Low Sodium Diet

[knomad]

We are sailing on Voyager in February. We have been on Rhapsody several times, but this is our first time on a mega ship. We will be with a large group of our family.

 

I am on a doctor ordered low sodium diet. I have talked to our TA, and she said there is no separate low sodium menu, but there will be other options on each menu.

 

Has anyone cruised on a low sodium diet, and how did you handle it? I had heard it might be best to drink only bottled water.

 

Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks!

[Cruising89143]

According to RCI they do offer LS meals.

 

Take a look at this link for more information. Also your TA should have been able to handle this for you.

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/faq/details.do;jsessionid=000086kZaL_BHzucf_CflByEhwZ:12h3g0fq2?pagename=frequently_asked_questions&pnav=5&pnav=2&faqSubjectName=Food+%26+Beverage&faqId=322&faqSubjectId=336&faqType=faq

[Sue L]

Q: What type of special meals does Royal Caribbean offer?

A: We make every effort to accommodate our guests' dietary requirements whenever possible. We can accommodate special needs such as:

Food allergies

Gluten-free

Vegetarian (except for vegan/macrobiotic)

Low-fat

Low-sodium

 

Lactose-free/soy milk, Ensure, and kosher meals are no extra charge. All you have to do is notify us at least 45 days prior to sailing. Just send an e-mail that includes the guests' names, reservation ID number, ship's name and voyage date to the relevant address below:

 

Food allergies - foodallergies@rccl.com

 

Kosher meals - kosher@rccl.com

(Kosher for Passover meal requests MUST be received 60 days in advance in order to be accommodated.)

 

Indian-style vegetarian meals - Indianvegetarian@rccl.com

 

Gluten-free/celiac meals - glutenfree@rccl.com

 

Fax requests may be sent to 305-539-6018 Attn: Special Meals Request

 

E-mails will receive an automated response. Faxed requests will also receive a response provided the guest provides an email address. We kindly ask that guests do not call Royal Caribbean International suppliers with specific questions.

 

Special meal requests that are faxed or e-mailed less than 45 days of sailing are dependent on the ship's product availability. We will try to accommodate to the best of our ability.

 

Please note: Baby food and infant formula are not provided on board.

Guests may not bring on board any food items other than baby food and/or dry, nonperishable snack items (cookies, crackers, chips, energy bars, etc).

[Alexis]

We had a woman at our table on one of our cruises who had to have that.

Every night the Head Waiter came to our table and they would go over the menu for the next nights meal together and select her foods so that it would be ready for her the following night.

They could make it for her special according to the Head Waiter.

She had called him over the first night and it was very easy for him to take care of.

[SomeBeach]

I order the no/low sodium foods on my cruises. Alexis described how it works correctly. The HW will also point out what foods will not work as they come on the ship pre-made.

One warning.... if split pea soup is on the menu, it can NOT be made no/low. It is terrible. On the bright side, that is the only thing I have ever ordered that was.

As to the water, when I went to low sodium, I still had a swelling problem. I switched to bottled water and that took care of it.

Some people will argue that but your body will tell you if you need to make the change.

[knomad]

Thank you, everyone, for your replies.

 

SomeBeach, I'm curious about your switch to bottled water. Do you mean that you use bottled water at home, too? I have felt like I retain water when I drink plain tap water, but I just couldn't believe that was possible. I wonder if a filter on the tap would filter out sodium?

 

Thanks so much!

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

I just read in a pet care article, of all places, that you should not allow your pets to drink water that has a water softener in it. The reason why is that it does create a high level of sodium, too high for cats and dogs, for example.

 

Of course, water softeners are different from water filters, but if the ship has water softeners in its water (and I don't know if it does) you could experience too much sodium for your situation.

 

I do have big trouble with swollen feet, ankles and hands on cruises. I often wondered why. After reading the pet care article, I wondered if ships do use water softeners and if the resultant increase in sodium was causing the swelling.

[driftychick]

We do have a water softner but also a reverse osmosis system installed AFTER the water softner for drinking/cooking water/ That is supposed to be acceptable both for animals and humans as far as the removal of salt from the water and seems to work fine for us!

[Joy2Day]

Thanks. This information will be very helpful. I'm getting ready to book my 1st cruise since I made my "lifestyle changes". And that includes watching my sodium very carefullly. Handling dinner seems easy enough. What about the other meals? I figure I will try to eat breakfast and lunch in the dining room as much as possible. Will I need to pre-order somehow? Talk to a headwaiter as I enter? Just let my waiter know?

[ken_nyc]

Alexis & SomeBeach are both correct. For my cruise last August, I got in touch with RCL and had them put it on my file for my no-low-salt diet as Sue L stated, BUT, it didn't do any good. I also had to speak to my Head Waiter the night before, they were very accommodating. I even picked a couple of dinners in case I did not like either one.

[Joy2Day]

Alexis & SomeBeach are both correct. For my cruise last August, I got in touch with RCL and had them put it on my file for my no-low-salt diet as Sue L stated, BUT, it didn't do any good. I also had to speak to my Head Waiter the night before, they were very accommodating. I even picked a couple of dinners in case I did not like either one.

 

So when you reviewed menus with the HW, was that breakfast, lunch and dinner for the next day? Or just for the next night's dinner?

[pearlie]

I am also a low sodium eater, I have meniere's and need to eat low sodium so i don't spin...

 

On the 1st nite make sure you tell the waiter your needs and indeed the head waiter will have the chef make your food low sodium. They have made some soups low Na for me, as well as some sauces... Sometimes however they goof, then i just enjoy the bread, and dessert. I asked for Oil and balsalmic for my salads, no sodium there...

Breakfast, usually in the windjammer, I stick w. the omelet egg station, bread, small about of cheese, cereal fruit, yogurt. ...

Lunch in the Wj i had hamburgers, plain pasta ( sauces are so high in sodium), i avoid the soups and dressings for the salad there.

 

Johnny rockets ask for no salt on your fries...

 

 

Portofino was able to accomdate me very well, sauces on the side, etc.

 

Each nite the waiter will present you with the menu for the next nights dinner, Breakfast is the same in the dining room. I rarely eat lunch in the DR...

Good Luck, I have cruised twice low Sodium and for the most part, they were very accomodating.

[luv2cruz64]

I agree w/the other posters @ the sodium content of the ships water. I dont know about the science of it but I drank a lot of ships water--filling up water bottles and storing them in cabin fridge--on our last cruise. I usually never have a problem w/ retaining fluid even thought I have slight HBP. When I got home I had to use diuretics to alleviate the swelling from the extra fluid. Next time I will either take bottled water on the ship w/me or spend the extra to buy it on the ship.

[bearing316]

Thanks for the tips on cruising on a low sodium diet. I have had hypertension for years and never knew I could request a low sodium option in the dining room. I just used to order from the Vitality menu and avoid soups and sauces.

 

I have also had instances where my hands and feet swell while on cruise. It has gotten so bad in the past where I have had to take off my wedding ring. I think in my case it is probably a few too many glasses of wine/beer instead of the water softeners. We bring a Brita pitcher for the fridge and I think it filters sodium too. I drink a lot of water throughout the day and it definately saves on money utilizing the ship't water in the Brita.