlike dinner, there is no allergy-friendly menu offered at lunch. You can see some gluten free, dairy free, and vegetarian options marked on the regular lunch menu. And, you can always talk through the options with your server.

Royal Palace / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

Because we've been so many times, we both already knew what we wanted to eat. Neither one of us wanted a huge meal either, so we stuck with main entrees, dessert, and allergy-friendly rolls.

Up first, we were brought a bowl with lots of Ener-G allergy-friendly rolls. These are gluten free, dairy free, egg free, fish/shellfish free, peanut free, soy free, chicken & turkey free, and vegan. We both agreed that throughout our cruise, the DCL cast members did an excellent job heating the rolls every meal. When these rolls are well-heated, they are great!

For my entree, I ordered gluten free and allergy-friendly chicken tenders, which I had on our last cruise and loved. You can imagine my surprise and delight when I was served a kids plate version of the allergy-friendly chicken tenders. On our last cruise, I had a regular plate. I have to admit, this was a pretty fun way to enjoy my meal. They even gave me BBQ sauce in the shape of mouse ears too! How cute!

If you are craving gluten free and dairy free chicken tenders, I highly recommend ordering these. I forgot to ask what brand they're using (again!), but they are just fantastic. They're nice and crispy and crunchy -- just the way allergy-friendly chicken tenders should be. The steak fries I got were also very good, and of course, I made sure I ate all of my veggies too!

Royal Palace - GF Burger — Royal Palace / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

Brandon ordered a cheeseburger, and on this visit, it was served on a gluten free bun. Essentially, he had a burger that was gluten free, fish/shellfish free, peanut/tree nut free, and chicken & turkey free. While Brandon wasn't too keen on his gluten free bun (it wasn't well-heated and fell apart a bit), he did enjoy the burger and his fries.

For dessert, we were both given gluten free ice cream sundaes. Although I do eat dairy now, I do avoid certain kinds of dairy and limit my dairy when I can. I rarely eat any dairy-based ice cream, so I passed on this one. Brandon enjoyed it, but we both agreed we'd much prefer something else for dessert besides a sundae.

If you want to see and hear our initial thoughts on this dining experience, check out our Disney Cruise Line Vlog. We not only cover our dining experiences, but we also share some of our other cruising fun too!

Overall

Royal Palace is always an excellent option for a la carte lunch on the Disney Dream. Once I discovered that I can get allergy-friendly chicken tenders there, it quickly became a must-go to spot at least once on our cruise. Plus, we enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and the ability to not feel rushed or overwhelmed when we dine there. It's definitely a location we'll go to again and again on our Disney Dream cruises.

Have you been to Royal Palace? What did you think of their lunch options?

Royal Palace Lunch Review on the Disney Dream

Lunch at Royal Palace

Atmosphere

The Food

Overall

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Royal Palace Breakfast Review on the Disney Dream

Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW