Cruising With Food Allergies
You’ve booked your cruise…or maybe you’ve got your first cruise contract. You’re excited and ready to go but you have a food allergy and are nervous. What should you look out for? It’s not just on the buffet… In this post we’re going to talk about cruising with food allergies, some of the top things that you can do to help manage your allergies on cruise ships and be safe, but also talking about how a cruise ship can accommodate your dietary restrictions.
Living with a food allergy means that you are already used to asking about which foods have your allergen in them, whether or not they are safe, and ‘when in doubt, leave it out’. You’ve probably looked at more delicious food that you’ve had to pass on simply because you didn’t know then you’d ever like to think about. I understand. After more cruises than I can count (both as a passenger and as crew) here are the things to watch out for when cruising with an allergy.
Disclosure: I am not a doctor or a medical professional. I do have a severe nut/peanut allergy and have been cruising for nearly 25 years including as a crew member. Contact a medical professional for advice for your specific situation. This information is provided only for entertainment and base-level informational purposes.
All views expressed are my own and do not necessarily represent those of my employer.
Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a qualifying purchase I may receive a small commission at no expense to you.
How Can a Cruise Ship Accommodate My Dietary Restriction?
Cruise lines will work to accommodate your dietary restrictions by offering opportunities to order food ahead of time allowing the ship to make them in special areas free of cross contamination. They may also make specialty food for you and offer you separate menus.
And, while cruise lines have come a long way with accommodating different dietary restrictions, some of the responsibility for being safe while onboard a cruise is up to you. Here are some things to watch out for as well as things you can do – as well as how many cruise lines work to keep you safe while cruising with an allergy or dietary restriction.
Let Them Know You Have an Allergy Before You Go
If you have a food allergy you are probably used to advocating for yourself to some extent and are likely at minimum used to letting people know you have a food allergy. Going on a cruise is no different.
Before joining the cruise you will have various forms to fill in, let the cruise line know that you have a food allergy! Letting them know in advance is a great way to ensure that they are aware of your allergy. Having allergies on cruise ships is much more common place than it used to be so do not be worried about being a nuisance or difficult – I promise you are only one of many passengers with various allergies or dietary restrictions.
Once they know you have a food allergy upon check-in or once you are onboard you will most likely be made aware of who to speak with about your allergy. Whether that is the maitre’d, the dining room manager, or someone else. If you let the cruise line know ahead of time they are more likely to be able to accommodate your dietary restriction or allergy onboard the cruise ship.
If you are sailing as a crew member – you’ll have to do the same. Before you join a ship you have to fill out a lot of medical paperwork, during this stage it is good to let the cruise line know that you have a food allergy. While cruise lines will do their best to accommodate you, if you are applying to work as a pastry chef with a gluten allergy – it’s probably not a good fit. Let them know about your allergies ahead of time so they can make sure you have a safe working environment.
Onboard Lotions and Bath Products May Contain Allergens
This one may sound a bit far fetched to some, but there are a ton of bath products that contain allergens. I personally have a nut allergy and almond oil has become a very popular ingredient in bath products.
For instance, popular upscale cruise line Holland America Line uses Elemis bath products (ingredient list available through link). While these products are lovely their body lotion actually uses Sweet Almond Oil. Depending on your level of allergy this could create a variety of problems for you. From using it yourself and then touching something that you then eat to many surfaces on the ship being potential cross contamination hot spots to look out for – if they have the lotion in every lavatory onboard the ship is likely riddled with hands that have just a tiny bit of Sweet Almond Oil on them.
Most likely if you are practicing good hand hygiene yourself you would be fine. However, depending on the severity of your allergy it is worth being mindful and careful about which lotions and bath products you use. Freebie lotions and bath products onboard a cruise ship are great but be careful and don’t be afraid to ask for ingredient lists.
Note: my favorite bath products I’ve found at sea were on Seabourn. They have a partnership with Molton Brown and the products are divine.
Beware the Bar Snacks When Cruising with a Food Allergy
Peanuts or jars of nuts are a pretty common bar snack, and while they are becoming less and less common to see served up as a snack while flying, on cruise ships they are still a common snack to be handed out at a bar.
There are a whole bunch of cross contamination challenges with this. The good news is that cruise ship sanitation procedures have always been top-notch and with COVID they have been ramped up even more. This means that some concerns about someone sitting at the table before you and having eaten nuts might be partially mitigated.
And, remember, people can bring snacks around the ship. It’s also not uncommon for snacks like these to be served in show lounged.
A potential solution – bring wipes with you. Carry around a small stash of disinfecting wipes. If you go somewhere where you’re feeling a bit unsure as to either when it was previously wiped down or whether or not someone had eaten something with your allergen on it, wipe it down real quick.
These wipes are pocket sized and great for travel.
Crew Note: In crew areas food works a bit different but sometimes there are still bar snacks available. If you are onboard with a food allergy and are having issues being able to socialize with crew because of your food allergy, talk to Human Resources. Don’t go in saying “you have to change this”. Go in with a solution and not just a problem. On ships I worked in where they had served nuts in the bar I asked them to switch to either pretzels or Gold Fish crackers and they were happy to. The bar-tender themselves will likely not have the authority to make the switch so don’t be upset if they can’t make the change.
Also – as crew you can likely get some pocket wipes from the medical department if you feel you need them to work well in your area. I would at least ask before buying my own.
The Coffee Shop
Many cruise lines now feature specialty coffee shops. This is great! But, it is also potentially challenging for different allergy sufferers.
If you have a milk allergy ordering nearly anything beyond a black coffee would be a challenge – and even if you opted for almond milk you have to wonder if they cleaned the machine off in between uses.
And, if you have a nut allergy you have to wonder – did the person before me have a milk allergy and if so did they use almond milk and then did they clean off the machine in between?
There are some potential challenges here. Just be smart and keep an eye out for potential cross contamination hot spots. Most likely if you are to the age where you are ordering coffee you’ll know yourself and your allergy well enough to judge whether it will be safe for you. For young kids though with allergies it would be worth educating them as these coffee shops almost always make hot chocolate, too.
Ordering Dinner While Cruising With Food Allergies
There are a million challenges when it comes to eating food on a cruise ship if you have a food allergy. The good news is that none of them are insurmountable.
Food is a big part of cruising and the food tends to be delicious. How do you ensure that you have the most worry-free cruise you can? Being smart, asking the right questions, talking to the right people, and trusting your gut. Some cruise lines (like the dessert menu in the picture above) have even started listing common allergens next to the respective items. This is a huge step forward!
Now, there are a lot of different dining options available between cruise lines. There are specialty restaurants, the buffets, pool-side grills, the main dining room, and more. Right now we’re going to focus on the main dining room and specialty restaurants.
How Cruise Lines Accommodate Food Allergies and Dietary Restrictions At the Main Dining Room And Specialty Restaurants
For many cruise lines how they navigate passengers with food allergies ordering dinner is to have them order the food the night before. Now, if you are on a cruise line with a lot of different restaurants this might seem challenging as you might eat in a different restaurant every night.
Now, for the easiest and most seamless allergy dining experience I would recommend eating in the same dining room at the same table with the same server every night. That might not be realistic for you and it might hinder your whole vacation to do that. That’s fine, it’s just going to require a touch more effort.
If you know you are going to eat at a specialty restaurant I would stop in the day before and ask to speak to the dining room manager (or assistant manager) for that restaurant. Let them know you have a reservation for the next night and what your specific food allergy is. They might advise you to order right then and there so that they can specially prepare it for you or they might tell you that restaurant doesn’t use any of your allergy and you’ll be all set. Either way they’ll let you know what you can do that will provide the safest dining experience for you.
If you are eating in the main dining room your server will show you the menu for the next night and you will select what you would like to eat. This is part of why I find it easier to eat in the same restaurant every night.
Pro-tip: The fancier the cruise line the more accommodating and less to worry about. When I sailed on Seabourn we would sometimes go to multiple restaurants in a night and they were absolute professionals and ensured whatever I was eating was safe and would make special accommodations right there on the spot.
Top Tips for Navigating Eating at a Cruise Ship Buffet While Cruising With Food Allergies
The buffet is potentially the most challenging of locations to eat on a cruise ship…but it’s also the one where you get the most visual queues as to potential cross contamination risks.
While many cruise ships have moved to a crew-served buffet, the risk for cross contamination is still there. Allergies on cruise ships don’t take a break just because it’s on the famed buffet. From tongs used for multiple foods to ice cream scoops going between macadamia ice cream and your favorite chocolate chip cookie dough – there are a lot of risks.
You can navigate it though! Whatever your allergy is there is a way to make it work. Just like in the specialty restaurants and main dining rooms, there will be a manager for the buffet. Introduce yourself to them and let them know about your allergy. They may be able to provide you with some additional guidance but will also likely be a person that may have to check whether or not certain dishes are safe for you to eat.
When I worked onboard ships my position was pretty much only allowed to eat in the passenger buffet (long story but basically they wanted public facing crew positions to be in the passenger areas as much as possible). This meant years of navigating the buffet with a food allergy. I didn’t have the option to order food from the dining room and select my meal the day before. Let’s just say I am a cross-contamination czar.
Here are some things to be on the look-out for when navigating a cruise ship buffet with a food allergy:
The Main Line/Section of the Buffet
This section of the buffet tends to be pretty good overall for allergies – assuming that there isn’t anything with your specific allergy on the line that night. Keep an eye out for tong usage in particular – are they using the same tongs in multiple dishes? If you see something with your allergen in it, it might be best to skip this section of the line all together.
However, sometimes in situations like this they will have small chicken pot pies or steaks or grilled chicken. Those are typically coming from areas with less cross contamination. Feel free to explain your food allergy and ask them to use a new set of tongs and get those specialty items that did not cross paths with the tongs that touched your allergens.
Salad Bars:
Who doesn’t love a good salad bar? A salad bar can be a great place to have a lighter lunch in preparation for the insanely delicious dinner you’re having. It can be a great way to up your intake of veggies and honestly sometimes I just crave a caesar salad.
Sometimes on salad bars they have nuts or other allergens – that could be cheese, dressings with dairy, or even the croutons (gluten) that go on my delicious caesar salads.
Most salad bars have separate tongs or scoops for the different ingredients so that is not usually as big of a risk for the salads. It is when the crew offer (oh so nicely) to mix it up for you that the real problem lies. If they are using tongs that touched your allergens to mix up your salad all of the careful effort to avoid cross contamination is for naught. If you don’t catch them in time and your allergy is severe enough that you’re worried about cross contamination – don’t feel like you have to take and eat the salad. It’s okay, just ask for a new one!
Sandwich/Pasta/Crepe/Other Specialty Stations:
Oh the joy of specialty stations. Both amazing and frustrating at the same time.
These stations can be amazing for allergy sufferers because you can often get them to use fresh utensils and cooking items while preparing your food. If it is specialty pasta ask that they either wash or get a new pan to cook the pasta in (potential allergens include the pine nuts from pesto, garlic, dairy, and, eh-hem, gluten).
If it is a specialty sandwich station see if they have things like peanut butter around. Maybe you have an egg allergy and you spot egg-salad on the sandwich station that day. Sometimes it’s best to just find something else to eat but sometimes they can accommodate you with fresh utensils, gloves, and more.
Dessert:
Oh dessert and all of the cookies I haven’t eaten. Some lines have started including signs saying “with nuts” and “without nuts” or “gluten free”. The challenge is with the storage and the cross contamination. If those nut and no nut cookies have the same tongs used then it’s a no go. Sometimes it is best to forgo the cookies altogether.
However, if you are really set on something – talk to the manager of that area. They might not be able to make your wish come true at that exact moment, but I bet there is a very good chance they could get you some cookies for later in the day or the next day.
Ice cream has many of the same challenges – if they’re using the same scooper between two types of ice cream and one has your allergen in it, the cross contamination risk is there. If you have a food allergy where cross contamination is an issue probably just get the soft serve. If it’s a brand new tub of ice cream with a brand new scoop though – get it!!! Embrace the opportunity and have three scoops.
Other desserts – this is when it’s helpful to know the person in charge. Ask them which of the desserts are safe for your allergy. Most likely they have pretty much the same desserts every week and they have a very good idea of what’s safe for you and what’s not.
Ordering Room Service While Cruising with Food Allergies
Oh room service. Such a beautiful and wonderful thing. Such a potentially challenging situation. Unlike on the buffet you have no idea what potential cross contamination risks there are, you also don’t get to talk to someone face to face and the person delivering it likely has no idea what ingredients are in the food.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get room service. If it’s included in your cruise enjoy and embrace that deliciousness and convenience. Just be smart about it. Ask the person taking your order on the phone about ingredients. If they seem knowledgable you are most likely fine. It might not be the time to try to order gluten free pasta or try to get peanut-free Thai food though. Maybe this is the time to be a bit more cautious.
Is Cruising With Food Allergies Worth It?
Absolutely!
One of the huge benefits of cruising is you have the same team of people throughout your cruise making sure you stay safe. If you have the same waiter each night you don’t have to keep explaining your allergy to them.
Another huge benefit is that you know that you will have a place to eat safely when exploring the world. If you have certain dietary restrictions some places you travel might have a lot more allergens prevalent. When cruising you have a place to go back to at the end of the day with delicious food that will accommodate your allergies and dietary restrictions.
