Grandson with nut allergy

[sciencewonk]

10 hours ago, Cruising on a Sunday afte said:

We have booked an Alaskan cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam for August.  Our 9 year old grandson has an allergy to all nuts. We have fixed dining, and I am comfortable with working with our waiter.  Question is how to be sure in Lido and other venues.  Practical advise from others would be appreciated!

I have a serious, potentially fatal tree nut allergy.  HAL is great with allergies.  Make sure you fill out the form online before you sail to tell them about it.  Your MDR waiter will be aware of it and will provide you with the next day's menu after your meal.

 

In specialty restaurants, tell them about your allergy, but I've found they usually know before you tell them.  They will help you navigate the menu and may provide off-menu options that are allergen-free.

 

In the Lido, many items are listed with potential allergens, but I always talked to the Lido manager.  They are very friendly and extremely helpful, but I'm still careful and avoid anything that traditionally contains nuts, even if it's not posted.

 

I was aware of my allergy from a young, preschool age and quickly learned to manage it even as a young child.  I bet your grandson is similar.

 

Good luck with your cruise.  I hope you and your family have a great time on it.

[SumoCitrus]

5 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

 

It was not what he said, it was the way he said it.  

Thanks for the chuckle. Adults shouldn't need coddling.

[cruisemom42]

16 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

Did we in fact lose our previously always freshly prepared bread on board because there was no way they could prevent bread flour/gluten cross-contamination, so they had to switch to frozen bread dough instead?

 

If HAL stopped making fresh bread, I doubt it was due to allergies. Unless HAL customers are somehow MORE allergic than other lines... 😒

[1025cruise]

I believe HAL will take proper care of your grandson. The issue is other passengers. Keep an eye on what is near the food item you want. If there are nuts nearby, ask for a serving from an unopened tray that's still behind. The concern is other passengers using the service spoons from one tray to serve themselves from another.

[pictonite]

Hi;  I have life threatening nut allergies, and I have been sailing safely with HAL for the past 30 years!

I recommend eating, whenever possible, in the main dining room.  Get to know your wait staff.  They are always diligent.  For instance, I was at afternoon tea when our waiter appeared at my side with a plate of delicacies special chosen for me!  Another time, at lunch, he appeared with a basket of bread just for me.

At dinner I am presented with the following evening's menu.  I fill it in, and sometimes, if an item is with nuts, I ask if it can be made specially for me - and it is.

 

HAL is wonderful.  If possible, however, I recommend sailing with more than one epipen.  That gives both me and my husband some security.

 

Have a wonderful cruise - your grandson will be in good hands!

[OlsSalt]

27 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

If HAL stopped making fresh bread, I doubt it was due to allergies. Unless HAL customers are somehow MORE allergic than other lines... 😒

 

Baking frozen bread dough loaded on board,  is not the same as preparing bread from scratch which does require the use of fresh flour itself,  which would  have been the source of "gluten"  cross-contamination issues in the galley.

 

Those with glutin-intolerance increasingly asked for strict preventive against any possible cross-contaminations from happening at every stage from food preparation to delivery, requiring the now totally separate and protected systems and equipment that honor this dietary need.  

 

I recall a post declaring there was no way they could avoid gluten  flour cross-contamination during fresh bread dough preparation, so they abandoned making bread from scratch. True or not ,or was the switch done for cost and preparation efficiencies regardless of gluten issues which had become very dominant a few years ago. 

 

HAL did switch a few years ago from fresh, from scratch bread preparation  to frozen dough prepared and  baked on board items.  The decline in both quality and variety of its formerly fresh prepared and baked breads  is one more part of the nostalgic HAL days or yore, that many of us do regret and miss.

 

But also understand HAL must respond to new and changing passenger needs.  This swtich was discussed in the past on this forum. 

[cruisemom42]

7 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

 

Baking frozen bread dough loaded on board,  is not the same as preparing bread from scratch which does require the use of fresh flour itself,  which would  have been the source of "gluten"  cross-contamination issues in the galley.

 

Those with glutin-intolerance increasingly asked for strict preventive against any possible cross-contaminations from happening at every stage from food preparation to delivery, requiring the now totally separate and protected systems and equipment that honor this dietary need.  

 

I recall a post declaring there was no way they could avoid gluten  flour cross-contamination during fresh bread dough preparation, so they abandoned making bread from scratch. True or not ,or was the switch done for cost and preparation efficiencies regardless of gluten issues which had become very dominant a few years ago. 

 

HAL did switch a few years ago from fresh, from scratch bread preparation  to frozen dough prepared and  baked on board items.  The decline in both quality and variety of its formerly fresh prepared and baked breads  is one more part of the nostalgic HAL days or yore, that many of us do regret and miss.

 

But also understand HAL must respond to new and changing passenger needs.  This swtich was discussed in the past on this forum. 

 

Sorry, my point is that other lines still bake "fresh, from scratch" bread. Just trying to understand why HAL would be unique in regards to a customer base that would require a change. Seems more likely to be related to cost-cutting, IMO.

 

[acct1975]

OP - my nephew also has a nut allergy and has been cruising since he was a year old (he's 8 now). Watching his parents navigate this has been an education but it has never stopped them from cruising. They do contact the cruise line in advance (prior posts have listed the forms and numbers you can call) and worked with food service and cruise staff on ship. The 1st thing my sister says to our waiter/waitress is that her son has a nut allergy. I have yet to see an issue though , full disclosure, this will be their 1st HAL cruise. 

 

From what I have read, HAL is very conscious of the health needs of those sailing with them so odds are there shouldn't be an issue as long as you communicate.

[Wakepatrol]

Eat fruit loops, bread pudding and ice cream

why take a chance?

[Chewbecca]

Be aware that (on Eurodam currently at least) there are peanuts in every bar, being spilt on the floor / surfaces. 

[TiogaCruiser]

@OlsSalt

Somehow I missed those discussions, and am sorry to hear that.

 

I guess that also perhaps explains the lesser variety of breads, and the “special Edition” cinnamon rolls will never return. It probably takes a lot less staff without making from scratch then. And maybe they can cross train non-bakers to pop the goods in the oven.

[alwaysfrantic]

OP, I have filled out the form linked on all my HAL cruises and they have done a wonderful job.  Nuts are a common allergan so the staff won’t have any trouble.   Mine is a weird/uncommon one so it requires more checking if I really want something in the Lido but mostly I gravitate to things I am certain are safe.  The main dining room gives the next night’s menu in advance. 
 

it sounds like he is very responsible and always checks so the staff will take good care of him.  
 

And to those of you suggesting folks with allergies should stay home, 😠.  Thankfully cruise lines are more educated on the topic than some posters here.  

Edited February 13 by alwaysfrantic

[Cruising on a Sunday afte]

Does the Nieuw Amsterdam have soft serve ice cream machines in the Lido? I know that regular scooped ice cream can have nut products transferred via the scoop or the water bucket they use to rinse the scoop between flavors.

[sciencewonk]

On 2/13/2024 at 4:24 AM, Wakepatrol said:

Eat fruit loops, bread pudding and ice cream

why take a chance?

Bread pudding sometimes contains nuts.  I have a nut allergy and found that out the hard way.  I always ask before eating the bread pudding anywhere.  Full disclosure:  the bread pudding I've had on HAL has never contained tree nuts, but that doesn't stop me from asking.

[acct1975]

19 hours ago, Cruising on a Sunday afte said:

Does the Nieuw Amsterdam have soft serve ice cream machines in the Lido? I know that regular scooped ice cream can have nut products transferred via the scoop or the water bucket they use to rinse the scoop between flavors.

I think they do