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Garlic Allergy and availability of chicken tenders & french fries?


cruisefamilyforever
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My daughter does not tolerate garlic in her food, it makes her extremely sick. Can anyone tell me if Princess does a good job of accommodating issues like this in the main dining room? Can she have a chef tell her what is safe to eat for her on the buffet?

 

Also, my son has autism and pretty much lives on white rice, chicken tenders and french fries when we are on vacation. On top of that he is very picky with chicken tenders he eats. He likes Tyson, Wendy's, Chick-Fil-a, Cracker Barrel and Outback. He won't eat McDonald's or burger King. Must be real chicken not dipped in butter milk. Can anyone tell me if the chicken tenders are this kind of kid friendly and available in the main dining room and around the ship.

 

I'm looking at booking the Ruby Princess out of Alaska in the spring. Thank you for any advice and expertise you can provide.

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My wife is lactose intolerant and allergic to shell fish. Princess has always done a great job taking care of her. When we arrive at the MDR the first night, we ask for the head waiter. He takes down my wife's problems and goes over the menu with her. He gives her order to the waiter. The HW comes back later with the menu for the next night and writes down my wife's choices. We get the name of the head waiter and ask for him every night.

 

Sorry, I can't help with the chicken tenders. Hopefully some one else can

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Speak with the maitre'd on boarding day. Hours & location will be posted in the Princess Patter. They are good at handling special dining requests. Can't say what brand of chicken they use on board. French fries are also available all day and evening for mid day snacks or meals at the Trident Grill by the Lido pool.

Regarding the buffet. Yes, she can ask the chef what is safe for her to eat. Just ask one of the servers that you would like to speak with the chef. She would probably have to do this each day if she is getting a prepared or cooked dish. Other items like salads you can choose the items you like. Made to or omelettes can be prepared with the ingredients you select.

Edited by sknight
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For food allergy issues such as your daughter has you are far safer taking most of your meals in the MDR rather than in the buffet. You can (and should) specifically pre-order her meals for the following day to ensure no garlic is used in preparation. The same cannot be said of the buffet, where you may or may not get an accurate answer to your garlic question. If you do eat in the buffet, stick to obvious identifiable foods and avoid all mixtures (soups, sauces, salads, dressings) unless you have had a detailed conversation with either the chef or the Headwaiter (who often can be found just outside the exit of the buffet line). Do not just ask the server “Does this contain garlic?” as you may not get an accurate answer. Princess does a tremendous job of handling dietary needs, but you do need to plan some in advance.

 

As for your son’s needs, I don’t think I have seen a breaded chicken tender anywhere on Princess, but maybe that is only because I have never looked at a kids menu, either. Will he eat grilled or roasted plain chicken? If not, I would contact Princess and make certain that they have chicken tenders to his liking, or perhaps they will suggest some other food that you know he will enjoy.

Rice and fries will be readily available.

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I agree with the recommendations to eat mainly in the main dining room. Our daughter is allergic to tree nuts so we are familiar with the process both before and on board.

 

Fill in the dietary needs part of your online personalizer. They will send you an email, which you then reply to outlining your issues. They are supposed to send your info to the ship but it sometimes doesnt get there.

 

When you get on board, find and speak to the Maitre d' - he might have your name on a list from head office, either way he will add your name to his list and to his head waiter's list -- he will then direct you to speak to your dining room head waiter daily. Your waiters are NOT responsible for the special needs - your head waiter takes care of this -- The headwaiter will show you menus for the next day and you preorder dishes, which are made specially.

 

The buffet is hit and miss - you can find your head waiter there some days or speak to another head waiter; or you can try to speak to a chef - in the big hats -- the other staff are not a reliable source of info and often their english is poor -- but garlic is something that might be hidden in various sauces and you may have trouble knowing for sure.

 

Chicken tenders are on the kids dinner menu.

I do not know if they are available anywhere else without a special order. Your headwaiter can advise on this. They might be able to have them specially made at the buffet if you ask the day before.

As to what they are and how they are made, well that really depends on the ship's head chef. They are likely made onboard from fresh chicken and some sort of batter. But if they are premade frozen they will be whatever brand the supplier can provide at that restocking port.

So you won't really know until you see them.

 

Fries are mostly always available at the grill by the pool, or main dining room.

 

Rice will be available from the dining room all the time, and sometimes on the buffet.

 

You might want to try the family message board on CC as well for additional tips.

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When/if I eat in the MDR, I always order the chicken tenders and fries off the Children's menu. They are made from real chicken and I really like them. Don't know about the batter but it isn't a heavy batter. Much better chicken tenders than what is at Wendy's or Tyson. To me they are equal to Chick-Fil-A.

 

Tenders can be found in the buffet but it is a hit or miss. Did the Grand Princess to Alaska last Sept and had chicken tenders at most every lunch/dinner in the buffet. Stayed on the Grand for the Mexican Riviera cruise and not one chicken tender offered in the buffet (that I could find). One of the chefs that was on both cruises kept saying sorry about the lack of chicken tenders but that the menu was determined by the head office.

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My friend is also unable to eat garlic. 1st complete that on your cruise personalizer. In the MDR the head waiter brought her the next days menu so she could select for the next day and be guided on what she could get without garlic. It worked out wonderfully. If we ate at the buffet she was told to look for anyone with the tall stovetop type hat to ask if garlic is in anything she was selecting. For example she loves guacamole however Princess uses a pre mix which unfortunately has garlic and can’t get prepared without garlic. One night we went to anytime dining and not our normal dining room and since she ordered her selection the night before they were able to see it in the computer and bring in a different dining room. We were on the ship for 14 days on the Ruby and it worked perfectly. They were so nice and accommodating to her. She also did this on a prior cruise on the Regal again with no issues!

It was also nice for us to see the next nights menu :D

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I, too, am allergic to garlic. I cruised on the Star and Island last spring to and from Alaska. I had excellent luck in the CC dining room for dinners when I ordered in advance. Almost everything on the menu was able to be prepared without garlic. On my northbound cruise, after boarding, I had lunch in the dining room and consulted with the head waiter and advised him of my allergy. I was limited to what I could eat the first day, since no advance notice was provided to the kitchen (even though Princess knew in advance of my allergy). Starting with the first night, I was provided menus for the next day's lunch (if we were at sea) and dinner. I chose my next day's meals in advance and, with few exceptions, everything was able to be prepare without garlic. While in port, I ate at the buffet for lunch a few times and was extremely disappointed. I was afraid to ask about garlic since I did not trust the responses from the staff. I ended up with salad (with oil and vinegar), cheese sandwich, and cookies.

I have just placed a deposit for a Panama Canal partial cruise (10 day) in March and attempted to identify my garlic allergy on the cruise personalizer. I may have been doing something wrong, but I was unable to notify Princess of my garlic allergy in that fashion. Next time I speak to my Princess cruise consultant, I will tell her, however, I think the key is to notify the head waiter.

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My friend is also unable to eat garlic. 1st complete that on your cruise personalizer. In the MDR the head waiter brought her the next days menu so she could select for the next day and be guided on what she could get without garlic. It worked out wonderfully. If we ate at the buffet she was told to look for anyone with the tall stovetop type hat to ask if garlic is in anything she was selecting. For example she loves guacamole however Princess uses a pre mix which unfortunately has garlic and can’t get prepared without garlic. One night we went to anytime dining and not our normal dining room and since she ordered her selection the night before they were able to see it in the computer and bring in a different dining room. We were on the ship for 14 days on the Ruby and it worked perfectly. They were so nice and accommodating to her. She also did this on a prior cruise on the Regal again with no issues!

It was also nice for us to see the next nights menu :D

 

did you have traditional dining and just decide to not use what you signed up for and switched to anytime dining for that night? If so, how does that work??:evilsmile:

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did you have traditional dining and just decide to not use what you signed up for and switched to anytime dining for that night? If so, how does that work??:evilsmile:

 

:mad: :( Stirring the pot again??? If anyone needs an answer to this, there are already threads on this forum.

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did you have traditional dining and just decide to not use what you signed up for and switched to anytime dining for that night? If so, how does that work??:evilsmile:

Yes, we wanted to see a show which conflicted with 1st seating timing but still wanted to eat the menu for that night. Her menu selected the night before was available in the other anytime dining rooms. You just tell your waiter.

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:mad: :( Stirring the pot again??? If anyone needs an answer to this, there are already threads on this forum.

 

Sounds like a good idea to me. sign up for traditional dining for a table for 2 at a set time, then if it doesn't meet your schedule, just go to anytime dining. And save your crap for someone else. We have a granddaughter who has severe food allergies and carries an epi-pen every where she goes. and I carry one for bee sting allergies after I ended up in the ER a few years ago:evilsmile:

Edited by voljeep
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Just curious if you have ever heard of the program Autism on the Sea? We were on a Carnival cruise in July and they were on board. They are not affiliated with the cruise line but are a separate company and have sailings on most cruise lines. They have a special room they use throughout the cruise just for the kids, extra staff just for the kids, an always reserved table in the buffet so the kids eat at exactly the same table every day, and daily activities for the kids. I briefly looked at their website and the prices didn’t look like they were much more than what the cruise line charges. We thought this looked like a wonderful program and had never heard of it before.

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My kid is more or less omnivorous, but we have found the kid's menu food to be rather inedible. So, my kid (he is 6 now) has pretty much stuck to fruit salads and bread'n'butter in MDR on every cruise since he was 4. On his first cruise at 3 all he wanted was ceasar salads and bread.

 

Kids could behave differently on a cruise, because of the new situation. You never know.

 

Oh, and check out the Travel with Disabilities board for additional tips on sailing with allergies and autism.

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I, too, am allergic to garlic. I cruised on the Star and Island last spring to and from Alaska. I had excellent luck in the CC dining room for dinners when I ordered in advance. Almost everything on the menu was able to be prepared without garlic. On my northbound cruise, after boarding, I had lunch in the dining room and consulted with the head waiter and advised him of my allergy. I was limited to what I could eat the first day, since no advance notice was provided to the kitchen (even though Princess knew in advance of my allergy). Starting with the first night, I was provided menus for the next day's lunch (if we were at sea) and dinner. I chose my next day's meals in advance and, with few exceptions, everything was able to be prepare without garlic. While in port, I ate at the buffet for lunch a few times and was extremely disappointed. I was afraid to ask about garlic since I did not trust the responses from the staff. I ended up with salad (with oil and vinegar), cheese sandwich, and cookies.

I have just placed a deposit for a Panama Canal partial cruise (10 day) in March and attempted to identify my garlic allergy on the cruise personalizer. I may have been doing something wrong, but I was unable to notify Princess of my garlic allergy in that fashion. Next time I speak to my Princess cruise consultant, I will tell her, however, I think the key is to notify the head waiter.

 

Fantastic, this is exactly what we were hoping to hear. Disney operates the same way and we were very pleased with their support.

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I know princess has chicken tenders because on the room service menu the chicken Caesar salad comes with breaded chicken on it. I think it says sliced chicken tenders.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Have never looked at the room service menu but now I will check it out. Might be one way to get chicken tenders without going to the MDR:D

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Just curious if you have ever heard of the program Autism on the Sea? We were on a Carnival cruise in July and they were on board. They are not affiliated with the cruise line but are a separate company and have sailings on most cruise lines. They have a special room they use throughout the cruise just for the kids, extra staff just for the kids, an always reserved table in the buffet so the kids eat at exactly the same table every day, and daily activities for the kids. I briefly looked at their website and the prices didn’t look like they were much more than what the cruise line charges. We thought this looked like a wonderful program and had never heard of it before.

 

Yes, it a good program. My son is high functioning and 27 years old. We've been on several cruises, but not on Princess before. He likes to constantly walk around the ship and explore. I just tell him what time to meet us for an event or to come back to the cabin to get ready for dinner.

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My wife is lactose intolerant and allergic to shell fish. Princess has always done a great job taking care of her. When we arrive at the MDR the first night, we ask for the head waiter. He takes down my wife's problems and goes over the menu with her. He gives her order to the waiter. The HW comes back later with the menu for the next night and writes down my wife's choices. We get the name of the head waiter and ask for him every night.

 

Sorry, I can't help with the chicken tenders. Hopefully some one else can

 

I am Coeliac, you say Celiac, so I pre notify Princess re GF, then the HW is ready for me in the MDR at dinner, e.g. give me the menu for next night, I pick and he comes back and notes it. That's the way it should work, precruise notify Princess Special Diets and they will notify the ship. I eat in the MDR traditional for dinner and mixture of buffet and MDR for other meals, I just ask re other meals re gluten free if I am in doubt.

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I don't think you need to speak to the maitre d' about the garlic allergy. All the head waiters are trained and prepared to handle this issue. But you must speak to a head waiter - not just to your waiter.

 

On the first day in the MDR, the head waiter can tell you what has garlic and what doesn't. After that he will take her order the day before. With a day's notice, they can fix almost any dish without garlic.

 

This works very well in traditional dining or in Club Class dining where you have the same head waiter every meal. It also works in anytime dining. If you are eating in anytime dining, I recommend you eat in the same dining room every evening. That way she can deal with the same head waiter every day and they will get to know each other. That's not a requirement, but I believe it helps. You don't need the same waiter every night, as long as you tell the waiter she has pre-ordered from the head waiter.

 

I would recommend the buffet only for lunch on sea days when the MDR is not available. If she needs to eat there, ask to speak to the head chef. He can tell you what they have without garlic. Also he can serve her plate in the kitchen and bring it to her instead of her serving herself from the buffet. Even if a dish is prepared without garlic, cross-contamination is a problem for anything served from the buffet. Passengers will move serving utinsils from one dish to another, so the serving spoon in the non-garlic dish may have been moved from the garlic chicken. By serving her plate from the kitchen, cross-contamination can be avoided.

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I don't think you need to speak to the maitre d' about the garlic allergy. All the head waiters are trained and prepared to handle this issue. But you must speak to a head waiter - not just to your waiter.

 

On the first day in the MDR, the head waiter can tell you what has garlic and what doesn't. After that he will take her order the day before. With a day's notice, they can fix almost any dish without garlic.

 

This works very well in traditional dining or in Club Class dining where you have the same head waiter every meal. It also works in anytime dining. If you are eating in anytime dining, I recommend you eat in the same dining room every evening. That way she can deal with the same head waiter every day and they will get to know each other. That's not a requirement, but I believe it helps. You don't need the same waiter every night, as long as you tell the waiter she has pre-ordered from the head waiter.

 

I would recommend the buffet only for lunch on sea days when the MDR is not available. If she needs to eat there, ask to speak to the head chef. He can tell you what they have without garlic. Also he can serve her plate in the kitchen and bring it to her instead of her serving herself from the buffet. Even if a dish is prepared without garlic, cross-contamination is a problem for anything served from the buffet. Passengers will move serving utinsils from one dish to another, so the serving spoon in the non-garlic dish may have been moved from the garlic chicken. By serving her plate from the kitchen, cross-contamination can be avoided.

 

Very good pointers! Thank for your reply.

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Yes, I was going to chime in, no need to chase around and find the MD as he might be working in a different DR at the time you arrive. Your section HW is the best person to work with and he/she will also have been tipped to your dietary needs if you enter them in the Cruise Personalizer. As others have said, Princess does an excellent job handling special dietary requirements.

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Yes, we wanted to see a show which conflicted with 1st seating timing but still wanted to eat the menu for that night. Her menu selected the night before was available in the other anytime dining rooms. You just tell your waiter.

 

So you decided to eat in the anytime dining room thus making things difficult for the people who were supposed to actually be there.

 

DON

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