Never Again- and it wasn't my first Princess Cruise

[Cruisin' Chick]

[quote name='BratDet']Hi all,

I am allergic to nuts and peanuts and this years
cruise we made sure to talk to the maitre d (sorry spelling is off).
He became a mother hen- giving me the next nights menu so I could pick EVERYTHING I was going to eat. While 95% of it were items that did not include nuts-they wanted to make sure none of my food came near any nuts,etc. I have to give them props for this. I felt it was wonderfully over the top.

BTW- None of the staff complained about anything...in ninedays...

I carry 2 epi-pens cause no matter HOW CAREFUL any food preparation is-there are NO GUARANTEES...

If I wanted that guarantee- I would not be cruising, or eating out at restauraunts.

I am curious how the cruiser KNOWS they served her or him something they were sure they were allergic to, vs. a NEW food allergy/sensitivity.

[URL]http://www.foodallergy.org/section/a[/URL]

I do dislike the way the Horizon court does not label items that contain nuts or peanuts in the food labels...or puts nut covered items right next to non-nutted items...
Somehow I found plenty to eat... :)

Bernadette[/quote]

I have an allergy to shellfish and the only time I came close to having a problem on my last cruise (15 days) was in the Horizon Court. I got a plate of stir fry, sat down and saw the pink things, which I couldn't see while the food was in the bin. Definitely couldn't eat that. I did write on the comment card that the items in the Horizon Court should be well labeled just in case someone does have an allergy.

Since I avoid all seafood (don't care for it anyway), I usually don't have a problem. I definitely would avoid ordering any surf and turf type of meal, just in case a waiter simply removes shrimp, thinking that was enough. There is still contamination (which is how I discovered years ago that I inherited my father's allergy -- had some chicken that was in a warming plate with shrimp which caused my throat to start tightening up).

On the other hand, I have a problem with yogurt. If I have anything with yogurt, I get a severe stomach ache. So that's probably a yogurt-intolerance (from not having the enzyme to digest it).

I'm guessing the OP got food poisoning or noro as others have suggested, but probably a mild case of the latter if that was the problem.

[CrusinAgain]

Ouch! That's my favorite ship. Hope you find a cruiseline that is more up your alley. Princess fits us and we tried a few.

[Apostle]

If I were the OP iIwould be livid. I can except mistakes happen but we are talking about someones health here, not a lost suitcase.

$200 credit on your next cruise is not compensation. Princess would make a profit from this. $200 in your hand there and then IS compensation but still not acceptable for 2 days of illness and missed ports.

[BratDet]

I am NOT trying to be a Princess cheerleader...

but I with the OP would delineate exactly what they were served that she knows he/she ate that she was allergic to.

What day of the cruise he/she was ill?

What DOCTOR diagnosed the problem as a food allergy vs. food poisoning/noro/flu...heck or anything else- ulcer...colitis?
DID a Dr. diagnose on board?
How much was the onboard Doctor bill?? Did Princess pay it?

I have a feeling the OP self-diagnosed- wish he/she would come back and answer the questions.

It is important for people to realize food allergies can occur in seconds, minutes, and hours....and EVEN days later...or a second time from the same allergen.

I had told someone once in Washington DC I was allergic to nuts when I ordered - so my ice cream would not have walnuts in it....I MADE IT CLEAR & LOUD...funny- I felt something solid in my whip cream...I spit it out- A WALNUT-easily visible...
So- if I had a reaction- I would say I had proof of what caused it...

The link I posted clearly shows people CAN HAVE a range of reactions...including all the gastrointestinal issues mentioned.

WITHOUT having real/complete information about the situation- it appears the 200$ was extremely generous...

bernadette

[Colo Cruiser]

[quote name='BratDet']I am NOT trying to be a Princess cheerleader...

but I with the OP would delineate exactly what they were served that she knows he/she ate that she was allergic to.

What day of the cruise he/she was ill?

What DOCTOR diagnosed the problem as a food allergy vs. food poisoning/noro/flu...heck or anything else- ulcer...colitis?
DID a Dr. diagnose on board?
How much was the onboard Doctor bill?? Did Princess pay it?

I have a feeling the OP self-diagnosed- wish he/she would come back and answer the questions.

It is important for people to realize food allergies can occur in seconds, minutes, and hours....and EVEN days later...or a second time from the same allergen.

I had told someone once in Washington DC I was allergic to nuts when I ordered - so my ice cream would not have walnuts in it....I MADE IT CLEAR & LOUD...funny- I felt something solid in my whip cream...I spit it out- A WALNUT-easily visible...
So- if I had a reaction- I would say I had proof of what caused it...

The link I posted clearly shows people CAN HAVE a range of reactions...including all the gastrointestinal issues mentioned.

WITHOUT having real/complete information about the situation- it appears the 200$ was extremely generous...

bernadette[/quote]


You have no choice, any comment made in favour of Princess will label you the infamous cheerleader. Welcome! :D

[RidleyPA]

[quote name='Rhitson88']Man, I could only imagine if the cruiseline catered to literally every little request. I would never get my food. As you can imagine you were probably just 1 of hundreds who wanted to make customizations to your meal. Can't please everyone.[/quote]

:confused:So, let me get this straight.

The Dining Staff cannot take 3,000 individual dinner orders every evening???:rolleyes:

I find it amazing that the great majority of people cannot look at a dinner menu and place their order from it without special requests.

[jennifers490]

[quote name='DonnaK']Really? Pasta with marinara sauce? Isn't this on the children's menu? Why in the world would they think that the pasta dish on the menu, which had brown sauce, served with a side of marinara would be acceptable.

Vanilla ice cream with fresh fruit on the side? Complicated? C'mon. They have the ice cream, and they have the fruit available.[/quote]

i think those requests are very simple and they shouldn't have given you a hard time with them...i've personally never had a problem with things like that in the past as they aren't that complicated

requesting a special dish maybe different and that i would mention the night before

[Jeal]

DonnaK - I agree with you about the availability of pasta with marinara sauce. I often eat that at least once during a cruise and there is never a problem getting it - do you think that your waiter didn't understand what you requested and sent the incorrect order to the kitchen?
As far as the vanilla ice cream with the fresh strawberries - again, I wonder if the waiter didn't understand what you wanted.
Sometimes I don't get exactly what I ordered because I rarely eat brown gravy and sauce and so many of the dishes come with them. Sometimes the waiters have a hard time understanding what I want but we usually make the best of it :)

[We're The Groupnors]

DH has Crohn's Disease, and has many food "triggers" that would cause him to have a VERY upset stomach (we're talking one to three days out of commission). He usually tells wait staff that these food no-nos are allergies as they take the word "allergy" more seriously than "it will cause an upset stomach".

That being said, when we cruise, and when we cruise with our friend who has a gluten intolerance due to Celiac Disease, we make a point to introduce ourselves to the wait staff, section head waiter and maitre d' the first evening to discuss needs. We then pre-order any special needs meals for the next evening each evening before we leave the dining room. Needless to say, we always take traditional dining to ensure we have this same wait staff every night. We have never had a problem.

[cruisin36]

[quote name='pamssanity']We had traveled on the Island Princess to Alaska and thought the staff, the service and the crew were terrific. This is why we decided to sail with Princess again. We took the Caribbean Princess out of Bklyn NY in July 2010. Much to our displeasure our room was tiny. We had the same class of room on the Island and it was much larger. We had issues from the time we boarded. I have food allergies and never had a problem on any of our other cruises. It took 3 days for them to arrange for my food needs , after I had contacted Princess prior to boarding. When they finally did arrange for me to get the proper preparation for my food they actually served me something I was allergic to. I spent 1 1/2 days being ill and missed going off the ship in San Juan due to having to be near a bathroom at all times. When i contacted Princess they're response was they were sorry and offered us a $200 on board credit for our next cruise. When I contacted them again and told them i did not think this was adequate compensation for my being ill , at their hands, on the cruise they told me their offer was firm and they hope I will travel Princess again- are they kidding??????? Be aware that Princess is not what it once was.. even the crew on this crusie was complaining on how they were being treated- that is terrible. Please consider your options before you book Princess.[/quote]

You have a right to post your opinions and have the prerogative of not sailing Princess if you cannot get special dishes prepared for you.

However it is possible to let your dietary needs be known to the headwaiter at least 24 hours in advance and they will do their best to cater to your needs. As far as "special" dishes that are not an allergy problem you may have a problem. Just think if all 3000 people decided to have something made "special" for them that is not on the menu. WOW!!!

Then, you have the options of dining at the specialty dining rooms where they may be able to cater to your needs without advance notice.

Sorry you had a bad cruise and I wish you luck in finding a competitive cruiseline that will cater to your desires and/or needs.

[hightownCO]

My only comment is that I think the $200 was a more than adequate amount as apology HOWEVER, it should have been immediately applied to the OPs account and not a future cruise credit. She was sick on THIS cruise not the future cruise.

[robgvic]

Please notice that the OP has never reappeared. Sounds like someone is trying to trash Princess and that is all

[cruisin36]

[quote name='robgvic']Please notice that the OP has never reappeared. Sounds like someone is trying to trash Princess and that is all[/quote]

You are probably correct in your thinking. If I got sick and I knew "for sure" it was from the food I would have seen the ship doctor and explained the situation to him. We don't know tht she was ill from the food or some other reason.

Maybe fishing for a free cruise??

[frofro]

[quote name='RidleyPA']

I find it amazing that the great majority of people cannot look at a dinner menu and place their order from it without special requests.[/quote]

I know right...I dont get it...:confused:

[awhcruiser]

I've considered my options and decided I will continue to cruise on Princess even if they didn't compensate you with a free cruise.


[quote name='pamssanity']We had traveled on the Island Princess to Alaska and thought the staff, the service and the crew were terrific. This is why we decided to sail with Princess again. We took the Caribbean Princess out of Bklyn NY in July 2010. Much to our displeasure our room was tiny. We had the same class of room on the Island and it was much larger. We had issues from the time we boarded. I have food allergies and never had a problem on any of our other cruises. It took 3 days for them to arrange for my food needs , after I had contacted Princess prior to boarding. When they finally did arrange for me to get the proper preparation for my food they actually served me something I was allergic to. I spent 1 1/2 days being ill and missed going off the ship in San Juan due to having to be near a bathroom at all times. When i contacted Princess they're response was they were sorry and offered us a $200 on board credit for our next cruise. When I contacted them again and told them i did not think this was adequate compensation for my being ill , at their hands, on the cruise they told me their offer was firm and they hope I will travel Princess again- are they kidding??????? Be aware that Princess is not what it once was.. even the crew on this crusie was complaining on how they were being treated- that is terrible. Please consider your options before you book Princess.[/quote]

[Rhitson88]

[quote name='awhcruiser']I've considered my options and decided I will continue to cruise on Princess even if they didn't compensate you with a free cruise.[/quote]



Haha yeah I didn't have to think about it to long.

[pamssanity]

I was not looking for a free cruise- an apology and maybe some sort of guarantee that someone would personally make sure that we never had that problem again- their lasse faire attitude was a definite "We don't really care if you had problems". That doesn't make wanting to travel Princess a priority- :mad:

[pamssanity]

[quote name='btrojanoski']Sorry you did not have a good cruise. Hope the jewelry problem on St. Thomas wasn't transferred as anger at Princess.......

Barry[/quote]
We did not know of the Jewelry issue untill after we returned- being sick for a day and a half and missing an islabd was what infuriated me.

[pamssanity]

[quote name='kath00']I have severe allergies to peanuts and walnuts and they are always extremely careful. However, everyone with food allergies always has to check what they are eating, no matter if you tell them that you will die from it or not. I always look at everything I put in my mouth to make sure there is no way it could have nuts in it.

I even avoid Chinese restaurants since peanuts are so rampantly used there. I just can't take the chance and therefore don't eat out as much. It's just a fact of life for me.

You really can't expect a company that serves some 50,000 meals during a cruise to be 100% right all the time. Sadly, food allergies are something that have to be taken into your own responsibility.

I don't think this is a Princess issue. You will ALWAYS be at risk at any cruise line or land based restaurant you go to. Trust me, I know.

Katherine[/quote]
I hope for your sake that there is never an nuts within your food when you go out to eat- even if they tell you there are none-- don't be foolish- some allergies are in the preparation and you have no control over them , especially when they tell you the food is safe for you to eat. We have cruised many times and this has not happened before-= I always ask about the opreparation and even pick my food choices the night before so I am being told the food will not contain what I am allergic too. It was pure carelessness and not caring. So what if there are 3500 people on a ship- the Freedom of the seas had twice that ( almnost ) and never an issue- and our wait staff and matre d;' were well compensated for making sure our trip was uneventful. The cruise line needs to take some responsibility. Would you feel the same if saomething had peanut oil in its preparation and you went into analaphtic shock- I don't think so,

[BratDet]

but you did not answer the many questions...

WHAT EXACTLY did Princess serve that you say you are allergic to and gave you an "allergic reaction" that gave you GI upset??

Did you ever see a Dr. during your cruise?

Did you go to the medical department?

Did a Dr. deliver a diagnosis?
thanks



bernadette

[pamssanity]

[quote name='CZEE']Now, that's just not fair. Some folks have severe allergies and need to make sure that their food is safe to eat. Princess says that that they will accommodate special requests. If the management is lax, then the service is going to be lax. It sounds like this was a ship ready for a change of scenerty and crew. The Island was like that a couple of years ago when I was on its last cruise out of Alaska. It was time for that ship to get re-energized. The crew was tired of the itinerary, the passengers, everything. It could have been the same on the Caribbean. It's not an acceptable excuse--just an explanation.[/quote]

Thanks for the understanding- why would anyone with allergies go on such a vacation if the propritors didn't care- and the fact that we contacted them weeks before the cruise to reassure there wouldn't bw a problem. The cruise line needs to care about its personnel. I wonder if being vbought by Carnival has anything to do with it?

[pamssanity]

[quote name='cdngrl']the op missed a day and a half of her cruise because she was ill. hmmm, depending on the cabin, that amounts to about, oh, $200. i say they were fairly compensated had they decided to take it.[/quote]

I don't know how you value being ill for a day and a half worth $200 credit- I was under the impressions vacations were for fun and enjoyment-- um-- maybe you just don't have restricted vacation time/.

[robgvic]

Did y0u ever talk to the MD about your dietary needs?

[robgvic]

By the way, Glad to see you coming back and answering questions

[Bethwte]

Hi Pam- not sure if you'll see my comment buried in the others, so just in case:

Were you seated at traditional or anytime dining? I'm very curious to know, as the service level varies for me between the two.