trusting allergy accommodations?

[bskmom]

Have always had fantastic service regarding daughters allergies and there are many! Enjoy your time, but also trust your instinct. Double check if you have any doubt. But NCL is by far the best for us when it comes to allergies.

Patti

[LadyShiva]

Seattle is quite a foodie wonderland. You can go through a Whole Foods to get shelf stable coconut milk; it's definitely a common item nowadays!

[ellis101]

This may sound like an odd question and I apologise if I am prying as well. Do your kids only drink coconut milk? No water or other beverages?

[Quilting_Cruiser]

This may sound like an odd question and I apologise if I am prying as well. Do your kids only drink coconut milk? No water or other beverages?

 

See post #20.

[gluecksbaer]

Seattle is quite a foodie wonderland. You can go through a Whole Foods to get shelf stable coconut milk; it's definitely a common item nowadays!

 

So last year while visiting Seattle (actually in Lynnwood where we stayed), I stood in front of the dairy case in the closest grocery store and said, "uh-oh. Apparently I'm not in California anymore." Fortunately I was overheard by a local who gave me directions to Whole Foods. But we're not going to have a car this year so getting all the way out to Lynnwood is more of a challenge. I'm going to explore what's closer to downtown and call around to try to find it closer.

 

Thanks also to those who gave suggestions for stores at different ports. That gives me some options to explore in an emergency.

[luddite]

If you tell them what you can and cannot handle, they can accomodate you.

 

We were on the ship with Sparkygirl in February. Trust me here. They were able to handle her youngster's allergy, they can handle yours.

[KanataKruiser]

If you're heading to Alaska, I am not sure what the rules are for taking anything other than water off the ship. If you were in the Carribean, I am pretty sure you could not take any food off the ship other than water. There can be strict penalties. Best inquire before.

[SuiteCruisin14]

I have never had an issue with being Gluten Free on the last 5 NCL cruises. I have Celiac and do not eat Gluten Free as a fad.

 

Every night I was shown the next days menus and told what was GF. If I wanted something not on the menu, it was offered when I asked.

 

Not one issue and now we only do NCL for this issue. I trust them to keep me GF and so far they have.

 

Be sure to have each dining room or other food venue, scan the room card, it will trigger the GF issue.

 

Lynda

[DebJ14]

110% trust allergy accommodations, we can ONLY sail NCL due to my daughters severe allergies! I'll post more later about or experiences.

 

 

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I am glad to hear it. We have not been on NCL in 10 years. I have cruised Carnival, RCCL, Princess and MSC since being diagnosed celiac 8 years ago, and for the most part it has been a very good experience. There was just one gluten exposure on RCCL that made me sick within 30 minutes. Actually MSC was the best with a dedicated GF menu for every meal and they had by far the best GF pasta dishes.

 

I am also allergic to beef, dairy (the whole cow), some salt water fish, clams and oysters and both brewers and bakers yeast. I have to pass on the GF bread because of the yeast. If worse comes to worse I will end up with eggs, salad and chicken the whole week and the cruise ends up being a great diet.

 

At least I can have rum, tequila and certain vodkas and certain sterile filtered wines to drown my sorrows!

Edited May 28, 2015 by DebJ14

[gluecksbaer]

If you're heading to Alaska, I am not sure what the rules are for taking anything other than water off the ship. If you were in the Carribean, I am pretty sure you could not take any food off the ship other than water. There can be strict penalties. Best inquire before.

 

Thanks for the warning! That would never had occurred to me and could limit our excursion time in port.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

If you're heading to Alaska, I am not sure what the rules are for taking anything other than water off the ship. If you were in the Carribean, I am pretty sure you could not take any food off the ship other than water. There can be strict penalties. Best inquire before.

 

I've never heard of it being an issue when the food is prepackaged and sealed. You definitely shouldn't go to the buffet and take food from there off the ship, but the prepackaged, sealed food is fine.

[mjkacmom]

I've never heard of it being an issue when the food is prepackaged and sealed. You definitely shouldn't go to the buffet and take food from there off the ship, but the prepackaged, sealed food is fine.

 

Prepackaged and sealed is fine.

[lambchoplady]

I think the key here is to discuss your menu with the restaurant manager ahead of time. They will tell you what they have available and will make sure that it is served to you. In fact, once the meal leaves the special kitchen, it is delivered directly to the passenger without changing hands.

[LadyShiva]

So last year while visiting Seattle (actually in Lynnwood where we stayed), I stood in front of the dairy case in the closest grocery store and said, "uh-oh. Apparently I'm not in California anymore." Fortunately I was overheard by a local who gave me directions to Whole Foods. But we're not going to have a car this year so getting all the way out to Lynnwood is more of a challenge. I'm going to explore what's closer to downtown and call around to try to find it closer.

 

Thanks also to those who gave suggestions for stores at different ports. That gives me some options to explore in an emergency.

 

There's a Whole Paycheck in downtown Seattle:

2210 Westlake Ave

Seattle, WA 98121

 

Cabs are fairly cheap in Seattle, but the Whole Foods is only feet away from a Metro Transit stop.

[gooch47]

Trust but still use caution.

 

My DIL is very allergic to onions. One morning in the MDR she ordered smoked salmon which usually comes with onions. She told the waiter "no onions" very emphatically. So, of course they came with onions. She sent them back and when a second serving arrived, she smelled the plate and sure enough detected onions. They must have just scraped them off. Just the residue would have triggered her allergy.

 

But ... her treatment by the head waiter for her evening meals was outstanding.

[gluecksbaer]

[quote name='LadyShiva']There's a Whole Paycheck in downtown Seattle:
2210 Westlake Ave
Seattle, WA 98121

Cabs are fairly cheap in Seattle, but the Whole Foods is only feet away from a Metro Transit stop.[/quote]

Thanks. When I looked before I only saw the one in Lynnwood and one in Bellevue listed in Washington. I was surprised there wasn't one actually in Seattle but didn't see one. Not sure how I missed them. When I searched Seattle instead of by state I see there are several.

[Sparkygirl]

[quote name='gooch47']Trust but still use caution.



My DIL is very allergic to onions. One morning in the MDR she ordered smoked salmon which usually comes with onions. She told the waiter "no onions" very emphatically. So, of course they came with onions. She sent them back and when a second serving arrived, she smelled the plate and sure enough detected onions. They must have just scraped them off. Just the residue would have triggered her allergy.



But ... her treatment by the head waiter for her evening meals was outstanding.[/QUOTE]


I have never had this experience, did your daughter tell them food allergy to onions or just no onions? It doesn't make sense to me that a meal prepared in the allergy kitchen and brought to the guest would contain the allergen. Particularly if the access desk form lists the allergy and it is included on an inventory for that sailing.

We made reservations the night before for each restaurant, the restaurant manager or food and beverage director often circulated during dinner and would find us and ask where we planned to eat the next night or I was to call them and tell them where we would be eating.

My daughters life threatening allergy is also to environmental triggers of natural rubber and is airborne, direct and indirect contact as well as latex cross reactive syndrome to banana, avocado, kiwi and chestnut. We bird the ship through the crew gangway, attend make up muster drill, are escorted off the ship and have been escorted to the crew elevators when the regular passenger elevators and stairs and filled with balloons from señor frogs.

She is 4 yeas old and cruising is one of the least stressful vacations for her dad and I as it literally feels like the entire ship is working to keep her safe.


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[Im_on_a_boat]

[quote name='gluecksbaer']Please remember to update me with how it goes on your trip!

[/QUOTE]

Day 1: Embarkation day! We arrived onboard and spoke with Guest Services. They told us that our acct was notated regarding my son's allergy and to speak with the Maitre d'. We headed to one of the MDRs for lunch. Spoke with the Maitre d' and she assured us that there would not be a problem prepping my son's meals and that we would just need to place my son's order for dinner the day (or night) before.

At dinner, we did just that. The waiter brought us a menu for the following night and we placed my son's order.

Remember in Annie when the seamstress asked Annie if blue was her color and then said, "No, red, I think" - well it was pretty similar on NCL! He got everything he wanted! My son ordered off the menu every night for his 1st course. He loves apples, especially red apples. One day, one of the MDRs did not have a red apple and they asked if green was ok. When the waiter returned, he had a sliced red apple. He said he sent his asst waiter to the Garden Cafe for a red apple. I thought that was very thoughtful and showed that even the smallest passengers are just as important.

By day 3 everyone in all 3 MDRs knew my son's name and he was obviously their favorite!

They even had GF waffles (my son is not GF, but the GF waffles do not have dairy or soy). He never had an issue and never went without something he wanted. He was very happy and probably ate his weight in fish and chips.

We'll be planning our next cruise with NCL very soon! They are the best with accommodating food allergies!

side note: the splash academy was his absolute favorite part of the whole cruise!

[gluecksbaer]

[quote name='Im_on_a_boat']Day 1: Embarkation day! We arrived onboard and spoke with Guest Services. They told us that our acct was notated regarding my son's allergy and to speak with the Maitre d'. We headed to one of the MDRs for lunch. Spoke with the Maitre d' and she assured us that there would not be a problem prepping my son's meals and that we would just need to place my son's order for dinner the day (or night) before.

At dinner, we did just that. The waiter brought us a menu for the following night and we placed my son's order.

Remember in Annie when the seamstress asked Annie if blue was her color and then said, "No, red, I think" - well it was pretty similar on NCL! He got everything he wanted! My son ordered off the menu every night for his 1st course. He loves apples, especially red apples. One day, one of the MDRs did not have a red apple and they asked if green was ok. When the waiter returned, he had a sliced red apple. He said he sent his asst waiter to the Garden Cafe for a red apple. I thought that was very thoughtful and showed that even the smallest passengers are just as important.

By day 3 everyone in all 3 MDRs knew my son's name and he was obviously their favorite!

They even had GF waffles (my son is not GF, but the GF waffles do not have dairy or soy). He never had an issue and never went without something he wanted. He was very happy and probably ate his weight in fish and chips.

We'll be planning our next cruise with NCL very soon! They are the best with accommodating food allergies!

side note: the splash academy was his absolute favorite part of the whole cruise![/QUOTE]


Thanks for the update! I hope we have the same kind of great experience.