Kid's menu

[txtwinmom]

Do any of the European river cruises have a kid's menu? I have a really picky eater and I would want to be sure he had something to eat each evening. Anything other than hamburgers?

[steamboats]

txtwinmom,

 

As European River Cruises usually do not tend to families with children I never heard about special kid´s menues. But on our river cruises in the US and Europe we never found it a problem to find something to eat for our DD. On all boats the cooks were happy to prepare something special for her. Right now we are able to choose something off the menue with some changes (let´s say she takes a salad without dressing or just the side potatoes). On our US river cruises there sometimes were kids menues but usually it was hamburger/cheeseburger, Mac&Cheese, cheese pizza.

 

Be aware that some European River Cruise Companies plying the US market have age restrictions for children (some only accept kids 12 and up).

 

steamboats

[steamboats]

sorry, double posting

[steamboats]

and triple posting

[paul929207]

You don't mention the age of your child(ren). Before you go to far with your planning, make sure they meet the minimum age. For example, Grand Circle does not allow children under 12 on its trips.

[CPT Trips]

On our GCT trip there was a 15 year old . . . the next youngest was her mother (I won't hazard a guess) then us 58&57. A kid will need to be ready for a slow pace and able to entertain him/herself.

[txtwinmom]

We probably won't take him as he is a 16 year old special needs child with a little mobility problem -CP, balance issues. He probably will be happier staying with Nano and Granddad, but 14 days plus a day or two traveling back and forth is a long time for both of his parents to be away from him so I was playing with the idea of taking him. He will only eat cheese pizza, whole kernal corn, hamburgers and chicken nuggets/tenders and fries for lunch and dinner with red seedless grapes or an apple sliced a particular way. He doesn't eat eggs for breakfast, just waffles, pancakes and donuts with orange juice and 1/2 of a Dr. Pepper! I know, I know - he used to eat everything until a nutritionist, of all people, had us put him on a high fat content diet because he wasn't "on the chart" for his age - ruined him for anything else. The hamburgers and corn are a new thing because we are going on a Carnival Cruise in 09 to Mexico which he is excited about because he wants to see the "pyramids" and go to the beach so I get to "bribe" him to eat other things because "he will need to do so on the big boat". Europe is probably out of the question for him, though. Thanks anyway for your help.

[steamboats]

txtwinmom,

 

I´d suggest to leave DS with Granddad. He´s really very special. And even if you get a cheese pizza on a river cruise ship it is not like the one you are used to (but more the real Italian style). Cooks on the river cruise ships are European and they cook like they think it might be American. And there´s no Dr. Pepper over here! Corn might be difficult too. Chicken tenders/nuggets, hamburgers and fries are no problem. Pancakes can differ from the ones he´s used to and it´s the same for waffles. Donuts are hard to get over here and are also not pretty much comparable to those in the US. Red seedless grapes are rare, you´ll get white seedless grapes. Apples are no problem.

 

There is a big difference between a ocean going cruise ship and a river cruise ship. It´s a much slower pace. During cruising the main attraction is the passing landscape. There´s not much onboard activity during cruising. And most people are off on the shore tours while the boat is docked. All supplies are coming from Europe. IMHO those different tastes might confuse your son and it might be too much for him.

 

steamboats