Having food liquidised for 8 month old?

[lisastep]

Hi All

 

Please see question below. I have copied it from Family Cruising as thought those experienced Royal Caribbean cruisers may know the answer!

 

Thanks in advance

 

----------------------

 

We are a family of four travelling for two weeks in May on Navigator of the Seas in Europe. As we have paid full child cruise price for our 8 month old, which is the same as our 4 year old, I wondered whether in the restaurants they would liquidise food. My 8 month old is not a fussy eater, and obviously we want him to eat freshly cooked food. The way I see it is that as I paid a full child price for him there should be no problem asking for this to be done at meal times. Some food I could probably mush with a fork, but at that age, meat may need more machine work!!

 

Has anyone ever done this and has it been OK or have problems been encountered??

 

Any advice is appreciated.

 

Thanks

Lisa

[PhoenixCruiser]

Lisa, this is from the FAQs section of RCI's website:

 

Q: What type of special meals does Royal Caribbean offer?

 

A: We make every effort to accommodate our guests' dietary requirements whenever possible. We can accommodate special needs such as:

 

Food allergies

Gluten-free

Vegetarian (except for vegan/macrobiotic)

Low-fat

Low-sodium

 

Lactose-free/soy milk, Ensure, and kosher meals are no extra charge. All you have to do is notify us at least 45 days prior to sailing. Just send an e-mail that includes the guests' names, reservation ID number, ship's name and voyage date to the relevant address below:

 

Food allergies - foodallergies@rccl.com

 

Kosher meals - kosher@rccl.com

 

(Kosher for Passover meal requests MUST be received 60 days in advance in order to be accommodated.)

 

Indian-style vegetarian meals - Indianvegetarian@rccl.com

 

Gluten-free/celiac meals - glutenfree@rccl.com

 

Fax requests may be sent to 305-539-6018 Attn: Special Meals Request

 

E-mails will receive an automated response. Faxed requests will also receive a response provided the guest provides an email address. We kindly ask that guests do not call Royal Caribbean International suppliers with specific questions.

 

Special meal requests that are faxed or e-mailed less than 45 days of sailing are dependent on the ship's product availability. We will try to accommodate to the best of our ability.

 

Please note that baby food and infant formula are not provided on board.

 

I suggest contacting them.

 

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[shrimp0]

I have heard that this is a possibilty... another alternative is to bring a food mill for making baby food. These can be found at babies r us... one even has a travel case. This might make it easier to get the mix of foods that your little one wants, the proper consistancy and you can make it in seconds. You can also get the teether mesh thing that holds foods for fresh fruits.

Also, with your own grinder, you can feed your little one at any food area on the ship at your convenience.

Just a few thoughts... hope it helps....

[Happy ks]

I think the staff will go out of their way to be as helpful to you as possible. There is a possibility that they will be able to puree the food, ask your waiter or the head waiter for assistance on this.

 

BTW, almost all cruise lines charge full fare for infants with only a few being exceptions. Food cost is not a very large factor with determining the passenger cost. Food cost is only around $12 per day, per person. The real cost is fuel, maintenance, payroll (many people are not tipped and are salaried or hourly wage employees), as well as a myriad of other costs to run a cruise ship and corporate office.

 

If we figured food cost as a basis for charging pax, there are a whole lot of people I see on cruise ships wasting a lot of food, or eating a lot more than the allotment average for each customer. Many people, kids included, should then be charged more than others.

[piercetc4]

sorry- this thread brought to mind another issue people traveling with babies in diapers should know- do not flush the diaper down the toilet- you all probably know this already and am sorry if this is too off topic -on a few cruises our toilet did not work or flooded and the reason we were told was due to flushed diapers- just thought i should throw that out there for in case you may know someone who did not know this -

and keep in mind- no babies in diapers in hottubs or pools- again for someone who may not know this- not saying the op would do either of these things- just trying to get the word out there...... forgive me for the hijack- i am sorry-

[ms-getaway]

I would also bring my own grinder. The wait for the pureed food may be longer than your baby would like to wait. your child may not even like the food or it may be too seasoned for a little tummy. I would call the cruise line and request a bland diet, grilled or broiled meats, fresh veggies to be sent in a child sized portion to your seating every night, then you can season and grind it at the table. Also may I suggest bringing some small finger snacks from home while the baby waits for its dinner.:)

 

good luck.

[mollyeilis]

Although I exclusively nursed DS until he was beyond 11 months, and by then he had enough teeth so I never used this, but my mom used this style (same brand, not exact same grinder) with us, it's now the Kidco food grinder. Very easy to use and clean.

 

So it's a personal experience recommendation, but I was the baby. :p

 

It's the one others mentioned is at Toys/Babies r Us, but you can find many other places, too. Just seems more immediate to grind it up right there, rather than asking, then waiting, then perhaps having to tip even MORE for the extra service... at least that's how I look at it. :cool:

[BethCarp]

I would bring jarred baby food. No way would I depend on my baby liking the flavor and texture of the ship's food.

[piercetc4]

i have been thinking about the food since i posted- there are lots of mushable foods on the ship from breakfast to dinner- would bring some jarred foods to supplement and just in case-

breakfast- scrambled eggs, grits, cereal , cottage cheese, etc

lunch- cheese, meats, cooked veggies, soups-

dinner- there are mushable items on the menu- mashed potatoes, fish, peas, soup, and other i can't remember but know its mushable

there should be plenty of things your baby would like- but bring some extras for just in case- good luck-

[Celebrity Bride]

Yes! They will puree anything on the dinner menu in the dining room for your child. I have done with with Royal Caribbean on Radiance of the Seas about 2 years ago as well as last September, and I know that the rules have not changed since then.

 

What you need to do is contact Royal Caribbean, either by email or fax, as mentioned in a previous post, quoted from RCCL's website. You need to request a soft foods/pureed diet for your infant.

 

What will happen onboard, is on the first night, your waiter may or may not know about your request, but your head waiter will have received this request in advance and should come to your table fairly early on. But, I would suggest letting your waiter know when you first meet him/her.

 

They are able to puree anything that is on the menu. BUT this is ONLY offered in the dining room for dinner. Also, when they puree things, they are not "pure" as in baby-food quality; for example if mixed veggies are on the menu for the evening and they are prepared with spices/salt/pepper etc, that is what is pureed.

 

My daughter enjoyed a meat (one night was filet minon!) and the veggie of the day, along with mashed potatos and apple sauce (which you can ask your waiter to bring out each night - we had him have a bowl of it ready for us when we arrived, so it would tie her over until food arrived). Also, any of the soups can be served as only broth... so you can get chicken soup without the chicken pieces and noodles, etc. Watch out for some of the chilled fruit soups though, some of them contain alcohol - just ask your waiter.

 

For other meals during the day, we just fed her soft foods (yogurt, etc). I did bring some jarred baby food onboard (they do not sell any baby food or formula on the ship), but she was almost 9 months old and could handle some finely chopped things, like spaghetti, etc.

 

If your child is drinking juice, bring it with you! The apple juice onboard is really sweet tasting. I usually give my girls pure apple juice and this seemed like it was from concentrate and then sweetened.

 

 

I hope this helps you. If you have any other questions, let me know... I have cruise with children at 4, 9, 11, 13, 18 and 27 months. You can email me at jenniferfrosty at hotmail dot com

 

 

Regards,

Jenn

[lisastep]

Thanks you all for your responses. I have always made my own food for my sons, so the baby will not eat jarred baby food now....has to be fresh (which is good!). I will do as a couple of you have mentioned and definitely contact Royal Caribbean today. I have seen the hand mixers, so will purchase one of those too....just incase there is a long wait for the puree (don't want a screaming, starving child!!).

 

The message about nappies.....I don't flush them at home, so not likely to on a ship, but thanks for the tip!

 

Can't wait for the trip!

 

Lisa

[lisastep]

Hi all

 

Just to let you know I called Royal Caribbean in the UK and they said just to speak to the Head Waiter when we board. I asked if sending an e.mail would be a better option, but she said that would do it, but just to speak to him when we arrive. Think I will definitely purchase the hand mixer....just in case!

 

Thanks

Lisa - UK

[Boo Boo]

I would also bring my own grinder. The wait for the pureed food may be longer than your baby would like to wait. your child may not even like the food or it may be too seasoned for a little tummy. I would call the cruise line and request a bland diet, grilled or broiled meats, fresh veggies to be sent in a child sized portion to your seating every night, then you can season and grind it at the table. Also may I suggest bringing some small finger snacks from home while the baby waits for its dinner.:)

 

Agreed - would be very concerned about the levels of salt that they put in the cruiseline food: since you are supposed to avoid salt in baby/infants diet. So would request something bland and no-sodium.

 

Personally I think it might be easier, quicker and less disturbing for the baby to stock up on a supply of baby food at the port (jars of good quality baby food, various dry baby biscuits, baby yoghurts etc - you can always use the fridge in your cabin for fresh baby food) and supplement with some mushed up fruit and things.

 

Boo