cruising with food allergies and celiac disease

[wiz3]

We just booked our first cruise. We are on the Adventure of the seas, June 12,2005. My daughter has food allergies and I have Celiacs disease. I have already been in contact with RCCL and have been assured that our dinners in the main dining room will be fine.

:confused: Has anyone else traveled with RCCL and had experience dealing with food issues?

:) Just wanting to make sure we cover all of our bases.

[spaceguy]

I too have food concerns as I cannot eat meat, dairy, or egg products. Just inform your waiter and head waiter the first day and/or evening of the cruise. They can prepare you things as well as bring you the next day's menu and you can pick or modify items to fit your requirements. I've been on several cruise lines and perhaps the best cruise for food was with RCCL, but alas, another of their ships was also the worst......

[wiz3]

Thank you for the info. From looking at other threads about all the food served on the cruise, I am thinking we will not have a problem. I am glad to here that RCCL is attentive to special needs.

thanks again:)

[c u there hershdog]

and which was the worst? Just wondering since we are cruising on AOS...

[NitaBcruising]

wiz3,

 

I had asked this question on the old boards. I'm sailing for the first time next month, since going GF nearly 4 months ago. I will be on Princess, have filled out my cruise personalizer online, indicating the diet needs, plus had my TA fax a request to Princess for my GF diet. It has been noted on all papers. I'm also supposed to talk to the Maitre`d when I get on the ship.

I'm also taking an RCI cruise in Jan. Will do the same routine, with them!

If I don't forget, I'll get back here after my cruise, to post! If I forget, and you want to hear about it, you can email me! It's in my profile.

[NeedstoCruise]

My son also has food allergies. I call Carnival (next trip) and informed them of his situation. They faxed me a special needs form to file with medical so they will have a record along with the proper treatment and medicines. They also told me to let our waiter know so that he can help and keep us informed.

 

Good luck.

[NitaBcruising]

A poster on another thread said that you do need to inform the head waiter and Maitre`d when you board. Then each evening after dinner, they bring you the next day's menus and you tell them what you want, and they make it for you the next day! They even have GF pastas and Pamela's cookies. This is on Princess, but I'm sure most of the lines will try very hard to accomodate you! They want your business, and not sick!

 

I sail at the end of this month and will post later!

[NitaBcruising]

Okay, I'm reporting back after my cruise on Star Princess.

 

I'm less than thrilled with the help from my head waiter. Fist off, let me mention that I booked this cruise back in Feb. I was confirmed with early traditional dining, as I thought it would be easier to have one set of wait staff. When I got onboard, the person told me to see the Maitre`d. I called the pursers desk, found out when and where to find him, and got in line there. One attendant said I had Anytime dining. I said I was told to see the Maitre`d, as was confirmed trad. early. After being seen, I was given what I had been confirmed! Shouldn't have had to go through that!

 

Anyway, the head waiter was supposed to help me. The first night he chose a correct salad dressing for me. But he said all dressings were GF. I doubted him, he said he'd check, and he said the same thing the next night. I had a different dressing the 2nd night and had some digestive probs that evening and next morning. Not bad, as I'm not too badly affected. Someone who gets really sick, would have, I think. Anyway, I didn't believe him after that, and ate only what I was sure of on my own. Limited my selections, but felt good, at least. He didn't even try to help me each evening. I don't think he was well trained with Celiac and GF foods. Disappointing, but I know I can cruise and find stuff to eat, on my own. Ice cream was dessert every evening.

 

Any questions???

 

RCI is next for me, in Jan. I hope to have a bit more help!

[happytogoing]

I would not expect a waiter to know a gluten free diet, they may be thinking "wheat free" or goodness knows what.... I don't see how they could really understand how important even the slightest bit of gluten can be...

 

But.....I would expect that the ship could make ingredient lists available to you so that you could make good choices.

[NitaBcruising]

I would not expect a waiter to know a gluten free diet, they may be thinking "wheat free" or goodness knows what.... I don't see how they could really understand how important even the slightest bit of gluten can be...

 

But.....I would expect that the ship could make ingredient lists available to you so that you could make good choices.

Joanne,

I would tend to agree, ordinarilly. But, they tell you to talk to your HEAD waiter, and he'll help you. So, I assumed they trained the head waiters with the proper diet info, for all restrictive diets. Not well, in this case, however.

 

This is precisely the reason I cancelled plans for a cruise in Fiji. They have only like 80 passengers, and an all Fijiian crew. I knew they wouldn't have a clue, and decided it was too big of a risk. And their meals may not have chicken and a steak that is always offered every night, like on the mainstream lines. I ended up eating the chicken breast twice, and steak once, as the main courses frequently had sauces.

 

Anyway, this was just a word to the wise, and Joanne, I now agree with you! Even though I was told differently!

[House_Atreides]

I cruised Mariner of the Seas back in May/June of this year. I had no problems at all. Of course, I have to watch for "hidden" sugars (like in Chinese dishes)...some bread has more carbs than others and of course there are no food labels to read!! I drink extra water (you should anyway while cruising) and pump up the exersize a bit....have never had a problem on this ship or any other!

Have fun and enjoy!!!:o

[tinad]

I have a shrimp allergy sailing on Constellation feb12 05. Do I tellmy TA or call Celebrity directly? I have not had a reaction in many years but I do not order seafood without advising the rest. of my allergy. I can not have my food cooked in the same pan as a shrimp dish. Oh yes I do carrry an Epi Pen for reactions but my physician said I still have to go ER if I use the pen.

[NitaBcruising]

I have a shrimp allergy sailing on Constellation feb12 05. Do I tellmy TA or call Celebrity directly? I have not had a reaction in many years but I do not order seafood without advising the rest. of my allergy. I can not have my food cooked in the same pan as a shrimp dish. Oh yes I do carrry an Epi Pen for reactions but my physician said I still have to go ER if I use the pen.

Fill out your cruise docs page online. Also have your TA fax the info to Celebrity. Then, once onboard, go see the Maitre`d. It should help! Good luck, your allergy sounds serious! :eek:

 

With Celiac, most people have seriously ill health with cross contamination. I just get mildly unwell, but it contributes to the lesions not healing. Then they can eventually turn to cancer. Keeps my trying!

 

Good luck, and hope this helps!

[Kami's pal]

We just booked our first cruise. We are on the Adventure of the seas, June 12,2005. My daughter has food allergies and I have Celiacs disease. I have already been in contact with RCCL and have been assured that our dinners in the main dining room will be fine.

confused Has anyone else traveled with RCCL and had experience dealing with food issues?

:) Just wanting to make sure we cover all of our bases.

 

I Would definitely insist on a list of foods that you and your daughter will know safe and which will be offered every breakfast, lunch and dinner. I am certain that you are not the only ones dealing with food allergies and Celiacs disease. I would expect that their chefs will have complied a menu by now of tasty, healthy and safe choices. Ask for it. Be as assertive as you can, because onboard you will be forced to try to go or the head of food services for it.

[Mrs. Pharlin]

we were on diamond princess in october, i am allergic to all dairy (cow, goat and sheep) as well as anything from the water ( fish, shellfish, seaweed), every evening the head waiter went over the next days menues with me, and order then, we had traditional dining, but for lunch they sat us whereever, and i just gave the waiter my regular table number and they would have the order already. the HW did have a bit of an attitude towards us, like oh it cant be that serious, which irked me, i only had one reaction the whole week, and that was at the bar, i ordered a coffee with grand marnier and i think they used a dirty spoon. one disapointment was the honeymoon dessert, i had been told by princess and my TA that they would prepare a special one for us, well they didnt, so our table mates enjoyed it for us. a few suggestions, be demading, send things back if they look suspicious, ask questions, it took till night 3 to find out that i could eat the rolls, and always stress how serious it can be, its along long ways out to have to get to a hospital.

 

mrs Phar

[NitaBcruising]

Mrs. Pharlin,

 

I'm glad to hear you got the menus every evening, for the next evening. I'd heard that's what they do, but mine sure didn't. He acted like I knew what I could eat, which is true. But, not sure about what's in some stuff!

 

I'm going on the Diamond next June, traditional dining, and hope to have better luck! I'll be more pro-active about it, anyway! Thanks for posting your experiences!

[Mrs. Pharlin]

Nita, i found the boards to be wealth of information about allergies and cruising, we had originally booked on Carnival, but after reading the boards was having soem doubt about how well they handled allergies, phone calls to the company proved those fears to me, they were of the opinon that if i chose to cruise i chose to accept the risk. Princess was much more helpful, call often if you need to, its hard to beilve that they are owned by the same company. While on Diamond i did eat breakfast at horizon court, but stuck to things like fresh fruit, bacon and cereal that i knew would be safe. another suggestion for you is to type out a list of everything you cannot eat, its amazing how dumb people can be, i cant count the number of times i've been told that i cant have something because it has eggs in it. duh, since when do eggs come from cows?

 

hope your next cruise goes better for you, I for one cant wait till our next cruise, hopfully in Europe as with my allergies they only way ill ever be able to travel to non-english speaking countries is by cruise

 

mrs Phar

[NitaBcruising]

Thanks again for your reply.

 

We cruise with RCI in Jan. I've heard they are good with special diets. I hope so!

 

In the buffet, I too, ate eggs, bacon or ham, and fruit every morning! I can just imagine what my cholesterol will be next time! :eek: