Best Cruise Line Consistency when dealing with Food Allergies?

Hello All,

I have an 11 year old with severe peanut and moderate tree nut allergies. (He is also on the autism spectrum but that is another thread:) )

We have cruised with him on both Princess(twice) and Disney (once) and found that the former did a great job of dealing with his allergies, Disney less so. You can find a summary of our experiences here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2087915

We feel comfortable travelling on Princess as it appeared that they used same process when dealing with allergies on both ships (Grand and Regal). This tells me that they have protocols in place to deal with dietary need rather than relying on individual waiters' and servers' knowledge and abilities. Unfortunately, this year, Princess does not have an itinerary that works for us.

I looked at HAL and asked questions on the HAL board. Here is the response I received:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2111008

What I noticed is that although generally positive about HAL, "consistency" and protocols varied.

My Question:In your experience, which lines have the most consistent processes in place for dealing with special dietary needs?

We are willing to try any cruise line as long as it has protocols in place to keep my son safe.

Please share your experiences. Thank you.

I think ALL of the major lines do a fabulous job! The key is contacting "special needs" prior to sailing...and talking to the head waiter nightly to pick the next day's menu. And, realizing that it's ultimately up to YOU to keep you or your family "safe"....

I think ALL of the major lines do a fabulous job! The key is contacting "special needs" prior to sailing...and talking to the head waiter nightly to pick the next day's menu. And, realizing that it's ultimately up to YOU to keep you or your family "safe"....

Yes, I always contact special needs (but there is no assurance that notification ever links back to the ship or to each dining venue. Also, all major lines do not do a fabulous job. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to keep your family safe, BUT you can only do that if the cruise line has some basic understanding about allergies and allergens.

You can see my cruising history in my signature below. My son has sailed on Disney, Carnival, Royal, HAL, and Celebrity.

My son has peanut and tree nut allergies.

Disney - we don't recall having any issues, but I don't recall being wowed either by their knowledge/control etc. The MDR staff are pretty good, but the buffet (Cabanas?) is hit or miss with who you get.

Carnival - in the buffet, I asked a Dessert stand attendant about which items had nuts in them. I was told "no nuts". I only had to look down at the at brownies and carrot cakes to see that they were laden with nuts.

Royal - more concerned about a lawsuit than anything else. As soon as they hear about a nut allergy they will tell you "better not to take a chance". All the chocolate on royal has a "may contain" warning - so don't count on your son eating anything chocolate on board, and that includes the Chocolate Breakfast. I have nut allergies myself, and despite warning the server, have been served desserts containing nuts. The apple parcels on the lunch menu are laced with almond paste - despite no warning in the menu that the dessert contains almonds.

HAL - No issues that we recall in terms of good/bad. But sometimes we just don't make a big deal about, and we self monitor and control what he eats.

Celebrity - This is my son's favourite cruise line (among many reasons) because as he puts it "Celebrity cares about children with allergies". On the first day, we went to the buffet, and perusing the dessert counter - asked which items contain nuts. I almost fainted when the server said to me, "we cannot control cross-contamination in the buffet, let me call a manager for you". OMG I just about died. A cruise-line worker knew about cross-contamination!!!!! He called a manager, who spoke with me to confirm the allergies, disappeared down to the kitchen and then came back with a plate of desserts for my son. I was so VERY impressed, and this was just the embarkation lunch. Then we get to the MDR for our first dinner. The server arrives and says, "I understand this young man has nut allergies". I have arranged a special bread basket for you and I will make sure that all your meals are nut free." Each night, he would bring me the menu for the next night so I could pre-order meals for my son (at 7 he orders off the adult menu) and then the meal was cooked especially for him, in a nut-free environment. At breakfast, at the buffet, I would seek out the Maitre D who would go and get my son a special plate of pastries (my son loves the chocolate croissant). Breakfast, lunch and dinner, we felt very safe in all the dining venues. The Maitre D will be your friend and help you care for your son's allergy needs. While this should be true on any cruise line - it's not.

You can tell from the above, Celebrity has our future cruising business. Now all that being said, Celebrity is an adult cruise line. There are no waterslides, flowriders, rollercoasters or skating rinks or rock climbing walls. But despite two sailings on Disney, both of my kids pick Celebrity as their number 1 cruiseline.

NCL has always been great with my dd's celiac. We order her food the night before, and there is a separate kitchen. They seemed very knowledgeable about cross contamination. In the specialty restaurants, it was easy to find out what she could and couldn't eat. Plus, they stock tons of gluten free products, like pizza, bread, pasta, cookies, muffins...

I think ALL of the major lines do a fabulous job! The key is contacting "special needs" prior to sailing...and talking to the head waiter nightly to pick the next day's menu. And, realizing that it's ultimately up to YOU to keep you or your family "safe"....

Thanks cb at sea. Whenever we eat out or cruise, we always do all we can to make sure our son's food is safe. We know that through our actions we are also teaching our son how to manage his allergies on his own for times when we won't be around.

That said, I'm not sure that all cruise lines do a fabulous job. I found that even between the two cruise lines we have experienced there was quite a bit of difference.

With Princess, they showed that they understood food allergies and had the processes in place that we were comfortable with. With DCL (which has a reputation for handling allergies well), they would get it but only with a lot of work on our part. Actually, we ended cancelling a Disney cruise because we said that it was too stressful managing and monitoring them regarding the food. For example, on Disney my son could only have jello or melons for dessert. Basically, they said that everything else could contain nuts so there was nothing they could do. On both Princess, the Maitre'd would arrange for a special nut free dessert to be created in the kitchen every day. My son did not have a choice of what that dessert would but for the first time in his life he could have a "fancy dessert" every day like everyone else. We were all so grateful for this. He said it made him feel "normal".

I know all cruise lines say they can handle special diets (at least the sales and marketing folks make this claim). From my experience and lurking on CC forums, I am not sure this is the case. This is why I am asking about those lines that have strong process and procedures for catering to dietary needs.

As those of us that have been on many cruises know (we have been on 25+ cruises on most major lines before our son arrived), some cruise lines do certain things better than others (activities, entertainment, disembarkation, etcc..). It would make sense that differences would apply in catering to dietary needs.

Thanks mjkacmom and Queen of Oakville for your experiences. We are currently looking at Celebrity and Holland America. Our son liked the Princess cruise over the Disney cruise so I suspect he will like these lines. We are also considering NCL (mostly on the positive feedback about handling food allergies) but the prices seem quite high (when we factor the exchange rate to the Canadian dollar)

Food allergies are growing. In 2008, research found that allergies amongst children was roughly double that of adults and growing (http://www.foodallergy.org/document.doc?id=194). There may be a competitive advantage for the cruise line that can develop a strong reputation for handling food allergies.

DD is also allergic to peanuts and treenuts. We've never had a problem with her food on Carnival.

The buffet on any line is a minefield. Carnival does have nut allergy signs on their buffet but there is always a problem with cross contamination.

FWIW Carnival also classifies seeds as nuts. They wouldn't serve her the seeded rolls in the MDR.

Thanks SadieN. Glad to hear you have had a positive experience on Carnival. It seems from what I have read that many of the differences between cruise lines is at the buffet. Do they arrange to have separate food prepared or are you expected to navigate the "minefield"? If there was one thing that I could say that Princess could improve upon is dietary needs in the buffet as one is expected to navigate it. With most MDRs closed for Port day lunch, this becomes a major issue.

Safe travels!

For ease of service the lines put things together. Our experience has been on HAL, Princess and (more extensively) Carnival.

Get there first thing, less chance of cross contamination.

Might be able to get food from a new tray.

Talk with the buffet hostess. If one cannot be found ask to speak with the chef. There is one in charge of the buffet.

Our experience has been on HAL, Princess and (more extensively) Carnival.

Thanks SadieN. We are looking closely at HAL (Alaska) as they have an itinerary that we really want do do. How do they compare to your experiences on Carnival and Princess when it comes to food allergies? What makes Carnival stand out?

DD is also allergic to peanuts and treenuts. We've never had a problem with her food on Carnival.

The buffet on any line is a minefield. Carnival does have nut allergy signs on their buffet but there is always a problem with cross contamination.

 

FWIW Carnival also classifies seeds as nuts. They wouldn't serve her the seeded rolls in the MDR.

Sounds like Carnival has improved. I definitely blasted them on my survey. When we sailed dream, I was very disappointed in my encounters with the staff from the MDR on out. Maybe others have complained and things have improved. They definitely weren't signing the buffet back when we sailed dream. Not sure we'll ever sail with carnival again, but good to know, nonetheless.

My four year old is allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs and dairy. We went on our first cruise with him when he was 14 months old, we had only been living with his allergies for about 5 months and it was very intimidating. Our first cruise was on Celebrity and our Maiter 'D was phenomenal and made the experience easy on us. We never gave him food when we were at the buffet, we would find a Maiter 'D when we arrived and they would deliver the food we had ordered the night before in the MDR. We felt so comfortable that we returned to Celebrity the following year.

The next year, the Maiter 'D was not as diligent as the one we had the year before, but with one cruise under our belt, we knew what to ask for and expect and we eventually received the diligence we needed from him, plus our waiter was fantastic. The chefs that were preparing our son' s food each night were phenomenal- they kept asking what he ate at home and tried to make him something knew each night. They made up special dairy, egg and nut free rolls so my son could eat bread with us at the table each night, something he had never been able to do before. They also made him safe chicken nuggets from scratch since theirs had egg in them.

One trouble the second year was in our cabin. Celebrity offers several snacks that can be ordered in the cabins, one if the snacks was a nut package. Apparently, the cruisers before us had the nut snacks and there were some on the floor of our cabin when we arrived. Thankfully, we found the peanuts before our son did. I must say that once we complained, the steward cleaned the room again and Celebrity worked hard to compensate us.

Since our son is four and we wanted a more child friendly/active ship for him, we cruised on Royal this past summer. The first night was a little stressful and our waiter did not understand, but once the head waiter met us, he took over and handled our meals each night. He had us in the MDR for each meal, which was a little tough with a four year old and 14 month old since the meals tended to be longer. But, it was worth it- the head waiter gave us his card and told us to call him before we headed down to each meal. If he wasn't working, he touched base with the head waiter that was working and arranged our meals for us. He also arranged for us to have a fruit basket in our room so that the boys could have safe snacks whenever they were hungry.

We have had ups and downs with our cruising experiences, but that is life with food allergies.

Overall, we have had positive experiences and feel like cruising is our safest option. It seems like a large part of our satisfaction is based more on the individuals that we meet more than the cruise lines in general.

Sounds like Carnival has improved. I definitely blasted them on my survey. When we sailed dream, I was very disappointed in my encounters with the staff from the MDR on out. Maybe others have complained and things have improved. They definitely weren't signing the buffet back when we sailed dream. Not sure we'll ever sail with carnival again, but good to know, nonetheless.

No idea what happened on your cruise. We've been sailing Carnival since 2006 and never had a problem because of what they did. If anything they've always been overly cautious. All problems have been 'user error' on our part.

Carnival has had nut alerts for the past two years or so on the buffet. Princess has no alerts on their buffet.

(I've sailed all three Carnival ships and two of the Princess ships within the past 6 months and another Princess ship a year ago. All from Los Angeles/Long Beach.)

Any buffet is a minefield. Today I just set up a buffet for 50. We keep food separate and things are always getting messed up.

I've only had positive experiences with my own peanut/tree nut and shellfish allergies on NCL.

Carnival was a disaster despite my following their protocol to the letter.

Thanks mommyloves2cruise and russianmom for sharing your experiences.

russianmom - just saw your signature - enjoy your cruise on the Sun!

My DD is allergic to tree nuts, shellfish, and coconut. I do not eat (and will get sick if I eat, but have not been allergy tested for) meat, dairy, egg, seafood, and gluten.

Disney blew me away with their attention to detail and their ability to provide us with food that was safe and delicious. Usually I lose weight on vacations because I can't eat anything. After the cruise I had actually gained weight because there was so much food available for me!! I am reluctant to cruise on any other line because I don't think I will be able to eat nearly as well as I was able to eat on DCL. I feel like I'll be stuck eating dry lettuce and whatever protein bars I bring, and my daughter will have to go without any desserts. I haven't heard anything consistently good about other cruise lines, so we will stick with DCL.

No idea what happened on your cruise. We've been sailing Carnival since 2006 and never had a problem because of what they did. If anything they've always been overly cautious. All problems have been 'user error' on our part.

 

 

Carnival has had nut alerts for the past two years or so on the buffet. Princess has no alerts on their buffet.

(I've sailed all three Carnival ships and two of the Princess ships within the past 6 months and another Princess ship a year ago. All from Los Angeles/Long Beach.)

 

Any buffet is a minefield. Today I just set up a buffet for 50. We keep food separate and things are always getting messed up.

I gave some examples above. Things like, being told an item did not have nuts when I clearly could see the nuts in the item. I spoke to some of the chefs too (in the buffet) and was not pleased with the response. there was definitely no awareness of food allergies or how serious they can be. On carnival my experience ranged from "can you pull off the nuts" to "we have no means to know for sure" to "better to just not take a chance".

I gave some examples above. Things like, being told an item did not have nuts when I clearly could see the nuts in the item. I spoke to some of the chefs too (in the buffet) and was not pleased with the response. there was definitely no awareness of food allergies or how serious they can be. On carnival my experience ranged from "can you pull off the nuts" to "we have no means to know for sure" to "better to just not take a chance".

 

 

Most servers have no idea. The last answer was the best, when in doubt, don't. Need to speak with THE Lido Chef, not the line guys.

 

Last month on Princess Mom was served an unopened clam in her clam chowder at the Crab Shack. The head waiter said it was still good to eat.

I asked once in the buffet on NCL's Gem if they had gluten free pasta at one of the pasta stations, and the cook said "yes, all food is free".

Um. Thanks. lol

I actually found that cruise to be disappointing with the gluten free options and knowledge. I would preorder like they told me, and it was a hassle when it came time for my meal. One night at dinner I didn't get my food until 45 minutes after my husband and Mother had gotten theirs and they were done eating.

Given the amount of people with food allergies these days, I would think they would be a little more on top of things like this.

I asked once in the buffet on NCL's Gem if they had gluten free pasta at one of the pasta stations, and the cook said "yes, all food is free".

 

Um. Thanks. lol

 

I actually found that cruise to be disappointing with the gluten free options and knowledge. I would preorder like they told me, and it was a hassle when it came time for my meal. One night at dinner I didn't get my food until 45 minutes after my husband and Mother had gotten theirs and they were done eating.

 

Given the amount of people with food allergies these days, I would think they would be a little more on top of things like this.

Ncl was awesome both times with dd's celiac! Of course, we ordered her meals the day before, and tried to let them know what restaurant we would be at. At the buffet, we'd give them a heads up, or she'd just eat food that was naturally gluten free. She loved the gluten free muffins for breakfast, and they'd usually bring some hot gluten free toast when we were seated at dinner. At the specialties, we would be informed about what was safe to eat ( the cheddar biscuits at Moderno were a favorite - I learned how to make them at home).

I didn't see a gluten free muffin in sight on the Gem! Agh!

I didn't see a gluten free muffin in sight on the Gem! Agh!

For any special gluten free products (muffins, waffles, pizza, etc.) you must have to ask. Sine they cost so much more than regular items (and usually don't taste as good), you won't find them sitting out. We even ordered dd a gf pizza from room service.

I had gf toast in the dining room. I don't remember them telling me of anything else like muffins for breakfast. I usually eat naturally gf foods so I make do. I will have to inquire on the dawn. We went on it years ago and I don't really remember how the food was.

I had gf toast in the dining room. I don't remember them telling me of anything else like muffins for breakfast. I usually eat naturally gf foods so I make do. I will have to inquire on the dawn. We went on it years ago and I don't really remember how the food was.

I learned on CC - never would have thought to ask!

I thought I would add to this thread about our experience with Holland America. We were considering HAL and put a deposit down for a cruise with them.

I contacted HAL with a specific question regarding what processes they use for ensuring allergens would not be introduced into my son's MDR food. I mentioned that I knew to contact the Dining Room Manager right when we board. I emphasized that we specifically wanted to know what steps HAL took to ensure food is allergen safe.

Basically, the response was "contact the Dining Room Manager and they will let the kitchen know about the allergies" (paraphrased). They did not answer our question.

I sent another message rewording my initial request thinking perhaps they did not understand what we were asking. The response to this request was a polite, "we told you already, contact the Dining Room Manager".

From this experience, I cannot judge whether HAL does a good job with food allergies. They may be excellent. I know that the response we received did not give us enough comfort to book with them. We cancelled our booking.

BTW, we sent a similar message when we took our first Princess Cruise last year and received an excellent response that addressed all our questions and concerns.

Thank you to everyone who responded to this thread. You have given us some excellent alternatives to consider for our next family cruise.

Wishing everyone happy and safe sailings!