Special diet needs on CB

[Rancher Dave]

Aside from contacting the dietary department ahead of sailing, has anyone who has a young family member with lactose free and gluten free needs sailed CB lately that can offer suggestions?

 

Anyone specifically ask to speak with chef about the special diet needs to ensure their teen gets a good variety and perhaps requested meals such as gluten free pizza etc? Still working to figure out hr diet needs but at same time don't want her cruise experience to be way off from prior 20 due to restricted diet.

 

Appreciate hearing of your experience and specific suggestions.

[caribill]

Can't answer for lactose and gluten free diets, but we have had excellent experience on the CB with salt-free and vegetarian needs.

 

You need to speak with your headwaiter the first evening not the chef, not your waiter) and explain your needs.

 

He will do his best for that evening's meal. He will also bring the menus for the next day's dining room meals (B,L,D) and work with you to either have menu items prepared appropriately or suggest alternative items that may not be on the menu for the next day. The headwaiter will repeat this each evening for the following day.

 

You can do this in either traditional or anytime dining. If in anytime, I suggest using the same dining room each evening so you can work iwth the same headwaiter. The special meals are kept by cabin number, so if at different tables in anytime (or at breakfast or lunch), your pre-planned menu selections can be retrieved.

 

Also on 24 hour notice, Pizza at the piozza counter near the pools can be made gluten free, but I do not know how they would handle the lactose.

 

If you are dining in a specialty restaurant, speak with the headwaiter there 24 hours in advance.

 

Although you do this planning with your headwaiter, do let your waiter and assistant waiter know of the restrictions so they know what foods not to serve you.

 

Ask your dining room headwaiter how to deal with eating at the buffet.

[NavyVeteran]

I don't think there will be any need to speak with the chef. Be sure to talk with a head waiter - not just a waiter - about the restrictions. I have found that Princess head waiters are usually well trained in dealing with diet restrictions - waiters do not have the same training.

 

It may be easier if you eat in the same restaurant every night. Although it may be easier with traditional fixed seating, I have also seen it work well with anytime dining. If you have anytime dining, I suggest you eat in the same restaurant every night so you are dealing with the same head waiter. I don't think it is necessary to have the same waiter every night as long as you have the same head waiter.

 

The head waiter will take her lunch and dinner orders each night for the next day. He will discuss the options and restrictions and make suggestions on modifications to meet her needs. With the advance orders, he will arrange to modify preparation to make sure that the restrictions are met. She should have plenty of choices. Special orders for breakfast can also be made available if necessary.

 

She won't have as many choices on the first night, but the head waiter will find something for her.

 

It is more difficult in the buffet. However, you can talk with the head waiter there to see what would fit her restrictions. The buffet also has problems with cross contamination, since passengers often use serving utensils for other foods.

 

She should also be able to eat in any of the specialty restaurants if she wants. Just go by the night before to discuss the menu and the restrictions with the head waiter in the specific specialty restaurant.

[NavyVeteran]

It looks as if two of us were typing at the same time - and that we gave almost exactly the same response.:)

[NeurosurgeryNP]

Great advice from prior posters. We had excellent experience with husbands gluten free diet on the CB last year as well as when we did the Bon Voyage experience on her in October.

[DebJ14]

We had excellent service from the head waiter in the Palm Dining room in December. DH and I are both gluten free (by necessity, not choice). The head waiter came to the table each night with the menus for the next night and we made our choices. Desserts were usually a surprise - whatever the chef made as the GF dessert of the day. I have an issue with casein, the protein in dairy products, and am also dairy free. My desserts were different from those given to my husband. He would get a GF cheesecake and I would get a GF/CF mousse. I think they probably used soy milk in place of the dairy, at least that is what Carnival does. There was an option for pizza with 24 hour notice, but we don't eat it anymore so we didn't try it. They were also very intent on delivering a good GF meal in Sabatini's and the Crown Grille. I had sorbet for dessert because there were no GF/CF options. We knew they did a good job because neither of us got sick. If I get contaminated with gluten I get the same symptoms as Noro and will be sick for 24 hours afterward. It would have hit me by the end of the meal.

 

Make sure you send the e-mail to Princess so that they know how many GF they have onboard and can prepare accordingly. Otherwise, you won't be on the headwaiter's list of tables to visit. They will send you a confirmation that they have your dietary requests.

Edited February 23, 2014 by DebJ14

[NeurosurgeryNP]

My DH did have the option for GF pizza as well - we had to give 24 hours notice and where we wanted to eat - i.e. dining room for lunch, etc. He enjoyed the GF a lot. The burger place on the pool deck accommodated him - burgers without buns, and the fries are GF as no other food is fried in the fryer and the clean it out and replace oil nightly.

[FawnRiver]

As other posters have said, let the headwaiter know and they'll be happy to help you out, regardless of what your dietary issue is.

 

I'm allergic to mangos - weird, I know, but they make my throat swell shut, so it is rather serious. On our last cruise, the head waiter brought me the menus for the next night every night. We also did the Chef's table and they accommodated me without issue. It was a good thing we told them, the sorbet between courses was lemon with chunks of mango in the bottom. I wouldn't have know not to eat it until it was too late.

[rpcv77]

Just confirming what everyone else has said. We were on the Diamond a few months ago. My dd has Celiac's, so is not gluten free by choice. Each night, the head waiter would go over the next night's menu with her. She had a wide range of choices, even some decent gluten free bread. They were very conscientious about her food. We will be on the Grand in a few weeks and feel confident that she will have a similar experience.

[Rancher Dave]

It looks as if two of us were typing at the same time - and that we gave almost exactly the same response.:)

 

 

Yes it was definitely same wave length going on. Thanks to all for great suggestions.

 

Only been six or so weeks under new dietary restrictions for dd. As for the pizza, she takes lactate pill. Does ok at RUssos NY Pizza on the gluten free with a lactate pill.

 

We will seek out head waiters in anytime and specialty where we plan to dine.

[Rancher Dave]

My DH did have the option for GF pizza as well - we had to give 24 hours notice and where we wanted to eat - i.e. dining room for lunch, etc. He enjoyed the GF a lot. The burger place on the pool deck accommodated him - burgers without buns, and the fries are GF as no other food is fried in the fryer and the clean it out and replace oil nightly.

 

 

Glad to know the fries are GF in case she wants a quick snack. Dw will like burgers without buns as she sometimes tries to do Atkins. Fortunately I do ok with most foods.

 

I suppose not having a reaction that mimics noro is a good thing since noro can get ya sequestered in quarters. Lactose with her pill does that to her.