In this guide
River cruise ships are excellent with dietary restrictions — but the markets are a different story. Here's what to know.
Onboard
Every major river line accommodates vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and common allergies (dairy, nuts, shellfish) — usually with a separate menu. Tell your travel advisor (and the line) at booking, and again at embarkation. Uniworld and AMA have the most robust special-diet programs; Viking and Tauck are also reliable.
At the markets
- Vegetarian: easy — Kartoffelpuffer (potato pancakes), Schupfnudeln, crepes, roasted almonds
- Vegan: harder — most sausages and pastries have dairy/egg; look for roasted chestnuts, pommes frites, and fruit stalls
- Gluten-free: challenging — most Lebkuchen, stollen, and pretzels have wheat; bring snacks
- Nut allergies: be cautious — marzipan, almond stalls, and glühwein spices (often contain almond extract)
The glühwein question
Glühwein is usually vegetarian and gluten-free (it's wine, spices, citrus, and sugar), but some stands add a shot of amaretto or rum — ask if you're avoiding a specific spirit. Vegan travelers: some glühwein is filtered with isinglass (fish-derived); if this matters, ask for 'vegan glühwein' or stick to the vegan-certified stalls at larger markets.
Tip
If you have a serious allergy, carry a translation card (in German/French) explaining it. The crew on your ship can help you make one at embarkation.
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Turn this guide into your sailing
A VPC cruise advisor can apply what you've read to current ships, departures, cabins, and supplier offers without an added planning service fee.