Alaska with Allergies

[NewSalt]

I need something to keep my spirits up, so I’m thinking about future cruises. 

My DH and I did an Alaska tyour/cruise a few years ago, and all during it, I kep thinking “I wish my grandsons could see this.  They’d love it.”  I’d like to start thinking about an Alaska trip in 2022, if the stars align. The problem is my DGS has several severe food allergies. Cruises are perfect vacations because the cruise lines do a wonderful at handling food allergies, but we never eat off the ship because the idea of dealing with an allergic reaction in a non-U.S. port is just not worth the stress. 
 

Does anyone have experience with allergies on Alaska land tours? Are the land accommodations the cruise lines use used to handling potentially lethal allergic reactions?  Are the food choices severely limited. 
 

I’d appreciate hearing of anyone’s experiences. Someday we’ll be able to return to traveling. 

[katrina915]

I don't have food allergies, but couldn't you take permitted snacks on the tours (I do for other reasons) and take an epi-pen?   I would do a DYI tour vs a cruiseline land tour for better eating options.  It's really easy to plan a land trip on your own in Alaska and to drive it. 

[AKStafford]

Sounds like a very real and dangerous concern...

By "tour" are you talking about the excursions from the ship during your cruise? Or a multi-day land tour in Southcentral Alaska after your cruise?

[NewSalt]

I’m thinking of the land tour of 6-7 days before the cruise. Our package (the trip without grandsons) included dinners on land, so I didn’t have much exposure to the type, number, and variety of restaurants/food options that were available in Denali, Talkeetna, etc. 

 

[donaldsc]

We have done several trips to AK w grandkids which were DIY land tours followed by a cruise.  Luckily my grandkids don't have allergy issues but my point is that you can easily see AK without taking an escorted cruise arranged land trip.  That way, you will be able to have them eat the proper foods.  Also, you will not be stuck w a escorted tour but you can do what you and the kids will enjoy instead of what the cruise companies think you will enjoy.  Think about it.

 

DON

[AKStafford]

23 hours ago, NewSalt said:

I’m thinking of the land tour of 6-7 days before the cruise. 

Any chance you'd be open to skipping the pre-packaged cruisetour from the cruise line and doing your own trip? With your own rental car you'd have 100% control over where you dined.

[NewSalt]

My problem is not with the food/restaurants on tours, but with finding restaurants that we can trust to prepare safe food safely. We live in the crowded NY/NJ metropolitan area. With the hundreds of restaurants in the area, we know of only two moderate chain restaurants and one upscale one that are fully aware of all the precautions that are required to deal with allergies. There was one we used to frequent because the chef told us his daughter had allergies so they were very careful with allergies. Until DGS’s spaghetti came out sprinkled with cheese, one of his allergens. Fortunately, it was obvious so his mother caught it. He had his first allergic reaction, complete with ambulance and hospital visit, at Disney World  because the server gave him a gluten-free roll instead of an egg-free one. (After telling us it was egg-free.)
 

Travel with allergies is very challenging. My daughter is reluctant to do this trip because finding restaurants where he can eat is difficult, and coupled with the possibility of being a great distance from adequate medical care she’s very fearful. I’m sure it could be done, but I’m not sure how to go about getting the necessary information b

[oaktreerb]

You could shop at grocery stores and prepare your own food.  Check for people renting homes and apartments in Alaska.  I know there are some around Girdwood and they must exist in other areas.   Look up TravelAlaska.org to get ideas.   From what you have told us,  there are too many risks to trust restaurants.  Rent a car.

[1025cruise]

I would plan your own trip, versus doing a cruise line tour. This way, you can research your restaurants ahead of time. I would like to assume that after this year, any restaurant you contact will do their best to accommodate you. 

With that said, as you have learned, nothing is 100%. Accidents (which I presume were the case with the italian restaurant with the cheese and what happened at Disney World which is normally very good with allergies) happen. All I can suggest is that no matter what, just be observant.

[thegoaliegirl]

I also would recommend doing your own tour. My youngest daughter has a shellfish allergy. We did our own land in Alaska (to make it more kid friendly and do what we wanted) and had no issues. All of the cruisetours had long travel days and it just wasn’t what we wanted. 
 

I’m sure you could reach out now to the hotels that the cruise line land tour uses and talk to them about how they handle allergies. I’d be surprised if they aren’t very prepared for allergies, especially if the cruise line owns the hotel (like Princess and Holland).