MAASDAM MDR Incident - Excerpt from my Cruise Log

[Spire2000]

I was asked to take the following excerpt from my cruise log and post it into it's own thread here. It got a little lost in that thread and due to the potential for illness, it should be seen by as many people who may have severe food allergies as possible.

 

This was on the March 02-12 2012 cruise

 

Excerpt begins:

 

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

 

 

This evening, I ordered a tasty sounding chicken dish in a Thai-style sauce. I'm a big fan of Thai food, but I need to be careful as I have peanut allergy and peanuts tend to find their way into Thai food often. My allergy isn't a serious one, but I am still careful.

 

I asked the server if this dish included any peanuts and he said he didn't know. He did not volunteer to find out, so I politely asked him to check with the kitchen and if it did not have peanuts, I would order that. If it did, I had a second choice. Fine.

 

20 minutes later, the main course arrives and my chicken is bathed in a sauce that very clearly contains peanuts. I tried to call our server over, but he was absent. I had another server summon the manager. The manager arrived and I explained the situation. The manager looked at the food, said he needed to see the menu and went and found one. He returned and pointed out to me that the menu did not say the sauce contained peanuts. I said fine, but obviously it should say it did, beacuase obviously it is so. At this point, our server returned, noticed we were consulting with his boss and asked if there was a problem. Again, I explained the problem. Explaining my concern to these two was like pulling teeth. Maybe "allergy" was not in their vocabulary, but the language barrier made this a frustrating exercise.

 

I asked all parties present if HAL has a policy to note when a potentially serious allergen is present in a menu item. I don't need a warning on the menu, just a mention of the nuts in the sauce. Any reputable restaurant that would rather avoid lawsuits tells it's customers when nuts are present in a dish. I was met with a blank stare from the manager who either realized the menu writer seriously screwed up or had no idea what I was trying to say.

 

Eventually, another piece of chicken arrived, without the sauce or anything else on it. The manager confirmed from the kitchen that not only were there pieces of peanuts in the sauce but the sauce was made with pureed nuts also.

 

But here's the real kicker. The manager asked if I would like to see tomorrow's menu in advance so they can find out if there are nuts in anything. :confused: Seriously? After all this, they still don't get that if there are nuts in a dish, PUT THAT ON THE MENU! I told the manager at this point not to bother, because that was our last visit in the MDR.

 

I have emailed HAL's head office with this story and haven't heard back yet. While the situation wasn't life or death for me, and I imagine that if I was a person with a deadly allergy I would be very vigilant on these sort of things, the complete inability for the MDR staff to understand my concern to take any real preventative action on it was irresponsible and completely off-putting.

 

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

 

Excerpt ends...

 

I haven't yet heard anything from HAL, and at this point it is safe to say I won't. Granted, if I had an allergy where my life was endangered, maybe I don't cruise at all or at least have a conversation with the Hotel Manager at the start of the cruise, but there are many of us who would get sick from hidden allergen foods, enough that it would make the next few hours/days uncomfortable.

 

All I am asking is for HAL to state on the menu that the dish includes nuts. "Roast chicken breast in a savoury Thai peanut sauce". I don`t think that`s too much to ask.

[cb at sea]

I don't think it's too much to ask, either. It's good that you double-checked and didn't just "dig in"....some people do that!!!

[sail7seas]

Happy you noticed the peanuts and did not eat any.

 

I wonder though.....

 

There are so many allergies these days, can they note the all?

 

Caution: Seafood

Caution: Nuts

Caution: Strawberries

Caution: Wheat

Caution: Dairy

 

etc

 

I am by no means making light of it as I understand the seriousness but I think better training of stewards and supervisors would be a better course.

The whole menu could turn into a 'Caution Zone"...

[kakalina]

I agree that foods known to trigger severe even fatal reactions should be listed in the menu description at the very least. Or at least a warning that menu items may contain "whatever" and to check with your server who should be know what is in the food he/she is serving.

[solocanadian]

I don't think it's too much to ask, either. It's good that you double-checked and didn't just "dig in"....some people do that!!!

Ditto that!!! :)

[dag144]

You were foolish to order a dish that you thought could contain something that could be harmful to you. English is not the first language of your server and I suspect that a peanut allergy is quite foreign to an Asian.

 

With so many other choices on the menu you should have chosen something safer. I don't think that you will get much sympathy from Seattle, especially as the outcome was not disastrous.:D

[fann1sh]

I don't think it's possible to list every potential allergen in the menu.

 

I have 2 companions who have cruised with me on HAL. Between the two of them, they are allergic to:

 

soy, gluten, certain-seafoods-but-not others, alcohol (which hasn't been flamed/boiled), certain-nuts-but-not-others, legumes such as peas and beans.

 

Also, one of them is diabetic, and the other has a list of "simply hate it" items, like mushrooms. She won't order ANYTHING without knowing in advance if it has hidden mushrooms. <sigh>

 

I could go on about the friends with allergies I *haven't* yet cruised with, and multiply this by between 1500 and 2000, but....

 

....IMHO, the answer isn't to list allergens on the menu (now run to 6 pages) but to print up a handful of ingredients lists. Place them in set locations around the dining room to be consulted.

 

Problem I foresee: HAL's menu items have standard ingredients. But many ship's chefs do their own riffs on the recipe, without bothering to change the menu description (so perhaps not make it to an ingredients list, either).

 

One Ryndam chef was crazy about (or just had a surplus of) rosemary.

Pesto with rosemary substituted for basil? :eek: "Don't try this at home."

[PathfinderEss]

Sorry about your allergy to peanuts. I would think that most people realize that Thai sauce is made out of peanuts. Most Thai food are base on peanuts & sauce. Sometimes we have to be smarter then our servers...........when we have potential allergies that can kill us.

[Steve_Red_Dog]

Sorry to hear about your negative experience. However, a little up front action on your part would have likely prevented this unpleasant experience.

 

HAL has posted in their online FAQs section their policy about folks with food allergies. It is located at this URL: https://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-vacation-planning/PlanningAndAdvice.action?tabName=Shipboard+Life&contentMenu=Accessible+Cruising&contentSubMenu=What+If+I+Have+Food+Allergies%3F

 

HAL asks, not unreasonably in my opinion, that cruisers with food allergies let them know AHEAD OF TIME by " completing a Special Requirements Information (SRI) Form. Guests should indicate on this form which foods may potentially cause a severe reaction."

 

HAL's policy also states " Although our Access & Compliance Department will provide the ship with an advance notice of all food allergies detailed on an SRI submitted to them, it is recommended that guests also contact the Dining Room Manager upon boarding to review the details of these special dietary needs." Again, the message is clear -- do not wait until you are seated and making your menu choices.

 

Finally, yes, it does make perfect sense for HAL to be more explicit in describing their menu items, however, a complete list of all possible allergy or other health issues, e.g. fat & salt, would be a bit much.

[Labmom3]

My daughter has severe peanut allergies, a soy and dairy allergy and the cruise lines have been wonderful. They need to know in advance about the allergy. A simple check of the website will tell you in detail what to do or you can call and ask. Prior to the cruise we send in either a letter (Princess) or fill in a form, which is available on line, detailing the allergy. Then each night we get the menu for the next day and order what she will eat and everything is handled very professionally. As a matter a fact on our last Princess cruise she was presented with a special surprise dessert everynight. We have also been told to only eat in the main dining room. We always have requested and have always had the same wait staff every night to ensure her safety. I am sorry to hear about your problem but they do go out of their way to help ensure allergy safety if they know about it in advance. Her pediatric allergist had said that a cruise is a safe vacation for someone with an allergy. I suggest that next time you go on a cruise you alert them prior to sailing of your allergies.

[Krazy Kruizers]

So sorry that this happened to you.

Thankfully you didn't eat any parts of the dish.

With so many people having so many different allergies -- I don't think there is any way that they could list everything that is in every dish.

You did the right thing about asking if there were peanuts in your dish -- your waiter did not do the right for you -- it sounds like he never bothered to inquire if there were peanuts in your dish -- he was clearly at fault.

We had a problems on our Noordam cruise and wrote a letter Around Dec 6. Never got a letter from Seattle until sometime in late February while we were away on a cruise. We had told our neighbors that if they saw a letter from Holland America -- mark the date on the envelope when it arrived. I think that it is terrible that HAL takes over 2 months before they answer a letter.

Hope you get a quicker repsonse than we did.

[NHCruisr]

I also have a severe allergy to peanuts and tree nuts. I do notify the cruiseline ahead of time. On the HAL form, they also ask if I carry an epi pen - which I do. Every evening in the DR, I get a menu for the next night and make my selections. This has always been a smooth process and I have not had any problems until fairly recently. Because of staff cutbacks and waitstaff being responsible for more tables, I have had to be more vigilant and after placing my order the night before, I still remind the waitstaff each evening that I have an allergy. Also, there are fewer Dining Room Managers (Assistant Maitre D's) in the dining room. In previous cruises it was the Dining Room Manager who would oversee my ordering and double check, now it falls to the waiters.

 

I try not to eat in the Lido too much because of cross contamination issues and problems with staff who do not understand English well.

[innlady1]

It is disappointing, at the very least, to read that HAL does not pay attention to food allergies.

Even for our small, 13 room B & B, I was required last year to do an on-line course in food allergies. It's become huge...and there's really no excuse for a cruise line to not be "on top of things". I would think HAL, as well as other cruise lines, would make this a part of their training.

[sail7seas]

In the end, all of us have to take personal responsibility.

We cannot expect to float through life having someone else responsible for anything/everything that happens to us.

 

Yes, I know OP asked, and asked again and looked at the plate before eating it.

OP took PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY and used their head.... they actually thought for themselves, gee, that looks like peanuts, didn't eat it and didn't (THANKFULLY) suffer from having eaten what is an allergen to them.

 

We all have to do that and not expect the whole world to dance on our individual needs.

We have to look out for ourselves and those we love.

 

JMO (though not so humble) :o

 

[Harry1954]

I also have a severe allergy to peanuts and tree nuts. I do notify the cruiseline ahead of time. On the HAL form, they also ask if I carry an epi pen - which I do. Every evening in the DR, I get a menu for the next night and make my selections. This has always been a smooth process and I have not had any problems until fairly recently. Because of staff cutbacks and waitstaff being responsible for more tables, I have had to be more vigilant and after placing my order the night before, I still remind the waitstaff each evening that I have an allergy. Also, there are fewer Dining Room Managers (Assistant Maitre D's) in the dining room. In previous cruises it was the Dining Room Manager who would oversee my ordering and double check, now it falls to the waiters.

 

I try not to eat in the Lido too much because of cross contamination issues and problems with staff who do not understand English well.

This above explains very well what one should do who a) has a serious food allergy and b) is concerned about it enough to be cautious.

 

My DW has a very serious allergy to anything that contains egg or egg byproduct. We always inform HAL months in advance and they acknowledge receipt of our issue. Further, I visit with the manager overseeing our section the first day and discuss again - as well as PG manager. We do this because we want to be courteous and cautious. No stone is left unturned. We do have Epipens with us just in case.

 

It is not HAL's problem, but ours. Whenever there is a dish that we are the least bit concerned about, we ask and if necessary, she doesn't eat it.

 

We also get the menu the evening before and she then is able to discuss potential issues.

 

I suspect the initial poster did not have a clear enough thought process at the time to realize they were attempting to look to the future ... I am not sure I would have either given what they experienced.

 

In any event, we want to enjoy the MDR, not avoid it. And ... when we go to Lido, if there is a dish we are concerned about, we ask for the chef and question them ... then we know.

 

harry

[mountainmare]

I agree that as a person who has allergies I do have to take responsibilty. But I have noticed that recently on HAL my concerns about my allergy have not been taken as seriously by the MDR staff as they were in the past. The OP was lucky that she could SEE that nuts might be in the sauce, often you cannot tell.

I feel that the staff has been stretched so thin that this is one example of where the cutbacks can do harm to the passengers.

In the past HAL seemed more concerned than now, recently other cruiselines have seemed more attentive than HAL to my food allergies.

[Harry1954]

I agree that as a person who has allergies I do have to take responsibilty. But I have noticed that recently on HAL my concerns about my allergy have not been taken as seriously by the MDR staff as they were in the past. The OP was lucky that she could SEE that nuts might be in the sauce, often you cannot tell.

I feel that the staff has been stretched so thin that this is one example of where the cutbacks can do harm to the passengers.

In the past HAL seemed more concerned than now, recently other cruiselines have seemed more attentive than HAL to my food allergies.

 

I dont think it is the cruise line ... I suggest it is the personnel on that specific cruise. We have had duds that didnt get the message, period .. and management had to be informed and step in - then everything was smooth. Most of the time though, everyone does a valiant job in handling the situation ... and without embarrassing my DW with the allergy.

 

And .. we always comment on either the duds -- naming names --- as well as the good ones .. and tip accordingly at cruise end.

harry

[kazu]

I dont think it is the cruise line ... I suggest it is the personnel on that specific cruise. We have had duds that didnt get the message, period .. and management had to be informed and step in - then everything was smooth. Most of the time though, everyone does a valiant job in handling the situation ... and without embarrassing my DW with the allergy.

 

And .. we always comment on either the duds -- naming names --- as well as the good ones .. and tip accordingly at cruise end.

harry

 

Very well said - so often your cruise experience can hinge on a few people and the service they provide

[Seago2]

Thai = peanuts. Always. Maybe not in Thailand, but the western interpretation of Thai food seems to always have peanuts or peanut butter somewhere within.

 

Obviously it pays to be eternally vigilant, something I don't need to the the OP or others who have chimed in with allergy stories.

 

Question: why is it that so many more people have allergies now? My beloved hair dresser has a sign on the door to her salon: severe peanut allergy, please do not bring in anything with nuts. I know shellfish allergies are among the worst and I wonder how someone with that allergy can eat anything prepared in a large kitchen that serves shrimp pretty much 24/7.

 

I know to always be on the lookout for alcohol. No trifle, to Jack sauce, no wine, no nuttin'.

[bepsf]

And here I thought this thread was going to be something about the swimming pool emptying into the MDR as occurred on Ryndam a few years back...

;)

 

As one with an allergy (Wheat/Gluten) its MY responsibility not only to alert the Maitre'D but also my waiter so that we can make sure that there's nothing that will make me ill....

...but to also order items with that in mind - it would be outright foolishness of me to going to order the Beef Wellington, Spaghetti Carbonara or Tiramisu!

:cool:

[Valley Girl of VA]

First of all, if it was a Thai satay sauce, then it would be peanut based but I guess that it isn't widely known.

 

I just traveled in Feb. with HAL on the Nieuw Amsterdam. I notified them ahead that my roommate and I both had gluten allergies and in addition my roommate had a shellfish allergy.

 

They emailed us choices that we could have instead of traditional gluten products. We filled it out and let them know we wanted gluten free pancakes, waffles, etc. They had the batter already for us in the Lido area. We just had to ask the cooks to use that batter, which they did on a separate griddle. Also, we got our menus ahead of time so we could go over them with the wait staff. Our waiters went above and beyond what I would have expected. HAL entered our allergies into their computer so when we went to the specialty restaurants, they immediately recognized that we had allergies without us even telling them.

[innlady1]

First of all, if it was a Thai satay sauce, then it would be peanut based but I guess that it isn't widely known.

 

I just traveled in Feb. with HAL on the Nieuw Amsterdam. I notified them ahead that my roommate and I both had gluten allergies and in addition my roommate had a shellfish allergy.

 

They emailed us choices that we could have instead of traditional gluten products. We filled it out and let them know we wanted gluten free pancakes, waffles, etc. They had the batter already for us in the Lido area. We just had to ask the cooks to use that batter, which they did on a separate griddle. Also, we got our menus ahead of time so we could go over them with the wait staff. Our waiters went above and beyond what I would have expected. HAL entered our allergies into their computer so when we went to the specialty restaurants, they immediately recognized that we had allergies without us even telling them.

 

That's good to know. I am on a salt free diet and let my TA know in advance...so far, no problems with that. So I'm guessing as long as someone alerts the ship ahead of time, they'll be OK.

[cruisequeen10]

My niece (age 24) has severe peanut and shellfish allergies. On our first Celebrity cruise, they assured us everytime what she could and couldn`t have. One night she had the chocolate crunch dessert. Just the word `crunch`set off a red flag. They assured us that there was no nuts in it. Well after the first bite, guess what happened, yup, we were up and running to the medical centre. Luckily the dining room was just 1 floor above and it was open. She was down for the rest of the night and most of the next day. They had to give her a shot. The next Celebrity cruise, yup it happened again, twice. Once when she was eating spaghetti and the other time was «i can`t remember. That time her mother was with her, so I didn`t have to deal with it. It is a very traumatic thing to go through. On our last Disney cruise, when we ate in the buffet, she would always go and ask for the person in charge and explain that she needs to have her meal prepared separately. They were very nice and catered to her. Now this June, we are going on the Maasdam and I hope she doesn`t have any problems. She does carry an epipen with her, but hasn`t used it yet. The staff really needs to be aware of all type of allergies and understand fully.

[Petronillus]

HAL has posted in their online FAQs section their policy about folks with food allergies. It is located at this URL: https://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-vacation-planning/PlanningAndAdvice.action?tabName=Shipboard+Life&contentMenu=Accessible+Cruising&contentSubMenu=What+If+I+Have+Food+Allergies%3F

 

HAL asks, not unreasonably in my opinion, that cruisers with food allergies let them know AHEAD OF TIME by " completing a Special Requirements Information (SRI) Form. Guests should indicate on this form which foods may potentially cause a severe reaction."

 

HAL's policy also states " Although our Access & Compliance Department will provide the ship with an advance notice of all food allergies detailed on an SRI submitted to them, it is recommended that guests also contact the Dining Room Manager upon boarding to review the details of these special dietary needs." Again, the message is clear -- do not wait until you are seated and making your menu choices.

 

It seems to me that this is the right answer/solution. It's not complete, however, until one adds the vigilance and personal responsibility that others have emphasized in this thread.

[Seago2]

First of all, if it was a Thai satay sauce, then it would be peanut based but I guess that it isn't widely known.

 

I just traveled in Feb. with HAL on the Nieuw Amsterdam. I notified them ahead that my roommate and I both had gluten allergies and in addition my roommate had a shellfish allergy.

 

They emailed us choices that we could have instead of traditional gluten products. We filled it out and let them know we wanted gluten free pancakes, waffles, etc. They had the batter already for us in the Lido area. We just had to ask the cooks to use that batter, which they did on a separate griddle. Also, we got our menus ahead of time so we could go over them with the wait staff. Our waiters went above and beyond what I would have expected. HAL entered our allergies into their computer so when we went to the specialty restaurants, they immediately recognized that we had allergies without us even telling them.

 

WOW. That is excellent. I'm so glad everything worked out. That seems above and beyond and it's very good to hear.