hennaLisa

Tallnthensome - The customer service representative is the one who suggested that I should bring the baking mix and have their chefs make it - can you say positively that they will not do what they said they would do? If you have lived with a child with medical needs, you would know that it isn't always possible to choose the optimal situation. In this case, my entire extended family is going on a cruise together so opting for a land based trip isn't really a possibility, which is why I didn't ask for people to help me consider that choice. I know that people without disabilities might just assume that people with disabilities should just not do things, but life is full of challenges and we prefer to find ways to make it work. I just wish I could get a more clear picture of what we are allowed and what we are not allowed, so that I can make the best of the situation and prepare properly. 

Thanks for the info. When we signed up, the only time available was anytime dining, so that is what we have. I was thinking it would have been nice to have the same waiters so they would get to know us.

I am hoping someone here has some experience cruising with kids with numerous dietary restrictions and can give me some advice. Please, if you just want to be rude, don't comment. If you haven't lived with these issues, you just can't understand what it is like.

My kids have numerous major food allergies and eat a restricted diet as a result. I make most everything for them from scratch, including things like gluten free, grain free, dairy free, sugar free baked goods. They can eat normal meat, vegetables, nuts, and fruit, but won't be able to eat any of the grains or desserts that the cruise provides. When we've gone to resorts, I could just use the microwave to cook them their special things so they don't feel left out. But on the cruise, I realize we won't have access to cook anything. 

Having children with special needs and dietary restrictions can easily consume all my and my husband's time and energy. I need some suggestions about how we can make the dietary stuff go as smoothly and easily as possible. I've spent hours with the cruise line and talked with the access department and I've gotten such varied responses. "All food must be prepackaged and non-perishable." "Bring your baking mix and the chefs will prepare the children's baked goods." "Prepared food must be pre-cooked and frozen so we just warm it up for you." "There are microwaves located at the buffet." "There are no microwaves on the ship, even in the kitchens." The answers I get are all over the place.

In my ideal world, I could bring some of my kids' special foods already cooked, such as papadam crackers and chocolate muffins. I'd have them in a small cooler and just give them to my kids as needed. Secondly, I would bring some ingredients to make simple things. For instance, they can drink Bai drinks, which come in 18 fl. oz. bottles. I would bring a few flavors to let them split a drink once in a while and I would bring little zipcicle bags to make icepop-type frozen treats. I'd fill the bags with Bai drinks and put them in the freezer or maybe I could put them in a small cooler with a lot of ice overnight to freeze into a slushy texture? I could bring So Delicious dairy free sugar free ice cream if the cruise would let us keep it frozen. I could also bring my baking mix if I could give the cooks instructions (1 cup mix, 4 eggs, 1/4 cup oil, 1/4 cup coconut milk, can be made into pancakes, waffles, etc.). Would this work?

Thanks for any ideas or suggestions.