Finally committed and booked, but now I'm nervous/anxious

[hanna-nana]

We've been talking about doing this cruise for 8 yrs now. LOL (Kept having kids and wanted the youngest to be able to use the clubs) Finally bit the bullet and put a deposit down, and I'm sure all will turn out well, but I'm going to be a nervous anxious mess until it's over.....15 months from now.

Just over 2 yrs ago we discovered my gluten allergy. It's kinda pretty bad. 3 fries will set me off. A bite of bread, etc. Not good. My week will be ruined. Not good since this is going to cost us $16k. So of course now I'm second guessing. I really don't want to eat salad all week. I don't need special food, just to know that something normal is safe. I know in the MDRs I'd be fine. The problem comes because my family is more eat when they want/quick service type. I can probably convince them to do MDR for dinner. If not, I'll go eat by myself. But breakfast and lunch? It's really awkward asking at buffets "can you please tell me what would be safe for a gluten allergy?" Especially that opening day when no one has time to really help. I'd just not eat. I know there have been a lot of threads lately on dining with allergies, but how do you get over that awkward factor? Why can't they just put a little sticker on it....this grilled chicken is safe, these veggies were not steamed in pasta water, these are simply scrambled eggs and bacon, GF bun available, etc

Even after 2 years, I hate asking at places. What exactly do you say? Who do you ask? (We cruised RCCL last year, and after asking one of the employees putting food out "can you tell me what's gluten free?" he replied nodding his head "yes, all free, please eat" Not what I was looking for)

 

[dclpluto]

Relax take a deep breathe.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

In my experience you will not find a better cruise line for allergies than DCL. Have them note GF on your reservation and then talk to the Head Waiter in one of the MDR's when you board, they will point you in the right direction throughout the ship. I would strongly suggest not skipping the MDR's for dinner, it's just a really good experience, especially Animators Palate.

If you've been to WDW or DL and experienced how great they are with allergies, you'll love DCL. Relax and enjoy your cruise, they deal with tons of allergies everyday, they really know what they're doing onboard.

 

[hanna-nana]

DL was great. But I knew they had menus and it was easy to ask for their allergy menu. At our character bfast it was a bit awkward when I asked if they could tell me if anything on the buffet was safe. The waitress seemed a little confused and was 'pretty sure' eggs and potatoes were safe. She did bring me out some safe waffles. It was just weird. Having the menu available was just so much easier. Asking at buffets is just awkward. And time consuming when kids need help too. It seems most places are more willing to accommodate kids with allergies.

But yes, I'll push for dinner in the MDRs. That's just so much easier than kids in a buffet, and we enjoyed them 8 yrs ago when it was just us with our 3 yr old. It's that lunch and dinner that have me frazzled. And I'll likely not cancel. The things we deal with for our families I'd just like to enjoy the food, too!

 

[MickeyEarrings]

Just ask for a chef. They're happy to tell you what is safe for you, and it's part of their job. All I have to do is say the word "allergy" and they have to get a chef. I once said "no, don't do that - I'll just have the ____ instead" and I was told that once I said the word allergy they could not serve me without speaking to the chef.

Relax, and let them take care of you.

 

[cmph]

I feel for you! And sad to say, you will stop feeling awkward before you know it. DH was diagnosed with celiac about 5 years ago and is unfortunately also quite sensitive. I concur with the PP who says to ask to speak to a chef. Many servers are great, and know a ton, but at a buffet on a cruise ship - you aren't going to have servers attending to you in the same way you do at the parks, where they have specific table reservations with allergies noted. Trust me, you aren't the only one who will be asking!! And definitely not the only adult!! There are only very rare cases when my husband is ok with the food on the buffet line - specifically, when everything is sort of categorized and separated into sections, and nothing that can cross-contaminate is in that section. And even then, you need to pay attention to how everyone else is using the buffet, b/c other guests can also cross-contaminate from one section to the next. (Boma comes to mind, for places that have things sectioned off - and everyone waits in a line to get food in one particular section that was all safe for DH with empty plates, very obvious.) Otherwise, it's far safer to have a chef prepare you a plate in back. Non-Disney, we either avoid buffets or if it's like a hotel breakfast included - maybe DH gets whole fruit or yogurt cartons. It's not worth the risk to him to hope no one cross-contaminated other stuff.

We have only had good luck at DL, not sure what happened with your server. But even if the server seems confused, the Disney chefs really should not. Totally not cool if they make you feel awkward or weird, either. I guess I'm bossier than DH, b/c if he doesn't speak up enough for himself, I totally will, LOL! Maybe your spouse can help you out in that regard, until you feel more comfortable.

 

[FigmentSpark]

It's important fort he chef to know if you have an allergy or an aversion. Many people will say they have an allergy, but they really just don't like the item. When you say allergy, and this is why the chef gets involved, everything is supposed to be cooked in clean water (not pasta water) and clean pans. There's no chance of residue from another prepared food. My mom has a shellfish allergy and no matter where we are, the cook or chef will come to talk with her. They want you to be happy and healthy. There's nothing to be ashamed of. My father is celiac, but thankfully not highly sensitive. The chef still comes to talk to him in nice restaurants to find out the best way to make him happy.

As for lunch buffet, why not head to the MDRs for embarkation buffet where it will be less chaotic and you'll have a better chance to speak with someone about the dishes?

 

[Mr. Johnson]

My daughter has celiac and we have been on three cruises since. We found it to be relatively easy to find out what was available. Given my daughter's food interests, we were able to order the next days' meal at the dinner the night before (which was then delivered to us in Cabana's each day). Otherwise, we haven't had any issues getting food the day of, it just takes more time and effort to find someone to give your order to. They also are very nice about sending gluten free snacks to the room (we had donuts and cookies sent) and they will even make special desserts. Having said that, Disney isn't perfect. On our most recent cruise, one night her gluten free pasta was actually whole wheat pasta that is normally served on the kids menu. We were fortunate that she did not start eating it before we noticed that it did not look right.

 

[KristiMc]

There is a sit down option for breakfast and lunch also - you do need to do the buffet - other than the first day lunch.

 

[lizabu]

We only ate at the buffet the first day and then the first breakfast. We quickly got overwhelmed with too many choices and it was too easy to eat more than felt comfortable. We started eating breakfast and sometimes even lunch in the MDR every day and we loved how relaxing it was and we were not tempted to over eat. They have a pretty great selection.

 

[hanna-nana]

Did not realize lunch was available in a MDR! I will remain positive and hope it all works well enough. I'd love waffles for bfast, so do I tell them at dinner the night before?

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

Do you like shrimp and crab @hanna-nana? There are awesome crab legs and peel and eat shrimp at Cabanas everyday! Good stuff.

 

[hanna-nana]

No, not a seafood fan.

 

[timrousbeastie]

My Dad, who is 85, has diabetes. I called DCL in advance of our most recent Fantasy cruise to make a note of this. The first evening, the head server in the MDR came, on his own initiative, to talk with us in detail about the necessary arrangements. I was impressed by how seriously he/DCL took my note. He had even looked at our reservations at Remy and discussed our options there as well. Throughout the week, he followed through with our mediocre main server and excellent assistant server to make sure everything was ok. Other posters have far more experience on this, but I just want to say that I could not imagine a more considerate and personal attention to my Dad's dietary needs than what we received from DCL.

 

[CM Dad]

My wife did her first cruise the past January after her Dr put her on a gluten-free/dairy-free diet right around Thanksgiving. Each night in the MDR the head waiter would bring the menu for the next evening and discuss what her options were and preorder. They also decided what she wanted for breakfast and ordered that as well. She was surprised that they were able to make her GF/DF Mickey waffles. She preordered a lunch for Castaway Cay which we had to pick up at Cookies. For the lunch buffet, they had a chef come out and go through the buffet and decide on what she wanted. They then prepared it in the kitchen and brought it out to our table. At Palo's brunch the chef worked out what she could eat as well. She asked them about the flatbread that they fixed for her and they gave her their "secret" recipe. It was Udi's brand.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

I have a very complex diet requirement. Autoimmune disease. DCL were excellant at both buffet and MDR. Also Palo the chef sat down with me and designed me a 3 course meal which was out of this world! From my experience you are in safe hands. I have cruise DCL 5 times.

Omg 16k are you serious? Faint...

 

[soniam]

Just ask for a chef. They're happy to tell you what is safe for you, and it's part of their job. All I have to do is say the word "allergy" and they have to get a chef. I once said "no, don't do that - I'll just have the ____ instead" and I was told that once I said the word allergy they could not serve me without speaking to the chef.

Relax, and let them take care of you.

I almost let it slip once. I seem to be allergic to squid, possibly octopus, and bay scallops. I also avoid whole nuts due to digestive issues. I almost let it slip once on the cruise. Luckily, I caught myself in time. Mine are very easy to avoid, and I don't have a severe reaction.

For the OP, you have picked one of the best places to do a vacation with dietary restrictions.

 

[Mitchell G]

DCL is way on top of these sort of things. Relax and have a great time!

 

[RACHEL_GB]

I have just got off the Magic and I remember all the menus having GF symbols next to certain options plus we were asked at Palo and in the dining rooms if we had any dietary requirements.

As first time cruisers I was so impressed at the service and I don't believe that they would find it too much trouble on the first day or any day to help you find the right food in the buffets.

I think you will have a fabulous time!

 

[Dug720]

My wife did her first cruise the past January after her Dr put her on a gluten-free/dairy-free diet right around Thanksgiving. Each night in the MDR the head waiter would bring the menu for the next evening and discuss what her options were and preorder. They also decided what she wanted for breakfast and ordered that as well. She was surprised that they were able to make her GF/DF Mickey waffles. She preordered a lunch for Castaway Cay which we had to pick up at Cookies. For the lunch buffet, they had a chef come out and go through the buffet and decide on what she wanted. They then prepared it in the kitchen and brought it out to our table. At Palo's brunch the chef worked out what she could eat as well. She asked them about the flatbread that they fixed for her and they gave her their "secret" recipe. It was Udi's brand.

As a solo adult who spends the entire CC day at Serenity Bay, I am seriously considering telling them not to worry about my lunch that day and just doing a burger "protein style" at the SB dining location (or just packing a Luna bar to eat since those are pre-packaged). I mean, I'm glad they will do special meals and are hyper-careful about it, but I think it's pretty annoying that people who will be spending the whole day at Serenity Bay have to go all the way back just for lunch.