Traveling with Food Allergies
Grant enjoying a meal prepared just for him at the Moon Palace Jamaica.
A few months ago one of our Destination Wedding clients contacted us because her son, Grant, has severe food allergies. For a family dealing with food allergies, taking a vacation can be extremely stressful. There is constant concern for how the food is being prepared, what will be available to eat, packing extra food items, etc.
We have found that many families with extreme food allergies choose not to go on vacation because of the additional stress or choose to stay somewhere with their own kitchen, which allows them to prepare their own food. When Grant’s mom, Sandy, contacted us about attending one of our Destination Weddings in Jamaica, we wanted to make sure they were not only able to attend, but that they were able to have a stress-free vacation.
Sandy recently shared her experience with us after attending Angela and Bob’s wedding at the Moon Palace Jamaica.
Please see her experience below and thank you, Moon Palace Jamaica, for taking such good care of this family while they were away from home.
Chef Sherman at the Moon Palace Jamaica personally prepared many meals for Grant.
What are your son’s food allergies and some of the challenges you face while traveling?
My son, Grant, who is 11 years old currently has severe food allergies to eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, coconut and mustard. He was diagnosed with his 1st food allergy around the age of 1-1/2 yrs old.
Traveling has always been challenging with that many food allergies. It really wasn’t until Grant was around age 3 or 4 that we first traveled to Disney on vacation. Disney is the most accommodating place for food allergies.
The first challenge we face when traveling with Grant’s food allergies is finding a destination that will be safe for Grant. As I mentioned, Disney is so accommodating for people with food allergies. They have a variety of allergy friendly food and snacks. Their chefs are willing to cook specifically for your allergy needs.
However, many resorts are not as accommodating, and we usually book a villa with a full kitchen so I can cook for Grant. We have also rented a house when we traveled to Tortola, BVI. For that trip, I had an entire suitcase packed with dry foods, spices, etc that I needed for cooking. We went shopping at the local market for our proteins.
The second challenge we face while traveling with Grant’s food allergies is making sure we have enough EpiPens in case of an emergency for a week or 10 day vacation. With insurance, you are only allowed one 2-pack box of EpiPen’s per month that cost us $100.00 with our co-pay. For Grant, his doctor usually recommends we travel with at least 4 or 5 boxes of EpiPens, so that requires some planning with ordering them ahead of time from the pharmacy. Lately, there has been a shortage of EpiPens and there are wait lists. So I start collecting boxes almost a year prior to our trip, because I also need EpiPens throughout the year for school, home, etc.
The next challenge is planning the actual travel days, making sure I have packed food that Grant can eat on the plane, at the airport if there is a delay, bus rides to resorts, etc...
As everyone that travels knows, it can be a long day and I always have to be prepared to accommodate Grant. That means for every trip, I pack an entire carry-on suitcase just for Grant’s EpiPens, medications, and all his safe foods. This includes his dairy-free butter, which needs to be frozen in order to be allowed on a plane.
I also need to make sure Grant has necessary “Travel Letters” from his doctor allowing us to board a plane with all his EpiPens, medications and foods. It takes a lot of planning to make it run smoothly and most importantly, safely for Grant.
One of Grant’s favorite dishes prepared personally for him by Chef Sherman was shrimp cocktail.
How did your resort help make your vacation easier for you and your child?
The Moon Palace Resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica made our vacation easier by speaking to me over the phone several times about Grant’s food allergy needs prior to our travel date. The day we arrived, they had dedicated staff waiting to meet with us right at check in.
We were there for a destination wedding, so we met with one of the head chefs, the resort manger, and the wedding planner. We talked about Grant’s allergies and possible options for him for daily meals, as well as his meals for the rehearsal dinner and wedding dinner.
They took Grant’s photo (with our permission) and downloaded it in their computer system, which was available to the chef’s in each of their restaurants.
They explained how they use allergy kits that have new cooking utensils, used only to cook for Grant’s meals. They also had designated cooking areas with separate fryers and burners for safe cooking.
Sherman was the managing Chef that we worked with on a daily basis. He managed the Buccaneers Reef restaurant, which was buffet style for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sherman went above and beyond to accommodate Grant every day. He personally cooked fresh bacon and potatoes every morning for Grant, and at lunch he made him enormous shrimp cocktails with fresh cut French fries, steaks, etc.
He even took the time to share with Grant that he also had food allergies and understood Grant’s challenges. He wanted Grant to feel comfortable and safe. I can’t say enough about him.
The Moon Palace Jamaica recently took wonderful care of our client, Grant, who has severe food allergies.
What would you recommend to someone traveling with food sensitives?
My recommendation to someone traveling with food allergies is to definitely research and plan ahead. Give yourself time to investigate resorts with safe accommodations for your specific needs. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or request a conference call with the management staff and chefs, prior to your travel date to confirm they are capable of handling your dietary needs. Also, you may want to consider how close the nearest hospital or medical facility is to when booking a vacation. Some resorts like Moon Palace have a nurse on staff in case of emergencies.
If you decide to cook and stay in a villa with a full kitchen, you will need to investigate the local markets prior to your travel date. You will want to confirm what allergy friendly foods they have for you, and whether they deliver groceries to your resort, or if you need to make arrangements to shop there. If you plan to travel with your allergy safe foods, call your destination airport ahead of time to see if there are any travel restrictions. It’s always a good idea to have a travel letter from your doctor listing your necessary medications and foods. At times, you can expedite your airline check-in process by calling 7 days prior to your travel date, and notifying their Special Assistance Department that you are traveling with required medications and foods. It may help you get through security lines faster.
How was using a travel advisor to plan your trip helpful in your experience?
Having Andrea Norfolk of Shoreline Destinations as my travel advisor made all the difference in our trip to Jamaica. As I stated before, the trip was a destination wedding for a close friend. We had never traveled to Jamaica before. Andrea started working with us a year prior to our departure. She spoke with Moon Palace Jamaica several times to confirm they would be able to accommodate my son’s many food allergies. Andrea set up 2 separate conference calls for me to speak with the resort’s management staff and chef to go over all of Grant’s dietary restrictions.
She put me in touch with the wedding coordinator, so that I could make sure Grant would have safe meals for the rehearsal dinner and wedding dinner. We spoke via email during the vacation to make sure things were running smoothly, and she followed up with me afterwards as well. She really cared that we had a good experience.
In the past, I always planned out and booked our family’s allergy safe vacations. It can be a stressful process if you are trying an unfamiliar destination. In the future, I intend to use Andrea Norfolk.
Having her as a travel advisor made the entire planning experience less stressful. She has so much knowledge of various travel destinations, and their contacts. When you have someone like Andrea helping, it allows you to really relax and enjoy the planning process of your vacation. It sets your mind at ease.
Thank you, Sandy, for sharing your experience with us! We look forward to planning more vacations for you and your family.
Let us help find the perfect resort for you and your family!