Paleo (not palo) on the Disney Cruise Line

[Ponza79]

Fellow cruisers,
My family has gone Paleo about 2 years ago and haven't sailed in 3 years. I'm looking for some suggestions I know Cabanas is my best bet for Paleo friendly food but what about Remy or Palo? When we sailed we didn't get the chance to part

 

[SillyInventor]

Palo and Remy can accommodate most any dietary needs, so Paleo should be ok. I strongly suggest you have this noted at your cruise reservation (and confirmed with the head waiter in the MDR) and with your Palo/Remy reservation and confirmed at check in at the restaurant. They will be happy to accommodate you in any way they can, just let them know in advance, so the proper ingredients can be sourced.
Have a great cruise!

Edit: actually the MDR is better than Cabanas as you can specify to your servers and head server about your dining wishes and they will remember for the length of the cruise and can have special dishes prepared for you. In Cabanas you will only be "on the spot", which may limit your choice.

 

[bumbershoot]

Just be sure to tell them what you eat. "Paleo" isn't something that's 100% known around the world, and even my Paleo friends eat differently from each other. You're not going to find many treats, though asking for gluten free ones might be your best bet. That's if you're a treat-eating Paleo person.

For breakfasts at Cabanas we've been able to ask for special things, like poached eggs, etc, that they don't have out (they had eggs benedict but no plain poached).

 

[SillyInventor]

Good point, I had to google "paleo" to reply...

 

[mickeyschickie]

Two things came to mind
1. How compliant are you? Do you do any dairy? Which is the factor I consider the hardest when I'm out, along with knowing that the fats/oils are not the standard that I would use at home.
2. Have you looked at any of the MDR menus? If you can look over them, if you do decide to make special requests to suit your dietary needs, you can start with some sort of information/substitutions for the staff

 

[noahsketomom]

Hey there! Wondering if you had a chance to go on your cruise and if you have any suggestions after the fact. I am eating pretty strict Paleo right now and wondering the same thing…

 

[rosiep]

My husband and I just got off the Magic; he is Paleo and was very well accommodated. Each night after dinner he was shown the next nights menu. He would choose items and the chef would readjust them for his diet. The chef even made him a special dessert each night, plus gluten free bread rolls and non dairy spread. We were open about his having a sensitivity to certain foods rather than an allergy because the prep for allergies are so laborious and when my husband did want to cheat (ribs!) he was able to do so without creating concern.

 

[noahsketomom]

My husband and I just got off the Magic; he is Paleo and was very well accommodated. Each night after dinner he was shown the next nights menu. He would choose items and the chef would readjust them for his diet. The chef even made him a special dessert each night, plus gluten free bread rolls and non dairy spread. We were open about his having a sensitivity to certain foods rather than an allergy because the prep for allergies are so laborious and when my husband did want to cheat (ribs!) he was able to do so without creating concern.

Thanks....that's encouraging! I feel badly making a stink because it is A sensitivity and not a true allergy… But I also don't want to spend my cruise sick! Eliminating grains and dairy has been such a blessing in my life! I will try to see if my TA can note it accordingly on the reservation. I assume that is something you did ahead of time?

 

[rosiep]

Thanks....that's encouraging! I feel badly making a stink because it is A sensitivity and not a true allergy… But I also don't want to spend my cruise sick! Eliminating grains and dairy has been such a blessing in my life! I will try to see if my TA can note it accordingly on the reservation. I assume that is something you did ahead of time?

Yes, we had our TA note it on our reservations. Since the dining staff rotates with you, you won't need to explain your limitations over and over. Even at the quick service stations he was able to ask for burgers without buns and swarma without pita.

 

[MUN]

Fellow cruisers,
My family has gone Paleo about 2 years ago and haven't sailed in 3 years. I'm looking for some suggestions I know Cabanas is my best bet for Paleo friendly food but what about Remy or Palo? When we sailed we didn't get the chance to part

Very interesting. This is a diet fad I had not heard of before.

MUN

 

[rosiep]

Very interesting. This is a diet fad I had not heard of before.

MUN

It's not a "diet" per se, more of an eating style like vegetarianism; though my husband did lose a ton of weight and his joint pain is practically non existent.
Personally, I could never do it....no grains ( pasta, bread, cereal) no dairy, no legumes, no corn or soy. Basically all my husband eats is meat, veggies and fruit.
I need cake....

 

[MUN]

It's not a "diet" per se, more of an eating style like vegetarianism; though my husband did lose a ton of weight and his joint pain is practically non existent.
Personally, I could never do it....no grains ( pasta, bread, cereal) no dairy, no legumes, no corn or soy. Basically all my husband eats is meat, veggies and fruit.
I need cake....

I'm glad it works for your husband. It sounds like a hard diet.

My experience is DCL restaurant staff are very accomodating with special diet requests.

Enjoy your cruise!

MUN

 

[DynamicDisneyDuo]

when my husband did want to cheat (ribs!) he was able to do so without creating concern.

I'm not trying to be a smartbutt, geniunely curious. Given the nature of the paleo diet, why are ribs cheating? The sauce?

 

[rosiep]

I'm not trying to be a smartbutt, geniunely curious. Given the nature of the paleo diet, why are ribs cheating? The sauce?

Yes, the sauce. They may have use cornstarch to thicken it.

 

[Ponza79]

I never made it on the DCL yet since I went Paleo but I have visited Disneyland and every restaurant was very accommodating to my dietary needs.

MUN just incase your interested. Here is the most dumbed down explanation of my lifestyle....http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/10/04/the-beginners-guide-to-the-paleo-diet/

 

[Fuhnuh]

Edit: actually the MDR is better than Cabanas as you can specify to your servers and head server about your dining wishes and they will remember for the length of the cruise and can have special dishes prepared for you. In Cabanas you will only be "on the spot", which may limit your choice.

This is good advice. DD15 has allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, and dairy. DW and I have been unlucky enough to develop intolerances to dairy in all forms. We have always noted DD15's dietary needs on our reservation. I don't know how much this helps, but I do know that talking to our server and head server in the MDR on the first night has been very helpful. You will probably not get as many choices the first night, but as others have said, after the first dinner you'll order your meal for the next night every night. They'll usually bring the next night's menu and will try to accommodate if nothing on the menu works. Also, in Cabanas, you can request the a chef to come out and walk you through the buffet line for foods that work and they will get you stuff from the back if needed. DW and I found it easy to avoid dairy, and since we aren't much for grains or desert, we eat pretty close to some Paleo diets anyways (we do eat rice a bit, but I don't remember having rice on the ship). It sounds very doable for the people who eat paleo in this thread, but we haven't tried Palo or Remy's. Palo, I believe, has a fairly consistent menu and Remy, I've been told, can be very accommodating, but we haven't tried it because the absence of dairy would seem to change the experience to much for us to gamble on a long dinner away from DD15 and other activities (Caipirinhas).

 

[engle]

I have been "paleo" for several years. However when I go on vacation, I eat what I want. I do paleo for health reason, no allergies or sensitivities. However, it was recommended to heal "leaky gut" in an effort to control other health concerns. At first, if I strayed, I would not feel well, but here, years later, leaky gut corrected, I can eat dairy and gluten for a week or so without trouble. I do find myself choosing meals without obvious dairy and gluten though and have given up some things totally even on vacation....like I would never have a burger on a bun, cheese on my salad or put cream in my coffee! Funny how we adjust after awhile!

 

[noahsketomom]

I have been "paleo" for several years. However when I go on vacation, I eat what I want. I do paleo for health reason, no allergies or sensitivities. However, it was recommended to heal "leaky gut" in an effort to control other health concerns. At first, if I strayed, I would not feel well, but here, years later, leaky gut corrected, I can eat dairy and gluten for a week or so without trouble. I do find myself choosing meals without obvious dairy and gluten though and have given up some things totally even on vacation....like I would never have a burger on a bun, cheese on my salad or put cream in my coffee! Funny how we adjust after awhile!

That is encouraging! I started with the whole30 program and it made me feel so great! I'm eating mostly clean now, but if I do stray to have a sushi roll or small ice cream cone (my two favorite treats), I feel like crud afterwards. I am hoping I can heal enough so that I can enjoy a treat without repercussions. We have 8 months until our cruise, so I anticipate I'll still be eating pretty strict paleo by then. Like you said, I really don't miss much of the stuff that makes me feel bad anyhow! (Which is amazing that I don't miss cheese!)