Food allergies on Silhouette

[glenneagle]

We have just returned from 12 night cruise.We have done over 30 cruises on Celebrity. I have food allergies and have never had a problem as everything in the buffet was clearly labeled until this cruise.

No ingredients listed at all. I spoke to the food manager and he told me they are trying out a new system, no more will they be listing the ingredients but i could ask..Are they kidding...the staff have no clue what is in every dish.  The bran muffins say bran muffins.Well one day they had no nuts a day later they contained nuts

Pasta salad...had fish in it one day but not the next  

So if you have food allergies the buffet is now off limits.

 

[Luvcrusn]

That is disturbing to say the least. I'd suggest that you send a letter to the CEO bringing to her attention the possible dangers this lack of disclosure gives to passengers with food allergies and sensitivities as well as pointing out the possible liabilities to X.  This can be a serious and possibly life endangering situation. Who did you speak with on board about it? The manager in the OVC or the Food and Beverage Manager of the ship?

[Algebralovr]

Interesting.  I am the parent of a young adult with many food allergies, some severe.  She has been on a number of Celebrity cruises, both with and without us.  She has never eaten in the buffet in self-service due to the risk of cross contamination and because the buffet never listed all the possible ingredients.  Maybe it is due to what she is allergic to?  If the MDR was not open, she went to the buffet area, found the M’d on duty, who called the chef on duty, who prepared something she could eat in back or who got the untouched trays to get her food without risk of cross contamination.  

 

She is is allergic to soy, rice, nuts (both peanut and tree nut), melon, eggplant, peaches, apples, pears, oranges, shellfish, and probably more but I no longer keep up with it all.  

[Luvcrusn]

Yes Algebralovr, I also thought that the OVC, even with fully listed ingredients, presents a risk of cross contamination  to those (like my DIL and grandkids) with severe allergies. We've all seen fellow passengers use a serving utensil and the putting it back into a different tray of food. Those with severe allergies can have reactions to even a small amount of things on their prohibited list.

[Tourist1292]

23 minutes ago, Algebralovr said:

Interesting.  I am the parent of a young adult with many food allergies, some severe.  She has been on a number of Celebrity cruises, both with and without us.  She has never eaten in the buffet in self-service due to the risk of cross contamination and because the buffet never listed all the possible ingredients.  Maybe it is due to what she is allergic to?  If the MDR was not open, she went to the buffet area, found the M’d on duty, who called the chef on duty, who prepared something she could eat in back or who got the untouched trays to get her food without risk of cross contamination.  

 

She is is allergic to soy, rice, nuts (both peanut and tree nut), melon, eggplant, peaches, apples, pears, oranges, shellfish, and probably more but I no longer keep up with it all.  

Good to know. My younger daughter also has multiple food allergies. Our cruise is 9 weeks away. I have heard we should contact Celebrity about that before the cruise. Have you done that and how? Thanks in advance.

[Luvcrusn]

2 minutes ago, Tourist1292 said:

Good to know. My younger daughter also has multiple food allergies. Our cruise is 9 weeks away. I have heard we should contact Celebrity about that before the cruise. Have you done that and how? Thanks in advance.

Contact X's medical needs department. Here's a link: https://www.celebritycruises.com/special-needs/medical-needs

[Tourist1292]

1 minute ago, Luvcrusn said:

Contact X's medical needs department. Here's a link: https://www.celebritycruises.com/special-needs/medical-needs

Thank you very much.

[Algebralovr]

4 minutes ago, Tourist1292 said:

Good to know. My younger daughter also has multiple food allergies. Our cruise is 9 weeks away. I have heard we should contact Celebrity about that before the cruise. Have you done that and how? Thanks in advance.

 

To contact Celebrity, contact them at special_needs@celebrity.com  with your reservation number and the situation.  We've had mixed results with doing that, to be honest, but they do request it.

 

Then, as soon as you board, go to the MDR and speak to the Hostess on duty to handle MDR requests.  They will contact someone for you.  Generally, at this time, my daughter pre-orders dinner for that night.  After that, she will order dinner for the next day each evening, along with any meals she wants to eat in the MDR (breakfast, lunch on a sea day).  

It is recommended that you take a list of all allergies on a 3x5 card.  We take one to provide to the Asst M'd each time she orders.  That way, there is no question.  

 

At times, we also email the Restaurant Operations Manager on board the ship the week before we sail.  We've had really good results when we've contacted Special Needs, then emailed the ROM, then met the Hostess as soon as we boarded.  

The cards with the allergy lists that she hands over when placing an order come in EXTRA handy if she does need to eat in the buffet.  It gives a written record to the chef they call so that he can see in writing what she cannot have.    They regularly get her food from the back rather than what is on the buffet.  Other times, the chef steps behind the counter and makes her something, such as at the egg or pasta station.  She can often eat at those two, so long as they wash the skillet and start fresh.  

 

[Luvcrusn]

You're most welcome. Have a wonderful and safe cruise. It's also wise to let the maître d in your dining venue know about your food concerns and request the same wait staff for your meals. Let the wait staff know as well with reminders daily. While they should remember, it's best to be pro-active with the health of you and your loved ones. The staff are taking care of 2-3 thousand passengers and it's easy for a mistake to be made. It's always wise to be vigilant.

[Tourist1292]

Thank you all.

[crazyman3]

I have a serious nut allergy. I discovered it in a Bedouin tent in Syria ----miles from medical help.

Before each cruise, I contact Celebrity in writing to let them know.

Then, before I eat at any restaurant , I let the manager etc. know about my allergy. On the rare occasion I visit the buffet, the main chef usually shows me the foods that are okay and the ones to avoid. Food has been prepared especially for me once in a while.

I eat many meals in Luminae. I am given the menus in advance and am happy to order ahead. My meals are then cooked separately in the kitchen. However, on my last X cruise I was served two little tasters (not on the menu) with nuts on! Obviously I was no happy and spoke with the appropriate people.

The 'difficult' foods are biscuits (cookies) and ice cream. I live in fear of cross-contamination ---- which hit me once in Morocco. 

 

If I am on a land-based holiday in a country where English is not the first language, I always take a written translation of something about my allergy. Of course, I have my epi-pens to show if need be! 

 

I have read through the information of the above posters: how awful some of your conditions are. I hope that your adventures go well for all of you.

[gold1953]

I do not need to worry about cross contamination  so I had the chef take me around the buffet each time and point to what I could eat.. all 15 days .

 The dining room was an issue as I did  choose the night before but they got lazy and thought that a plate with dry meat with a side of carrots and broccoli was a decent meal for me nightly .. I finally rebelled . Even with the Maitre D  taking my order the situation did not get better so I ate at the buffet

[elaineb]

I have a tropical fruit allergy and also walnuts and pecans.  The worse is mangoes.  I plan on having some frozen fruity drinks.  My thought is to order direct from the bar so they are sure to wash the blender and not just rinse it out as I understand many frozen drinks have mango.  Does this sound like a good plan?

[Luvcrusn]

Yes it does.

[sippican]

It seems as though this may be a new trend (sadly). Three years ago (before my diagnosis), a traveling companion had a great experience meeting dietary restrictions aboard the Reflection.  On our last two cruises I had dismal experiences - one of those in Luminae. I had gone through all of the proper steps, filling out forms, calling ahead of departure, and meeting with kitchen staff. (The head chef on the Xpedition refused to meet with me - and sent the diningroom manager.)

I'm wondering if the food allergy notations are being removed due to mislabeling. One such example - on our last cruise, eggplant parmesean was noted to be gluten-free. In my experience, it is usually breaded with wheat-based crumbs. Sure enough, when I questioned the staff, they said, "No it is not gluten-free. You can't eat that." But the label was left up for the entire meal. The staff was unable to tell me if the dressings, spices in rice, ketchup, etc, contained gluten. I even requested to see the labels, but was denied.

I have been very proactive regarding our upcoming cruise and hopeful that I can dine with confidence.

[glenneagle]

I spoke to both the manager of OVC and food and beverage manager.

They both told me its a pilot program celebrity is trying out....no ingredients listed and if they like it all Celebrity ships will follow .

I explained to both of them how dangerous it was and how many people had food allergies...

They said they would pass the information on to Miami....

Please check and the double check all your food.

Happy sailing

 

[Bo1953]

6 hours ago, gold1953 said:

I do not need to worry about cross contamination  so I had the chef take me around the buffet each time and point to what I could eat.. all 15 days .

 The dining room was an issue as I did  choose the night before but they got lazy and thought that a plate with dry meat with a side of carrots and broccoli was a decent meal for me nightly .. I finally rebelled . Even with the Maitre D  taking my order the situation did not get better so I ate at the buffet

I Am so sorry to hear of this...

 

My dietary preferences, have been fulfilled 95% of the time.

 

When we were on The Silly a few years back, I received vegetable risotto two (2) nights in Murano, the second one was returned and the request was for something other and more creative.

 

It took about 20 minutes, but the chef delivered and it was fantastic, curried vegetables...

 

I trust you future sailings will be worry free in the food department...

 

bon appetite and bon voyage

[glenneagle]

We spoke to both the manager of he ovc and the food and beverage manager.They said this was a new labeling system that they were trying out for the entire fleet.If it worked this is what they were changing to.I told them how unsatisfactory it was and that it would prevent people sailing with Celebrity....They said they would let Miami know of my concerns as i was not the only passenger to complain that cruise.Hope they go back to the old system..

[Covepointcruiser]

I have a family member with severe allergies.   The mother would never allow him to eat anything in a buffet.   Cross contamination is too much of a risk.   She never trusts her sons or her own health to strangers.   They have severe allergies and don’t want to risk death.    I am surprised at the number of folks with severe allergies willing to put their lives at risk for a vacation.    I would not trust the ship’s personnel to give you the correct foods without allergens.   The Epi Pen can only do some much and emergency intervention is required whenever you use it.

 

[gold1953]

6 hours ago, Bo1953 said:

I Am so sorry to hear of this...

 

My dietary preferences, have been fulfilled 95% of the time.

 

When we were on The Silly a few years back, I received vegetable risotto two (2) nights in Murano, the second one was returned and the request was for something other and more creative.

 

It took about 20 minutes, but the chef delivered and it was fantastic, curried vegetables...

 

I trust you future sailings will be worry free in the food department...

 

bon appetite and bon voyage

I expressed that I was not satisfied eating the same meal each night. ( night 4) The waiter was rude.. truly. When I said that this was not what I ordered ( very politely) He grabbed my plate , scraped the carrots and broccoli in the food station and slammed my plate in front of me.  . Then said here.. Our 8 table mates were as shocked as I was.  After the meal he pulled a scrap of paper from his pocket and showed me.. meat and veggies... ( except I ordered the lamb and veggies that were on the menu) I said this was NOT what I ordered and he said  " YES IT WAS .. loudly  The next night I went to the buffet and while standing waiting for my lamb, the waiter shows up ( during dining time) He kept asking if he and I were alright.  Begged us to return the next night and promised a proper meal. We did . It was lobster night.. Guess what .. plain lobster with carrots and broccoli. He ignored me all through dinner. I wanted BUTTER !!. The maitre D brought me a new dinner but the others had dessert.  I never returned to the dining room !!  As we sat to eat the next night ,, to our surprise out table mates joined us .. All this because I can't eat garlic. Also can't eat pine nuts . Love all the other nuts that are often used in dishes but got none. When I asked for what was on the menu .. waiter says  NO .. I am protecting you.. no nuts .. seriously!! Management were involved  and said that he was 'dealt with' .. but he was at our table and did not speak to me. There were several  other things that happened as well.  After I returned home I called and was given  credit for the grats that went to him.  15 Celebrity cruises and never a complaint out of us. We are people who clean our cabins and remove our buffet dished from the table  to make it easy for crew.

[Bo1953]

7 minutes ago, gold1953 said:

I expressed that I was not satisfied eating the same meal each night. ( night 4) The waiter was rude.. truly. When I said that this was not what I ordered ( very politely) He grabbed my plate , scraped the carrots and broccoli in the food station and slammed my plate in front of me.  . Then said here.. Our 8 table mates were as shocked as I was.  After the meal he pulled a scrap of paper from his pocket and showed me.. meat and veggies... ( except I ordered the lamb and veggies that were on the menu) I said this was NOT what I ordered and he said  " YES IT WAS .. loudly  The next night I went to the buffet and while standing waiting for my lamb, the waiter shows up ( during dining time) He kept asking if he and I were alright.  Begged us to return the next night and promised a proper meal. We did . It was lobster night.. Guess what .. plain lobster with carrots and broccoli. He ignored me all through dinner. I wanted BUTTER !!. The maitre D brought me a new dinner but the others had dessert.  I never returned to the dining room !!  As we sat to eat the next night ,, to our surprise out table mates joined us .. All this because I can't eat garlic. Also can't eat pine nuts . Love all the other nuts that are often used in dishes but got none. When I asked for what was on the menu .. waiter says  NO .. I am protecting you.. no nuts .. seriously!! Management were involved  and said that he was 'dealt with' .. but he was at our table and did not speak to me. There were several  other things that happened as well.  After I returned home I called and was given  credit for the grats that went to him.  15 Celebrity cruises and never a complaint out of us. We are people who clean our cabins and remove our buffet dished from the table  to make it easy for crew.

I hope that waiter was severely dealt with as that is no way to treat a guest...

 

I trust future sailings will not subject you to such treatment...

 

bon appetite and bon voyage

[gold1953]

1 minute ago, Bo1953 said:

I hope that waiter was severely dealt with as that is no way to treat a guest...

 

I trust future sailings will not subject you to such treatment...

 

bon appetite and bon voyage

Hope so.  Strangely our assistant waiter never spoke. One night he mixed up my husbands dinner with another table mate. Bill started eating before  they realized . the waiter swapped plates .. yes both had food eaten from them. . This was last April on the Eclipse. Next cruise is a 15 night again. The people we shared the table with ( only knew one of them)  joined us nightly at the buffet for the second week of the cruise. They heard and saw everything

[DogLover]

It's tough for those of us with severe allergies to regulate on a cruise ship. Several years ago we were on the Celebrity Xpedition in the Galapagos (cruise of a lifetime.) I have a shellfish allergy and am very careful to avoid cross contamination issues. Unfortunately, I was affected by a misplaced spoon on a lunch buffet ... after several injections and two full days confined to the cabin, I was able to resume activities. It was a bummer to miss those days in the Galapagos.

 

On a RCCL cruise to Alaska in 2014, the ship had a dining venue called "Rita's Crabshack" which highlighted fresh seafood including Halibut fish & chips (yes!) I asked the Chef if I could order the fish & chips with my allergy and he assured me they would prepare them separately ... they were more than accommodating! (I know, not a Celebrity ship but just relaying my experience.)

 

I generally avoid the buffet unless no other dining venue is open and stick to vegetable options. It's certainly a challenge and hope that any cruise line understands the implications of severe allergies.

[Bo1953]

11 hours ago, gold1953 said:

Hope so.  Strangely our assistant waiter never spoke. One night he mixed up my husbands dinner with another table mate. Bill started eating before  they realized . the waiter swapped plates .. yes both had food eaten from them. . This was last April on the Eclipse. Next cruise is a 15 night again. The people we shared the table with ( only knew one of them)  joined us nightly at the buffet for the second week of the cruise. They heard and saw everything

One additional thought for you....

 

I might recommend, were this to occur again, address the situation with the F & B and/or Hotel managers, not as a complaint, per se, but as a challenge that you would like their assistance in handling.

 

I also take the kitchen tour and corner the Head Chef towards the end of the lecture and just before the tour so they know who I Am and what it is I seek from the kitchen and waiters... this has yet to fail me, for the most part.

 

I have found that going that route has helped a great deal. Better doing it earlier than later as well.

 

Enjoy your next sailing and here's to great eating..

 

bon appetite and bon voyage

[Fishkillbill]

On ‎3‎/‎1‎/‎2019 at 8:28 PM, gold1953 said:

I expressed that I was not satisfied eating the same meal each night. ( night 4) The waiter was rude.. truly. When I said that this was not what I ordered ( very politely) He grabbed my plate , scraped the carrots and broccoli in the food station and slammed my plate in front of me.  . Then said here.. Our 8 table mates were as shocked as I was.  After the meal he pulled a scrap of paper from his pocket and showed me.. meat and veggies... ( except I ordered the lamb and veggies that were on the menu) I said this was NOT what I ordered and he said  " YES IT WAS .. loudly  The next night I went to the buffet and while standing waiting for my lamb, the waiter shows up ( during dining time) He kept asking if he and I were alright.  Begged us to return the next night and promised a proper meal. We did . It was lobster night.. Guess what .. plain lobster with carrots and broccoli. He ignored me all through dinner. I wanted BUTTER !!. The maitre D brought me a new dinner but the others had dessert.  I never returned to the dining room !!  As we sat to eat the next night ,, to our surprise out table mates joined us .. All this because I can't eat garlic. Also can't eat pine nuts . Love all the other nuts that are often used in dishes but got none. When I asked for what was on the menu .. waiter says  NO .. I am protecting you.. no nuts .. seriously!! Management were involved  and said that he was 'dealt with' .. but he was at our table and did not speak to me. There were several  other things that happened as well.  After I returned home I called and was given  credit for the grats that went to him.  15 Celebrity cruises and never a complaint out of us. We are people who clean our cabins and remove our buffet dished from the table  to make it easy for crew.

 

When you remove your buffet dishes from the table, where do you put them?