CAUTION for those who have food allergies

[phdiva]

(This will be part of my review when I finish it) CAUTION for those who have food allergies: When Celebrity served me food with a known allergen in it last week, management didn’t seem to care.

 

When cruising, we all know that we need to communicate with the Assistant Maitre D’ instead of the waiter. We also know mistakes can happen between the time we order our food and when it appears at the table. One screw-up out of 2,000 dinners is still a pretty good performance record. But how a company handles a mistake can make a world of difference.

 

My waiter was appropriately apologetic, in part because he was afraid that I was going to blame him (and in part because he’s probably a genuinely nice guy who felt bad about the mistake). But no one else seemed to care about the larger issue: food allergies can be life-threatening! In fact, the Assistant Maitre D’ “disappeared” after I alerted him to the mistake. I even lingered over coffee to see if he’d come back with an explanation. Maybe he was busy taking care of the problem in the back; or maybe he was avoiding a problematic guest.

 

The next day, I asked him if he had determined where the breakdown occurred and what corrective steps were being taken to ensure that it didn’t happen again. He repeatedly tried to assure me that I was the only guest affected by this mistake. If I want to be charitable, I could pretend he understood what I was saying but lacked the fluency to communicate in English on such serious topics. But it really seemed to me that he was going into “lock down” mode out of fear of what might happen if he admitted Celebrity made a mistake. I mentioned the incident on my comment card in case the kitchen was trying to cover it up.

 

Bottom line: If you’re accidentally served something you should not eat and you identify the problem before you take a bite, all you can expect is a replacement meal and an apology from your server. It’s a start, but I also wanted an apology from someone higher up and the sense that Celebrity was going to implement a policy to make sure this doesn’t happen to other guests.

[TRadle]

We have members of our family that sail with food allergies. One is life threatening and the other one will get so sick that medical attention would be required. When you live with these allergies you learn to take responsibility for what goes into your mouth and parents take this responsibility for their children.

You cannot expect that on the ship there will never be a mix up. What were you expecting besides a new plate? At Chops on Royal Caribbean the life threatening food was on the plate. It was immediately removed, server apologized, and we continued on with our vacation. :rolleyes:

[phdiva]

When you live with these allergies you learn to take responsibility for what goes into your mouth and parents take this responsibility for their children.

 

Thank you. I am grateful that my words of caution aren't relevant to you and your family.

[phdiva]

When you live with these allergies you learn to take responsibility for what goes into your mouth and parents take this responsibility for their children. [/Quote]

 

Thank you. I am grateful that my words of caution aren't relevant to you and your family.

[AcadiaL]

We have a 9 year old granddaughter who has a life threatening allergy to peanuts. We would love to take her on a cruise but it just isn't worth the risk. EpiPens may stop the anaphalxis, but there are many cases where an hour later it returns, and without a hospital nearby, one can die.

People who do not have any personal experiences with life threatening food allergies do not always take these things seriously, so one has to take responsibility for taking every precaution.

[TRadle]

 

Thank you. I am grateful that my words of caution aren't relevant to you and your family.

 

Go back and read my first sentence.

[Muushka]

OP, is your allergy the kind that if you eat it, you will die if not treated? Or at the very least, become ill?

 

I have a lot of food allergies. I have a condition (eosinophilic esophagitis) that when introduced to the allergen, I cough or my mouth goes numb.

 

Not pleasant, but not life threatening. In addition, I have a course of treatments that I have to take (swallowed steroids over several weeks) when my esophagus becomes irritated enough that I cough all the time.

 

My allergies were noted on an RCI cruise I took. One evening the dessert had the named ingredients, and not one nut was mentioned.

When I got it and cut into it, full of nuts (hazel, the one I am most allergic to).

I immediately notified the waiter who apologized and and removed it and went to another restaurant for something nut free and yummy.

 

The ship clearly did not have the ingredients included in the menu info. The staff clearly was not knowlegable about what they were serving.

 

Because my life was not at risk, I didn't make a big deal out of it. They knew they made a mistake, hopefully they fixed that one.

[wrg11]

I totally understand. Gluten is my culprit (Both dd and I have Celiac disease) as is shellfish and eggs. I am on your side!

[phdiva]

OP, is your allergy the kind that if you eat it, you will die if not treated? Or at the very least, become ill?

 

I have a lot of food allergies. I have a condition (eosinophilic esophagitis) that when introduced to the allergen, I cough or my mouth goes numb.

 

Not pleasant, but not life threatening. In addition, I have a course of treatments that I have to take (swallowed steroids over several weeks) when my esophagus becomes irritated enough that I cough all the time.

 

My allergies were noted on an RCI cruise I took. One evening the dessert had the named ingredients, and not one nut was mentioned.

When I got it and cut into it, full of nuts (hazel, the one I am most allergic to).

I immediately notified the waiter who apologized and and removed it and went to another restaurant for something nut free and yummy.

 

The ship clearly did not have the ingredients included in the menu info. The staff clearly was not knowlegable about what they were serving.

 

Because my life was not at risk, I didn't make a big deal out of it. They knew they made a mistake, hopefully they fixed that one.

 

Yes, my situation is similar to yours. Not life threatening, but darn uncomfortable.

 

By sharing my experience, I was hoping to remind people that mistakes happen, and to point out that the cruise line didn't show any indication that they would fix that particular mistake. I was hoping for a system of checks and balances other than my dear mother, who ordered the regular version of the dish and pointed out that I really didn't want to eat my dish even though I was assured it didn't have the toxic ingredient. Many guests aren't as lucky as I.

[Muushka]

Fair enough.

 

Hopefully they have fixed their mistake. And it serves as a heads up for people to be aware of what they are eating.

 

Gluten free diet is really difficult. I feel for you people.

[jcrandle]

Slightly off topic for cruising, as few cruises will involve guests bringing pot luck dishes, however, because I have lactose intolerance, we have become more sensitive to other's allergies. When we take a dip, a casserole, etc. to a get together, we always print a copy of the recipe so that anyone with a sensitivity to the ingredients will be advised.

[JanineM]

I have a life threatening allergy to shellfish and have sailed 15+ times. Once I was exposed and I did have a reaction and had to take appropriate action. So I think I am more than qualified to comment to the OP ... what did you expect? Do you want people to fawn all over you because something caused a reaction? When I had my reaction the waiter felt horrible (we think it was a thumb that touched a plate with shellfish and then touched my plate). But what else was he to do? And what else was the maitre d', or the assistant maitre d' to do? I took a risk when I ate in a restaurant where people were giddy over their lobster tails ... ultimately that was my mistake.

 

IN MY OPINION it is ridiculous to expect much more than an apology. They do the best they can. If you are really concerned then do not eat in restaurants, do not go on cruises, do not eat at the home of friends because you just can't control what is placed in front of you.

 

I have not had more serious problems because I am diligent. We no longer eat in the dining room on the night when shellfish is served (in fact, we almost never eat in the dining room at all). When we do eat in the dining room we eat with friends who are careful about what they eat, or we have a table for two. I am very, very careful in the buffet and I don't trust what the servers tell me. I trust my instincts. If there is a salad with shrimp I avoid that section of the buffet. And I understand that people aren't perfect and mistakes will be made, so I carry my Epipen & a bag full of Benadryl all the time.

 

I am proof that you can successful travel with food allergies, but again, you have to take responsibility and be extremely diligent.

[kenorus]

I do also have shellfish allergies. I now carry and epi-pin, benadryl and predisone. I am always careful. On the last hal cruise, they put shrimps on their bloody marys. I will tell you they only did it once and then i do believe every server knew not to. I did see on their private island that a shrimp salad was placed beside a coleslaw and people reaching and dripping over with the juice. I knew right then not to take it. You have to be your own judge. I had a very bad reaction the week before our cruise which i have never had before. Really opened my eyes. And it was from fish which was not to have shellfish in it. It was suppose to be only haddock!

[Dunmore2]

And then there is the problem of flying with a peanut or nut allergy. You can't control what others in nearby seats bring for their snacks. The people sitting in your seat on an earlier flight may have had peanuts. The flight crew doesn't sterilize the seats or dinner trays between flights. Very scary indeed.

[alenushka]

We have a 9 year old granddaughter who has a life threatening allergy to peanuts. We would love to take her on a cruise but it just isn't worth the risk. EpiPens may stop the anaphalxis, but there are many cases where an hour later it returns, and without a hospital nearby, one can die.

People who do not have any personal experiences with life threatening food allergies do not always take these things seriously, so one has to take responsibility for taking every precaution.

 

You can take her on Disney cruise - they take food allergies VERY serious. They use a different section of the kitchen to prep. food for people with allergies. They are families and kids oriented and they understand allergies. On of our cruises they refused to serve me food even when I told them it would be OK for me to have in a small amount...they offered amazingly delicious substitute!

[phdiva]

You can take her on Disney cruise - they take food allergies VERY serious. They use a different section of the kitchen to prep. food for people with allergies. They are families and kids oriented and they understand allergies. On of our cruises they refused to serve me food even when I told them it would be OK for me to have in a small amount...they offered amazingly delicious substitute!

 

Your post makes me happy, Alenushka. Thank you for sharing.

[Karen@Steve]

I can't speak for the Disney Cruises in particular but Disney does present itself as very accommodating when it comes to special diets. However, you cannot be certain that they will be 100% accurate. My DD is gluten-free and has been 'poisoned' several times at Disney resorts and restaurants. You still need to be extremely careful if you have a life threatening allergy. Fortunately, that not the case with DD but it certainly ruins a vacation when one member of the party is too sick to do much but sit around. I'd post around on the Disney Cruise site to find out how accurate they are with food allergy accommodations.

[kenorus]

on a flight to florida one time we were asked to discard anything with nuts in it. T he loading was long and tideous and the airline stewards checked everyone coming in! People were not very happy but you do have to respect the person or persons who have the allergy.

[nikel]

I do also have shellfish allergies. I now carry and epi-pin, benadryl and predisone. I am always careful. On the last hal cruise, they put shrimps on their bloody marys. I will tell you they only did it once and then i do believe every server knew not to. I did see on their private island that a shrimp salad was placed beside a coleslaw and people reaching and dripping over with the juice. I knew right then not to take it. You have to be your own judge. I had a very bad reaction the week before our cruise which i have never had before. Really opened my eyes. And it was from fish which was not to have shellfish in it. It was suppose to be only haddock!

 

 

My Dh has the same allergy, and when I buy fish in the supermarket, I always make the server change their rubber gloves. If they just handled shrimp, it's on there when they reach for your piece of haddock.

[Clydesmom7865]

Bottom line: If you’re accidentally served something you should not eat and you identify the problem before you take a bite, all you can expect is a replacement meal and an apology from your server. It’s a start, but I also wanted an apology from someone higher up and the sense that Celebrity was going to implement a policy to make sure this doesn’t happen to other guests.

 

The entire cruise line does not have to apologize in order to make this right or to re-balance the universe. I think you are WAY over reacting. No matter how many "checks and balances" are put into place accidents and mistakes are going to happen. There is NO way to prevent this from happening to anyone else. No more than laws on the books stop crime from happening again.

 

For religious reasons I do not eat pork. If I am accidentally brought some I don't have a fit about it. I merely remind the server I don't eat pork and ask for something else. I don't think it even calls for a comment on the guest card unless they refuse or are rude about it. Errors happen, I don't assume the waiter is deliberately trying to compromise my religious observations anymore than the cruise line was trying to poison you.

 

They brought you something to replace it and apologized: case closed. ANYONE with a serious health problem has to be responsible for their own needs first. It is impossible for staff dealing with large numbers of passengers to catch every possible issue with a meal. It just isn't going to happen. You take precautions, notify the line, but that does not mean you can abandon your own diligence in double checking before consuming.

[Mellowtraveler]

I have life threatening food allergies. I have sailed Celebrity many times and they have always taken very good care of me. My food is always prepared in a seperate area of the kitchen. The Maitre'd has always been very accomadating. I email Celebrity ahead of time and the Maitre'd knows who I am before I arrive. He then brings me the menu every night for the next day and allows me to choose what I will be eating and see's that it is prepared safely. They will even make me special entree's on request. This is one of the main reasons I choose to cruise. I am living proof that Celebrity has taken special care to see that my food is safe.

[cantw8togo]

We have been on five cruises on four different cruise lines with our DS (age 8) who is allergic to dairy, which is in everything from french fries, to hot dogs to margarine amongst many other things. All of the cruiselines handle allergies pretty much the same way... they all prepare special meals in a separate kitchen which are then sanitized between preparing the various dishes; we have always been offered to order from the menu the night before and we always speak to the Head Waiter in our section of the dining room or the Sous Chef in the buffet to find out what is acceptable.

 

None the less, every trip has had some kind of slip up, so you always have to be vigilant. Some cruiselines are just easier or more accommodating than others. NCL made him three different flavours of sorbet over the course of the week and RCI's Jewel OTS made him strawberry pavlova each night for dessert so that he wasn't stuck having jello every single night like he did on the Independence OTS.

 

What we have come to realize is that not all wait staff are experienced in dealling with food allergies, either because they are new to the job or because they come from a culture where food allergies are not as prevelant as they are in the western culture. When you find a good waiter and head waiter, you request to be served by them for the rest of the trip.

 

For those with seafood / shellfish allergies, you have to extra vigilant when they are serving crab as sometimes it is imitation crab which is made from pollock fish. Another sign of cutting back on the quality to hold the bottom line, but one which can have dire consequences if you are not vigilant in which one it actually is.

 

Happy sailing

[phdiva]

I have life threatening food allergies. I have sailed Celebrity many times and they have always taken very good care of me. My food is always prepared in a seperate area of the kitchen. The Maitre'd has always been very accomadating. I email Celebrity ahead of time and the Maitre'd knows who I am before I arrive. He then brings me the menu every night for the next day and allows me to choose what I will be eating and see's that it is prepared safely. They will even make me special entree's on request. This is one of the main reasons I choose to cruise. I am living proof that Celebrity has taken special care to see that my food is safe.

 

Yes, in retrospect, I got complacent and forgot that mistakes happen even with the special care that Celebrity routinely provides its patrons who have allergies.

[alenushka]

Your post makes me happy, Alenushka. Thank you for sharing.

 

Hope your granddaughter would be able to experience cruising! but of course, as others pointed, always be careful even with the companies that have the best reputation! :)

[CruisinCadie]

As the mother of the OP, I would just like to clarify a couple things. First, every night, she met with the assistant Matr'D to preorder for the next evening.

 

Second, the meal in question was served to her with a different sauce than the one on my fish. What was overlooked was that the offending allergen also was used in the breading. She took one bite and her lip started tingling. I took one bite and was able to confirm that the allergen was in the breading. Yet, when she called this to the staff's attention, she received a flat denial from the kitchen that the allergen was used. If I hadn't been there to verify her complaint, it would have been completely ignored. I do know the difference between tomato and red bell pepper, and both were used in that breading. After much hemming and hawing, they finally agreed that she was correct. Hence the apology and replacement meal.

 

The concern is that apparently even the people who prepared the meal didn't know what was in it, because, other than that, the kitchen staff was excellent at preparing or adapting special meals for her.

 

Kathy