Food allergies and cruising

[mayabandu]

I'm going on a cruise this summer (yay! my first one!!) but I'm worried about my food options. I have several allergies - are the cruise lines good at dealing with this type of thing? I don't want to have to live off bars that I have to pack with me...

[1025cruise]

Contact the Special Needs department of the cruise line.

[cruzeluver]

The best thing you can do is contact your cruise line's special needs department and make them aware of your issues so they can determine if they can assist. Most common food allergies/issues are dealt with all the time. Then once on board make sure the dining room is aware of your issues as well.

[sparkscruiser]

First of all, welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

As for your question - I have a friend with a severe dairy allergy and she was able to have her foods prepared for her on the Carnival Dream. She first let guest services know of the allergy and when she boarded, they had her meet with someone from the dining room.

 

Her selection of foods were not as great as she would have liked, but they did what they could for her. You don't mention what line, etc. so not sure what additional info I can give.

 

You may also want to go to the cruise forum for your particular cruise line and ask your uestion as well. That way folks with experience with that line can give helpful pointers.

 

Keep in mind that in most instances, the cruise line can only control what you get in the dining room - so be especially cautious in the buffets and specialty restaurants.

 

Have a great cruise!

[sail7seas]

We hear varying reports of how well guests with allergies are 'handled' on a given ship on a given date. Some will say they had lots of great info and help and others say not so.

 

In the end, take full responsibility for yourself and that is the best course. If something is questionable and you can not get a response that you feel reliable, eat something else.

 

Stay with the dining room and fixed seating and that is the best chance for the most consistent assistance. The least reliable info will be given in the buffet section ....... usually, but not always. ;)

 

Think of the millions of people who cruise each year and a huge percentage have food allergies and they manage fine so ill you, as well, but take responsibility for successful/safe eating upon yourself.

[youngestof9]

Not sure which line you're sailing. With Norwegian, you contact their access desk (accessdesk@ncl.com) and tell them of your allergy. Then once onboard you can speak with the Maitre'd and they can go over the menus with you.

 

I'm sure it works a little different on each line, but I would ask this question on the corresponding forum of whichever line you're sailing. Good luck!

[LHT28]

Contact the cruise line well in advance do not wait until you board to do so

Then follow up with the Maitre'd or Hotel manager

[mr green]

On Star Princess one of our table mates had problems. Our head waiter would go over the menus with her, and make recommendations for the FOLLOWING day.

 

john

[SadieN]

Our experiences have been on Carnival. We travel with a group that has allergies to chocolate, peanuts, treenuts, egg whites and shellfish.

 

Let the cruiseline know about your allergies, Carnival seems to be prepared for the more common ones. We have never called ahead.

 

Upon boarding go to the MDR and talk with the MD or asst MD. The first lunch and dinner are the hardest. That night the hostess will arrive with the following days menu. If you cannot decide between two entrees, order them both.

 

If your allergies are so severe that you cannot do the buffet anytime confirm with them the procedure on port days when the MDR is closed. I have read that they will accomodate you thru room service, confirm this.

 

We bring prepackaged snacks for onshore. You are not allowed to bring anyother types of food off the boat. Depending on your itin you might not even be able to take those off.

[cantw8togo]

Welcome to Cruise Critic. There is a wealth of info on these boards. You can also try doing a search on cruise line's board to see what comments others have made about cruising with allergies.

 

We have traveled on four different cruiselines with our 8 yr old DS who is allergic to dairy. All cruise lines have a separate kitchen for preparing special needs meals which is why many people recommend eating only in the MDR if your allergies are severe. Your Head Waiter is one of the most important people that will help you and will oversee your service each night. On some ships, especially larger ones, they will have several Head Waiters serving different areas, and if you don't feel that your concerns are being taken seriously enough, then don't be afraid to ask to be seated elsewhere for future meals. Many of the waiters come from cultures where food allergies are not prevelant and due to lack of experience, may not appreciate how important your needs are. On one cruise, our then 6 yr old was given a plate of fruit with yoghurt on the side off of the main line and was told to just not touch the yoghurt. Needless to say, we never had that waiter again.

 

On RCI, we had My Time Dining and in order to get the same waiter and head waiter each time, they asked us to make a reservation for the same time each night. On NCL, they had no problem with us showing up at any time and they were great with the way they handled food allergies.

 

If your allergies are not so severe that you feel comfortable going to the buffet, ask to speak to a Sous Chef (assistant chef, often recognizable by a particular scarf or chef's uniform) or the Restaurant Manager. They can point out what food would be safe for you or what can be quickly prepared specifically for you, ie steamed veggies that aren't dressed in butter or pizza without cheese. Beware that cross contamination is very high and it is safer to ask for a serving directly from the kitchen before it put out on display. On some cruise lines it is best to try to go to the buffet during off peak times as it can otherwise be very busy and time consuming to get the help you need.

 

Bring lots of safe to eat snacks just in case, as finding safe food between meals can sometimes be an issue depending on your needs. If you share with us which ship and cruise line, and what your particular food allergies are, we may be able to offer further insights.

 

Happy cruising!

[Starbright]

I don't have an allergy, but I absolutely hate garlick. One night on board a Princess ship every single main course item contained garlick, so I ended up not having a main course at all. The waiters were most concerned and at the end of the meal the Maitre d' came over and apologised. He arranged that every night after that our waiter should show me the next night's menu to ensure that there was something on there I was happy with. He said if there was a problem for any particular night then he would arrange to get something prepared specially for me. Couldn't complain at such excellent service!

[Bonnie J.]

I can only tell you about Carnival but most ships should be the same. My husband has developed acid reflex and cannot eat anything with spices. Ship's food always has lots of spices. I called the special needs department and was told to see the maitre'd. We went to him when he was available when we got on board. (He is available for people with dining requests around 1PM.) He couldn not do anything the 1st night so my husband had something bland but then every night the hostess brought the next night's menu and he selected what he'd have the next night. He said they were the best lamb chops he'd ever had on a ship!

On another cruise a tablemate told our waiter she was allergic to garlic and asked what had garlic. He told the maitre'd who came to the table with the hostess. She was brought the menu for the next night, choose whatever she wanted, and there would be no garlic in it.

If there are a lot of different allergies, you might want to bring a list for the kitchen.

[Islandergirl]

I'm going on a cruise this summer (yay! my first one!!) but I'm worried about my food options. I have several allergies - are the cruise lines good at dealing with this type of thing? I don't want to have to live off bars that I have to pack with me...

 

The main thing when travelling with allergies is to be prepared. It just takes a little more planning. I am allergic to garlic, lactose intolerant, and gluten intolerant. My best friend, and usual travel buddy, has an allergy to milk products and intolerance to gluten...We are a fun pair! ;)

 

I always travel with prepackaged snacks, such as gluten free bars or pretzels just to fill the gap in case. Of course, make sure you are allowed to take them off the ship, i.e. no fruits, etc. Honestly, the port days were the most difficult for me. Oh, how I miss being able to go and try new foods. :(

 

On the ship, however, I ate great! I had notified them ahead of time. I was able to see the menu the day before and they could pretty much modify anything.

 

Like an above poster mentioned, take responsibility and don't asume. The staff doesn't always understand allergies. The main thing is to ask questions...you don't want to be sick or have a reaction on your vacay!

 

The next step is to have a great time! :)

[groovechick]

We sailed with RCI last year (Voyager of the Seas) with our two children who have a severe egg allergy. We informed RCI about their allergy well before sailing and were told as soon as we boarded we had to go to our allocated MDR and speak to the Maitre d'. He then informed our waitresses. Every evening they brought the next day's menu so the kids could choose and they could advise accordingly. The only problem was desserts - they ended up having sorbet, sometimes with some berries on the side, every night and even they got bored with this, because all the gateaux, mousses, cakes and pastries were off limits.

 

We did eat in the Windjammer restaurant for breakfast, and lunch if we were on board. There was always plenty of choice for them and the deputy head chef himself went out of his way to find out if the self-serve ice-cream from the machines was OK for them, which it was.

Towards the end of our cruise I met the head chef and found he has a severe seafood allergy, so has a great understanding of the needs of allergy sufferers and is, by his own admission, super-cautious.

 

We are sailing with P&O this year and have had to fill out a form and send to their head office. It is more geared to people with disabilities/serious health problems than allergies, and we have yet to hear anything back.

 

All in all I felt RCI handled the allergy issue pretty well, which made for a nice, relaxing holiday.

[I_heart_vaca]

I'm going on a cruise this summer (yay! my first one!!) but I'm worried about my food options. I have several allergies - are the cruise lines good at dealing with this type of thing? I don't want to have to live off bars that I have to pack with me...

 

I am taking my first cruise ever and worried about my shellfish allergy. I sent a fax to Princess' special needs department and received a letter telling me they noted it in my file and asked that I follow up with the Maitre D when I get on board.

 

I was also encouraged not to use the buffet or if buffet was absolutely necessary and I had any issues or questions about food to talk with a buffet SUPERVISOR not one of the regular employees - who while well meaning may not be able to help me. The biggest concern in the buffet is cross contamination from other passengers. A supervisor will be able to find out ingredient items or bring out items from the kitchen if needed.

 

I have Anytime Dining but they recommended that it would be best if I picked a dining room and stuck with it - then they could help me by making reservations - limiting my potential servers - and going over menus the night before (as mentioned above).

 

Truth is I travel a lot and I am used to watching out for myself. So I will look around the buffet area and judge what I deem safe for me. I also travel with an epi-pen for emergency.

[EGG]

I would avoid having food (which contains an ingredient you need to avoid) custom made. This increases the chance of cross contamination and a misunderstanding in the kitchen. Stick with choices you know are safe, even if they are not your favorite (as suggested above by the poster with children with allergies).