Special dining requests

[Tree_skier]

We have a family cruise with DD and SiL and 3 GK's coming up Dec 1 on Adventure.  There are a number of specific food allergies that require special attention.  DW is allergic cucumbers (weird, I know), DD is Celiac and oldest GD is Celiac, allergic to soy and lactose intolerant (poor kid can barely eat anything). How far out and to whom should we address this with at Royal.  We have MTD selected and are unlikely to do any specialty dining on this cruise.  I intend to request the same table and servers once I get on board to simplify the process as I don't want us to have to keep explaining all the different issues with each night servers. 

[Hogbay]

I would do early or late dinner thren you are definitely have same server /waiter also contact special needs month before your cruise. 

[johnjen]

I'd address this ASAP with sending a detailed email to rcldining@rccl.com specifying name of ship, date sailing and the specific allergies with the names of the cruisers.

 

[spookwife]

You need traditional dining to have the most control over issues as you will be choosing meals for the next day during dessert

[DaniDanielle]

I have a tree nut allergy and have had no problems with MTD.  They note your cabin number and take your next night’s order after dinner.  They always seem aware of the allergy no matter who the waiters are.

 

[mjkacmom]

40 minutes ago, spookwife said:

You need traditional dining to have the most control over issues as you will be choosing meals for the next day during dessert

We’ve done gluten free dining on NCL where there is no traditional dining, different waiter and/or restaurant every night, and it’s pretty simple, just place an order the night before for breakfast/lunch/dinner, make a phone call to the dietary manager and let him know where we will be dining, and the food show up with everyone else’s. It’s all prepared in a separate kitchen.

[Tree_skier]

So I sent an email to  rcldining@rccl.com and got a bizarre response.

 

Hello,

We have a reservation booked under three different booking numbers, xxxxxxx, xxxxxxx and xxxxxxx on Adventure of the Seas Dec 1 2019. One of the reservations, xxxxxxx has some special food allergies that we would like noted.  For Tasha xxxxxx, she is gluten intolerant and Julianna xxxxxx she is allergic to gluten, dairy and soy. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Regards,
Tree_skier

 

This is the reply I got.

 

 

Good Day,

 

I will be happy to assist you however with my time dining is our open dining option we are unable to request for a pre table allocation.

However if you wish to switch to a set dining time to arrange a pre table allocation we offer 5:30pm and 8pm.

 

If you wish to continue with my time dining (open dining) you can request a table onboard for up to ten guests.

 

Please advise thank you

 

 

Vanessa Hurst  
Administrator, Restaurant Operations  |  Royal Caribbean International

OFFICE 305-539-6000   |  EMAIL vhurst@rccl.com

 

 

Not really sure what to say to this

Edited October 13, 2019 by Tree_skier

[Clarea]

51 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

 ...

 

Not really sure what to say to this

 

You sent an email to rcldining, whose job is to assign guests to tables in traditional dining.  They don't arrange tables for MTD, and they don't work on special dietary needs.  For dietary restrictions, use special_needs@rccl.com.

[Tree_skier]

2 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

You sent an email to rcldining, whose job is to assign guests to tables in traditional dining.  They don't arrange tables for MTD, and they don't work on special dietary needs.  For dietary restrictions, use special_needs@rccl.com.

Thanks Bob, I'm sure they really wondered about my email.  LOL. Thanks for for the update on the email.

 

I got the email from a previous post.

 

On 10/7/2019 at 11:55 AM, johnjen said:

I'd address this ASAP with sending a detailed email to rcldining@rccl.com specifying name of ship, date sailing and the specific allergies with the names of the cruisers.

 

 

I'll try again with the right email.  I'm sure my results will be better.

[JCYYZ]

You can also fill in a special needs request form here:

https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/allaboutcruising/guestSpecialNeeds.do

 

We filled one out for our last cruise and upcoming cruise for our peanut allergic daughter.  We had traditional dining last time but have booked MTD this time around.  We made reservations for each night and once on board will request to have the same table and wait staff, if possible. 

[Snit13]

On 10/7/2019 at 3:47 PM, spookwife said:

You need traditional dining to have the most control over issues as you will be choosing meals for the next day during dessert

You are able to choose meals for next day with MTD too.  You are also able to have the same table each night in MTD.  Have not done traditional dining in years.

[Snit13]

11 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

So I sent an email to  rcldining@rccl.com and got a bizarre response.

 

Hello,

We have a reservation booked under three different booking numbers, xxxxxxx, xxxxxxx and xxxxxxx on Adventure of the Seas Dec 1 2019. One of the reservations, xxxxxxx has some special food allergies that we would like noted.  For Tasha xxxxxx, she is gluten intolerant and Julianna xxxxxx she is allergic to gluten, dairy and soy. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Regards,
Tree_skier

 

This is the reply I got.

 

 

Good Day,

 

I will be happy to assist you however with my time dining is our open dining option we are unable to request for a pre table allocation.

However if you wish to switch to a set dining time to arrange a pre table allocation we offer 5:30pm and 8pm.

 

If you wish to continue with my time dining (open dining) you can request a table onboard for up to ten guests.

 

Please advise thank you

 

 

Vanessa Hurst  
Administrator, Restaurant Operations  |  Royal Caribbean International

OFFICE 305-539-6000   |  EMAIL vhurst@rccl.com

 

 

Not really sure what to say to this

You can request a table in MTD and you also can request same table each night.  As has been posted you will order your dinner for next day before you leave DR.  Have done it on more than 1 ship.  Will not be an issue.

[johnjen]

On 10/12/2019 at 11:03 PM, Tree_skier said:

Thanks Bob, I'm sure they really wondered about my email.  LOL. Thanks for for the update on the email.

 

I got the email from a previous post.

 

 

I'll try again with the right email.  I'm sure my results will be better.

Good luck, hope it works out.

[johnjen]

On 10/13/2019 at 9:51 AM, Snit13 said:

You can request a table in MTD and you also can request same table each night.  As has been posted you will order your dinner for next day before you leave DR.  Have done it on more than 1 ship.  Will not be an issue.

I replied to wrong poster!

Edited October 15, 2019 by johnjen

[johnjen]

On 10/12/2019 at 10:03 PM, Tree_skier said:

So I sent an email to  rcldining@rccl.com and got a bizarre response.

 

Hello,

We have a reservation booked under three different booking numbers, xxxxxxx, xxxxxxx and xxxxxxx on Adventure of the Seas Dec 1 2019. One of the reservations, xxxxxxx has some special food allergies that we would like noted.  For Tasha xxxxxx, she is gluten intolerant and Julianna xxxxxx she is allergic to gluten, dairy and soy. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Regards,
Tree_skier

 

This is the reply I got.

 

 

Good Day,

 

I will be happy to assist you however with my time dining is our open dining option we are unable to request for a pre table allocation.

However if you wish to switch to a set dining time to arrange a pre table allocation we offer 5:30pm and 8pm.

 

If you wish to continue with my time dining (open dining) you can request a table onboard for up to ten guests.

 

Please advise thank you

 

 

Vanessa Hurst  
Administrator, Restaurant Operations  |  Royal Caribbean International

OFFICE 305-539-6000   |  EMAIL vhurst@rccl.com

 

 

Not really sure what to say to this

Yeah, that's crazy, looks as if Vanessa didn't even read your email. Do try the one Bob recommended.

[LESLIEKURZ]

I have a life-threatening food allergy myself. I would suggest filling out the form that was posted in the link above. You will get a reply email confirming receipt. I typically follow up the week before my sailing and then make sure that I have a serious conversation with my head waiter on the first night. As other people have said, you will get the following day's menu each night at dinner, and will order all of your courses at that time.  Good luck. Feel free to ask any other questions regarding this.   

[Tree_skier]

Actually I sent an email to the special needs dept. referenced above and they were quick to reply. They noted the allergies on our invoice and switched us to traditional dining.  I also sent an email to the respondent of my first email as I'm sure response was her attempt to help with the matter not realizing my email was sent to the wrong dept.

 

They gave us the option of sticking with MTD but did recommend the traditional dining so we could guarantee that we had the same wait staff each night.  While often you are able to get the same staff with MTD (we have in the past) if can't be guaranteed.

[cb at sea]

The menu is the same, whether you're in MTD or traditional.  They recommend traditional because you will have the same waitstaff nightly, unlike in MTD....they get to KNOW what you need.

 

[CruiseMelissa]

My daughter has celiac and we've done 4 RCCL cruises in the past 3 years and they've been GREAT.  We email special needs ahead of time but usually get canned answers.  Once we're on board she is treated like royalty and we always do My Time Dining, we always have the same servers but even if we didn't, the head waited always has our back.  She eats like a queen at Windjammer too, there are always staff around that gets her safe food from the back.

[Clarea]

2 minutes ago, CruiseMelissa said:

My daughter has celiac and we've done 4 RCCL cruises in the past 3 years and they've been GREAT.  We email special needs ahead of time but usually get canned answers.  Once we're on board she is treated like royalty and we always do My Time Dining, we always have the same servers but even if we didn't, the head waited always has our back.  She eats like a queen at Windjammer too, there are always staff around that gets her safe food from the back.

 

Do they already know about the dietary restrictions onboard because of your email to Special Needs, or do you have to tell them yourself once onboard?

[CruiseMelissa]

1 minute ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Do they already know about the dietary restrictions onboard because of your email to Special Needs, or do you have to tell them yourself once onboard?

 

I'm under the impression they know it because our TA puts it on our reservation, I can see it in our paperwork.    I don't think emailing Special Needs is a waste of time, I like to think that's how they know what to order (in terms of gluten free bread, etc.) but I haven't found them to be especially helpful in answering questions, you either get a form letter or generic, vague information that doesn't turn out to really be true once you're on board.  It's your classic disconnect between corporate and what really goes on the ship that we often see with RCCL.  It's been GREAT once we're on the ship, they know exactly what they're doing and make us feel at ease with their protocols for dietary restrictions.  So we continue to follow the same routine.. put it in our reservation, email special needs, talk to the MTD head waiter, and then our waiter and it all works out perfectly.  

[Clarea]

5 minutes ago, CruiseMelissa said:

 

I'm under the impression they know it because our TA puts it on our reservation, I can see it in our paperwork.    I don't think emailing Special Needs is a waste of time, I like to think that's how they know what to order (in terms of gluten free bread, etc.) but I haven't found them to be especially helpful in answering questions, you either get a form letter or generic, vague information that doesn't turn out to really be true once you're on board.  It's your classic disconnect between corporate and what really goes on the ship that we often see with RCCL.  It's been GREAT once we're on the ship, they know exactly what they're doing and make us feel at ease with their protocols for dietary restrictions.  So we continue to follow the same routine.. put it in our reservation, email special needs, talk to the MTD head waiter, and then our waiter and it all works out perfectly.  

 

Thanks for the feedback.

[Tree_skier]

Thanks for all this great info.  This has been really helpful.  My poor oldest grand daughter is allergic to more things that not.  Eating out is always such a challenge for her she mostly doesn't bother anymore. I'm really hoping they are able to really show her some unique dining experiences.