Going on Cruise with 60+ Food Intolerances! Help!

[CaliSparrow]

I folks,

Have any of you travelled on Princess Cruises with multiple intolerances?  I have so many intolerances and right now, I'm very nervous about getting on a ship and having no control over my food.  How well does Princess Cruises accommodate those with Celiac & food intolerances?  How early should I contact the ship?  Please share whatever experiences you have had!

Thank you!

[cyclinglady]

I think you can do a search within the forum to determine how to survive a cruise.  The first step is notifying the cruise line months prior to departure.  Then upon boarding immediately find the head waiter or one of them.  Usually the ship has everyone eating at the buffet restaurant for lunch the first day.  .  I ask for them to get me food from the back kitchen or they run the main dining floor where the "allergy" section of the kitchen is located.  I am sure every cruise is set up a bit differently.  

But... 60 plus intolerances (how can that be?) is really rough.  Are you sure these are foods that make you really sick or just a list of foods from an IgG food "allergy" test?  If these are foods that produce anaphylactic reactions, then  I would be worried.

For me, I focus on being gluten free and do my best to avoid my other minor intolerances (e.g. Garlic, nuts, mushrooms). Even if exposed, my reaction is not severe like a gluten reaction.  

I hope this helps!  

[CaliSparrow]

17 hours ago, cyclinglady said:

I think you can do a search within the forum to determine how to survive a cruise.  The first step is notifying the cruise line months prior to departure.  Then upon boarding immediately find the head waiter or one of them.  Usually the ship has everyone eating at the buffet restaurant for lunch the first day.  .  I ask for them to get me food from the back kitchen or they run the main dining floor where the "allergy" section of the kitchen is located.  I am sure every cruise is set up a bit differently.  

But... 60 plus intolerances (how can that be?) is really rough.  Are you sure these are foods that make you really sick or just a list of foods from an IgG food "allergy" test?  If these are foods that produce anaphylactic reactions, then  I would be worried.

For me, I focus on being gluten free and do my best to avoid my other minor intolerances (e.g. Garlic, nuts, mushrooms). Even if exposed, my reaction is not severe like a gluten reaction.  

I hope this helps!  

Hi and thanks!

How it came to be is being undiagnosed for 10+ years plus high mercury poisoning, MTHFR, sleep apnea and deficiency of a hormone that helps the kidneys hang onto water (so for many years, I was deprived of nutrition, oxygen, water and poisoned on top of it with a faulty mechanism for detox - as my doctor said, "You're missing all of the foundational building blocks for life!").  Thank goodness I found her.  The other doctors just thought I needed psych pills.

These are intolerances, not allergies, thank goodness (again :).  Most of them are mild but even so, I experience foggy head, inflammation, body aches, "C", an inability to make decisions, emotionality, and sometimes nervous system impediments depending on which food.  They all cause different symptoms.  If I was to eat something with lemon in it, I can handle that about 1-2 times during the trip and no one would know the difference but me (& even I might not notice because of the foggy head aspect).  I expect to eat some of the milder foods on this trip, as it was really a bear avoiding all these foods even in the comfort of my own home.  The more that slip in, the more inflammation/symptoms.  I really do expect to eat some of these foods (but not gluten!).

So it's not life altering but it would definitely be fun altering and potentially miserable.

Thanks for your response.  I appreciate it.  I'm going to contact the cruise ship so that I don't worry so much leading up to the trip.  That is also unhealthy for the gut!

Cali

[CaliSparrow]

BTW, it's been over two years since I've been on here and I am doing MUCH, much better!  Even slow progress is progress nevertheless. 

To all you newbies, may you champion self-care and HANG IN THERE 

[DFowers]

There is a group on Facebook called "Cruising Gluten Free". Many are sharing experiences and asking questions there. We would love to hear your experiences as well.

[munchkinz]

So this doesn't really answer the initial question, but have you tried a rotating diet to prevent further intolerances? A rotating diet is a diet in which you never eat the same food twice within a four day period. For example, you eat an omelet with cheese and mushroom on day one, no eggs, cheese, or mushroom until day five. Also, I am also planning a cruise while managing celiac for the summer. What I have found is that Royal Carribean takes things very seriously and is well informed. You will order your meals the day before, and work with the staff about all of your allergies. But note, that you will not be able to eat from the buffet because let's be honest everything is going to end up contaminated, even the gluten-free section.