Dealing with allergies while on a cruise ...

[SleepingUgly]

We are heading out on the Galaxy in late March for an 11-night cruise of the Southern Caribbean. We're taking along our two daughters, ages 7 and 4. Our older daughter is allergic to all dairy products -- cheese, milk, yogurt, ice cream, etc. It's nothing serious -- she doesn't need an Epipen, but she does tend to break out in a bad rash. The good news -- Her allergist has given her the go-ahed to try a little bit of dairy each day, just to see if she has started to outgrow her allergy. However, if it's still an issue by the time of our cruise, she will be limited to the types of food she can consume. Question -- Is this something we should let the cruiseline know about before the cruise? Would they be able to do anything about it, or not? And just curious -- would they be able to prepare special things for her, such as pizza with no cheese?

 

Please note that we are not demanding or expecting any special treatment. If they cannot do anything for us, that is not a big deal at all, and we will handle it and definitely won't complain. But I'm just wondering if they do offer any assistance for cruisers with allergies ...

 

Thanks!

Linda

[CaliforniaDreamin]

Home : Before Your Cruise : FAQs : FAQ Questions : FAQ Answers

What if I have special dietary needs?

Subject: Special Needs, Medical/Physical

 

Celebrity can accommodate special diets onboard. These diets have been created in consultation with dietary specialists; selections offered are for lunch and dinner for the main restaurant only.

• Lean and Light
  
• Vegetarian
  
• Diabetic
  
• Low Fat
  
• Low Sodium
  
• Low Cholesterol
  
• Kosher Meals
  
• Gluten Free
  
• Lactose Free
  
• Baby Food (for example: Similac Formula, Gerber, Pedialyte)

ALL REQUESTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE FOLLOWING DEADLINES: Originating PortKosher Food (CCL)Baby Food (CCL)Specific Allergy requests (CCL)Continental US40 days40 days40 daysSan Juan, Puerto Rico40 days40 days40 daysAlaska40 days40 days40 daysHawaii40 days40 days40 daysSouth America80 days80 days80 daysEurope80 days80 days80 daysSpecial Needs Department

Phone: 800-722-5472 xt. 34492

Fax: 305-539-6666

Email: Special_needs@celebrity.com

 

*In the event that Celebrity cannot accommodate a particular dietary need or food request, whoever sent in the actual request will be contacted so that alternative arrangements can be made.

 

Guests with special dietary needs should confirm the arrangements with the Restaurant Manager on the day of boarding. Any special dietary and food requests can be accommodated in the main restaurant only. Download the menus for more details!

 

Other Products *Distilled Water is provided for guests with disabilities at no charge. This request must be submitted in writing to the Access Department via fax, no later than two weeks prior to sailing. *Regular Soy Milk is readily available onboard. *For those departures that are non-U.S., specific brands are sometimes difficult to come by and the local epicure will be substituted. About Celebrity | Brochure | Gifts | Contact Us | FAQs | Travel Agent Finder Site Map | Legal Info | Price Terms | Privacy Policy | For our Travel Partners: Cruising Power ©2006 Celebrity Cruises Inc. All rights reserved

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[Host Anne]

Hi there ~ first, I hope you'll have a wonderful time on your cruise. We started cruising with our daughter when she was your oldest daughter's age and we got her hooked early! ;)

 

Yes, you should ask your travel agent to note the allergy in your record and to make Celebrity aware of it. We travel every year with good friends and just before our Mercury cruise last February, he was diagnosed as being gluten intolerant (I hope that how they refer to it). Anyway, no wheat products whatsoever. We notified our travel agent and then they visited the Maitre 'd when we boarded. I cannot tell you how impressed we were with Celebrity's attention to his situation. The Maitre 'd came to our dinner table every night to discuss the next day's menu with our friend and determine what the chef could make that would fit into his dietary requirements. They were terrific.

 

I'm certain that something like a pizza without cheese would be an easy thing to make. On Century last week, you could walk up and order a pizza made however you wanted. All you would have had to do would be to say "no cheese, please."

 

I hope your experience is as wonderful as our friend's was. He had a delightful cruise without any food problems.

 

Hope this helps.

[SleepingUgly]

Thanks to both for such great information! I'll be sure to contact our TA, and I may make a call to Celebrity directly as well, just to be safe. Again, this is not a life-or-death situation, so I would have completely understood if they could not help out, but it's so nice to see that they will try to assist. Makes me feel even more secure in that we made the right vacation decision! :)

 

Thanks again!

Linda

[Host Anne]

Linda ~ be sure to come back and tell us all about it! We'd love to hear about your cruise experience.

 

One additional thought.....if your girls join in with the children's program on board, be sure to talk to the staff there as well so they are aware of the allergies. Amanda (our daughter) absolutely loved the kids program when she was the same ages as your daughters! ENJOY!

[uktog]

Linda

My husband has a nut allergy and our experiences are as Annes said. Some of the crew are not too good at knowing what is or is not in a dish, however, see the Maitre D, he will set up your assistant maitred and our experience was we had a visit to the table every night from Marco before we ordered. Also as the Assistant Maitre ds also look after the Deck 10 cafe on rota, we always could find our Assistnat or his colleague we got to know if we had a query at the buffet.

They really are great at handling people with allergies so long as you tell them up front.

Have a wonderful time on the cruise and you are setting your daughter up to enjoy a lifetime of cruising