Farminger

Yep, traveling with food allergies can be a bear. I have to say, though, I have found that all of the restaurant staff on RC was totally on the ball when it came to working around mine (Shrimp, nuts, and, of all the things to be allergic to on a cruise ship, chocolate). DocLC is absolutley right... But moreover, be your own advocate. The TA let them know about my allergies, but the MDR servers still double checked, and if they hadn't I would've spoken up. Our server and the chef even went so far as to go over the menus for each night with me to make sure I had something that worked for me. Even the chef's table was worked around my allergies, and I still got the full experience... Outstanding.

Just got back from our first cruise on Majesty of the Seas this month, and I can tell you that there are a few things we will be packing on the next voyage: - A lint roller. We have a cat that likes to lay in our suitcase while we pack. Enough said. -Tide-to-go or similar product. Something will get spilled. On you. The ship rocks. -A wine bottle opener. Can you say corkage fee? If that's not a possibility, make sure the wine you bring on board has screw tops (Plenty of good wines do, don't knock it). -Personal snorkel gear. -A carry on bag or backpack for each of us. (Yeah, we looked classy carrying our wine in Walmart bags) -Downy (or comparable) wrinkle release spray. Because it takes a while to steam out wrinkles in the shower after being packed for 24 hours, or less, or more. Who's counting? Obviously, don't forget to pack Tylenol, Benadryl, Seabands or your choice of seasickness remedy, any creams, salves, etc you may need (Sticker shock warning: A tube of Preparation H is $17.25 in the ship's store. Talk about a pain in the...), sunscreen, bugspray, toothpaste, or any other necessities you use regularly. Oh, and a power strip. Thanks for that tip, everyone. Bon Voyage!

Interestingly enough, this thread was started when we were embarking on our first cruise, on, you guessed it, Majesty. Honestly, I'm glad we went on her for our first cruise. Her size was a good springboard for getting used to being onboard ship. We were celebrating our 16th Anniversary, and a friendof ours got married in the Viking Crown that Sunday. The crew was phenomenal. Very attentive (especially to my food allergies) and always kind. And the food. Wow. Didn't have any problems with the room, though we did notice she needed a little polishing in a few spots. Kinda expected that in a vessel with that kind of frequent turnaround and age. She may not be the youngest belle at the ball, but she has heart. Looking forward to our next cruise in Oct. 2018.