Question concerning Carnival tours which provide lunch

[wantocruisemore]

Looking at cruises and trying to finalize plans. Specifically like the Triumph for my daughter's fall birthday. My daughter is diabetic and also has to have a gluten-free menu. We are interested in the Uxmal (or Chichen Itza) excursion from Progresso and are considering several for Cozumel. The day of her birthday will be the day in Cozumel so we want it special.

 

For those who have done the Dolphin Swim in Cozumel, what was the lunch? We did a dolphin swim in Key Largo several years ago and she loved it. Thought about that again.

Also, considering the Stingrays or the Submarine.

 

Has anyone done the Blue Water Helmet Dive in Cozumel?

 

Also, will Carnival pack you a lunch if you have a special diet for you to take off the ship?

 

Also, possible to do 2 excursions at one port? Anyone done that?

 

And yes I understand I can get it cheaper not going through Carnival but I had rather be safe, than sorry, since she is also disabled in addition to her diabetes and diet. But, she has no other physical restrictions, can climb & swim.

 

 

One of the reasons we decided on the cruise is she wants to go to Mexico and I figured there would be more control w/respect to her diet on the ship.

[Carolin]

Carnival contracts out tours through local providers (unless its one of thier private islands). The only food you can take off the ship must be prepackaged and sealed. You can try to contact the special needs department and see if anything can be arranged between the ship and the tour company. I hope your able to do so.

[janabm81]

Unfortunately, the lunch provided is through the tour operator its self not actually Carnival but you may be able to contact the tour directly and ask what they typically serve so you have an idea before you book.

[lillian marie]

CCl is really excellent about helping folks with diet restrictions. I'd call customer service and ask them your questions.

[wmjrdn]

Not really an answer to OP's questions, but...

 

My wife and I were in Costa Maya in February and took the Mayan ruins tour. The lunch provided was a bag of tuna, a sleeve of crackers, a tiny package of chips, a three generic Oreo cookies and little snack containers of mayonaise, pickle relish and ketchup.

 

When the tour guide was handing us our lunch packages as we boarded the bus, he told every single person the lunch was provided by the cruise line, not the tour company.

 

One couple said they were vegetarians and would not eat tuna. The bus stopped at this building just outside Costa Maya and the tour guide went in and got them a different lunch. It looked delicious when they were eating it -- a huge roll stuffed with marianted peppers and squash slices, an orange and some sort of crumbly cracker/chip snack.

 

I think everyone on the bus wanted to become a vegetarian for that lunch.

[tinlizzy]

Do be careful - we went on a Charlie Soto tour where we were supposed to stop for lunch and 2 ignorant women wanted to go shopping instead. To the dismay of everyone on the tour and because it was easier, the tour guide obliged the women. To really add insult to injury the shopping trip consisted of the women buying chips and sodas while everyone else waited on the bus. All the children (and adults) were staving by the time we got back to the ship late afternoon.

[skittl1321]

I did a different cruise, but the excursions I did that provided meals there were not really choices available.

 

Kayaking in Acapulco we were taken to a place and given a choice of soda, and then some various appetizers were set out. I don't recall any of the servers speaking english.

 

A bus tour in Manzinllo we were taken to a place that brought out plate after plate of miscellaneous appetizers and entrees (this turned out to be a highlight of our whole cruise- so yummy)- I suppose you could have asked for an extra dish of one of the things they put out, but you didn't get a choice of the dishes. The servers spoke limited English, but I think complicated dietary needs would have been tough to communicate.

[wantocruisemore]

Replies are not very encouraging when trying to accommodate a gluten-free diabetic on a long tour (either Uxmal or Chichen Itza). Those ruins are the reason for the trip.

 

Looks like I will be smuggling the little paks of peanut butter, some gluten-free crackers, chips and an apple. :rolleyes:

 

I'll talk to the ship before we go and once on the ship too. Maybe they can send something.

 

As for the tuna, my husband is very allergic to seafood (although I would have gladly eaten his share, I love it).

[Traveler353]

I have only stupidly have done one Carnival supported tour. The included box lunch was a mystery meat sandwich on stale bread, a cookie and a warm soda. One bite and tossed the whole box, nasty. The lunch was supplied by the tour company not from the ship. I and several others from the tour made a point of complaining to the tour desk about the tour in general and definitely the food provided as soon as we returned to the ship. Never again would I take a ship sponsored tour. Way too easy to “do it yourself” at half the cost.

[wantocruisemore]

Thanks to this board we've pretty much decided to do Cozumel ourselves and set up swims w/dolphins at Dolphin Discovery instead of ship's tours.

 

However, with Uxmal or Chichen Itza and it being so far away, we will likely do the Carnival tour and smuggle food for daughter. She is disabled (speech/lang. w/autistic tendencies). It would be catastrophic for us to miss the boat with her along.

 

I will be talking with a representative next week and see what can be done.

 

Years ago on our first cruise my husband and I did a cruise-sponsored Tulum tour. Seems I vaguely remember a boxed lunch that wasn't too bad. But then there were no dietary concerns, just taste.

[DEBnGAB]

Thanks to this board we've pretty much decided to do Cozumel ourselves and set up swims w/dolphins at Dolphin Discovery instead of ship's tours.

 

However, with Uxmal or Chichen Itza and it being so far away, we will likely do the Carnival tour and smuggle food for daughter. She is disabled (speech/lang. w/autistic tendencies). It would be catastrophic for us to miss the boat with her along.

 

I will be talking with a representative next week and see what can be done.

 

Years ago on our first cruise my husband and I did a cruise-sponsored Tulum tour. Seems I vaguely remember a boxed lunch that wasn't too bad. But then there were no dietary concerns, just taste.

 

 

The one and ONLY ship sponsored tour that Ive ever done was Chichen Itza...because of the distance and tight timeframe. I am a big "DIY" person when it comes to shore excursions, but with this one I wouldnt risk it either.

 

I'd see what the special needs dept of Carnival can do for you with respect to food. :)