How good is HAL with special dietary needs?

Hi Guys,

I have a 11 yr old son with severe (life-threatening) nut (peanut and tree nut allergies). We have sailed with him on both Disney and Princess. Disney did a good job and Princess did a phenomenal job of providing him with safe foods he can eat. We feel comfortable sailing with both lines.

We would like to sail with him on HAL especially since there are a few itineraries that interest us and we believe that HAL would be a good fit for us.

The problem is that when I search for how HAL deals with food allergies (CC and Google), the results seem mixed. Also, there appears to be a lot of posts recently about the understaffed and harried servers in the dining room which of course is a recipe for mistakes. Many of the postings regarding food allergies (positive and negative) are 3+ years old.

My question is: what has your recent experience been with how HAL deals with food allergies? My son needs to be very careful of cross contamination with other foods so buffets are always a challenge.

We are looking especially at a few sailings on older HAL ships (Maasdam and Veendam). Would the newer ships be better at catering to special dietary needs.

PS We know to contact the special needs department and then to speak to someone onboard. This seems standard for all cruise lines.

Thank you for your comments (and suggestions). :)

Over 48 hours and no reply. Does this mean that HAL does not really have a track record when it comes to food allergies? Too bad as we have sailed with HAL in the past and know it would be a good fit for us. This would have been the first time sailing with our son and his allergies. Oh well. :-(

One thing you should do is make certain that you have fixed dining where you have the same wait staff each evening. That way they get to know you and will help you select food items for the next evening.

You also need to talk to the dining room manager once you get on the ship and also ask to have the area captain stop by your table each evening.

I must follow a gluten free diet and they do a good job with that. I did not reply since a mishap is not life threatening and I do not think there is a comparison there. Being sick is different than a life threatening reaction. Hopefully someone who is familiar with the handling of this type of diet will share their experiences.

I can not respond to nut allergies, but I can give you our experience with wheat/gluten allergies. We spent 5 weeks recently on the Veendam, and the staff were wonderful! There are certain people(supervisors/lead chefs/Head waiters/Maitre'd) designated as responsible for special diets. They really take it seriously. All staff tho either knew which foods were not appropriate and how they were prepared, or they got the designated staff immediately to come and show us. They do operate separate preparation areas/ equipment, etc for needed foods. We completed a special diet form several months in advance, then contacted the Maitre'd on first day to confirm they had our request; and discuss procedure for eating in different venues. If you eat every meal in the MDR, there will be no problem. We chose to try specialty and buffet if we could: he said as long as we requested the change 24 hours in advance, there would be no issue. We did not have an issue with being accommodated. They are very willing to work with you(we noticed they were especially accommodating with helping children, altho they don't have the same numbers as Disney) I hope you have the same good experience.(We have also cruised Princess and Disney[which was not as accommodating with adults in the GF area, but still ok)]Hope this is of some help.

Over 48 hours and no reply. Does this mean that HAL does not really have a track record when it comes to food allergies? Too bad as we have sailed with HAL in the past and know it would be a good fit for us. This would have been the first time sailing with our son and his allergies. Oh well. :-(

Thank you Krazy Kruizers, bakcd and sparty1,

I appreciate the responses. This is exactly the information I was looking for.

Actually, it is the Veendam that we are looking at sailing so the specific experience on that ship is very encouraging. As I mentioned in my original post we had an ok, though not exceptional, time with my son's food allergy on Disney (including some mishaps). We were very surprised as the Disney theme parks definitely are excellent with food allergies. Princess was much better.

Thanks again.

Had our grand-daughter on HAL with complex food issues including lethal peanut allergies. Also allergic/sensitive (meaning cannot eat) red meat, fish, legumes, eggs, dairy, soy, some fruits and vegetables, tree nuts. She found plenty to eat. The Lido Chef was our new best friend. He told us they did not use any peanut oil, so she could eat French fries and loved them.

She knew her issues very well and I helped navigate the system. We had OPEN dining and not an issue. We went to the MDR for every dinner but we showed up soon after opening so the staff was not overwhelmed. We did room service for a few breakfasts and it all worked, mostly because our GG knew what to order.

We requested a refrigerator in the room ($2/day) and had some of her special foods, rice milk etc. We had safe "butter" for her potatoes and her safe salad dressing. We took these to the MDR in a tote bag.

She selected dinner the night before, they would take her menu copy from her either in after dinner ro the next day, we would turn it in whenever it was convenient for us. She would circle her selections, poultry was safe, and wrote notes of "no sauce, no gravy, no stuffing etc. in the margin. It all worked quite smoothly. But they did not prepare special dishes, we had to choose from what was available and there was plenty to choose from She had a fabulous time. Wishing you the best.

m--

Thank you RMLincoln. Those are a a lot of allergies your grand daughter has to deal with. NIce to hear that they did such a great job.

Based on the responses here, we are holding a cabin on a holiday sailing of the Eurodam. Will give my PCC a call tomorrow. If all goes well with that cruise, we plan on doing a special family cruise next year on the Veendam - one that may wife and I have wanted to do ever since we have been married.

Thanks all.

Thank you RMLincoln. Those are a a lot of allergies your grand daughter has to deal with. NIce to hear that they did such a great job.

 

Based on the responses here, we are holding a cabin on a holiday sailing of the Eurodam. Will give my PCC a call tomorrow. If all goes well with that cruise, we plan on doing a special family cruise next year on the Veendam - one that may wife and I have wanted to do ever since we have been married.

 

Thanks all.

Our cruise was on Volendam to Alaska. Note that they did not provide special foods for her; she had to pick from what was available. They offered gluten free pasta and bread but those are not safe for her due to the eggs, dairy and or legume flours. The Lido chef was always available (whenever the Lido is open) and we'd ask for him, out he'd come to answer any questions.

The grill cook (out by the pool) would go the kitchen and get a clean pan to cook her turkey burgers. I think they did well by providing us the information we needed to make our decisions. Better that way, I think, than relying on them to do what she needed, which was pretty complex. Our GD was mentally prepared to survive on "rice krispies" all week if she had to, but of course that wasn't necessary. She loved having different poultry, pheasant, duck, quail! She was 16 at the time and did a great job, making HAL's job easier.

I wish you well, and as you know, your mileage may vary. I'd think that if the allergies are limited to peanuts and tree nuts you should be able to do fine and have a grand vacation! m--

 

I wish you well, and as you know, your mileage may vary. I'd think that if the allergies are limited to peanuts and tree nuts you should be able to do fine and have a grand vacation! m--

Thanks again. Although peanut and tree nut allergies are often the most life threatening, as allergens, they are much easier to avoid than many of your grand daughter's allergens.

I second the entire fixed seating, just be sure to remind them though as an ounce of prevention. If it was he gets a tik if he eats X is one thing, but with life threatening is as far from what I said as the 'Verse is wide.

I have no doubts that all will be AWESOME.

If he joins any of the activities at Club Hal (kids program) make sure that the people running Club Hal know about the allergy also as some the events include food (it seems like ice cream was a daily event and may have cross contamination issues).

Also don't forget to plan for lunch/snacks on any shore excursions.

We had good results from HAL but our allergies are not life threating and so quite different from what you require/demand/expect for a good reason.

Also agree that fixed dining is best because of not having to explain everything to new people each night but just friendly reminders.

Sightcrr

I have anaphylactic reactions to all tree nuts and peanuts. As you have mentioned, filling in the pre cruise documentation re special needs is vital. When we board, I visit the dining room and speak with the Maitre d'. I have been told that on HAL ships there is an area of the kitchen that is set aside specifically to prevent cross contamination.

Every evening, I would be presented with the following day's menus. I am sure you are well versed in what can and cannot be eaten, and it was always easy to determine a good meal which was then pre-ordered. (As an aside, at the beginning of the cruise our table mates were astounded that I received such personal attention, and then were quite amused to see what I would be eating every night.) I usually avoided the pastry desserts, and would question the waiter about the ingredients in puddings. Staying with fresh fruit, ice cream and cheese trays were good alternatives.

We usually ate all meals in the dining room, where I felt I could control the choices a little better .

HAL has always been sensitive to my needs - that's why we often sail with them.

Please let us know how you are treated on the Eurodam. We will be on her for 29 days next August!

Cheers!

I second the entire fixed seating, just be sure to remind them though as an ounce of prevention. If it was he gets a tik if he eats X is one thing, but with life threatening is as far from what I said as the 'Verse is wide.

 

I have no doubts that all will be AWESOME.

Sorry for the delay - computer died completely last week and it has taken me a few days to get back up and running.

Appreciate the advice Viecszy. We are booked fixed (early) seating for our Eurodam cruise in December (no problems here as this is what my wife and I prefer).

If he joins any of the activities at Club Hal (kids program) make sure that the people running Club Hal know about the allergy also as some the events include food (it seems like ice cream was a daily event and may have cross contamination issues).

Thank you. My son has other challenges so we were planning on sending a note to the access department about Club Hall anyways.

I have anaphylactic reactions to all tree nuts and peanuts. As you have mentioned, filling in the pre cruise documentation re special needs is vital. When we board, I visit the dining room and speak with the Maitre d'. I have been told that on HAL ships there is an area of the kitchen that is set aside specifically to prevent cross contamination....

 

...Please let us know how you are treated on the Eurodam. We will be on her for 29 days next August!

 

Cheers!

Your experience with peanut/tree nut allergy is very helpful (and reassuring).

As per how things go on the Eurodam, I will definitely report back. I am very grateful to those folks, like yourself, that take the time to answer questions on this forum that I believe it is my duty to let others know what we experience. FYI, here is a link to our review of the Grand Princess and how they handled my son's alelrgy. As you can see, my son has challenges other than food allergies:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2087915

Thanks to everyone. All the best,

I read your report on the Princess board. You had exactly the same experience that I encountered with them. It even went as far as the head waiter approaching me at the table during high tea, removing the selection I had made, and putting down a full plate of goodies that were nut free, and that he had chosen. One evening he also made a special curry for me that I was able to share with my table mates.

On another note. During my teaching career I had the wonderful opportunity to open a class for autistic children. They spent as much time as possible in regular programs, but had the security of a "home base" whenever needed. I am so glad that Princess accommodated your son so well. These kids can excel in a friendly, understanding environment.

Cheers!

Thanks pictonite. I hope you don't mind my asking how you would compare HAL's handling of food allergies to Princess? This way we will know what to expect. What do they do differently or the same? Thank you.

If you booked with a travel agent, have them record the allergy on your reservation. If you booked directly with HAL call them to tell them about the allergy. When your reservation has the allergy noted, their system will automatically send out an email with a form attached that you can fill out with further details about the nature of the allergy and return to HAL. Even though you have completed all this, you must discuss with the head waiter and wait staff at each meal until it becomes automatic. You should request the menu for the next night so that your son can choose what he would like and they can ensure it is properly prepared.

With regard to Princess, I have been on two cruises with them - one was excellent regarding tending to allergy issues, the other was rather spotty in getting us the next night's menu and getting the order right.

I think all the cruise lines try to deal with food allergy issues, but some crews seem to be able to deal with it better than others. We have found you must be firm and prepared to wait for them sometimes to get to you each night. But be persistent and after a night or two they will improve.

Hi there!

Just packing for a two week trip to Mexico!

TechnoBill gave you great advice.

I found no real difference between the two cruise lines. On Princess we had any time dining, and I was asked to go to the same restaurant when possible,so that the head waiter would recognize me. On HAL, we were originally placed in the any time dining category, but I suspect that the form we filled in and sent to Hal prior to sailing placed us in a fixed seating category. Be sure to insist on fixed seating. Your waiter will know what you need, and the Head waiter will know where to find you every night! We ate in the dining room whenever possible. The sous chef, however , in the buffet area would be very helpful. I tend to stay away from cake desserts - they often contain nuts. Ice cream is always a great alternative! Always ask! My other half is my best buddy - he will always ask if anything contains nuts - I'm afraid he's seen too many hospitals with me,(but he always says he'd love to give the epipen injection :( )

Cheers!

Thanks TechnoBill and pictonite (enjoy Mexico!),

Great advice. It seems that being firm is the way to go if required. This is what happened on our Disney cruise. When the headwaiter told us that they were nut free in the dining room and that we shouldn't worry about ordering anything off the menu we were pleasantly surprised. The next morning our waiter brought us some pastries and pointed to the one obviously covered in almonds and said that was the one to avoid but we could have the one beside it (i.e. touching it), we were shocked. There would obviously be cross contamination.

We insisted with the headwaiter that they prepare my son's food separately and he agreed. After that, we had a few errors but for the most part they took care of my son's food well. We found out that our sailing was the headwaiter's last one on his contract before flying home. Not sure if that played a role.

Once again, appreciate everyone's advice and help.:)

DH has many allergies to food (dairy, gluten, soy etc.)

We do not eat fixed dining, but, we do special reservations in open seating so we have the same table, wait staff, and time. They bring his menu the night before for his dinner choices the next night, and his choices are reviewed by the chef before we leave, then if he has to change his choice, he can. The Dining Room Manager generally stops a few times at least through the week.

We get a fridge for our cabin also. Veranda and above already have refrigerators.

A side note for those who have gluten problems- the buffet can make you gluten free pancakes, but you have to tell them a day ahead.

In the buffet, sometimes a chef comes out and walks my husband through the buffet. He points out what choices he can an cannot eat.

Overall, I would recommend HAL for food allergies.:D

My TA always notifies HAL about my food issues. Some ships are great, some are dreadful. I have never gotten the email TechnoBill mentioned. We're doing 22 days on the Zuiderdam in the spring. I'm taking backup food just in case, but certainly not enough for 22 days.

It is encouraging to hear that others have had great success with special diets.

HAL sends the form to your travel agent/agency. It is called a Special Requirements Information Form. Perhaps your TA returned it on your behalf. It covers dietary, mobility, respiratory, diabetes issues of clients as well as the need for a service animal.

DH has many allergies to food (dairy, gluten, soy etc.)

 

We do not eat fixed dining, but, we do special reservations in open seating so we have the same table, wait staff, and time. They bring his menu the night before for his dinner choices the next night, and his choices are reviewed by the chef before we leave, then if he has to change his choice, he can. The Dining Room Manager generally stops a few times at least through the week...

 

 

...In the buffet, sometimes a chef comes out and walks my husband through the buffet. He points out what choices he can an cannot eat.

 

Overall, I would recommend HAL for food allergies.:D

Thanks CaliforniaAC - this sounds very encouraging. The process appears very similar to our Princess Cruise other than it was always the Headwaiter on Princess that came to our table every evening.

Enjoy you upcoming Noordam and Caribbean Princess cruises!!!:)