Food Allergies on the Gem

[limu1]

Hello! We are sailing on the Gem this February and it will be our first time on NCL with a child who has food allergies. DS is allergic to a few nuts (not peanuts, nothing airborne, not touch sensitive). We  previously sailed another cruise line and because of his nut allergy he was not allowed to order dessert in the main dining rooms. He was offered cookies from a box that were completely nut free and made in a dedicated nut/dairy/other allergen free facility. I asked that he be served ice cream and they refused because of cross contamination fears. Should I be prepared for this on NCL? I know how serious food allergies are, and I appreciate that they took his allergies so seriously. But, at home and school we just avoid the actual nuts and do not exclude food made on shared lines as per his allergist's recommendation.  I'd rather be safe than sorry so I will be filling out the allergy form on the website. I'm going to reach out to NCL but I wanted to see what other allergy families experienced. Thank you!

[GeezerCouple]

25 minutes ago, limu1 said:

Hello! We are sailing on the Gem this February and it will be our first time on NCL with a child who has food allergies. DS is allergic to a few nuts (not peanuts, nothing airborne, not touch sensitive). We  previously sailed another cruise line and because of his nut allergy he was not allowed to order dessert in the main dining rooms. He was offered cookies from a box that were completely nut free and made in a dedicated nut/dairy/other allergen free facility. I asked that he be served ice cream and they refused because of cross contamination fears. Should I be prepared for this on NCL? I know how serious food allergies are, and I appreciate that they took his allergies so seriously. But, at home and school we just avoid the actual nuts and do not exclude food made on shared lines as per his allergist's recommendation.  I'd rather be safe than sorry so I will be filling out the allergy form on the website. I'm going to reach out to NCL but I wanted to see what other allergy families experienced. Thank you!

 

Contact the Special Needs folks at NCL (AccessDesk).

 

But YOU tell them how severe the allergy is, what does and doesn't need to be done.  If there is NOT a "cross contamination" issue, tell them that.

We've never had any cruise line do anything different from what we described/requested.

For example, on the forms, we state "This is not a cross-contamination issue", as we do in any restaurant.  We don't want the food prep folks to go to lots of unnecessary steps.

But they don't know if you don't explain it.

 

I'm finding it a bit peculiar they they ship staff was overruling the parents.  There must have been something of the warnings that alarmed them.  Which cruise line was this?

 

Note:  No one wants a severe food allergy in the middle of a cruise, of course.

 

GC

[limu1]

1 minute ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

Contact the Special Needs folks at NCL (AccessDesk).

 

But YOU tell them how severe the allergy is, what does and doesn't need to be done.  If there is NOT a "cross contamination" issue, tell them that.

We've never had any cruise line do anything different from what we described/requested.

For example, on the forms, we state "This is not a cross-contamination issue", as we do in any restaurant.  We don't want the food prep folks to go to lots of unnecessary steps.

But they don't know if you don't explain it.

 

I'm finding it a bit peculiar they they ship staff was overruling the parents.  There must have been something of the warnings that alarmed them.  Which cruise line was this?

 

Note:  No one wants a severe food allergy in the middle of a cruise, of course.

 

GC

 

Thank you, that is very helpful advice.  I will definitely explain everything in detail and specifically mention the no cross issue.

 

DS was diagnosed 9 years ago and never had an anaphylactic reaction but I always carry the epipen just in case and disclose his allergies b/c it's never worth the risk of not having it  But, I was taken aback by the ice cream refusal for a nut allergy.  It was DCL (we had across the board wonderful experiences there, not knocking the line at all) and I know that these policies stem from tragedies and I'm grateful that it's taken so seriously.  I just want to be prepared so I know I can tell DS that when he goes to the main dining room that this is what he can expect.

[MrsTocko]

I have a shellfish allergy and while I havent had a cross contamination issue in the past, i dont want it to start while on the trip.  (that is what happened when we discovered my shellfish allergy - work trip to Mexico...I had 35 people with eyes on me for the 3 hour bus ride back to the states and every hospital along the way in case i needed it. thankfully i didnt.  I had taken antihistamine as soon as I started feeling itchy, so the hives were almost gone by the time we got back.) NCL is REALLY good about double checking, and I am offered the opportunity to order ahead if I choose to, so they can ensure that I am safe.  (I never choose to, there is always a back up choice).  Only one time the server came back and said I should order something else because the broth base had shellfish elements. I have done teppenaki more than once with no issues. 

 

Fill out the form, and enjoy the trip. 

[bookbabe]

@limu1  Ahh…your previous cruise was Disney.  That explains it.  
 

Disney as a whole (parks, ships, resorts) is one of the most allergy-conscious entities out there.  They follow very strict allergy guidelines, and err on the side of caution in every situation.  If you say you have a nut allergy, they will not serve you anything that could have even briefly encountered a nut during the prep process. 😉 I have a fish allergy, and we were eating at Ohana at WDW, which doesn’t have any fish on the menu at all.  However, I’d identified that I had an allergy, so the servers wouldn’t even bring me so much as a glass of water until the chef had been by to discuss my options.  But the parents of extremely anaphylactic kids I know love vacationing with Disney since they can somewhat let their guard down and relax a bit, knowing that their child is going to have a safe dinner.

 

NCL is a bit more mellow about allergies.  They’ll help you with ingredient lists and making safe choices, they’ll let you preorder meals if you need special preparation of your food, they’ll make off menu items if needed.  If the allergy is mild enough that you aren’t worried about cross-contamination, you’ll likely be fine and won’t encounter any of the issues you had on DCL.

Edited November 17, 2022 by bookbabe

[limu1]

Thank you all for the helpful responses! Much appreciated!

[Dcoy]

We were recently on the Getaway and at every meal, one of the first things the server asked “Any allergies?”  

[janice2348]

NCL is great with allergies.  They will do exactly as asked.