Dietary Restrictions

[Oca]

Hi Everyone -- My husband and I are in the process of booking our first Viking Ocean Cruise -- a lengthy one -- and are very excited about it.  We have mainly cruised Princess and Cunard in the past.

 

I have allergies to gluten and lactose.  The Viking (sales) person we spoke on the phone said food allergies are handled well onboard but I thought it would be best to check with those of you who also have certain food allergies or alternative eating preferences to learn how your Viking experience has been in that regard.  I don't want to find my range of choices so severely limited that the trip isn’t enjoyable. Can you let me know how you have found your experiences on Viking in regard to dietary restrictions.

 

And a second question:  is there one or perhaps several places onboard the Viking ships to get lattes and cappuccinos throughout the day?

 

Thank you for your help!

[Azulann]

1 hour ago, Oca said:

Hi Everyone -- My husband and I are in the process of booking our first Viking Ocean Cruise -- a lengthy one -- and are very excited about it.  We have mainly cruised Princess and Cunard in the past.

 

I have allergies to gluten and lactose.  The Viking (sales) person we spoke on the phone said food allergies are handled well onboard but I thought it would be best to check with those of you who also have certain food allergies or alternative eating preferences to learn how your Viking experience has been in that regard.  I don't want to find my range of choices so severely limited that the trip isn’t enjoyable. Can you let me know how you have found your experiences on Viking in regard to dietary restrictions.

 

And a second question:  is there one or perhaps several places onboard the Viking ships to get lattes and cappuccinos throughout the day?

 

Thank you for your help!

Viking Bar serves them all day and eveing.  Also the most comfortable leather chairs are right next to this bar at  round tables. . I love sitting in them as I  drink my coffee and check my email and compose my post on Viking forum. . This is  also the hangout of the Viking speakers during the day while they work on their laptops. 

Edited March 28, 2022 by Azulann

[Mich3554]

I have no experience myself, but was seated at an adjacent table on one of the first nights of the cruise.  While we were eating in WC, a chef came out and discussed the wife’s dietary restrictions.  She had a huge laundry list of things she could not eat.  The chef suggested told her that he would always have meals available for her, but it would be easier if they tried to keep to one restaurant.  
Both DH and I were impressed as to how seriously her concerns were treated.

[anaco_angler]

On our last cruise on Viking Jupiter my wife had requested a low sodium diet. At breakfast in the Dining Room the maitre d' would give her a copy of the evening's menu and she would circle her selections. And if we indicated we were dining in Manfredi's or the Chef's Table, the same scenario played out. I would say that a great deal of attention was given to helping my wife both enjoy all the food choices and do so with lower sodium.

[knoxclone]

Viking does an outstanding job dealing with food allergies and special diets, both on the Ocean and river cruises. As other posters have mentioned, once you get on board, they will work with you each day to so that you are able to enjoy meals without worry.

 

I have dietary restrictions, and they were brilliant in making substitutions,  and allowing me to enjoy the same caliber of meals as my travel companions. While on a Viking river cruise several years ago,  we took the kitchen tour and the chef explained how when they were making the basic stocks, etc, they would always ensure that a portion remained low sodium, or low sugar.  They had a white board in the kitchen w the number of guest listed for each - low sugar, low sodium, gluten, allergies etc. They took it very seriously as does their Ocean counterparts.

Edited March 29, 2022 by knoxclone
spelling

[Sunflower & The Scientist]

14 hours ago, Azulann said:

Viking Bar serves them all day and eveing.  Also the most comfortable leather chairs are right next to this bar at  round tables. . I love sitting in them as I  drink my coffee and check my email and compose my post on Viking forum. . This is  also the hangout of the Viking speakers during the day while they work on their laptops. 

Why we cruise with Viking....morning lattes in the Living Room in a comfy chair with someone coming around fairly frequently saying, "Madame, would you like anything else?" 

 

Also, you will have endless food possibilities.  The World Cafe is always there if you'd like them to make something for you. 

[Port Hope]

I have celiac disease and Viking took excellent care of me on our two cruises. The last one was in 2018 (and we are going on our 2020 cruise in 2023!) so my experience is a bit out of date but I can’t imagine that Viking’s service has changed. We ate most of our dinners in the Restaurant and made sure to sit in the same section every night so that the waiter got to know me well. One night I asked our waiter Simon how he knew which meal was mine when two meals looked identical. He said that mine had a little marker on it that said “gluten free” which he discarded just before he came through the door from the kitchen.  As was posted above, I too got the menu for the next day delivered to our cabin the night before and dropped off my selections in the morning.  Here is a link to an older thread with more info: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2197020

 

 

 

[Oca]

Thank you for your responses.  I have found them all very helpful and feel totally comfortable proceeding with our booked voyage -- and also excited to be going on Viking Ocean Cruises!

[Camden lady]

13 minutes ago, Oca said:

Thank you for your responses.  I have found them all very helpful and feel totally comfortable proceeding with our booked voyage -- and also excited to be going on Viking Ocean Cruises!

You will be well taken care of.   I have a peanut allergy and even in the World Cafe, they would tell me "You can't have that....it may have nuts in it".   Finally got them to understand that I could have tree nuts, just not peanuts  but was so thankful for their diligence in keeping me safe.   In the restaurant, they even prepared a special dessert for me as they didn't want me to try any of the ones on the menu.  They seemed to know me wherever I went to eat and took exceptional care of me.  

[MarkTapley]

25 minutes ago, Oca said:

Thank you for your responses.  I have found them all very helpful and feel totally comfortable proceeding with our booked voyage -- and also excited to be going on Viking Ocean Cruises!

Not sure if this was mentioned before, but once you have completed your booking and paid the deposit you may register your cruise on myvikingjourney.com.  After you have registered with your booking number, you may chose your dietary preferences both for you and your traveling partner.  Then your preferences are in your record even before you join the ship.

[Peregrina651]

14 hours ago, MarkTapley said:

Not sure if this was mentioned before, but once you have completed your booking and paid the deposit you may register your cruise on myvikingjourney.com.  After you have registered with your booking number, you may chose your dietary preferences both for you and your traveling partner.  Then your preferences are in your record even before you join the ship.

 

Very true but unfortunately on that list of dietary needs there is no place to list restrictions that aren't already on the list -- such as specific foods.

 

Even if you fill in that form. I suggest confirming with guest services or the maitre'd that your account is duly marked with your allergies and that if you choose a shorex that includes a meal that you confirm that your restrictions are duly noted.

[L11]

We had indicated our food restrictions on myvikingjourney but fully expected that we would need to proactively contact the chef, maitre d' or other person in charge. I was pleasantly surprised when, just as we finished unpacking, the restaurant supervisor called to go over our restrictions and explain the process of providing us with daily menus and accommodations. We are currently on Viking Orion and couldn't be more pleased at the attention shown to our dietary needs (and to other requests). The restaurant supervisor even contacted the Chef's Table for us. They prepared special dishes and honestly it was probably the best meal we have ever had on a cruise ship. This is our first Viking cruise but it will absolutely not be the last!

 

Linda

[Peregrina651]

When we were on Orion in December, Dennis was in charge of dealing with special diet passengers.  If he is still on board, you are in good hands.  Our paths have crossed a couple of times now on different sailings and I call him my guardian angel.  Multiple times during a cruise he will track me down, to deliver a menu or just to make sure that all is going well.  

[donaldsc]

My daughter has celiac disease.  All the comments that others have made are correct but I wanted to add one.  We sometimes ate at the buffet.  She had no problems there and they even had dedicated toasters for people w the disease.

 

DON

[dcl999]

Fill out your restrictions in the onboard experience preferences section on MVJ. If you can’t eat something that is listed there call or send an email to Viking. They used to do kitchen tours and the area for special meals was well organized. 

[SailorPaulH]

I would like to be able to try the Chef's Table restaurant on our upcoming first VOC, but I have a shellfish allergy. Do they have course substitutions on the Chef's Table menu for people who have allergies?

[Heidi13]

10 hours ago, SailorPaulH said:

I would like to be able to try the Chef's Table restaurant on our upcoming first VOC, but I have a shellfish allergy. Do they have course substitutions on the Chef's Table menu for people who have allergies?

 

Suggest advising a Head Waiter once you board and they will provide menus a day in advance. For Chef's Table, advise them the day before you are booked, and they will work around your allergies.

[Peregrina651]

12 hours ago, SailorPaulH said:

I would like to be able to try the Chef's Table restaurant on our upcoming first VOC, but I have a shellfish allergy. Do they have course substitutions on the Chef's Table menu for people who have allergies?

 

Yes they do and they do it very well.  Our last cruise, 12/21, we sampled five different menus and each one had to be adjusted because of my allergies.  They were the best five meals we had on  the cruise and you would not have guessed by the taste they were not the standard recipe.  

 

As Heidi13 said above, make sure the kitchen knows about your allergies and they will take care of the rest.