Who to talk to onboard about a food allergy?

[NJfoodie]

We'll be on the Jewel in May and I was wondering if anyone knows who i should contact for any special arrangements for my toddler who is allergic to dairy. Unfortunately, as butter and milk are ingredients in many many foods, I will need to either make arrangements in advance or will have to be able to ask specific ingredients in almost any dish we consider for him. I also wanted to look into the availability of soy milk onboard, or how to request it in quantities more than a glass at a time, in order to find out if we'll need to pack it ourselves. He'll be going through quite a bit during the course of a week and I really hope to not have to schlep a case of it with us. Thanks for your help!

[bakerintn]

I would contact the access desk at NCL before leaving ( accessdesk@ncl.com and then ask to meet with the Food and Beverage manager or delegate upon boarding.

 

I have heard that Soy milk is available by the glass / small carton but also heard that it was not available. If it is really important (sounds like it is). I would take some with me in case (you may be able to get more in some of your destination ports, too, if the ship does not have any on your cruise).

[alwalaska]

My TA sent a fax with my allergy information along with my reservation info to NCL. This is the response she received.

 

Please be advised that we can accommodate this guest’s special dietary needs. I will email our onboard dining and medical staff to inform them of her special dietary needs. Also this guest must meet with the Food and Beverage Manager upon embarkation to introduce herself and further discuss the preparation of her meals.

Please inform this guest that guests are not allowed to bring any foods onboard. They can only bring dried, ready to eat, non-perishable items and they must provide with a list of brands so we can obtain clearance.

Lastly we cannot assure anyone that foods can be guaranteed to be 100% safe from contamination with food allergens. We can, and will, make every effort to continue to provide our Guests with the support that they require to experience and safe and uneventful voyage, as evidenced by the correspondence currently taking place!

 

I would recommend contacting them before you board.

[jaja]

My TA sent a fax with my allergy information along with my reservation info to NCL. This is the response she received.

 

Please be advised that we can accommodate this guest’s special dietary needs. I will email our onboard dining and medical staff to inform them of her special dietary needs. Also this guest must meet with the Food and Beverage Manager upon embarkation to introduce herself and further discuss the preparation of her meals.

 

Please inform this guest that guests are not allowed to bring any foods onboard. They can only bring dried, ready to eat, non-perishable items and they must provide with a list of brands so we can obtain clearance.

 

Lastly we cannot assure anyone that foods can be guaranteed to be 100% safe from contamination with food allergens. We can, and will, make every effort to continue to provide our Guests with the support that they require to experience and safe and uneventful voyage, as evidenced by the correspondence currently taking place!

 

I would recommend contacting them before you board.

 

yes we contact them ahead(DH has shrimp allergy)--AND we did speak to someone upon embarkation..(there is a staff member in lobby-they were there along side..wine sales and speciality reservations..so you need to find that table!!!)

[alwalaska]

yes we contact them ahead(DH has shrimp allergy)--AND we did speak to someone upon embarkation..(there is a staff member in lobby-they were there along side..wine sales and speciality reservations..so you need to find that table!!!)

 

Thanks for telling me where to look. I would have gone to the dining room to look since that is where they were on other cruise lines.

[IWORK2CRUISE]

I have met cruisers with different food allergies who have indicated that NCL is very accomodating.

First step is to contact the Special Needs Department.

http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/cruiser/cmsPages.html?pageId=GuestsSpecialNeeds

Once on board you would likely meet with a chef or maitre 'd to confirm arrangements.

[suzequ]

I am also dairy allergic. Every cruise we've had on NCL the staff in the dining rooms have been very helpful. I have had the chef visit the table occasionally to ensure he is certain about my requirements (nothing cooker with butter, cream, milk, cheese...). I have not seen soy milk on board, but did not ask ahead of time, so it could be possible.

[can'twaittogoagain]

This has worked for my soy allergy: In addition to contacting special needs, I have met with the chefs. They like it if they can have an advance notice of 24 hours of when you might be dining with them in case they need to prepare something especially for the person with the allergies so that the whole table isn't waiting for the food to be served while they are meeting the allergic person's needs. They have directed me to "safe" options, and have even prepared special sauces, etc. for me that are "safe." I have also spoken with the head chefs in the buffets and had luck there, although the risk of cross-contamination is possible. I've never had a problem. They have actually let me read ingredient statements from some of their packaged breads. I have been totally impressed with NCL's efforts to help me. I carry my epi-pen in my purse whever we go....just in case. Good luck and enjoy your cruise!

[BalconyBreeze]

We are taking a cruise this April and the folks at the accessdesk@ncl.com have been extremely helpful. Our son has a variety of allergies and I can tell you we were concerned if they could accommodate him. After several emails, we feel confident that his needs will be met. Upon check-in, we were advised that we should meet with the Food Service Director on board and we could go over menus and options. It sounds like most of my sons meals will take place in the main dining room, which is fine. Now we are much more relaxed and looking forward to the cruise! :)

[fivefirsts]

In August we took my youngest, 18m, who also has a dairy allergy. We brought a case of silk single serve containers without any issue. We asked for a fridge in our room. (We were on the Spirit and there are not fridges in the rooms.) We had the fridge there when we arrived. At the meet and greet we met with the hotel manager and food manager. He made reservations for us for each night in the main dining room, and arranged to have a head chef meet us at each meal to review all the selections for our daughter. We ordered off the adult menu and child size portions were broughtout for her- all dairy free. The only dessert available was jello without any whip cream on top. We could not have asked for a better experience. We even ran into the same head waiter in Blue Lagoon, and he immediately came over and assisted us with a selection for her. In the buffet area you can ask for a head waiter, and they will help you with selections for your family member. I hope this helps, it was our first trip with her eating food, and it was a very positive experience.

[VonChap]

I can not eat Gluten and NCL does a wonderful job with meal planning and assistance.

 

One tip that I have found is to board the ship during the time that the MDR is open for lunch on the first day. (usually noon-2PM) Go immediately to the MDR and ask to speak to the Maitre 'd. They will asssit with lunch and get in touch with the Food and Beveral Manager. This is a lot faster than leaving a message for the F&B Manager at the reception desk or waiting for them to call your cabin. Bring all the emails from the Special Needs Department.

 

During lunch, the Maitre d' will present the dinner menu and assist with planning your first dinner. They will attach your cabin number to your menu and then you just give your cabin number to your server and tell them that you have a special menu waiting.

 

At dinner, they will assist with the next day's menus. You can still dine in the Specialty Restaurants. Just tell the MDR Maitre 'd where you would like to dine, and they will assist with making the contacts.

 

Have a great cruise!

[CruisnGram]

Just a word of advice for everyone with allergies. Please pay special attention and follow the instructions of those who have posted their advice and experience here.

 

We sailed on the Pearl two weeks ago and stuck up a conversation towards the end of the cruise with a lady who was cruising with her 2 children. Both she and her son had severe food allergies and she had not contacted anyone in advance of the cruise. She spoke to a maitre d in the dining room and assumed that it was all set. It wasn't. She had a horrible time all week long getting the proper food and she was even served something that made her ill. She wasn't a complainer and said that she loved the entire trip, other then the food issues and said that she wished that she had been more proactive in letting them know prior to sailing and contacting the head chef or hotel director immediately when boarding.

 

Good luck and happy eating to all!

 

CG

[Bestmom39]

On our last trip 1/13 NCL Gem my friend became ill with an allergy ( never had allergies before) went to the Doctor on board and he confirmed it was indeed an allergy probably from food, My friend could not think of anything she had eaten that was cooked or different from her normal food, until a few days later she remembered at the buffet she had some Chinese Soup, was there MSG in the soup anyone know if this is being used on board, how can we find out ???...she has eaten Chinese food before never been ill the restaurant she goes does not use MSG she asked them.

[newmexicoNita]

Bestmom, I have no idea but am surprised the doctor knew without tests it was an alergy. I hope she was OK.

 

OP, yes, most cruise lines, certainly NCL are very good about preparing the right foods for those with alergies. So let them know ahead of time.

 

Nita

[3rdcoast]

Thank you for your post. I too am gf and was checking this thread to learn about what to do (I hate always having to stick with salads and bare bones meals). Thanks for the info!

[alwalaska]

On our last trip 1/13 NCL Gem my friend became ill with an allergy ( never had allergies before) went to the Doctor on board and he confirmed it was indeed an allergy probably from food, My friend could not think of anything she had eaten that was cooked or different from her normal food, until a few days later she remembered at the buffet she had some Chinese Soup, was there MSG in the soup anyone know if this is being used on board, how can we find out ???...she has eaten Chinese food before never been ill the restaurant she goes does not use MSG she asked them.

 

I have a good friend who had her first allergic reaction to shellfish at the age of 35. She had never had a problem before and there was no history in the family of allergies. After a couple of months she convnced herself it was a fluke and tried a small shrimp. Her second reaction was worse than the first.

 

I strongly recommend your friend go in and be tested. Some allergies can be life threatening.

 

There is always a possibility of MSG in Chinese food, but it could also be peanuts, shell fish, or even something odd that doesn't affect others.

[VonChap]

Thank you for your post. I too am gf and was checking this thread to learn about what to do (I hate always having to stick with salads and bare bones meals). Thanks for the info!

 

For those of you that are GF, you can pre-order a long list of GF foods for your cruise from the Special Needs Department. I just ordered cookies, pizza crusts, all types of breads, pastas, waffels and much more.

 

Your need to order in ADVANCE. For my cruise leaving from Venice, I had to order 2.5 months in advance.

 

Send an email to the Special Needs Department and they will send you the list. Respond to their email with the product numbers of everything you would like to order. Then take the list with you on the cruise.

 

There is no charge for this service.

 

Have a great GF cruise!