Peanut Allergy

[mpdjnr]

Hello, I'm wondering if anyone has traveled NCL with a severe peanut allergy? I have a severe allergy to peanuts and have traveled before with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity many times and I have felt perfectly safe. The difference though is RCCL and Celebrity both still have set dinner times and tables with the same waiter/waitress so the Matre D' was there every night to help me with my selections. I'm worried with NCL that there is no real set dinner time or assigned table so I was just wondering how food allergies were handled in freestyle cruising? Any information would be great. Thanks.

[che5904]

Hello, I'm wondering if anyone has traveled NCL with a severe peanut allergy? I have a severe allergy to peanuts and have traveled before with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity many times and I have felt perfectly safe. The difference though is RCCL and Celebrity both still have set dinner times and tables with the same waiter/waitress so the Matre D' was there every night to help me with my selections. I'm worried with NCL that there is no real set dinner time or assigned table so I was just wondering how food allergies were handled in freestyle cruising? Any information would be great. Thanks.

 

I don't really understand why you would think NCL's would be an issue. As for the food from what I have read throughout CC and the NCL website, that NCL handles food allergies very well and you should contact NCL at least 3 weeks in advance and they will accomodate your allergy or food needs.

 

As for the seating arrangements, I think NCL would be just as good if not better than the assigned arrangements since the people you are eating with are whoever you came on the ship with or wish to eat with.

 

I'm sorry if I am ignorant on this level but I'm really not sure where the time and waitstaff fit into the equation.

 

Just go to the search forum and type in "food allergies" and you will come to other threads where this has been discussed and perhaps that can answer more of your questions or put you more at ease.

[pateoreo1]

Hello, I'm wondering if anyone has traveled NCL with a severe peanut allergy? I have a severe allergy to peanuts and have traveled before with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity many times and I have felt perfectly safe. The difference though is RCCL and Celebrity both still have set dinner times and tables with the same waiter/waitress so the Matre D' was there every night to help me with my selections. I'm worried with NCL that there is no real set dinner time or assigned table so I was just wondering how food allergies were handled in freestyle cruising? Any information would be great. Thanks.

 

We have taken our daughter on 2 cruises in the past year and she has a nut and seed allergy. I told my PCC and she passed the information onto the Access Desk. accessdesk@ncl.comthey will send you a form to fill out and ask you to tell your waiter when you go to eat. We would also ask the servers at the buffet and they would get one of the chef’s to talk to us about the food. They went as far as bringing her some cookies and bread that had not been on the buffet yet to make sure they had been nowhere near any nuts or seeds.

[Mooder]

Hello, I'm wondering if anyone has traveled NCL with a severe peanut allergy? I have a severe allergy to peanuts and have traveled before with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity many times and I have felt perfectly safe. The difference though is RCCL and Celebrity both still have set dinner times and tables with the same waiter/waitress so the Matre D' was there every night to help me with my selections. I'm worried with NCL that there is no real set dinner time or assigned table so I was just wondering how food allergies were handled in freestyle cruising? Any information would be great. Thanks.

 

We traveled with our nephew who has a pretty severe peanut allergy. He did very well, never had a problem. The waitstaff was very helpful. Just be sure to make them aware at every meal.

 

Our only concern was that there were snack jars on some of the bar tops. Obviously, he never went near them, but we were concerned that if they contained peanut products, the oil might be around the ship from people's hands. His mother made sure he cleaned his hands frequently and he was fine. But if you are very sensitive, it is something to keep in mind. I know some people can't even be in the same room with peanuts and my nephew is not as sensitive as that.

[mpdjnr]

We always do eat at a table just with us. The waitstaff and restaurant being the same every night just made it easier. I didn't have to explain to different servers at different restaurants. The Matre D' knew right where to find us every night. I was just a little worried about all the different restaurants and waitstaff not being aware of the allergy. Maybe someone has cruised recently that can tell me how it was handled for them.

[mpdjnr]

Thank you for your reply.

[scubagoil]

We cruised after Thanksgiving...

 

We have gluten allergies, so I was concerned about food issues too. I have to say, the crew on the Sun was wonderful. They recommended that we place an order the night before so we would be sure to get what we wanted, but we forgot on several occasions and it was never a problem. The waitstaff was very knowledgeable about food allergies could always suggest something on the menu that could be changed to be gluten free. If there was nothing that was really interesting to us, they would come up with suggestions that were not on the menu.

 

We were also able to get things from the buffet area. We would just ask what they had available that was gluten free - they would disappear for a few minutes and come back with something great!

 

Talk to the Maitre d' as soon as you can the first day - they will get your information and make suggestions to make your meals stress free...

 

Have a great time!

[FuninWB]

I have the same peanut allergy. I was also very concerned and did e-mail the access desk address you will read from an earlier poster. We were able to eat in the buffet as well as the other free restaurants. The buffet server whom I questioned about peanuts got a chef who told me what not to eat. Don't go to Teppanyaki as many of their dishes do have peanuts or peanut oil. My allergy so severe that I can't even touch the table if someone has had peanuts on his/her hands, so I thought I would have a hard time with this, but we went on the Spirit twice last year with no incidents. If you have the same severity of peanut allergy ( plus soy and many others) that I do, you are already ultra-careful. E-mail the access desk.I think they are used to passengers with severe allergies.

[mpdjnr]

Thank you for your information it was very helpful. My allergy is severe, even cross contamination is dangerous. So things that don't actually have nuts may have been processed on or around the same equipment. So just eating nut-free items is not the answer for me. Previously on other cruises I just avoided the buffet all together. I'm so glad to hear that it does work out in freestyle. Good luck with your allergy and Safe Cruising.

[FmlyCrsr]

My daughter has a peanut allergy. We will be boarding the Jewel next week and so I will be able to give you more information upon my return March 7 2011.

[thedoc29ca]

I have been corresponding with the access desk for our upcoming cruise. For our son with a severe peanut allergy the all you can eat soft serve ice cream on a previous Carnival cruise was a huge highlight.

 

We had inquired about the ingredients for the soft serve on the Epic. Here are pics of the ingredients sent from the ship via the access desk.

[Ms belp]

Hello, I'm wondering if anyone has traveled NCL with a severe peanut allergy? I have a severe allergy to peanuts and have traveled before with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity many times and I have felt perfectly safe. The difference though is RCCL and Celebrity both still have set dinner times and tables with the same waiter/waitress so the Matre D' was there every night to help me with my selections. I'm worried with NCL that there is no real set dinner time or assigned table so I was just wondering how food allergies were handled in freestyle cruising? Any information would be great. Thanks.

 

I'd stick with what you know. If your allergies are that severe I would not risk it. You do get a different waiter. Good luck. Don't risk it.

[Ms belp]

This is why we live to 100. We don't live life anymore.

[yoyocruiser]

Honestly, if my allergy were that severe I would want to stick with a more structured situation--and waiters who knew me and waited on me every night. I totally see your issue. Cross contamination is not understood by most people. This is not against NCL--I love NCL--but I would be stressed. I have close friends with severe allergies--and the stress involved may be more than you wish to deal with on your vacation. JMHO--freestyle doesn't lend itself to this type of scrutiny.

[oncruisecontrol]

This is why we live to 100. We don't live life anymore.

 

Clarify, please.

[cantw8togo]

We were on the Epic a couple of weeks ago with our son who is allergic to dairy protein. While he isn't anaphylactic and we don't have to worry so much about cross contamination, I found our experience with NCL one of the easiest of the 4 cruiselines we have been on, including RCI and Celebrity.

 

We dined in the Manhattan Room, Taste and the Garden Cafe (buffet). While we did have different waiters each night, we also had a familiar maitre d' as well. We got to know three maitre d's who rotated through the various restaurants through out the day and it was reassuring to see a familiar face who knew our situation and were able to help us. Our cabin number was flagged when we checked into the restaurant and we also mentioned to the hostess that we would need to see the maitre d'. The maitre'd came to our table shortly after we arrived to confirm our son's order which was taken the night before. They were attentive and very accessible. They also arranged for the kitchen to bake a batch of dairy free chocolate cookies which he had over the course of the week and they brought him sorbet that is prepared on board for those passengers who can't have the regular ice creams and sherberts.

 

We tend to be a bit spontaneous as a family so it was really nice to be able to just show up at any restaurant. Last year we went on RCI's Indy of the Seas and we ended up having a standing reservation for 6:00 for the MDR so that we could have the same waiter and head waiter. As well, not all of the staff seemed to know who to talk to to get answers about food allergies. The service on NCL felt more centralized and it was easier to get answers.

 

Since cross contamination is an issue, I would avoid the buffet unless the maitre d' could arrange to have something brought up from the "safe kitchen" so that you could dine with your travelling companions.

 

I would go for it. Hope this helps.

 

N.