Dietary Restrictions

[MsSoCalCruiser]

10 hours ago, caribill said:

 

Not talk to just someone. Make it the headwaiter or the head buffet chef on duty.

110% correct.  Usually it is the head buffet chef that walks me around and tells me what is safe. It’s been so long since my last cruise that I could not remember the title.  Thank you Caribill for the correction. 

[Denali2003]

Curious. . . . when the Head Buffet Chef walks you around the buffet, does he have to do that every day for every person who asks?  Does he ever get tired of doing it?  For me personally, I will ask for assistance once or twice, but to do it every time I go to the buffet, I feel I would be disturbing him and taking him away from his cooking duties. 

[Denali2003]

I have been following the thread of the Majestic Princess that is currently sailing Alaska.  Some people have posted photos of the menus.  I did see Carrot cake on one of them.  I've never had carrot cake before.  If you have, on Princess, how is it?  I'm hoping it will be an option when I cruise in Dec 2021.

[JF - retired RRT]

39 minutes ago, Denali2003 said:

I have been following the thread of the Majestic Princess that is currently sailing Alaska.  Some people have posted photos of the menus.  I did see Carrot cake on one of them.  I've never had carrot cake before.  If you have, on Princess, how is it?  I'm hoping it will be an option when I cruise in Dec 2021.

Delicious! I 💖carrot cake. Usually see it in the buffet at least twice on a 7-day cruise.

[disneyochem]

On 7/29/2021 at 7:03 PM, mtnlvr53 said:

Thanks for all the info. I am recently diagnosed with Celiacs and any information I can get eases my mind that I will be able to cruise and not just eat lettuce, jello and chicken 🙂. You mentioned oatmeal, is that a cross contamination issue? I have eaten oatmeal and didn't get any "upset" when doing so. At home, I eat gluten free oatmeal but I have eaten oatmeal at a hotel breakfast before.  Thanks!

Yes, it is a cross contamination issue with oatmeal.  I travel with individual packets of gf oatmeal when I travel as well.

 

I never eat oatmeal on a trip that isn’t certified gluten free— with celiac, your body has a response to the gluten whether or not you experience tummy issues.  

[DuncanBlizzard]

On 7/23/2021 at 10:29 AM, Denali2003 said:

I am unable to eat white breads, pastas, & rice. High sodium foods and high sugary foods.  I can eat whole wheat or gluten free foods.  I am not Diabetic nor do I have Celiac.  However, I do have the "side effects" from these.  

 

On 7/23/2021 at 4:09 PM, Denali2003 said:

Thank you all so very much!!!  I feel better knowing that I do have options.  Glad to hear that the ships carry GF food.  I'm also a Vegetarian, so I'm sure my meals will be very different from most people's.

 

I just got off the ship last Sunday, and beware of gluten free if you can't eat rice.  I have a restricted diet, and after a couple of days of berries for dessert, they decided to bring me a dairy free, gluten free piece of apple pie.  My restrictions go beyond gluten free, and I was pretty sure I couldn't eat it.  They actually got the flour package, and the first ingredient was rice flour.  I passed on it and asked that I have mixed berries every lunch and dinner for dessert.  I like them, they were simple, and I didn't find any other easy options.

 

I saw sugar free dessert options every day at the International Cafe but never tried them.  I guess I should have asked the sweetener but just passed on desserts.  I never met with the buffet chef and usually didn't have much for breakfast beyond some vegetables from the night before and some fruit.  Know that I regularly saw incorrectly labeled things in the buffet and IC.

 

Copying what I wrote in the live thread:

In both the buffet and the International Cafe, I got foods that were not what they were labeled.  In one case, the salad had pine nuts and not pistachios like it said (and I can have both so no problems for me).  In other cases, they just labeled things wrong -- listed cabbage when it was lettuce, omitted various significant ingredients, etc.  I mostly got the little salads in a cup or on a plate in those places for breakfast the next day and was disappointed at how bad they were at labeling things.  Again, it wasn't a big issue for me but I can tell I ate some of the wrong things most likely from these types of things I ate outside the dining room. 

 

I can also attest to the fact that perhaps because so many of the crew are from different countries that they struggled when I said a not-so-common word.  For example I got pecans at the buffet often to snack on, and many didn't know which nuts were pecans and I couldn't point well given the glass barriers between me and the food.

[Steelers0854]

DW is unable to eat Gluten, Dairy or Eggs.  She eats better on the cruise than at home most days.  They will literally bend over backwards to include baking her bread she can eat, making her pancakes or French toast she could eat etc.  Below is a link to my live from last year and I posted about her meals and what she could or could not eat.  As others have said when you go to the buffet mention to anyone you have an allergy and a supervisor will come over and walk you through the buffet going over anything you want to ensure you can eat it.  Honestly next to Disney, cruise ships do the best job with allergies than anyone else.

 

 

[cr8tiv1]

I've seen reputation points (2 for @ Steelers0854), what do they mean?

[mtnlvr53]

5 hours ago, Steelers0854 said:

DW is unable to eat Gluten, Dairy or Eggs.  She eats better on the cruise than at home most days.  They will literally bend over backwards to include baking her bread she can eat, making her pancakes or French toast she could eat etc.  Below is a link to my live from last year and I posted about her meals and what she could or could not eat.  As others have said when you go to the buffet mention to anyone you have an allergy and a supervisor will come over and walk you through the buffet going over anything you want to ensure you can eat it.  Honestly next to Disney, cruise ships do the best job with allergies than anyone else.

 

 

Thanks for your day by day food tour for non-gluten folks. It's good to know that they are accommodating of dietary needs! We are supposed to be on the Sapphire Princess next May. It seems like the ship will be easy enough to eat. Since we are doing a land/sea trip, I'll have to figure out how to eat on land. That could be a real challenge: I may have to pack some things in my suitcase. 🙂

 

Edited August 12, 2021 by mtnlvr53
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[MsSoCalCruiser]

On 7/31/2021 at 5:50 AM, Denali2003 said:

Curious. . . . when the Head Buffet Chef walks you around the buffet, does he have to do that every day for every person who asks?  Does he ever get tired of doing it?  For me personally, I will ask for assistance once or twice, but to do it every time I go to the buffet, I feel I would be disturbing him and taking him away from his cooking duties. 

Yes, they do this every single time. That’s part of their job and what they get paid for plus I doubt that they would want a passenger to die and especially not on their watch.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

21 hours ago, Steelers0854 said:

DW is unable to eat Gluten, Dairy or Eggs.  She eats better on the cruise than at home most days.  They will literally bend over backwards to include baking her bread she can eat, making her pancakes or French toast she could eat etc.  Below is a link to my live from last year and I posted about her meals and what she could or could not eat.  As others have said when you go to the buffet mention to anyone you have an allergy and a supervisor will come over and walk you through the buffet going over anything you want to ensure you can eat it.  Honestly next to Disney, cruise ships do the best job with allergies than anyone else.

 

Thank you for the link.   Princess is wonderful!  They take really good care of me and I have a severe dairy allergy. There’s only been one time where they thought they made a mistake and everyone panicked. Like your wife, I eat way better on a Princess Cruise than I do at home.  I absolutely love Princess Cruises! 💙

[Denali2003]

On 8/11/2021 at 4:48 PM, DuncanBlizzard said:

Copying what I wrote in the live thread:

In both the buffet and the International Cafe, I got foods that were not what they were labeled.  In one case, the salad had pine nuts and not pistachios like it said (and I can have both so no problems for me).  In other cases, they just labeled things wrong -- listed cabbage when it was lettuce, omitted various significant ingredients, etc.  I mostly got the little salads in a cup or on a plate in those places for breakfast the next day and was disappointed at how bad they were at labeling things.  Again, it wasn't a big issue for me but I can tell I ate some of the wrong things most likely from these types of things I ate outside the dining room. 

 

I can also attest to the fact that perhaps because so many of the crew are from different countries that they struggled when I said a not-so-common word.  For example I got pecans at the buffet often to snack on, and many didn't know which nuts were pecans and I couldn't point well given the glass barriers between me and the food.

 

Wow, you would think foods would be labeled better, because of people with food allergies.  I will make sure I talk to the head buffet chef.

 

I don't have an issue with Gluten (because I can eat wheat breads & pastas), I have an issue with eating white breads & pastas, high sugar foods and high sodium foods.  Don't know why.  But I can eat a sugar free pastry that's made with white flour and I'm ok.  Weird, I know.  I'm a walking medical mystery 😅.  I have been tested and I do not have Diabetes or Celiac.  I do have Neuropathy and certain foods make the pain more intense.  

[disneyochem]

On 8/11/2021 at 10:03 PM, mtnlvr53 said:

Thanks for your day by day food tour for non-gluten folks. It's good to know that they are accommodating of dietary needs! We are supposed to be on the Sapphire Princess next May. It seems like the ship will be easy enough to eat. Since we are doing a land/sea trip, I'll have to figure out how to eat on land. That could be a real challenge: I may have to pack some things in my suitcase. 🙂

 

Having cruised numerous times with celiac, I don’t think you will have any problems on the ship.
 

 I just got back from a three week land tour in Alaska.  Pack food!  I had researched menus and options before our trip.  Even though a restaurant may claim their food was gluten free, I didn’t feel comfortable eating it.  When speaking to the staff or chef, a number of them couldn’t tell me what it meant to be gf!  I quickly got tired of grilled chicken salads and eggs!

 

I went to a Fred Meyer in Anchorage and bought gf bread, peanut butter, meats, cheese and snacks for our trip (I brought a collapsible cooler in my luggage).  I also purchased some gf meals that I ate—there are a number of companies that offer gf backpacking meals.  I really like Wild Zora.

 

It is a challenge to travel with dietary issues but with a little bit of research and planning, it’s doable.

 

[mtnlvr53]

35 minutes ago, disneyochem said:

Having cruised numerous times with celiac, I don’t think you will have any problems on the ship.
 

 I just got back from a three week land tour in Alaska.  Pack food!  I had researched menus and options before our trip.  Even though a restaurant may claim their food was gluten free, I didn’t feel comfortable eating it.  When speaking to the staff or chef, a number of them couldn’t tell me what it meant to be gf!  I quickly got tired of grilled chicken salads and eggs!

 

I went to a Fred Meyer in Anchorage and bought gf bread, peanut butter, meats, cheese and snacks for our trip (I brought a collapsible cooler in my luggage).  I also purchased some gf meals that I ate—there are a number of companies that offer gf backpacking meals.  I really like Wild Zora.

 

It is a challenge to travel with dietary issues but with a little bit of research and planning, it’s doable.

 

Yeah, remembering our last time I remember that food choices were limited without dietary restrictions. I remember a lot of things came from Costco(at about 3 times the price) and I remember none being gluten free. Peanut butter is a good idea and packs easily.  We are on a Princess land tour so doing a lot of shopping would be a challenge. Thanks for your input!

 

[rbtan]

On 7/23/2021 at 12:29 PM, Denali2003 said:

Hello.  Before I start this post, yes, I have contacted the Dietary Specialist regarding restrictions.  As well as put my restrictions in the Medallion App.  I would like to get other passenger's opinions regarding certain foods on the ships.  The specialist said to talk to the Maitre'd once on board.  My restrictions are a new thing - within the past 12 months.

 

I am unable to eat white breads, pastas, & rice. High sodium foods and high sugary foods.  I can eat whole wheat or gluten free foods.  I am not Diabetic nor do I have Celiac.  However, I do have the "side effects" from these.  

 

Does anyone know if I am able to get whole wheat pastas in the dining room?  What about Alfredo's?  Will I be able to get pizza or a calzone that is whole wheat or gluten free?  What about whole wheat soft rolls in the dining room.  I have in the past asked for soft white rolls in the dining room.  

 

Thank you for your help.

Simple.  ASK on board. See the Maître D. They will be able to help. You may not always get what you ask for, however.

[caribill]

Unless your restrictions require Princess to order special foods for you that they do not normally have, notifying Princess pre-cruise does not accomplish much.