Just off Freedom 7/31-8/7, with food allergic child

[jrdh]

Hello, thought I'd post a quick review and answer questions. We had a Fantastic trip! We have twin 7 year-olds, one has a peanut/tree nut allergy and has an epi-pen. I filled out the appropriate paperwork prior to the cruise and crossed my fingers. Well, it was FANTASTIC! Keron was our waiter in the MDR for dinner and did a great job of keeping our daughter safe. When we went in the MDR for breakfast, I was sure to get a supervisor, as the assistant waiters were not very helpful. (our assistant at dinner was Great, however!) There was a Great Chef (i wish i knew his name) in the Windjammer that I would see everyday and he would go in the back and get her a plate of whatever she wanted, so that it was not contaminated on the buffet line. Also, Adventure Ocean was very knowledgeable about the epi-pens as well. So, it went very smoothly for us, and I will be happy to answer questions.

 

As far as the rest, it was great! we were diverted to the western route because of the tropical storm, which was a little disappointing, but we ended up swimming with stingrays and dolphins, so that made up for it! The boat is beautiful, not too big, not too small. Tons of stuff going on all the time! And the kids LOVED Adventure ocean and the spray park!

 

They are pretty strict in the MDR for breakfast, my husband was not allowed in with a nike shirt that has no sleeves. Not really a tank, but whatever.

 

Overall, a great time! Ok, ask away...

[Shomari]

Glad to hear you had a good time!

I'm bursting at the seams with excitement right about now...

I have a few questions, if you don't mind:

1. What is "smart casual"?

2. How was the food?

3. How were the shows?

4. Who was your Cruise Director?

5. Did you book any excursions in advance, if so, what arrangements were made when the ship had to change routes?

6. Was it cold on the ship?

Thanks!

[jrdh]

Glad to hear you had a good time!

I'm bursting at the seams with excitement right about now...

I have a few questions, if you don't mind:

1. What is "smart casual"? What you would wear to a nice dinner...not too fancy.

2. How was the food?Overall, it was average... some things were better than others, nothing was "Bad".

3. How were the shows?Since I was with twin 7 year olds, I only got to see the Freedom Ice Show, it was good.

4. Who was your Cruise Director?I think it was James Andrews...not sure

5. Did you book any excursions in advance, if so, what arrangements were made when the ship had to change routes?We had no excursions pre-booked.

6. Was it cold on the ship?I am always cold, so inside the MDR I wore a sweater :)

Thanks!

 

You are Welcome! Enjoy your trip!

[Logan's Meem]

Hello, thought I'd post a quick review and answer questions. We had a Fantastic trip! We have twin 7 year-olds, one has a peanut/tree nut allergy and has an epi-pen. I filled out the appropriate paperwork prior to the cruise and crossed my fingers. Well, it was FANTASTIC! Keron was our waiter in the MDR for dinner and did a great job of keeping our daughter safe. When we went in the MDR for breakfast, I was sure to get a supervisor, as the assistant waiters were not very helpful. (our assistant at dinner was Great, however!) There was a Great Chef (i wish i knew his name) in the Windjammer that I would see everyday and he would go in the back and get her a plate of whatever she wanted, so that it was not contaminated on the buffet line. Also, Adventure Ocean was very knowledgeable about the epi-pens as well. So, it went very smoothly for us, and I will be happy to answer questions.

 

As far as the rest, it was great! we were diverted to the western route because of the tropical storm, which was a little disappointing, but we ended up swimming with stingrays and dolphins, so that made up for it! The boat is beautiful, not too big, not too small. Tons of stuff going on all the time! And the kids LOVED Adventure ocean and the spray park!

 

They are pretty strict in the MDR for breakfast, my husband was not allowed in with a nike shirt that has no sleeves. Not really a tank, but whatever.

 

Overall, a great time! Ok, ask away...

 

 

Thanks for posting this! My 8 year old son has severe peanut and tree nut allergies, as well as allergies to peas, beans (most types), lentils and chickpeas. I sailed on the Majesty 2 years ago with my sister who has celiac and did not have a good experience. They finally stopped offering her rolls on the 3rd night even after notifying everyone through the proper channels, etc. This gives me hope that we will someday be able to sail RCI with our son.

[KJMommy04]

Thank you so much for posting this! My daughter (age 5) is severely allergic to milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish. She has gone into anaphylactic shock 4 times, so I'm approaching the idea of taking her on a cruise very cautiously! I'm curious - what kind of paperwork did they have you fill out beforehand? Did you talk with anyone directly to set your mind at ease? When I spoke with RCCL about this a couple of years ago, they indicated my daughter would have her own chef who would prepare her MDR food individually, away from all other food. Do you know if this was the case? How did you feel about the kids program? Specifically, don't they serve snacks in there? Were you concerned about the other kids having residual food on their hands? This is always a concern for us as our daughter gets hives from touching surfaces that may have residual food. Sorry for all of the questions. :) I was so excited to see your post!

[famofsix]

We are recently off FOS (sailed 4/1-4/8).

 

Three of my four kids have food allergies. One is allergic to eggs, one to peanuts, and one to peanuts and tree nuts.

 

Our experience with allergies on Freedom was pretty good. My TA submitted the information on our food allergies before we sailed, but I brought it up every time we ate. None of our waiters seemed to know before I told them. Even though we had My Time Dining, they made sure we had the same wait staff every night. My daughters were able to order each night for the next night so that the chef would have extra time to accommodate them.

 

The biggest disappointment for the ones with the peanut allergies was that they could not have any chocolate on the ship. :(

 

My daughter with the egg allergy had two allergic reactions while on the ship. One happened just minutes after we arrived when she ate a croissant sandwich at Cafe Promenade that they told us didn't have eggs. Turns out the top was brushed with egg! The other time happened in the MDR. The waiter accidentally brought her the wrong dessert. He was VERY apologetic.

 

We didn't eat at the Windjammer at all. Buffets are just too hard. There were plenty of other options.