"Extreme" food allergies on RCI

[fizzywm]

I am sailing on Freedom of the Seas in just under 2 weeks. After I made my booking I was diagnosed with a gastric disease, and for the time being my diet is much more limited. The list of foods I can't have includes a lot of common herbs, spices, and seasonings like black pepper, oregano, basil, and rosemary. If I eat them it can trigger some really nasty symptoms, including uncontrollable vomiting. Nothing fatal, but for all intents and purposes I'm allergic to these foods right now. I find it difficult to eat out even in land based restaurants since black pepper is hidden in a lot of foods.

 

I've emailed foodallergies@rccl.com with the full list and asked them if they could accommodate me, but only received the auto response that the information was forwarded to the ship. I plan to bring printed copies of the full list and take one to the maitre d' on the first day and one each night at dinner. I was only able to book My Time Dining at 7:45 or 7:30. With my dining reservation being so late, if I decide to join the no reservation line and eat earlier, might it be a problem that I may not have the same table or servers?

 

I'm really worried it will be difficult to find things to eat, especially with the new menu apparently being more limited. I'm ok with simple things like pasta, even multiple nights in a row, but I know even that usually has oregano and basil. I guess my main question is has anyone recently sailed on RCI with food allergies beyond the standard stuff they're more used to dealing with (thinking of gluten, nuts, shellfish, dairy)? I'd love to know if the Windjammer might be an option for the nights I don't want to eat at 7:45, but I'm guessing it's mostly out of the question aside for salads and some of the bland sides like mashed potatoes. Thanks for any input.

[Sunshine3601]

I suggest you change to traditional dining so you have same servers every night.   The head waiter will be your new best friend and will sit with you after every dinner to review the next night's menu.   

It's going to be difficult as so many meals will have the seasonings you are allergic to.  

Breakfast you could go to WJ and have fresh made omelets, eggs, fruits, etc

 

 

[fizzywm]

11 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I suggest you change to traditional dining so you have same servers every night.   The head waiter will be your new best friend and will sit with you after every dinner to review the next night's menu.   

It's going to be difficult as so many meals will have the seasonings you are allergic to.  

Breakfast you could go to WJ and have fresh made omelets, eggs, fruits, etc

 

 

Thank you for the info. I’ll try calling tonight or tomorrow to switch to traditional dining. I’m nervous it will be full this close to the cruise but maybe the allergy thing changes the calculus.

[Starry Eyes]

Like the previous poster, I think you’d be better off in traditional dining, working with a specific head waiter to preplan your meals and the same waitstaff to deliver them.

If you are not able to switch by calling, you can try emailing with an explanation of the circumstances.  Either rcldining@rccl.com or mgutierrez@rccl.com

[perfect match]

I have food allergies and have always done traditional dining. I like having the same waitstaff taking care of me every night. I go over my dietary restrictions the first night and have never once had a problem getting a meal that is not only safe for me to eat, but enjoyable as well. 

 

If you go to the Windjammer or any other eating establishment find a staff member, preferably a chef or manager and explain your dietary restrictions to them. They should be able to guide you to foods that will be safe for you to eat. 

[njkruzer]

Traditional dining.  If you can't do it in advance do it as soon as you board.  Find out where the head waiter is dealing with changes and go there.  I'm allergic to fish and worry about food, like French fries, being fried in oil that fish.  Head waiter always worked with me the night before.  He and waiter always made sure I was happy.

[cruiseboy89130]

5 hours ago, fizzywm said:

if I decide to join the no reservation line and eat earlier,

It does not start until 7pm - go for traditional seating!

[fizzywm]

Just now, cruiseboy89130 said:

It does not start until 7pm - go for traditional seating!

Yikes! I had read about changes to MTD but wasn’t fully informed. My last experience with it was on Adventure in mid 2022 and even then the reservations line could take 30 minutes. Sounds like it’s still a mess. Thank you for this info.

[gumshoe958]

50 minutes ago, fizzywm said:

Yikes! I had read about changes to MTD but wasn’t fully informed. My last experience with it was on Adventure in mid 2022 and even then the reservations line could take 30 minutes. Sounds like it’s still a mess. Thank you for this info.

The official policy is MTD starts around 6:45, once the first early traditional diners have finished and left.

 

Unofficially, if there are spare tables due to early traditional diners no-showing, they’ll fill them from the MTD line so you can get in earlier. No guarantees though.

[Mick B]

Hi,

Although you would be best changing to traditional seating to get the same waiters etc, I wouldn't worry about MTD as my wife has a similar issue with food.

 

Several years ago my wife had to go through several major operations and nearly died as a result of one of them. Then as a result of them, a few years later she had to have her gall bladder removed. As a result of that operation she discovered that some of her favourite foods were no longer a good option.

However, we have sailed over 20 cruises with RCI since and have had MTD for all of them and even had different waiters.

 

The secret is basically knowing what you can and cannot eat and then checking the menus either on your app beforehand or outside the restaurant during the day to see what selections are available.

 

We would go the MTD desk on boarding day as soon as it opens and explain our dietary conditions and ask nicely if we could have the same table and waiters. The secret here is to ask nicely and not be demanding. They may have a table, but it may not be in the place you may like, but its still an available table for your needs.

 

Luckily, 9 times out of 10, when my wife does eat something that may cause a bit of an upset, she normally gets some pain in her stomach which tells her she has around 30 minutes to get to the bathroom. So making sure you know where the nearest one is on the deck you are eating is essential. Remember some MDRs are on multiple levels and the toilets may be further away on some decks.

 

Also, you may have to be careful what you eat at breakfast if you are getting off the ship for a tour straight afterwards as toilets may be limited at the port or on the coach/tour.

 

Yes, I have to agree to some point that we miss the old menus, but we have now been on several cruises with the new ones and there was only a couple of nights where my wife could not eat anything on it that she liked other than the New York Stripe stake - which she had eaten the night before due to the same issue, but that was it, luckily!

 

We have found that if we explain to the waiters that we have dietary issues, they will bring the following nights menu over and go through with you what your best options are. So far they have all done their very best to assist us.

So, if you can't switch to traditional, then I wouldn't worry too much about MTD as long as you plan ahead on a daily basis or even longer if possible and make sure you tell the staff your issues.

 

Hope you have a good cruise.

Mick.

 

 

 

Edited November 15, 2023 by Mick B

[travellovers2]

I am allergic to several common herbs and spices plus rice and peanuts. I always carry a list that has all my allergies in red and next to it a list in green of what is safe to use. When we travel abroad, I take several copies of my list in the language of the country we are visiting. 

 

The first day on the cruise you will have to eat something simple, but after that they will give you the menu for the next day so you can order and they will use only the seasoning you can eat. You can also order lunch for the next day to eat in the MDR.

 

Even if you do anytime dining, they will have your order from the next day. If you go to a specialty restaurant, you should go the day before and provide them with a copy of your list.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[TwoMisfits]

I contacted RCCL b/c I have multiple severe allergies (dairy, tree nut, mango) and like PPs said, they wanted me on traditional dining.  They actually preferred I was on the 1st seating, but either would be okay.

 

 

[pictonite]

I agree with changing your option to traditional dining, if possible.  Our travel agent contacted RCCL with a request to change to traditional dining instead of MTD because of my severe nut allergies.

The change was made immediately. Try contacting RCCL , or, as suggested, see the maitre'd as soon as you board.

[fizzywm]

Thank you to everyone for the advice. I will call to switch to regular dining today.

 

9 hours ago, Mick B said:

We have found that if we explain to the waiters that we have dietary issues, they will bring the following nights menu over and go through with you what your best options are. So far they have all done their very best to assist us.

So, if you can't switch to traditional, then I wouldn't worry too much about MTD as long as you plan ahead on a daily basis or even longer if possible and make sure you tell the staff your issues.

 

Thanks for all this info! It is great to hear they have successfully accommodated your wife's dietary restrictions. I appreciate the advice on restrooms and making it work with MTD if necessary.

 

4 hours ago, pictonite said:

I agree with changing your option to traditional dining, if possible.  Our travel agent contacted RCCL with a request to change to traditional dining instead of MTD because of my severe nut allergies.

The change was made immediately. Try contacting RCCL , or, as suggested, see the maitre'd as soon as you board.

Great to hear this. I will be calling today, fingers crossed.

 

6 hours ago, travellovers2 said:

I am allergic to several common herbs and spices plus rice and peanuts. I always carry a list that has all my allergies in red and next to it a list in green of what is safe to use. When we travel abroad, I take several copies of my list in the language of the country we are visiting. 

 

The first day on the cruise you will have to eat something simple, but after that they will give you the menu for the next day so you can order and they will use only the seasoning you can eat. You can also order lunch for the next day to eat in the MDR.

 

Even if you do anytime dining, they will have your order from the next day. If you go to a specialty restaurant, you should go the day before and provide them with a copy of your list.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Thank you! It helps to hear they have been able to make food without the common herbs and spices. That's been the most difficult part for me on land. I imagine the rice part is hard with so many dishes having it so it's good to hear they've accommodated that too.

 

15 hours ago, perfect match said:

I have food allergies and have always done traditional dining. I like having the same waitstaff taking care of me every night. I go over my dietary restrictions the first night and have never once had a problem getting a meal that is not only safe for me to eat, but enjoyable as well. 

 

If you go to the Windjammer or any other eating establishment find a staff member, preferably a chef or manager and explain your dietary restrictions to them. They should be able to guide you to foods that will be safe for you to eat. 

 

Thanks for chiming in with your experience. I appreciate the advice about the WJ as well. Do you have any tips on finding the chef or manager? It's something I've tried to do in the past (at that time avoiding dairy) but it seems difficult at least when it's busy. I have to give Carnival credit, on the one cruise I went on with them they had someone called the "Menu Mate" at the entrance to the buffet and they could look up all the foods on a tablet at their podium. I wish Royal would do something like this.

[goldfish65]

x2 Have a list and bring copies, as someone in the food service industry I can tell you this helps greatly. 

[fizzywm]

I called Club Royale and was able to switch to 5:45 dining time with no problems. I was dreading this call since it's always hit or miss with them, but I only had to wait about 2 minutes to speak to a really friendly agent. Hopefully a sign of good things to come. Thanks again to everyone who replied.

[cruiselvr04]

5 minutes ago, fizzywm said:

I called Club Royale and was able to switch to 5:45 dining time with no problems. I was dreading this call since it's always hit or miss with them, but I only had to wait about 2 minutes to speak to a really friendly agent. Hopefully a sign of good things to come. Thanks again to everyone who replied.

Glad you were able to change dining.  It’s very important to pre order every night.  The first night is always the hardest for the DH who can not eat garlic or onion, even powders, which is in everything.  The WJ is hit and miss.  He has trouble getting the attention he needs there so he skips breakfast, eats a light lunch he can be sure of in the WJ and depends on dinner that is specifically prepared for him. He has done fine.  We rarely eat off the ship as it’s too risky.  If you eat in a specialty restaurant order the night before also. We have found the MDR staff takes it seriously and works hard to keep you safe.  Having the same staff every night really helps. 

[fizzywm]

19 minutes ago, cruiselvr04 said:

Glad you were able to change dining.  It’s very important to pre order every night.  The first night is always the hardest for the DH who can not eat garlic or onion, even powders, which is in everything.  The WJ is hit and miss.  He has trouble getting the attention he needs there so he skips breakfast, eats a light lunch he can be sure of in the WJ and depends on dinner that is specifically prepared for him. He has done fine.  We rarely eat off the ship as it’s too risky.  If you eat in a specialty restaurant order the night before also. We have found the MDR staff takes it seriously and works hard to keep you safe.  Having the same staff every night really helps. 

Thank you. I imagine that is hard for your husband with garlic and onion powders being in everything! Good to hear they take care of him. When it comes to the WJ I'm thinking I may have to do the same thing. Maybe salad bar type stuff for lunch. I'll definitely bring a lot of snacks.

[travellovers2]

In the WJ there are managers always standing around. You can stop any of them and they will get a chef to come out and talk to you. They will cook something for you that you choose from what they have available that day. Never had a problem and we're sailing on our 41st cruise next month. 

 

I decided to add the "safe to use" options on my list because before they would not use anything, just to be safe, now they can use the spices that are safe for me. 

 

 

 

 

[fizzywm]

9 minutes ago, travellovers2 said:

I decided to add the "safe to use" options on my list because before they would not use anything, just to be safe, now they can use the spices that are safe for me. 

Thank you, this is a great suggestion. I've learned I can make pretty flavorful food at home despite all the restrictions. I'd hate to eat completely unseasoned stuff if I don't have to.

[Airbear232]

22 hours ago, fizzywm said:

I am sailing on Freedom of the Seas in just under 2 weeks. After I made my booking I was diagnosed with a gastric disease… 

You did the first thing, which is alert them.

 

My DW, has real extreme allergies, she’ll die if she eats nuts.

 

Royal is excellent no matter your food requirements.

 

Book traditional dining.  We request our own table as we can control what’s on the table.  The head waiter takes her order each night for the following day.  All the food is prepared in a special area.

 

Pretty easy. 

 

You’ll have a great cruise!

[Mum2Mercury]

I agree with everything that's been said, and I'll add these thoughts: 

 

- If I were in your shoes, I'd bring along some snacks that you know are "safe" for you.  This will excuse you from asking-asking-asking and just make some snacks easy.  

- Are cheese, crackers and fruit acceptable?  That's a good snack that's usually available at the Windjammer.  

- How about a big make-it-yourself salad + a hamburger patty for lunch?  That's always available in the Windjammer. 

- They often offer Shrimp Cocktail as an appetizer in the MDR, and I don't think you mentioned shellfish as a problem.  You could ask for an entree-sized plate of plain Shrimp -- you could ask what's in the cocktail sauce.  I'd be happy with Shrimp and Salad for dinner.  

- If you do ingest something that doesn't agree with you, do you have medicines or an epi-pen that can help you?  Definitely bring them to dinner.  

- Do you know disposable Emesis Bags?  Nurses call 'em Punch-n-Pukes.  They're disposable plastic bags; you can throw up, twist the top, and throw away the bag -- you can't always get to a restroom.  They're not expensive.  I keep them in my car.  You can buy them at Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Mozpak-Vomit-Bags-Resistant-Disposable/dp/B07V813VMY/ref=sr_1_8?crid=3RBGONPLKPXN2&keywords=emesis%2Bbags%2Bdisposable&qid=1700098563&sprefix=emesis%2B%2Caps%2C126&sr=8-8&th=1  

 

And I know we all hope this won't last long for you! 

 

 

Edited November 16, 2023 by Mum2Mercury

[fizzywm]

1 hour ago, Mum2Mercury said:

I agree with everything that's been said, and I'll add these thoughts: 

 

- If I were in your shoes, I'd bring along some snacks that you know are "safe" for you.  This will excuse you from asking-asking-asking and just make some snacks easy.  

- Are cheese, crackers and fruit acceptable?  That's a good snack that's usually available at the Windjammer.  

- How about a big make-it-yourself salad + a hamburger patty for lunch?  That's always available in the Windjammer. 

- They often offer Shrimp Cocktail as an appetizer in the MDR, and I don't think you mentioned shellfish as a problem.  You could ask for an entree-sized plate of plain Shrimp -- you could ask what's in the cocktail sauce.  I'd be happy with Shrimp and Salad for dinner.  

- If you do ingest something that doesn't agree with you, do you have medicines or an epi-pen that can help you?  Definitely bring them to dinner.  

- Do you know disposable Emesis Bags?  Nurses call 'em Punch-n-Pukes.  They're disposable plastic bags; you can throw up, twist the top, and throw away the bag -- you can't always get to a restroom.  They're not expensive.  I keep them in my car.  You can buy them at Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Mozpak-Vomit-Bags-Resistant-Disposable/dp/B07V813VMY/ref=sr_1_8?crid=3RBGONPLKPXN2&keywords=emesis%2Bbags%2Bdisposable&qid=1700098563&sprefix=emesis%2B%2Caps%2C126&sr=8-8&th=1  

 

And I know we all hope this won't last long for you! 

 

 

I will definitely be bringing meds, snacks, and maybe some meal replacement bars or powdered protein drinks just in case. I had not heard of the punch-n-pukes until now. Those could definitely come in handy. Luckily I haven't vomited from this in a long time, but I know things could be different with the combination of a bad food and a rolling ship. Trying to be as prepared as possible 😅 Thank you for the great suggestions and your well wishes.

 

  

2 hours ago, Airbear232 said:

My DW, has real extreme allergies, she’ll die if she eats nuts.

 

Royal is excellent no matter your food requirements.

 

I know this must be so hard for your wife. Nut allergies are no joke! The other day the cashier at the grocery store told me even touching the outside of some things with peanut butter can give her a reaction. Glad to hear it hasn't been a problem for her at sea.

Edited November 16, 2023 by fizzywm

[cruiseboy89130]

21 hours ago, gumshoe958 said:

Unofficially, if there are spare tables due to early traditional diners no-showing, they’ll fill them from the MTD line so you can get in earlier. No guarantees though.

They have stopped this recently and will not accept before 6.45/7 pm

[gumshoe958]

13 minutes ago, cruiseboy89130 said:

They have stopped this recently and will not accept before 6.45/7 pm

I was on Symphony last month and got in at 6pm twice, as soon as they opened.

 

As usual with Royal, it’s probably inconsistent and depends on the individual ship or maitre d’.