Peanut Allergy on Carnival

[cruiseSEA52]

Anyone have experience with Carnival dining rooms and a peanut allergy?  RCL and Disney were top notch.  NCL was fine but took much longer to get info.

 

Pizza

Guys BBQ

Guys Burgers

Main Dining Room

 

Booked on Panorama

[Angiedw1]

I have never dealt with a peanut allergy, but we have a shellfish allergy. Carnival did an excellent job in my opinion. In the dining room they bring you the next nights  menu and you order ahead. This way they can guarantee no cross contamination. At the buffet and the smaller food venues we were on our own. The people working at the buffet could answer basic questions about ingredients and we asked the guy at the taco place to put on new gloves so there was no cross contamination.

[1025cruise]

The MDR should be fine. At the buffet, ask for someone to walk with you through it.

Skip Guys. They use peanut oil for the fries.

[Moviela]

For some people they will actually prepare your food onshore, and cook it separately in the kitchen. This also goes for people with religious dietary preferences.  

 

They do take these requests quite seriously in the kitchen and with the wait staff. 

[stellarose]

my son has severe allergies to fish/ nuts and sesame and the main dining room was great with his allergies. we got the menu the night before and he picked out what he wanted. (for an 18 year old growing boy- it was heaven).

 

he'd order like 3 appetizers and 2 main courses some nights. 

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

On Princess in the buffet, the peanut butter cookies are kept behind glass and kept separate from all other food. There is a sign indicating peanut butter. I do not recall peanut butter cookies available on Carnival. usually sugar, butter and chocolate chip. As for specialty cookies you pick what you want to purchase. My wife love macadamia nut cookies. All  cruise  lines will give you specialty food at your request.

[stellarose]

so was ok with the fries at guys.  he has a peanut allergy too.  its different.  he ate the pizza too.  

[some_body]

While not peanuts, my personal experience with food allergies is generally positive, and mine is an oddball allergy to a couple specific meat proteins.   Generally, I can simply ask staff about ingredients, and they are surprisingly knowledgeable, or are willing to ask the kitchen.  It's amazing what sneaks into stuff through broth/stock.   When I can't get a clear answer, my fallback is to simply ask if the food is vegetarian.  Unfortunately this won't work for nuts.

[SadieN]

This post was written many years before Covid.  We know that things will be changing in the buffet and ATD.  The allergy protocols should remain the same.

 

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This is my basic post about allergies..... We travel with a group that combined has allergies to peanuts, treenuts, shellfish, egg whites, chocolate, MSG and liquid dairy. Only had issues with 'user' error, no issues with Carnival. If you have a nut allergy, know that Carnival classifies seeds as nuts. 

 

Each ship seems to do things a little differently. This has been our experiences on the West Coast ships.  

If you have an odd allergy contact Special Needs before your cruise. If you have a 'normal' allergy no need to do so. 

 

https://www.carnival.com/about-carnival/special-needs/dietary-needs.aspx

 

See the Hostess at embarkation when the Maitre 'd has hours. Hours will be in the FunTmes, usually starting around 1pm. The hostess will take that night's order.  Each night the hostess or your waiter will bring you the next day's MDR menu-breakfast, brunch/lunch and dinner.  If deciding between two entrees, order both.  For brunch don't hesitate to order a  breakfast and lunch if you want to eat both meals in the MDR. At ATD, an order slip will be generated and given to your waitstaff when seated.  They will confirm the order with you.  

Only issue we've ever had was one cruise DD's food arrived before mine. 

 

For room service, they cannot make special for you but they can tell you the ingredients.  No special area so there is always the possibility of contamination

 

Buffet is a minefield.  Ask the Hostess or the Head Lido Chef or the Food and Beverage crew in the officer whites.  DO NOT ask the line cooks or those serving desserts. They mean well but do not know the full recipes.  Cross contamination is always a possibility.  

 

Onshore--- we bring allergy cards. I made our own but you can buy some at selectwisely dot com. 

You can only bring off commercially prepared food. We bring cereal bars, boxes of cereal, bottled water, hard candy etc. 

Many ports will check. Some will do a physical search, others use dogs.  You do not want the cute Labrador to sit next to you.  I've had them alert on my Lemonheads. 

 

Kids clubs have a form to fill out. There are some snacks served at times. The younger kids meet up at the dinner buffet certain nights.  Ask the counselors what's on the menu.  

 

 

 

[xDisconnections]

Talk to the hostess onboard. They will point you in the right direction for all the various outlets and come by each night to adjust your expectations for the following day.

[stellarose]

pack extra epi pens too.  

[chasinraynbowz]

I have a peanut allergy and have had NO problems at all.  In the dining room, you can preorder your meals for the next evening.  It's all very easy.  If you want to do Sea Day brunch, let your dining room servers know and they will let you pre order that meal also.

 

I stay away from most baked goods and most oriental food (just in case they use peanut sauce) and I have never had a problem.  

 

Pizza and Guys Burgers are fine.  Dining room is great.  Buffet use common sense.  If you are unsure you can ask a server at the buffet and they will get the chef for you.

 

 

[stellarose]

Just like chasinraynbowz-  my son had no issues at guys (ate 2 times a day). loved the fact he could order the night before for the next night's dinner.   we have cruised RCCL, CCL and both did the same.   My son is almost 19- he knows to ask the server a question if he wants something and is unsure he contains what he is allergic too. 

 

food allergies should not hinder your trip .

[cruisemom67]

My daughter has serious tree nut allergy, other daughter has dairy/gluten intolerance.  Carnival was wonderful every time we have gone with their issues (5+ times).  My daughter with nut allergies had 2 problems on 2 different Royal Caribbean cruises, one time she ended up in the hospital as they accidentally put a nut in her chocolate ice cream (dipping it next to butter pecan ice cream).  The other time they told her the pesto was okay to eat....she suspected that it wasn't true and didn't eat it.  Good thing as it did have nuts in it.  As far as Carnival goes, I trust them more than the other lines to get it right.  In fact, they wouldn't even let my daughter with the gluten intolerance order sourdough (that is okay with celiac and intolerance).  They were overly careful!

[biomedbob]

On 9/21/2020 at 12:53 PM, some_body said:

While not peanuts, my personal experience with food allergies is generally positive, and mine is an oddball allergy to a couple specific meat proteins.   Generally, I can simply ask staff about ingredients, and they are surprisingly knowledgeable, or are willing to ask the kitchen.  It's amazing what sneaks into stuff through broth/stock.   When I can't get a clear answer, my fallback is to simply ask if the food is vegetarian.  Unfortunately this won't work for nuts.

Sounds like Alpha Gal.  My wife and I both have it.  Carnival worked with us on choices!

[pc_load_letter]

Interesting topic. (and thankful it's not a mask or will we cruise this year thread)

 

For those with allergies, do you have to declare or bring a dr note for an epi pen(s) you might bring onboard in your luggage?

[some_body]

2 hours ago, biomedbob said:

Sounds like Alpha Gal.  My wife and I both have it.  Carnival worked with us on choices!

Actually it’s closer to the opposite.  Red meat is fine.  Things with feathers are bad.   But I can appreciate Alpha Gal.  

[stellarose]

I always have a doctor's note for the epi pens and keep in in my carry on.  no problems so far