Special Diet- bringing food onboard

Just go down to Wallmart and buy one of those little microwave ovens and heat up in that .

Just go down to Wallmart and buy one of those little microwave ovens and heat up in that .

Seriously?! You can bring on prepackaged food, they will not heat it up for you.

Seriously?! You can bring on prepackaged food, they will not heat it up for you.

I doubt it.

I'm pretty sure microwaves are on the naughty list!

I understand that your friend is concerned about straying from their packaged meals. But unless they intend to eat only those for the rest of their life, they are going to need to learn how to eat real food eventually. If they're not ready to commit to doing that yet, maybe they can hold off a while on the cruise.

I have an extremely restricted diet myself because of a colon disorder. I didn't bother contacting special needs ahead of time because I thought it would be easy to find food I could still eat in the Windjammer. It was harder than I thought it would be. The MDR were very helpful in accommodating my intolerances once I spoke to them. I ate some weird looking meals but I didn't go hungry.

Your friend is going to need quite a bit of determination to avoid all the temptation of being on the ship, especially if the rest of you plan to indulge as you please (and you should not feel guilty about that if you do). If they can't imagine sailing without the restriction of their packaged meals, maybe they're not ready for it just yet.

Seriously?! You can bring on prepackaged food, they will not heat it up for you.

Yes seriously. No cruise line will heat and or prepare food that a passenger has bought on board. It's an insurancne liablity issue as the cruise line can only prepare food that has been obtained through one of the cruise line approved vendors. Though the cruise line will prepare specially packaged Kosher foods only if it's ordered through the Special Needs Dept from ithe cruise lines approved vendor , the cruise line can not vouch for the integrety, safety and or efficacy of the food brought on board by a passenger regardless of it being prepackaged .

My cousin has several allergies and special dietary needs. She always sends RCCL an email, prints a copy of the response to bring with her, and then meets with the headwaiter for the MDR, and for the Windjammer on embarkation day. She's never had any problems, and they have always been able to accommodate her.

I have to agree with others that she should be able to plan out a very easy menu with her Dr. before she goes, and then, while it won't be the exact packets of food she is used to, there is no reason, even with the standard fare for her not to be able to follow most diets. She will have to be "strong" and resist things, and limit her portions, but she will have plenty of options.

I would be shocked if RCCL or any cruise line would accept a passengers prepackaged food and prepare it and serve it... way to many liability issues and potential for food cross contamination.

Just go down to Wallmart and buy one of those little microwave ovens and heat up in that .

Gee, thanks.

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To everyone who offered sincere input, thank you. I still haven't received a reply from Royal but will hopefully get something soon. She knows that eventually she will transition to other foods, but obviously wants to do that when the time is right for her based on consultation with her doctor, not the timing of this friends/family cruise. As to the suggestion that maybe she shouldn't go, of course she's aware of that option. She's also aware that her spouse and kids would like to be a part of this experience with the rest of us. So it isn't just about her.

As for the food safety comments, these are sealed commercial products we are talking about, not random household goods or some fly by night vendor. They obviously meet US FDA standards.

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Doesn't matter. The staff in the kitchen cannot and will not heat them up for her.

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Is this that "Balance of Nature" food I hear advertised on the radio? I'm with the general audience, they will not heat up your food.

Must get creative with in-room heating with hot water bath or a hot water from the teapot. There are some creative food heaters out there at REI, survival stores, or MRE packets. All done without plugging in a single electrical device.

 

As for the food safety comments, these are sealed commercial products we are talking about, not random household goods or some fly by night vendor. They obviously meet US FDA standards.

 

 

True, but by the time they are brought to the ship Royal cannot trust that they have been treated properly since they left the distributor.

I appreciate the effort, but this doesn't address any of her concerns/questions.

Sadly, I think that "Guests may not bring on board any food items other than baby food and/or dry, nonperishable snack items (cookies, crackers, chips, energy bars, etc)." does address pre-packaged MEALS, and the heating thereof.

To everyone who offered sincere input, thank you. I still haven't received a reply from Royal but will hopefully get something soon. She knows that eventually she will transition to other foods, but obviously wants to do that when the time is right for her based on consultation with her doctor, not the timing of this friends/family cruise. As to the suggestion that maybe she shouldn't go, of course she's aware of that option. She's also aware that her spouse and kids would like to be a part of this experience with the rest of us. So it isn't just about her.

 

As for the food safety comments, these are sealed commercial products we are talking about, not random household goods or some fly by night vendor. They obviously meet US FDA standards.

 

 

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However, the only cruise ship that abides by FDA regulations is the US flag Pride of America, which does strictly US ports on it's itinerary. All other cruise ships calling at US ports abide by the USPH/CDC requirements, which while similar, have different food safety definitions.

Are these microwaved meals? If so, I don't believe I've seen a microwave in a galley on a ship. The room service pantry may have one, and some of the bars, but I seriously can't remember seeing one in any of the main or specialty galleys, even the buffets.

The other question is, do these require refrigeration? They will not put food that was not obtained from their verified vendors into the walk in boxes. It is hard enough pulling provisions to get thousands of meals done each and every day, and adding specially packaged meals like kosher just adds to this task, let alone hunting through to find the one meal the one passenger brought onboard and wants that evening.

Sorry, but this person needs to have a long, long discussion with the doctor to outline a meal plan using ship's food. A good physician will be able to at least guide this person to a dietician who can compare the nutrition in the meals to comparable meals on the ship. Ship's menus are available here on CC. Unless, of course, the doctor is getting a commission for selling the pre-packaged meals.

You will get the correct answer by calling or emailing special needs.

Yes seriously. No cruise line will heat and or prepare food that a passenger has bought on board. It's an insurancne liablity issue as the cruise line can only prepare food that has been obtained through one of the cruise line approved vendors. Though the cruise line will prepare specially packaged Kosher foods only if it's ordered through the Special Needs Dept from ithe cruise lines approved vendor , the cruise line can not vouch for the integrety, safety and or efficacy of the food brought on board by a passenger regardless of it being prepackaged .

Did you read what I wrote? I said you CAN take prepackaged food on the ship, but they will NOT heat it up for you,

I'll just jump back into this because I wanted to add one more thing. A friend of mine is a certified chef and he always says that a good chef loves a challenge. So I can tell you that to the person cooking the meal, making something different than the usual mass production that goes on in the kitchen would be seen as a privilege. So don't give up on trying.

Thanks again. For those that asked, the food is shelf stable as is. It doesn't require refrigeration. It also doesn't require heating. It is just far more enjoyable when it is hot than room temp. Think of canned soup, etc. I heard back from the special needs department. The only thing they said is that you may not bring on non-perishable food, which they define as items that REQUIRE refrigeration, freezing and/or reheating (emphasis mine). These don't require it. It's just a matter of taste. So I think she's fine to bring them on, and I will advise her to assume heating will not be an option.

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Did you read what I wrote? I said you CAN take prepackaged food on the ship, but they will NOT heat it up for you,

I doubt that you can bring a weeks worth of 3 x day meals onboard. They do allow prepackaged snack bars, dried fruit, etc. Not a meals for the week. And where is this person going to eat? In the cabin while everyone else in the MDR? Or she is going to carry this stuff into the MDR and eat it while everyone else fills up on plates full? Why ruin everyone's vacation. Take a week off or stay home.

I doubt that you can bring a weeks worth of 3 x day meals onboard. They do allow prepackaged snack bars, dried fruit, etc. Not a meals for the week. And where is this person going to eat? In the cabin while everyone else in the MDR? Or she is going to carry this stuff into the MDR and eat it while everyone else fills up on plates full? Why ruin everyone's vacation. Take a week off or stay home.

With all due respect, no one needs your advice on whether my friend should go on vacation. I asked for factual information. If you have none to offer, please spare me. You have no idea what the circumstances are.

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With all due respect, no one needs your advice on whether my friend should go on vacation. I asked for factual information. If you have none to offer, please spare me. You have no idea what the circumstances are.

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I agree, sometimes when you ask someone for the time, they tell you how to build a watch.

With all due respect, no one needs your advice on whether my friend should go on vacation. I asked for factual information. If you have none to offer, please spare me. You have no idea what the circumstances are.

 

 

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And I gave you facts. Why keep this going when you can not bring your own food for a week onboard? One simple phone call will resolve that. All the support, nice words and speculation on what an onboard chef might do for you are useless in the end.

And, pardon me but we do all know about the situation, the family dynamics, why she wants to cruise, etc. You laid it a all out there for us.

Enjoy your cruise.

And I gave you facts. Why keep this going when you can not bring your own food for a week onboard? One simple phone call will resolve that. All the support, nice words and speculation on what an onboard chef might do for you are useless in the end.

 

And, pardon me but we do all know about the situation, the family dynamics, why she wants to cruise, etc. You laid it a all out there for us.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

No, you didn't. You gave me your opinion. You "doubt" and you think she should "take a week off" or "stay home" so as not to ruin others vacation. There's nothing factual about any of that. And nothing about her needs would ruin anyone's vacation. We would all be glad that she and her family could join us. As to the circumstances, I mentioned those only very briefly. You don't know the ramifications of anything you suggest, and you're not her doctor. So back off.

You also happen to be incorrect. My communication from Royal has made it clear that she can bring food onboard as long as it doesn't require refrigeration or reheating. And these meals do not.

Again, thanks to those who were trying to help. As you can see, I've been a member here for a long time. I'm not here to cause trouble but to try to get information to help a dear friend.

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No, you didn't. You gave me your opinion. You "doubt" and you think she should "take a week off" or "stay home" so as not to ruin others vacation. There's nothing factual about any of that. And nothing about her needs would ruin anyone's vacation. We would all be glad that she and her family could join us. As to the circumstances, I mentioned those only very briefly. You don't know the ramifications of anything you suggest, and you're not her doctor. So back off.

 

You also happen to be incorrect. My communication from Royal has made it clear that she can bring food onboard as long as it doesn't require refrigeration or reheating. And these meals do not.

 

Again, thanks to those who were trying to help. As you can see, I've been a member here for a long time. I'm not here to cause trouble but to try to get information to help a dear friend.

 

 

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If this is the only option, I'm glad you'll be able to make it work for her. But, I REALLY hope that her doctor would instead give her very specific instructions for the week that allow her to eat meals that are not pre-packaged. It's so much more enjoyable. I was VERY nervous about cruising only three weeks post bariatric surgery, but was able to find plenty of protein options and managed to enjoy just eating a shrimp cocktail or other protein while enjoying the company in the MDR. Wishing her all the best.

If this is the only option, I'm glad you'll be able to make it work for her. But, I REALLY hope that her doctor would instead give her very specific instructions for the week that allow her to eat meals that are not pre-packaged. It's so much more enjoyable. I was VERY nervous about cruising only three weeks post bariatric surgery, but was able to find plenty of protein options and managed to enjoy just eating a shrimp cocktail or other protein while enjoying the company in the MDR. Wishing her all the best.

I agree. I hope she's already eating other food by then. The challenge right now is simply not knowing where she will be in the process, but not wanting to wait too long to book. Thanks for the support and sharing your experience.

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No, you didn't. You gave me your opinion. You "doubt" and you think she should "take a week off" or "stay home" so as not to ruin others vacation. There's nothing factual about any of that. And nothing about her needs would ruin anyone's vacation. We would all be glad that she and her family could join us. As to the circumstances, I mentioned those only very briefly. You don't know the ramifications of anything you suggest, and you're not her doctor. So back off.

 

You also happen to be incorrect. My communication from Royal has made it clear that she can bring food onboard as long as it doesn't require refrigeration or reheating. And these meals do not.

 

Again, thanks to those who were trying to help. As you can see, I've been a member here for a long time. I'm not here to cause trouble but to try to get information to help a dear friend.

 

 

 

 

 

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Please come back and let us know after you get to the ship and no one knows anything about what someone has told you on phone. They won't care what emails you have printed. You see, I have had a similar experience when cruising with a cousin who brought food. You don't want the truth. You. Just want to hear those who say go for it.