Food Allergies

[racecarchris]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone has experience dining on any of the cruise lines with a life-threatening food allergy? My 10 year old son is begging to go on a cruise with us and I'd like to find out how some of the cruise lines handle this. I've heard Disney may be a good choice. Thank you!:)

[mom x4,grandma x4]

Howdy,

Yes, you heard right, Disney is great about food allergies.

Just have your doctor fill out as medical form and them mail or fax it to the cruise line. Keep a photo copy for yourself too. just in case something happens to the original. You can print a form off the DCL site.

WE have some dairy allergies and they will provide soy milk or almond milk.

people with nut allergies ( I've talked to) have lots of praise for the staff. They had special items that are nut free, completely!! They will tell you everything you can have on the menu and even snacks and desserts I have read many threads where the head server would bring out something extra special ro kids especially who have allergies so they are made to feel so special that they forget about what they cant have and concentrate on what they can have.

They just do little things such as pouring ketchup to look like Mickey on a plate, or they do magic tricks etc.. to entertain the kids at dinner. Our grandson was always too full for dessert after dinner. so one night our waiter brought out a empty plate at dessert time and set it in front of him. He had written in chocolate syrup "I'M TOO FULL!"

Our grandson licked every drop off the plate and he felt so special. For people with severe allergies they will take the time to talk with you the first night to re assure you that you are being served safe foods. You may have to check in with them ahead of time ,if your on the ship the first day, in time for lunch, if you go to the buffet. They usually have a restaurant open too perhaps you should do lunch there and tell them who you are and what the allergy is, then they can check their record and will discuss foods with you then, so you wont have any doubts in your mind. I'm sure the head waiter would be able to tell you what was appriate on the buffet too. At dinner you are assigned a table so they will know who you are before you arrive, lunch you sit where ever you want. They run into this all the time and they are well equiped to handle about any dietary issues, as long as they are informed ahead of time with the medical form, so they can prepare. But carry your copy with you just in case there is a lack of communication, which is highly unlikely.

Go for the trip! You will be well cared for and the kids cub counselors should be informed as well not to let your child have any snacks without your permission, but double check the first day. Sometimes the kids have pizza or popcorn and a movie in the evenings.

hope this helped a little. We have 3 with dietary needs and all have been taken care of wonderfully.

mom x4, grandma x4

[MarkMark]

I agree, I have never been more comfortable with my daughters allergies then on any Disney property. Head chefs personally walking us thru the menu, and offerring to cook alternative dishes in clean pots and pans. Disney is more expensive, but worth if for this reason alone for our family

[racecarchris]

Thanks so much for the speedy replies! I appreciate your thorough answers. It sounds great! Christmas break would probably be a busy time to go, but we've never taken the kids out of school for a trip - kind of limits our traveling time to summer, which seems so far away now till next year. We have one who just started high school - he hasn't been on a cruise either. I've only been on 3 - one Costa Allegral, 2 Dawn Princess - loved them all. My husband's been on tons - he loves them even more.

[mom x4,grandma x4]

Christmas isnt much busier on the ship as it can only take a certain amount of passengers and that's it. It would be a full ship. Christmas cruises are more expensive too. But they are great to see the ship all decorated.

Summer may be a long way off, but the farther out you book, the more you'll save. Early summer is less chance of hurricanes. We book our cruise as far out as we can. Our next one in december we booked 16 months ago and our room prices have gome up $800 per room already. By the actual cruise time we will have paid a thousand or more less than those who booked later. We have booked 2 more cruises 4 months ago for the end of 2006 and I'm sure what we paid will really look great when we see the prices keep going up between now and the cruise. So that is one advantage to booking way out. Sometimes people do this and dont tell the kids until just before the cruise as a surprize.

Some TA's give better rates than DCL, but we have found that when we book directly with DCl if we need to change the cruise to another date or make some kind of change, it's taken care of instantly and all questions answered right away, which we like. Hope you decide to go, DCL has a great club for teens too. They have teen only excursions that are really a hit with the kids too. Good luck on your decision.

mom x4,grandma x4