mommyloves2cruise

My son has one from the Anthem. The price on the box says $12.95.

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We were on the Anthem in July. Our son turned 5 in April and is about 44 inches tall. They measured him and then looked up our room on an iPad both times we used the bumper cars. I had to ride with him, which is what we preferred—You do get thrown around a bunch and I held on to him the whole time.

We also did iFly and my 5 year old did not want to do it after watching the video. However, after watching his brother, parents and grandfather do it, he quickly changed his mind. They were super accommodating and let him join the next group and he absolutely loved it.

It was his favorite part of the cruise!

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We were on the same cruise. We traveled with my two sons and my parents. I remember seeing your adorable children with their sun hats at Little Divi. I agree that it was a great and easy trip to the beach.

I also agree with the pools being overcrowded.

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We were cruising right along with you. I agree with your observations. We were also at Divi Little Bay.

I agree with your observation about Labadee. We stayed at Columbus Cove and I feel like they could use a few more shuttles or at least more cars on the shuttles.

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We set sail on the Anthem next week with our 5 and 8 year old boys. I see that the Cruise Planner has arcade credits available. I am trying to decide if it is worth it. Can anyone tell me how much the games in the arcade cost? Also, we are (lowly) Platinum Crown and Anchor members so I am not sure if the boys will receive any arcade credits.

Thanks!

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Some of the movies by the pool this week have been Jungle Book, Zootopia, and Barbershop.

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Dear OP,

Thank you for taking the time to write your review, and for asking about the food allergies. It is greatly appreciated. I hope that you enjoy the rest of your cruise.

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We have cruised twice on Royal and leave next week on the Anthem with our son who is allergic to milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish.

We have found Royal to be very accommodating to our allergies. On our two previous sailings we have had Head Waiters who have worked with us directly and they have both gone above and beyond to make sure that our needs have been met.

Of course, you still have to be vigilant and the first dinner might take longer until all of the kinks get worked out- but as a food allergy mom you are used to that!

We don't eat at the buffet- the few times that we have had to, they bring his previously order meal from another kitchen. We do bring our own snacks for ports and desserts- the milk and egg allergies do out a limit on the variety of desserts offered- lots of jell-o.

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I just booked the Anthem. I'm curious how they deal with food allergies. I am booked under dynamic dining for now but a bit nervous about it.

We leave on the Anthem on 7/14 with my son who has many food allergies. I don't want to takeover this thread but I 'm happy to private message you to tell you how they handle the allergies when we return.

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I am a bit surprised this has not been an issue for you.

I might have been accidentally misleading earlier. I usually make my son's favorite homemade cookies, which we bring onboard since he can't eat most of their desserts. We have also brought boxes of his favorite cereals, chips , etc. Not all factory sealed- we have not brought perishable foods. We weren't deliberately breaking any rules and obviously would not have done so if we thought it was t allowed.

To the OP... One year, we had a fabulous Head Waiter who arranged for a fruit basket to be in our cabin at all times. He was worried that my son would have a hard time finding safe foods to snack on. I wonder if your DIL would be able to have something similar so that she would not have to worry about having to find fruit not from the buffet. They would also bring us fruit straight from the kitchen at each meal.

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I hope that your DIL is feeling well. My son has several food allergies, and has been on several cruises. The staff on board is very accommodating to our needs.

However, we still bring our own food on board.

We bring homemade desserts and treats for when we are on the ship. We also bring factory sealed snacks to take off the ship with us when we are in the ports.

Definitely contact Special Needs ahead of time to make things run more smoothly.

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This will be our third year in a row sailing on Royal with our son who is allergic to milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish. Since we have so many allergies, our circumstances is a little different, but I hope I can help you.

We have felt that Royal goes above and beyond to meet our needs.

You should definitely contact the special needs department before you board. When you board, head to the MDR to make sure your allergies are documented.

As with any traveling experience with food allergies, the quality of care you receive depends on the people you interact with. We have always had head waiters that have gone and above to find new safe foods for our son.

Each night, we choose our meals for the next day which are prepared in a separate area.

We have always been told to stay away from the buffet and we have to eat there, they will bring our safe meal to us from the kitchen.

We bring our own lunch for embarkation day since it can be hectic. We also bring some favorite desserts from home so that my son can have a variety. My son's milk allergy makes our dessert options pretty limited but I have heard the soft serve ice cream is nut/peanut safe but of course you would need to confirm that on board yourself.

We also bring factory sealed snacks to take off the ship when we are in ports.

We have truly felt that Royal does everything they can to provide a variety of safe foods for us. I would make sure that you always talk with a Head Waiter about your meals and not just a waiter. On our first Royal cruise, the chefs that took care of our son's meals even came out to talk to us several times.

I hope that this helps, I would be very happy to answer any specific questions you may have

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We never lose any magnets. But we do put a sign on our door that states "All magnets have been treated with the Zika Virus."

I love this and will steal it for our cruise in July.

We are lucky enough to cruise with my parents who bought fun magnets to help my boys my "find" our door before the grown ups when returning to our cabin. I can still see the crocodile tears running down my son's face when someone stole his magnet off our door last summer.

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My son has many food allergies, we always bring our own snacks on the ship, a duffel bag full of snacks to be honest. Some homemade, since he can't eat the desserts offered. We also bring factory sealed items for when we are in ports. Definitely bring what makes you comfortable.

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We have cruised with Royal several times with my son who is allergic to milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish. They have always gone above and beyond to make him food that is are and that he wants to eat. He is also not a very adventurous eater and does not often try new things (can't blame him for this since eating new foods could cause a life threatening reaction for him). Definitely alert the special needs department before your cruise.

When you board, head to the MDR (they usually have a Maitre'd outside to help people) and make sure they have your allergies documented. Each night, you head waiter should meet with you to choose safe meals that will be specially prepared for him to eat the next day.

They do not have any place to store your Bologna and salami for you, but if you contact the special needs department, I think they can arrange to make sure you have almond milk. They might have the cold cuts you prefer, but may it be able to guarantee their safety. They do not have microwaves and the mini fridges are more like coolers and do not keep items cold.

We do bring our own food on board. We bring several factory sealed kinds of snack to take off the ship when we are in ports. You can bring any food onto the ship when you board, but you can not bring unsealed food off the ship in ports. I always bring lunch onboard for the first day since the windjammer can be a madhouse on embarkation day and I am not sure I could get a safe meal. I also bring special dessert items for dinner each night since the options are limited (favorite candies, Oreos, homemade chocolate chip cookies, etc.).

Honestly, my son tends to eat the same thing every day when we are on the ship (and this does include French fries for lunch every day). He would have bacon, strawberries and grits or oatmeal for breakfast, grilled chicken French fries and strawberries for lunch, and steak with broccoli and a baked potato for dinner. however I would rather he be comfortable eating the food that he knows and likes. In my opinion, the middle of an ocean is not the place to try new foods if you have food allergies.

They really will work with you, one year they sent a fruit basket to our room so that my son would always have a safe snack available to him since we can't use the Windjammer.

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We have sailed in the Explorer and Liberty with food allergies and both experiences were phenomenal.

My son is allergic to milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish so we do not have experience with a soy allergy. However, out allergies are pretty extensive so if they can keep us happy, I am sure they can do the same for a soy allergy.

I don't want to repeat what has already been stated, but I do have a few tips that have helped us.

We only arrange our meals with a head waiter, if the MDR was closed and we had to eat in the buffet they always arranged for a specific person to help us.

Lunch on embarkation day is crazy, you won't meet with your Head Waiter until dinner so we always bring lunch for the first day with us. It might take a while to get everything straightened out the first night, so just expect a longer meal and be patient.

We always bring factory sealed snacks for port days because we are not comfortable looking for safe food in different countries.

We also bring some of our own special desserts for dinner. Our allergies a every limiting and there are only so many times my son will eat jell-o.

We bring several epi-pens with us. We use FRIO to keep the temperature regulated.

We do go to the MDR as soon as we board to make sure everything is documented.

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Thank you. I had a sinking feeling this was the case, as it was on the Allure, but at least we had the main dining room consistent waiter for dinners who was an enormous help. Dynamic dining choice means no meals will be easy. He is all nuts (tree and peanut) and EGGS. Eggs throws everyone off. Very difficult.

We will also be cruising on the Anthem this summer with food allergies. My son has milk, egg, peanut, tree nut and shellfish allergies, we are also scheduled to have Dynamic Dining and I am a little nervous. Thank you for the information. We will plan on being extra patient and bringing on plenty of safe food.

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Honestly, my son is only five and is not an adventurous eater. The plain protein, potato and vegetable are a perfect meal for him.

For breakfast, they had dairy free pancakes and waffles but he did not like them because they were different from what he is used to. He had grits, oatmeal, bacon and fruit for most breakfasts, but that is what he usually eats. Lunch and dinner consisted of meatballs, chicken, steak, baked potatoes and French fries. They were constantly trying to make the food more adventurous and interesting for him, but he chose not to have the fancier foods. They even gave him meatballs on skewer sticks to "jazz"it up for him. They felt bad that he wouldn't eat fancier food, but I can't blame him since trying new things is scary for him so we didn't push him when we aren't at home.

They did have dairy free margarine that they can use for sauces. They had soy milk. One year, we brought juice box style cartons of coconut milk.

My son had an anaphylactic reaction at a popular vacation spot (not on a cruise) when they gave him gluten free bread instead of egg free. Because of this, we stay away from bread items.

From what I could tell, they will go above and beyond to give you creative meals. You need to have a good Head Waiter, if you feel like the one you have is not meeting your needs, do not hesitate to ask to speak with someone else.

On our cruise last year, our Head Waiter had another allergy at the table next to us. At the later seating, he had six allergy needs. It is something they face every day and as long as you have a diligent head waiter, you will be in good shape.

Having the room cleaned is a great idea. When my son was two, we found a peanut on the floor of our cabin (not a Royal ship) when we were doing our usual sweep.

Ourusualbeach--

Do you have any experience with Quantum or Anthem? We have a cruise scheduled with them this summer, but the Dynamic Dining makes me a little nervous.

My five year old son is allergic to milk eggs, peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish. We have cruised on Explorer and Liberty with the allergies, and both experiences have been phenomenal. We choose to cruise because of how well the allergies are handled. Although we haven't been on Allure, I am happy to share our experiences with you.

We choose to eat in the MDR and gave an early seating so that we have the same Head Waiter and staff each night. Through our experiences, it is always our Head Waiter that arranges all of my son's meals. Each night, we would plan the next day's meals with the Head Waiter, then when we would arrive for breakfast or lunch, he would be called and would bring out my son's food.

Make sure you contact Special Needs weeks before you leave.

When you board, head to the MDR and make sure that the allergies are documented.

We have learned that the dairy allergy restricts the dessert options (Jell-o). I try to bring special desserts, a batch of homemade cookies and some favorite candies to have throughout the week.

I also bring some factory sealed snacks with us to take off of the ships when we are in ports. I am uncomfortable finding safe options in other countries. I'm

We also bring a few boxes of cereal from the MDR with us when we leave.

We bring lunch with us for embarkation day. The ship is so hectic and there aren't many options besides the buffet.

On the ships that we have sailed, we have needed to eat at the MDR for all of our meals. A few days that the MDR has been closed, we have had the pre-arranged meals brought to the buffet. Since eating in the MDR takes a long time and we have two young, active boys; this year we would pick up their safe lunch from the MDR and bring it back to our room to have a more relaxing lunch.

Cruising has been a wonderful way for us to travel with food allergies. I am happy to answer any other questions you may have.

Oh no. We were on Liberty in August as well and they were wonderful. Did you have the Classic or regular Dynamic Dining?

We have booked a cruise on Anthem in July. This will be our third cruise with Royal and we have been thrilled with how they have handled my son's food allergies in the past. We have previously sailed on Explorer and Liberty and on both ships we were met with several individuals who went above and beyond to provide safe meals for us.

As I read more reviews about Anthem, I am starting to become nervous about the new dining experience and their ability to provide safe meals. We hope to have Classic Dining when we cruise. Is there anyone who has cruised on Anthem or Quantum with dietary restrictions that can share their experience?

I have only cruised on Royal and Celebrity with my son who is now five. He has been on four cruises and it is the easiest way for us to travel. We do not have a gluten allergy but he is allergic to milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish.

We always bring a lunch for embarkation day. The only places to eat are buffets and they are too hectic to ensure a safe meal ( not sure if Norwegian is the same).

Be prepared to have the first dinner be a little hectic/stressful. Once you are settled in after the first day, it will be easier.

The egg/milk allergy makes dessert difficult. I usually being special desserts since jello gets old after a while. I will make a batch of chocolate chip cookies to bring on to the ship(we don't bring them into ports) and their favorite candy.

As you mentioned, we don't get food in ports. We but as many prepackaged treats as possible (chips, pretzels, pop tarts, juice boxes, boxes of rice milk, etc)). Mini boxes of cereal are great. It isn't the most nutritious lunch, but it works just fine keeping the cranky hunger moods away.

You might want to consider buying a FRIO to keep Epipens at the proper temperature in warm climates.

My 6 yr old granddaughter will be traveling with us in august ob Anthem for a 5 day cruise to Bermuda. My granddaughter has celiac disease and must eat Gluten Free foods.

 

Since we are in Bermuda for 2 days does any one know how the MDR will handle this food allergy while we are in port?

I have not been in a port for an extended time with Royal. On Celebrity, if the MDR was not open our Head Waiter would arrange for our safe food to be brought to us in the buffet. He would give us the name of a specific person to look for. I am sure your Head Waiter would arrange a similar accommodation for you. I have read that they used to provide box lunches, but you can only bring factory sealed snacks off of a ship so I don't think they do that anymore.

I do know someone who stayed overnight in Bermuda last summer and they were able to find a good restaurant that was accommodating to their allergies.

You know that's a great question. It's one that's been on my mind as I'm in the process of being tested for a brand new allergy, and I'm the new owner of epipens etc (just in case). They say "if you use the epipen, then call 911", but they haven't told me what the ER will do.

 

Looked at medscape and mayoclinic (and skimmed others) and I see: oxygen, IV, antihistamines, epinephrine, albuterol, steroids. Just making a guess here...I would expect that the ship's medical office would have those. I would also assume that just about any hospital in the Bahamas would have them. Those are pretty basic!

Anytime an EpiPen or Auvi Q is used, you should call 911 and go to the ER immediately. First, epinephrine might only last 15-20 minutes and a more involved medical procedure might be needed. The doctors will give steroids, and monitor to see if more first aid is needed. Plus, a biphasic reaction could occur up to three days later so they would prescribe medication for you to stay on for a period of a few days.

Also, epinephrine is very safe if it is used properly. If you accidentally inject yourself in a place other than the thigh, you could have some medical repercussions so you should still go to the ER.