Dining Restriction

[Morris4me]

When I booked our cruise on Grandeur, the agent asked if we had any special dietary restrictions. I responded that my Dad is on a low sodium diet. The agent said she would put the request into our reservation. Does RCI really provide special menus for dietary restrictions, including low salt?

[Dinkachu]

When I booked our cruise on Grandeur, the agent asked if we had any special dietary restrictions. I responded that my Dad is on a low sodium diet. The agent said she would put the request into our reservation. Does RCI really provide special menus for dietary restrictions, including low salt?

 

 

We travel with two people with severe shellfish allergies.

On each of our RCI cruises, the head-waiter, and one time the chef, visited our table the first night to point out appropriate choices.

 

At the end of the first meal, they brought us the menu for the second night and let us pre-order meals that would be safe.

 

This is one reason we are a bit nervous about Dynamic Dining and not having the same waiters each evening.

 

All in all, we have found RCI to be very accommodating to our special dietary needs.

[Ourusualbeach]

When I booked our cruise on Grandeur, the agent asked if we had any special dietary restrictions. I responded that my Dad is on a low sodium diet. The agent said she would put the request into our reservation. Does RCI really provide special menus for dietary restrictions, including low salt?

 

Yes they do but...

 

You need to mention this to your Headwaiter. We make a point of going to the MDR once we board and try to meet our Headwaiter and let them know of allergy concerns. Lots of times the information from shoreside does not make it to the ship.

 

Every night the Headwaiter will provide you with the next days menus to make your dinner selection for the next day. This gives them time to modify the meal to meet your needs.

 

If you just leave it to that night they will struggle to accommodate your request.

 

In the buffets make sure that you seek out a chef for advice on what foods are OK for you. While the servers try to help they do not always have the correct information to properly help you.

 

For specialty restaurants we usually go and talk to the restaurant manager early in the afternoon to discuss any concerns.

[Spurschick]

We travel with two people with severe shellfish allergies.

On each of our RCI cruises, the head-waiter, and one time the chef, visited our table the first night to point out appropriate choices.

 

At the end of the first meal, they brought us the menu for the second night and let us pre-order meals that would be safe.

 

This is one reason we are a bit nervous about Dynamic Dining and not having the same waiters each evening.

 

All in all, we have found RCI to be very accommodating to our special dietary needs.

 

If you do Dynamic Dining Classic you keep the waiters.

[cb at sea]

Yes...if you have dietary restrictions, they will work with you to accommodate your needs. You should tell them in advance...Special Needs dept!

[marys350]

When I booked our cruise on Grandeur, the agent asked if we had any special dietary restrictions. I responded that my Dad is on a low sodium diet. The agent said she would put the request into our reservation. Does RCI really provide special menus for dietary restrictions, including low salt?

 

I follow a low sodium diet at home due to high blood pressure. Although I've never requested a low sodium diet on a cruise in the past, I just tried it for the first time on my recent sailing on Jewel of the Seas. I requested the low sodium diet when I booked the cruise and also spoke to my waiter and head waiter on the first evening. I was very pleased with my experience. Each evening at the end of my meal, the head waiter brought me the menu for the next evening and I made my selections for the next night. The food was flavorful and not bland. Although I probably could have spoken to staff in the Windjammer about breakfast and lunch items, I didn't. Instead, I avoided salty items and focused on foods that I knew were lower sodium. I plan to request a low sodium diet for future cruises. I usually get swollen ankles when cruising and noticed a big improvement this time.

[nelblu]

We travel with two people with severe shellfish allergies.

On each of our RCI cruises, the head-waiter, and one time the chef, visited our table the first night to point out appropriate choices.

 

At the end of the first meal, they brought us the menu for the second night and let us pre-order meals that would be safe.

 

This is one reason we are a bit nervous about Dynamic Dining and not having the same waiters each evening.

 

All in all, we have found RCI to be very accommodating to our special dietary needs.

 

My understanding is that if you select the "DD Classic" you will have the same waiters rotating with you.

[KelJ]

I follow a low sodium diet at home due to high blood pressure. Although I've never requested a low sodium diet on a cruise in the past, I just tried it for the first time on my recent sailing on Jewel of the Seas. I requested the low sodium diet when I booked the cruise and also spoke to my waiter and head waiter on the first evening. I was very pleased with my experience. Each evening at the end of my meal, the head waiter brought me the menu for the next evening and I made my selections for the next night. The food was flavorful and not bland. Although I probably could have spoken to staff in the Windjammer about breakfast and lunch items, I didn't. Instead, I avoided salty items and focused on foods that I knew were lower sodium. I plan to request a low sodium diet for future cruises. I usually get swollen ankles when cruising and noticed a big improvement this time.

 

Were you still able to choose from all of the regular menu items? I too experience horrible swelling in my ankles when we cruise. Our next cruise is 14 nights, and I am very concerned.

[Clarea]

Were you still able to choose from all of the regular menu items? I too experience horrible swelling in my ankles when we cruise. Our next cruise is 14 nights, and I am very concerned.

Drink bottled water instead of the ship's tap water. I realize you will still get lots of sodium from other drinks and foods, but for whatever reason, my wife's ankles don't swell when she drinks bottled water.

[KelJ]

Drink bottled water instead of the ship's tap water. I realize you will still get lots of sodium from other drinks and foods, but for whatever reason, my wife's ankles don't swell when she drinks bottled water.

 

Bob, thank you for this suggestion. You are always a wealth of information!

[spookwife]

When I booked our cruise on Grandeur, the agent asked if we had any special dietary restrictions. I responded that my Dad is on a low sodium diet. The agent said she would put the request into our reservation. Does RCI really provide special menus for dietary restrictions, including low salt?

 

yup. low sodium is one of the more common ones and he will be allowed to choose his dinner ahead of time to be made low /free sodium. he can also be shown buffet items upon request that are low sodium.

 

the first night may be problematic but after that he will just choose after dinner each night for the next night's meal.

[counsdr]

I request low/free sodium on every cruise as well as discuss my fish and seafood allergies for cross contamination purposes. I do get my menus ahead of time which is great for dinner, but it's a problem at breakfast and lunch as y'all know how rushed the wait staff is at those meals! On my last cruise, my head waiter even brought me the daily lunch menu so I could choose my lunch, but unless he was working in the dining room, there was no guarantee I would get my pre-ordered meal! On days we had to eat lunch in the Windjammer, I stuck to salad or something easy and low sodium. My ankles weren't as swollen as before I started asking for special diets, but they were still swollen and there was still some sodium in the food besides the naturally occurring kind! Drinking bottled water was no help for me! They do try though. For instance if they are serving mashed potatoes, they bring me a baked potato. I tell special needs and then seek out the maitre d' and my head waiter in the dining room before dinner on the first night.

Good luck!