Dietary Considerations
Are you fearful of traveling because you or someone in your family has a dietary restriction or food allergy? We at Sail Away Adventures are very cognizant of the importance of feeling safe when traveling especially when flying or reaching your destination since it is difficult to avoid eating!
The most important thing you can do for yourself is to be an advocate for your own safety. But, of course, if you or a member of your family has dietary restrictions you already know that. Sometimes it is necessary to educate the people who are preparing or serving your food especially in other countries. But you may genuinely surprised at how eager they are to learn more in order to ensure that you have a safe experience.
Another thing you can do before traveling is use a travel professional who is familiar with special diets. Whether you are celiac, diabetic, allergic to peanuts, or tree nuts, etc. a knowledgeable travel professional can help you plan a vacation where you and everyone you are traveling with will be able to enjoy mealtime. Knowledge about dietary restrictions and the resorts that have the facilities, allergy protocols, and trained personnel in place to make dining enjoyable are key criteria when selecting a travel consultant to help plan your vacation.
Always let the resort or cruise line know in advance what your dietary restrictions are. Some resorts want this information at least 30 days before you arrive. Cruise lines may want the information from 30 to 60 days before depending on your embarkation port. Then when you arrive, let the Maître d' and your server know. Whenever you travel, we suggest that you carry cards that explain your restrictions in the languages you will likely encounter during your trip. And, of course, always carry extra of whatever supplies your "emergency plan" or "action plan" includes.
If you are staying at an all inclusive or taking a cruise, having the same waiter throughout your stay will help your comfort level so you don’t feel like you are always explaining yourself. But it still never hurts to remind them! It is great when the chef comes out to meet with you personally because it gives reassurance that they understand the importance of safe food preparation. It is wonderful when you can sit back, confident that the person who is preparing your food is knowledgeable about cross contamination issues and the possible effects of serving something that you will have a reaction to.
