Special needs ordering: Tree Nut Allergy

[HermmyGranger]

I'm taking my son on his first cruise next summer as a graduation present. He has a severe tree nut allergy. I know we notify HAL in advance with his condition and several threads have recommended confirming with the Maitre'd when we arrive. I'm curious how the whole "ordering the night before" process works. Are you simply making selections from the existing menu and they then prepare it according to your special needs? Would he be able to order a dessert and be assured that it would be nut-free (assuming you're not ordering something that is a nut-filled dessert, "Yes, I'd like the walnut ice cream special, hold the walnuts")? I'm just wondering from others who've traveled what your experiences have been like.

 

I tried to do a search because I thought I'd either already asked this or read something someone else had posted, but I cannot find anything now.

[pictonite]

I have a tree nut allergy, and I cruise a lot with Holland America.  I do notify the line through their special services, and I also make sure to see the Maitre'd when we get on board. There has always been a letter from HAL waiting for me in my state room, concerning my allergies.

 

Depending on whether you select a set dining time, or as you please dining you should make sure that the menu for the following evening is handed to you.  Set dining, your server will know, and should automatically get the menu to you - it was often waiting at my seat as  entered the dining room!  With a variety of servers in the As You Please section, you must ask the server to get you the menu.  Make sure you write your cabin number on the top of the paper, it is that number that will track you when you enter the dining room.  I would often ask for something that was showing nuts - for example a cheese tray, and would write, beside it, No Nuts!

 

When you are in the buffet ask to speak to the manager.  He or she will help you select appropriate items.  Be careful with desserts - you can aways have yummy ice creams!

 

Above all both you and your son should be asking questions of servers and of managers abut the composition of food items.  For your information, I have always had wonderful thoughtful service, and I trust the program that ensures my food is safe!

 

I hope this helps!

 

Annette

[HermmyGranger]

2 minutes ago, pictonite said:

I have a tree nut allergy, and I cruise a lot with Holland America.  I do notify the line through their special services, and I also make sure to see the Maitre'd when we get on board. There has always been a letter from HAL waiting for me in my state room, concerning my allergies.

 

Depending on whether you select a set dining time, or as you please dining you should make sure that the menu for the following evening is handed to you.  Set dining, your server will know, and should automatically get the menu to you - it was often waiting at my seat as  entered the dining room!  With a variety of servers in the As You Please section, you must ask the server to get you the menu.  Make sure you write your cabin number on the top of the paper, it is that number that will track you when you enter the dining room.  I would often ask for something that was showing nuts - for example a cheese tray, and would write, beside it, No Nuts!

 

When you are in the buffet ask to speak to the manager.  He or she will help you select appropriate items.  Be careful with desserts - you can aways have yummy ice creams!

 

Above all both you and your son should be asking questions of servers and of managers abut the composition of food items.  For your information, I have always had wonderful thoughtful service, and I trust the program that ensures my food is safe!

 

I hope this helps!

 

Annette

Thank you, Annette. This is exactly the kind of info I was looking for. It's super helpful. 🙂

[Horizon chaser 1957]

I’m celiac, and can’t have anything with gluten. The first night, let your waiter know what the allergy is, and they can help you choose accordingly. They will also bring you a paper copy of the next nights menu and a pen. Put your name, cabin #, and dietary requirement at the top. Then check off your menu selection. Your waiter delivers it to the galley. The next night, your meal is brought to you with all the necessary alterations made. Sometimes an item can’t be modified, and they will ask you to select something else, or send you the closest thing they can make that is similar but safe. 
Assigned dining is best, because you have the same waiters each night and they’re fabulous at watching over you to make sure there’s no slip ups. I’ve never gotten sick from anything I’ve been served in the dining room with this arrangement. Your son will be well taken care of, without the usual fuss involved in dining out safely.

[FOPMan]

It may also be helpful to note sensitivity to the allergen.

[tupper10]

Most cruise lines are great with food allergies though as another poster stated here I do find that desserts are an issue since many are made with almond paste and if your son has a severe nut allergy this can impact him.  If I want dessert there is always ice cream and  I bring a box of my favorite cookies with me when I travel to satisfy my sweet tooth, my motto with food allergies is better safe than sorry.  

[Philip Pirrip]

8 hours ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

I’m celiac, and can’t have anything with gluten. The first night, let your waiter know what the allergy is, and they can help you choose accordingly. They will also bring you a paper copy of the next nights menu and a pen. Put your name, cabin #, and dietary requirement at the top. Then check off your menu selection. Your waiter delivers it to the galley. The next night, your meal is brought to you with all the necessary alterations made. Sometimes an item can’t be modified, and they will ask you to select something else, or send you the closest thing they can make that is similar but safe. 
Assigned dining is best, because you have the same waiters each night and they’re fabulous at watching over you to make sure there’s no slip ups. I’ve never gotten sick from anything I’ve been served in the dining room with this arrangement. Your son will be well taken care of, without the usual fuss involved in dining out safely.

Wow...great detail. Thank you very much. I am also a celiac age 64 and sailing for first time since diagnosis a few years ago so any added information is really appreciated! Even going out to eat near home is such a colossal problem I usually just avoid it and eat at home. We chose open dining for upcoming so hopefully all will go ok. 

[Horizon chaser 1957]

18 minutes ago, Philip Pirrip said:

Wow...great detail. Thank you very much. I am also a celiac age 64 and sailing for first time since diagnosis a few years ago so any added information is really appreciated! Even going out to eat near home is such a colossal problem I usually just avoid it and eat at home. We chose open dining for upcoming so hopefully all will go ok. 

It will be fine. Just let your waiter know that you have a pre ordered special diet meal. If your dining time is reserved the day before, then the galley knows when to start making your meal, which is a smoother process and let’s your meal and those of your dinner companions show up together.

[SightCRR]

Also check shore places if you have any off ship excursions. Most if not all excursions that have food will not work for him. Especially if cross contamination is an issue. I recommend taking some pre packaged snack bars or something that you know will work. I also recommend fixed dining so that you don't have to explain allergy every time.  We found the ship much better with allergies than the shore places. Also carry your emergency medicines with you at all times off the ship. sightcrr 

[bcummin]

Talk to Shore Excursions about any meals on your tours.

That can be helpful.

Barbara

[tupper10]

Re shore excursions:    I  tried to eat off ship once where they were supposed to accommodate me and found that I could not eat one thing - their error not mine, but I ended up hungry and unhappy.  So after learning the hard way I now make my lunch from the ship selection at breakfast or ask the staff the day before to have something prepared for me and I pop it in my small lunch box with a freezer pack and into my back pack it goes. 

[Boytjie]

3 hours ago, tupper10 said:

 So after learning the hard way I now make my lunch from the ship selection at breakfast or ask the staff the day before to have something prepared for me and I pop it in my small lunch box with a freezer pack and into my back pack it goes. 

 

A lot of ports do not allowed unprepackaged foods to be taken off the ship.

[tupper10]

47 minutes ago, Boytjie said:

 

A lot of ports do not allowed unprepackaged foods to be taken off the ship.

We had this in New Zealand. I did manage to take something to eat.   The ship's crew helped me with this since they know the rules for each port.  There was no port where I could not manage to take something to eat but that is my experience.  

[GeezerCouple]

On 8/26/2021 at 11:53 PM, Philip Pirrip said:

Wow...great detail. Thank you very much. I am also a celiac age 64 and sailing for first time since diagnosis a few years ago so any added information is really appreciated! Even going out to eat near home is such a colossal problem I usually just avoid it and eat at home. We chose open dining for upcoming so hopefully all will go ok. 

 

DH was also diagnosed with severe celiac disease quite late in life (older than you).  And we dined "when and where we wanted to".  So, as with any food service anywhere, we ALWAYS announce to the waiter, as soon as we are seated, about the "gluten free/celiac'.  (Some people don't have a severe case or "prefer" gluten free, which is fine, but a mistake isn't the same...). And *every* time he is served in any restaurant, one of us will definitely ask (and not mumble), "This is gluten free, correct?"  Once, he was given the wrong bread basket.  (This has happened in a few places, as many times "bread baskets" are sort of tossed on tables because typically no one "orders a specific bread basket", etc.  With "assigned seating", this is probably less of a problem, but we'd still double check.

 

I have a different and unusual food allergy, but in most dishes, I can tell if the ingredient is there.  (I just don't eat things like "mystery meatloaf" 😱, which is no sacrifice at all!). And I've had this for decades.  It used to be very hard to get restaurants to take it seriously, and probably especially as it isn't a common allergy.  However, some years ago, there were several very highly publicized nut or shellfish allergy "mistakes", where someone ... was affected right at the table...  I started to notice a huge change in the way restaurants respond to the world "food allergy" now, and that's good.

 

Fortunately, neither of us has a cross-contamination problem, which can be a far more serious problem.

GC