Vegans and HAL - Nope

[sevenseasnomad]

CroneWynd, your OP said you chose vegan as a lifestyle. Later, in another post, you explained why---medical reasons. Medical raises red flags, and cruise lines accommodate those passengers, whenever possible, whose diets are restricted because of health concerns. They pay attention to the passenger who sends in a medical form (often with doctor's orders & letter) restricting salt intake because of a kidney or heart problem versus the passenger who decides on his/her own to limit salt.

 

I have a severe reaction to mushrooms. My body treats any ingestion of mushrooms as poison and reacts accordingly---vomiting and diarrhea. Sad fact is I love mushrooms; they do not love me. Knowing this, on every cruise we have booked, my TA supplies me with that cruise line's medical/allergy form. I fill it in, and she sends it to the cruise line at least 4 months prior to embarkation. She follows up over the telephone two months prior to sailing. Once we booked four weeks before sailing, but she still sent in the form, then called the cruise line, who had the request in their computer.

 

After embarking, I always go to the MDR as instructed in a special letter. Not once have I ever had to say anything other than my name and the maitre d' responds, "Oh, you have the mushroom reaction." The wait staff at our assigned table has always been notified. (This is why we always select main seating.)

 

Usually, halfway through the first dinner and each evening thereafter, the assistant maitre d' brings the following evening's menu to me and requests that I select. Only negative about this accommodation is that I'm usually full and don't want to think about more food, but should I select a dish that has a mushroom sauce or is prepared with mushrooms, the chef has time to adjust. There has been no problem fixing a dish to my specifications. Of course, I realize I am talking about one ingredient whereas a vegan diet is more complicated in leaving out a whole list of meat and animal-related items.

 

The maitre d' will tell me in our initial meeting that the cruise line is not responsible for the choices I make in other dining venues like the Lido. In alternative restaurants, I ask before I select, knowing if the server cannot understand English well, I may end up ingesting mushrooms. Hence, I am extremely careful. If in doubt, I don't select that dish.

 

Your travel agent or the cruise line can supply the proper medical form. Hope this helps on future cruises.

 

Do have a question though. If you still have reservations about HAL being able to meet your request as you indicate, why try them again? You said Princess did accommodate your diet well. Why not stick with them? I am thinking there must be aspects to the HAL experience that you really, really enjoyed which almost negates the food issue. Could you address this, please. Thanks, and hope that on your next cruise aboard HAL you find some vegan dishes to savor.

[suse]

I totally loved this thread when it was up before! I learned so much! I found, on our last cruise, November 29, Westerdam, that you can go to the Asian station in the Lido and eat stuff with no meat. It was so delicious!:) I am really looking forward to Pipedream's return because he always has a great perspective on this sort of thing.

love to all,

Susie