Spring Break trip ideas - multiple food allergies

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MaryM:
DH and I are thinking about a vacation during the kids spring break next April. I would LOVE a beach vacation where I do not have to cook every meal. I have heard good things about The Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas but I am nervous about flying and not being able to bring our staples with us. 3 of us have food allergies - I am PA/TN, DS is egg and DD is peanut, tree nut, dairy, egg and watermelon. Anyone have any suggestions? I was also thinking about a Disney cruise but I am not sure how I feel about being on a ship in the middle of the ocean. My kids have never flown and they want to. I would need some Xanax bc I hate to fly but I am not ruling it out. We usually drive to Disney but do not want to take DS out of HS for a trip when it isn't too hot or insanely crowded.

GoingNuts:
I have also heard great things about Atlantis wrt FA's, but have never been myself.

spacecanada:
Oooh, pick me, pick me! (for travel advice, that is...)

Yes, Atlantis is fantastic about allergies, as is Disney's Vero Beach Resort and a select group of cruise ships. The Fairmont Southampton in Bermuda is also quite good with allergies. There are a few all-inclusive resorts I could recommend, as well -- though that list is extremely limited not always by the resort's capabilities but by the standard of medical care nearby.

The Disney ships are truly the best with school-age kids (age 3 to 17) and food allergies (though I don't know how old your kids are...) and their medical facilities are also the best equipped for kids. And yes, they can handle anaphylaxis and have full life support and med-evac capabilities with the US or local Coast Guard when necessary. You could pick a cruise that docks in port most days, so you know that hospitals are easily accessible -- though in some ports they would actually transport you back to the ship because its medical facilities are better than some local hospitals (in smaller, more remote areas, that is.) A Transatlantic cruise may not be a good idea for your first cruise, in that regard, but many Caribbean or European itineraries would be nice.

There's also a restaurant chain in several beach communities that is excellent with food allergies: Lulu's: https://lulubuffett.com

Clearwater, Florida is another nice option, with plenty to do -- though you'd probably want to rent a villa and cook your own food, so that may not be ideal unless you split the stay at Disney or a cruise (a 2-hour drive away), where the chefs will cater to everyone.

Hmmm... so many options... but you'll want to book now as Spring Break is prime vacation time and many places book solid up to a year in advance - seriously. I just looked up one popular destination for Spring Break dates here and they only have large suites left, at a ridiculously high rate.

MaryM:
Thanks space! I have never been on a cruise - it makes me so nervous. The kids will be 12 & 14. DS is allergic to eggs, DD to dairy, egg, peanut, tree nut and watermelon and I am peanut/tree nut. Id love to do a Disney cruise. I also hear Beaches in Turks and Caicos is amazing but it is SOOO expensive - even though its all inclusive, DH was not hearing about it. I just worry that DD will be VERY limited.

spacecanada:
I can't say I've ever starved or went hungry on a Disney cruise. If anything, some meals they gave me more than enough food for two people. (with multiple food allergies + vegan preference) :thumbsup: The only time I've starved on a ship was our most recent cruise, and that was because they closed their main dining rooms when in port... but that wasn't Disney and I've learnt a lesson in pre-ordering food for port days on that particular cruise line that I will pass on to anyone sailing with them.

Beaches Turks & Caicos IS amazing, as is Beaches Negril in Jamaica. I've never been, but I've had family go there. All Beaches resorts can accommodate food allergies, but not all of them are close enough to emergency medical care for my comfort level -- or yours, most likely. Some other all-inclusive resorts are good with allergies, too, like Grand Palladium.

Have you thought about hotel resorts in Southern California? There's a Fairmont in San Diego and many Loews hotels have allergy-trained chefs too.