Another Food Sensitivity Question 🙄

[cooncat_mom]

Getting ready (I hope!) to sail the Oasis in 2 weeks.  I was wondering about the food sensitivity issue…I am quite sensitive to lactose/dairy (and I loved cheese…sigh) and not being a novice I did contact Special Needs who never responded. I don’t need anything special except non-dairy creamer (but I will bring powdered coconut milk) and no dairy included in the meals (cross contamination is not an issue) Does anyone know if the Vegan menu is truly Vegan which would be dairy free? While I can choose off the regular menu, a true Vegan menu would give me a good back-up.  I will try to stop at the dining room on the first day to ask, but thought I’d try getting a head start.  Thanks!

 

 

 

 

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, cooncat_mom said:

While I can choose off the regular menu, a true Vegan menu would give me a good back-up.

You can check the menu in the RCI app - they usually offer a vegan option, though how truly vegan it is I'm not so sure.

[Marie51]

 We just are off the mariner of the seas last week. I traveled with my sister who eats gluten-free due to celiac disease. On the first night at dinner she spoke to the head waiter who arranged for her to have gluten-free food for Each night in the dining room.  We were very pleased with the service and attentiveness to this matter. So you may want to do the same and speak to the head waiter on your first night at dinner. They even went so far as to send her gluten-free bread via room service for breakfast. 

[DrProfessor]

You can also call RCI and have them mark this information on your booking number.  My wife has to eat gluten free (allergies) and when we call ahead and have them note it on our booking, we find that they already know about it when we get on board and they are more than accommodating, usually going the extra mile to even have options that are not normally available (like gluten free bread, as an example).

[DaniDanielle]

Yes, speak to the Head Waiter.  I have a tree nut allergy, every night they gave me the next night’s menu so I could order for that dinner.  They wouldn’t let me have anything they weren’t sure of!

[RobInMN]

My daughter had a dairy allergy (actual allergy, not just intolerance), she has since out grown it. She sailed a few times, not sure we always sent an email. After boarding, we would talk to our head waiter in the MDR to either let them know or confirm they had received the special dietary needs. Whether then pre-received them or not, they were always super about trying to accommodate our daughter. Our main waiter would always let us know what she could or could not have and if it could be modified for her (like leave the cheese or butter off), and I think chicken tenders with no dairy in the breading) was always an option.  At the time milk alternatives were not so prevalent, but that may be better now. They were also generally helpful in other venues like WJ to see if things (like breads) had hidden dairy.

[cooncat_mom]

Thank you all! I will stop by the dining room on embarkation day and talk to them. I'm glad to hear they're well prepared for food problems!

[Jasukkie]

I don't have food sensitivities but eat plant based as much as possible and avoid dairy. I ate mostly from the vegan menu in the main dining room and it was dairy free as far as I could tell. It's definitely lighter fare so you may want to order both appetizers, or even both entrees. Some things were really good, some I would not order again. I would prefer if the Windjammer were open for dinner. It just makes it a lot easier.

 

I do eat some fish but it seemed to all be cooked with butter. I didn't want to fuss with asking if it could be made without as I'm not allergic and had other options but perhaps it might be worth a try. I learned at lunch they will make veggie burgers by request but it takes 10-15 minutes.

[cooncat_mom]

Thanks, Jasukkie.  I was pleased to see the Vegan menus since it looked like I could fall back on them…and have a dessert that isn’t  the fruit platter minus the cheese!

[CntPAcruiser]

My husband has lactose intolerance, and we typically request on the first night at dinner (MDR, regular late seating, pre-COVID) that he get berries or fruit, no cream, as his dessert every night, and they have always been accommodating. Otherwise, he usually just avoids things containing dairy on the regular menu. The one time we did make a special needs request, it caused more problems than it solved. For instance, he can have butter within limitations, but they wanted to give him special menu items without butter. Of course, others may have a more severe intolerance where that would be appropriate, but this is what works for him (because it's mainly the dessert items that are so dairy-heavy).

[Schpoompie]

Our daughter has severe lactose intolerance. Her body does not produce any of the enzymes needed to digest it. Royal Caribbean has always done great with this. The first night is a little tricky in the Main Dining Room but you should be able to find something on the menu. At the end of the first evening, and every evening thereafter, the maitre’d would bring us the menu for the next evening and we would work out what was to be prepared for her. The chef would also provide a dessert that would change nightly. 
 

In the Windjammer, we would have a chef walk us around the buffet to let us know what she could have. 
 

In Sorrento’s, she gets a pizza made with her choice of toppings and has them leave the cheese off. 
 

She’s always been able to have plenty of choices and has never gotten ill from anything she’s eaten on board.

 

Happy Sailing! 😀

 

 

[orville99]

They also have Almond milk in the Windjammer. There is also always an Indian/east Asian area in the WJ with a variety of vegetarian options. 

Edited September 10, 2021 by orville99