Do We Really NEED the Help?

[hpf]

It should not be all about me unless I don't like it! Then it needs to change!

 

If you don't like it then don't eat it, choose something else. There is enough variety on the menu that there has to be something you can eat, if not stay home.

 

My DH has diabetis and I am allergic to shrimp but I have enough sence to stay away from that. Or to at least ask if it could be included. My husband watches what he eat's, usually chicken; and if he has something he shouldn't then it's his own fault.

 

I agree with you Sail and Lisa whole heartedly.

 

Helen

[Hobbsey]

If you don't like it then don't eat it, choose something else. There is enough variety on the menu that there has to be something you can eat, if not stay home.

 

My DH has diabetis and I am allergic to shrimp but I have enough sence to stay away from that. Or to at least ask if it could be included. My husband watches what he eat's, usually chicken; and if he has something he shouldn't then it's his own fault.

 

I agree with you Sail and Lisa whole heartedly.

 

Helen

 

I don't know Mina personally or anything but I belive she was being jocular.

[hpf]

As a diabetic, yes I do know what I can eat and what I can't eat. The problem is when I don't prepare the food myself, I don't know all the ingredients and there are a lot of hidden sugars in restaurant foods. A steady diet of grilled chicken and steamed vegetables gets old very quickly. quote]

 

It seemed the last cruise my DH was on our server thought it was getting old too. DH got sea sick after ordering (it could have been my snails that turned him off) ; any way our server came with our meals and looked to DH seat and said " O-o-ps, Mr Bob had too much chicken"

 

Sorry I thought a little humor was needed.

 

Helen :)

[hrhdhd]

Wow, maybe it's just me, but it seems there is an unexpected harshness, and lack of compassion to this thread. I'm very glad for all of you who don't need special assistance, either because you don't have any food issues, or you've learned to handle them on a cruise. I really am happy you don't have to worry about what you eat. I don't either, so I'm not taking this personally.

 

It's not just you.

 

I agree with the previous example of bacon appearing in dishes when it's not listed on the menu. The same happens to me with mushrooms; while they won't kill me, I don't like them. I never order anything that is described as having mushrooms (or make a request to have them removed), but I do expect that they won't make an appearance in a dish when they are not listed.

 

And if you think you're not eating any butter on a cruise ship, you're sorely mistaken. :rolleyes:

[DaveOKC]

In reading the above replies, I have to agree that if you have a severe problem, perhaps cruising is not a good idea. One thing that occurs to me - what if you do get a reaction to something and are at sea (or a foreign port)? Will they be able to treat you properly? It sure is something to consider.

 

DaveOKC

[piscesgal223]

I'm guessing that the infirmary is well stocked enough to have a few epi pens available should something happen.

[Jemima]

IMO

New to cruising or to HAL

New people want to know ahead if there are (low sodium, sugar free, vegetarian, gluten free or whatever) available, if items are marked as such on menus, how they handle special food needs onboard.

They should be given accurate responses. "There are lots of vegetarian choices" or "You'll have no problem with low sodium" may be interpreted as "You'll have plenty to choose from and choices for every course." I went on my first cruise having been told there would be all sorts of vegetarian choices. Wrong. There were vegetarian items, but usually one per course and sometimes none for a course.

 

Life threatening

Life threatening allergies or those with very serious reactions should be indicated at booking time and should be discussed the first day. Many, probably most, allergies and diet recommendations don't require this. Usually the passenger can make good menu choices themselves with an occasional question to the server.

 

Personal diet choices

Usually this can be handled by passenger choices just as it is in a restaurant.

 

What we do - DD and I are vegetarian. We are used to ordering from restaurant menus with limited veg choices, so cruising is the same. We occasionally ask about an item, but try to do it simply and quietly. "Is _____ vegetarian?" We do our ordering from the regular menu and look at it earlier in the day. This makes for more pleasant dining for us and for tablemates and doesn't slow down service.

In addition, I'm type 2 diabetic and am perfectly capable of making good food selections. I never mention this in a restaurant.

[sail7seas]

It's not just you.

 

I agree with the previous example of bacon appearing in dishes when it's not listed on the menu. The same happens to me with mushrooms; while they won't kill me, I don't like them. I never order anything that is described as having mushrooms (or make a request to have them removed), but I do expect that they won't make an appearance in a dish when they are not listed.

 

And if you think you're not eating any butter on a cruise ship, you're sorely mistaken. :rolleyes:

 

 

Is it some new food service thing they put butter on salad greens, fresh fruit, plain grilled salmon, cold cereal,black coffee, red wine ........

When one eats almost no butter, they know if a dish has it. It is very, very apparent to me at the first taste if a dish has any consequential amount of butter in it as I never use it at home. The taste immediately stands out for me when someone 'slips it in.

[Taxguy77]

I, too, ask about ingredients while seated at the table and placing my order with the steward.

If one is seated at late traditional seating, it's a fair guess the steward has seen all the meals plated for the evening by the time he is taking our order. He served all of first seating by then.

IMO

 

On our TA aboard =X= we had early fixed dining and our waiter obviously had seen (and maybe sampled) every dish. We asked for his recommendation each night and he would give us one or two dishes. We always chose one and were never disappointed. :) One night he said "I recommend ANYTHING BUT the fish" and since he was Portugese we knew he was very familiar with fish.

Unfortunately we were unable to get fixed seating on HAL but found the food in the Lido excellent.

[CowPrincess]

Sail7Seas said:

 

Some of these questions I have posed this week don't only apply to cruising.... I mean them about getting around in the world in general, in living our daily lives, being responsible for ourselves and taking more care of ourselves independently of expecting/requiring others to do for us that which we can and should do for ourselves.

 

 

Then is it really appropriate that it be raised on a cruise chat forum where newbies are likely unsure and potentially intimidated? I am concerned that other posters may be uncomfortable posting a question that could be construed (in some people's eyes) as "not taking personal responsibility".

 

You have mentioned several times that you have health-related dietary restrictions. Did you have them when you went on your first cruise? If you did, would you have even boarded a cruise ship thinking "well I can survive on apples and celery for a week if I must"? Or would you have made certain using the resources available to you?

 

You've been cruising since before the internet became ubiquitous. So have I. But now the internet is the place to get information, and new members of any/all boards need to be encouraged to ask questions, even if those questions have all been asked before. Otherwise this board and the others like it will die.

[the2ofus]

I always find Sail7Seas' posts thought-provoking and thoughtful. In this particular case I have to disagree with her conclusions. There are times when it is absolutely imperative to consider a whole lot more about the issue before you can make a blanket statement.

 

As one poster mentioned, unlike on land, you can't just leave the restaurant and choose another. All food is prepared on the ship, or to ship specifications. As another poster mentioned, newly diagnosed food-related health conditions require greater planning and awareness and there is greater anxiety for "doing everything right"". What is the harm in coming to the CC board to seek information or meeting with the chef, maitre d' or other appropriate staff member? Better that than to have a vacation ruined.

 

We already had a cruise scheduled when my husband was diagnosed with Meniere's Disease which required highly restricted sodium intake and no caffeine. Should we have cancelled or sought as much information as possible about the menus? We chose to do the latter.

 

Learning to manage his diet was difficult for us both. Time consuming for me as I had to read labels on every food item I bought Difficult for him because the effect of consumption of these restricted items was cumulative, not reversible with medication, and could make him unpleasantly ill for days. Fortunately, the HAL staff was very cooperative, answered our questions and made sure he had beverages available, including water, with zero sodium and with no caffeine.

[davidgilead]

Sail, you are totally right. We are responsible for ourselves in this world.

[ironin]

Where might one find this information for HAL? DH and I don't currently have a cruise planned for this summer, but I could see this becoming a concern in the future. His symptoms cause misery and confine him to the cabin... so are you saying that we shouldn't cruise? :confused: If HAL offers an option to have a special diet handled by appropriate staff (onshore and onboard), then why shouldn't those who "need" the accommodation use it?

 

I'm an educator, and I shudder to think of the list of accommodations for thousands of disabilities... ones the public has never even heard defined!

 

[Responding to your post because you make some good points and also easy to elaborate from there. Please don't think I'm criticizing. Hope I don't sound patronizing, either. ;)]

When you make your reservation for your cruise, you are asked if any of the passengers being registered have special dietary requirements. If you answer yes, the following appears:

 

[Name of Guest]

___Yes ____ No

Does this guest have specific meal requirements such as Vegetarian, Low sodium or Kosher?

 

Choose all that apply to this guest:

 

___Indian Vegetarian

___Vegetarian

___Diabetic (Low Carb/Low Sugar)

___Kosher

___Baby Food

___Low Fat Low Salt/Sodium

___Low Cholesterol

___Lactose Intolerant

___Gluten Free

 

Please contact us at least 90 days prior to your departure if you have specific meal requirements. If you are within 90 days of your departure date, please Ship Services at 800-541-1576.

As you can see, HAL is prepared for this. Like any other cruise line, they will make every effort to provide reasonable accommodation for their passengers with food sensitivities. In some cases, this may mean meeting with the Dining Room Manager or Asst. Manager and reviewing the next night's selections in advance. In other cases, there may be something of a set menu for each night, the options being limited. In any case, they are happy to do it and want the passenger to be happy with the result.

 

Where passengers with food sensitivities tend to get themselves into potentially troublesome situations is going someplace like the Lido buffet and expecting the average server to not only be conversant with all the possible limitations above but also have the English-language ability to communicate effectively about a potentially life-and-death topic.

 

Or ordering things they really aren't sure about and expecting the server to be qualified to provide what can sometimes border on medical advice. FWIW, in the MDR kitchen, there are pictures of each and every thing being served at the time and underneath them the official list of ingredients.

 

Hope this helps. And sets your mind at ease. All the best to you and your DH.

[room010]

I'm diabetic too and control it with medication (no insulin - yet), a low carb diet and obviously no sugar. Low carbs is doable because I've educated myself via a process of trial and error on what foods are OK and which ones make my blood sugar spike. It's the usual suspects - bread, rice, pasta, potato and of course sugar. Most are easy enough to avoid but sugar is a constant problem because it's sneaked into almost all processed foods and not just the 'sweet' ones. The main culprit is that *^@ high fructose corn syrup AKA sugar which is EVERYWHERE now.

 

However, I don't expect my waiter, restaurant manager, chefs to understand the subtleties of my specific dietary requirements and so I make sure I order what I know to be OK. I don't rely on them to act as my nutritionists and monitor what's on my plate. It's up to me to decide whether I should eat it or not and if in doubt I don't eat it.

 

I think the wider problem is that there is a 'disconnect' between how the cruiselines (all of them) advertise the cruising experience as one of pampered luxury where every passenger's requirements are instantly met with seamless efficiency. We all know that the reality is very different and that a cruiseship is no different to almost any other catering establishment with a high turnover of customers. Expecting staff to remember every detail of your 'special needs' without the occasional reminder is unrealistic and unreasonable.

[kazu]

 

I think the wider problem is that there is a 'disconnect' between how the cruiselines (all of them) advertise the cruising experience as one of pampered luxury where every passenger's requirements are instantly met with seamless efficiency. We all know that the reality is very different and that a cruiseship is no different to almost any other catering establishment with a high turnover of customers. Expecting staff to remember every detail of your 'special needs' without the occasional reminder is unrealistic and unreasonable.

 

I think you have made a very good point here;)

[trvlcrzy]

[quote name='the2ofus']We already had a cruise scheduled when my husband was diagnosed with Meniere's Disease which required highly restricted sodium intake and no caffeine. Should we have cancelled or sought as much information as possible about the menus? We chose to do the latter.

Learning to manage his diet was difficult for us both. Time consuming for me as I had to read labels on every food item I bought Difficult for him because the effect of consumption of these restricted items was cumulative, not reversible with medication, and could make him unpleasantly ill for days. Fortunately, the HAL staff was very cooperative, answered our questions and made sure he had beverages available, including water, with zero sodium and with no caffeine.[/quote]

Thanks for posting this. This is one of DH's possible diagnoses...

[quote name='ironin'][B][Responding to your post because you make some good points and also easy to elaborate from there. Please don't think I'm criticizing. Hope I don't sound patronizing, either. ;)][/B]

When you make your reservation for your cruise, you are asked if any of the passengers being registered have special dietary requirements. If you answer yes, the following appears:

[B][Name of Guest][/B]

___[B]Yes ____ No[/B]
[B]Does this guest have specific meal requirements such as Vegetarian, Low sodium or Kosher?[/B]

[B]Choose all that apply to this guest:[/B]

___[B]Indian Vegetarian[/B]
[B]___Vegetarian[/B]
[B]___Diabetic (Low Carb/Low Sugar)[/B]
[B]___Kosher[/B]
[B]___Baby Food[/B]
[B]___Low Fat[/B] [B]Low Salt/Sodium[/B]
[B]___Low Cholesterol[/B]
[B]___Lactose Intolerant[/B]
[B]___Gluten Free[/B]

[B]Please contact us at least 90 days prior to your departure if you have specific meal requirements. If you are within 90 days of your departure date, please Ship Services at 800-541-1576.[/B]

As you can see, HAL is prepared for this. Like any other cruise line, they will make every effort to provide reasonable accommodation for their passengers with food sensitivities. In some cases, this may mean meeting with the Dining Room Manager or Asst. Manager and reviewing the next night's selections in advance. In other cases, there may be something of a set menu for each night, the options being limited. In any case, they are happy to do it and want the passenger to be happy with the result.

Where passengers with food sensitivities tend to get themselves into potentially troublesome situations is going someplace like the Lido buffet and expecting the average server to not only be conversant with all the possible limitations above but also have the English-language ability to communicate effectively about a potentially life-and-death topic.

Or ordering things they really aren't sure about and expecting the server to be qualified to provide what can sometimes border on medical advice. FWIW, in the MDR kitchen, there are pictures of each and every thing being served at the time and underneath them the official list of ingredients.

Hope this helps. And sets your mind at ease. All the best to you and your DH.[/quote]

Thanks for sharing this. Since we haven't cruised since he was "diagnosed" (there are still two possibilities on the table), I haven't seen what is available when you have to click "yes." DH usually handles all of the online clicking for our reservations and information. I am the proofreader to make sure he entered things correctly. Our answer, until now, has always been "no."

Ironically, it was a cruise that first opened his mind to going to the doctor for this. A CCer's husband was discussing my DH's sudden onset of sea sickness (when we had cruised several times previously, and we used to ride roller coasters) as a potential health problem. When the 'sea sickness' started happening just getting out of bed... WHOA.

It is good to know what resources are readily available. That is why CC is so helpful.

[the2ofus]

Trvlcrzy....
I suspected that might be the diagnosis you were referring to. Hopefully it has been caught early enough. There is no harm in testing by eliminating caffeine and limiting total sodium intake to less than 2000 mg. per day. If it doesn't help you haven't lost anything by trying. But...keep trying until you find the solution! Each severe Meniere's attack cost my husband some hearing loss and the damage was significant before we discovered the simple solution of restricting sodium and caffeine.

If this information has been helpful to even one person, then Sail7Seas has provided a valuable service by posting her original comment.

How sad that FirstandLastPost judged our entire CC board by comments on one or two threads! I would say the fault lies in the beholder in this case.

[DeirdreTours]

Many posters on this thread seem confused about what the cruising experience is: It is a commercial product offered by a (hopefully) profit making company. In order to make money, cruise lines try to appeal to the widest possible market.

Over the last few years, this has expanded to include people with special dietary needs. So, if the cruise line is willing to invest the resources to appeal to this market niche, I am baffled as to why posters here would possibly care! If you don't need/desire special dietary assistance on board--Goody for you! No one is forcing you to take it. Just like no is forced to take advantage of any other cruise offering.

The advice offered in this thread that those with serious allergies should just not cruise would not serve the cruise lines well. For reasons not yet fully understood, food allergies have dramatically increased over the last 50 years. Children born today are 30 times more likely to be diagnosed with a life threatening peanut allery than children born in 1950.
Also, vegatarians and vegans make up an increasing portion of the population. Diabetics are also an increasing population. That some posters don't expect vegetarian/vegan/kosher/diabetic/allergan free menus is utterly irrelevent to the market population that won't cruise without these menu accomodations. Cruise lines want evey body on board and are clearly willing to work to adjust their menus to people's needs.

I can understand completely if a cruise line looks at the costs of accomodating a particular dietary menu and decides the potential cruise fare doesn't justify it. But, I can 'tfigure out why any of you would possible care if John Doe down the hall gets a diabetic menu consultation?

[pictonite]

Thank you DeidreTours for such a sensible response. I, too, have been shaking my head at the emphatic replies from those with no problems to worry about. I am thankful that the cruise lines offer such a valid service to those of us with issues - and it really doesn't impact on other cruisers at all! :)

[c-cruise]

I have a daughter with a peanut allergy so am familiar with occasionally needing to ask for assistance when dining out; whether it be on a cruise ship or elsewhere. I don't expect or need anyone to "hold our hand" when ordering, but I do expect someone to be able to tell me (or find out) the ingredients that are in a particular dish. We realize that for the most part no restaurant on land or see can or will guarantee there is no peanut cross-contamination in any given dish and we certainly accept a certain amount of risk when eating out, but the more information we have the better choice we can make about what to order.

[ceejay3377]

I have read through this thread with interest. While I agree with some of the comments and sentiments of the OP - that is that we are responsible for ourselves - I also think that CC is the place to come to question and discuss shipboard life, including dietary needs. Have some compassion people.

I am also one that has an intolerance. I am dairy intolerant. It is not life threatening, but anything more than trace amounts of some dairy products can lead to a very uncomfortable and unpleasant couple of days (milk, cream and yoghurt are the main culprits). My biggest worry is that someone might think I have noro, when in fact I have inadvertantly eaten some trigger foods, and try and confine me to my cabin :eek:. The symptoms can be similar.

I do need to ask for more information than is found on the menu sometimes. I always order sauces on the side, I don't order anything that is described as 'creamy', pass on the pasta, and have resigned myself to no dessert :(. Sometimes sorbet appears on the dessert menu. Sorbet is meant to be frozen, pureed fruit. It is meant to be a safe choice as it is not suppose to contain any dairy at all. However, I have found out the hard way that some of HAL's sorbets do indeed have milk/cream in them (but not all, thankfully). So I am one who will ask my wait staff if certain menu items have certain (unlisted and unexpected) ingredients in them. My experience is that they have had to ask the kitchen staff for this particular query.

I don't declare my intolerance when I book, as I do not require a special menu. I can choose a varied diet and enjoy most meals from what is on the menu each night. I am happy to manage my diet myself, but the lack of transparency of some menu items can be a problem and that means that sometimes I do need to involve the wait staff.

I also would like to thank CC and its posters for several years of interesting discussions and providing me with answers to questions I didn't even knew I had :).