Carnival Cruise Line launches food allergy program "Menu Mate
Carnival Cruise Line is introducing the Menu Mate food ingredient program fleetwide in order to accommodate passengers with special diets "more efficiently than ever."
Operated on touch-screen tablets at dining venues across the Carnival cruise fleet, the Menu Mate program is powered by CertiStar software to mitigate allergic reactions. Menu Mate is the first of its kind among major lines.
The new food ingredient program works simply for both passengers and crew members. Staff will ask vacationers about food allergies and enter restrictions into the program. The software will sort through all available options and display the allergen-friendly items, which selections should be avoided, and which options could be modified to exclude allergens. If preferred, passengers can also use the Menu Mate designated tablet themselves in order to enter in their own allergy/dietary information and order from the options curated to meet their special needs.
Menu Mate eliminates the lengthy process of conferring between passengers, wait staff, and chefs over the menu items' ingredients and possible substitutions. Now that the process of selecting food with allergen-friendly ingredients is simplified, it is no longer necessary for travelers to inform Carnival Cruise Line of food allergies in advance of their vacation.
To ensure the efficiency of the new program, Carnival culinary staff studied recipes across the cruise line and worked to capture potential allergen conflicts through inputting accurate ingredient information into the company's CertiStar software.
To use Menu Mate directly and research allergen-friendly options, guests will find a Menu Mate tablet on display close to the Lido buffet stations as well.
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Carnival Mardi Gras cruise ship rescues 16 people stranded at sea
While sailing in open waters not far from Cuba Friday morning, June 3, the crew of the CCL-Carnival Cruise Line's ship Mardi Gras spotted a small vessel in rough seas stirred up by the tropical weather system.
The crew members saw the distressed boat just before 8:00 a.m., Carnival said in a news blog. Mardi Gras stopped her voyage to assist, taking on 16 stranded people.
The distressed ship was ~60 nautical miles west/northwest of Key West (Florida) with 16 adults aboard -11 men and 5 women. Those with identification were of Cuban nationality. All were seen by medical staff on Mardi Gras, and were given food and clothes.
A rendezvous with the US Coast Guard (USCG) was coordinated Friday afternoon at sea. All 16 occupants were transferred onto a CG cutter at ~2:45 p.m.
At the time of the accident, the Carnival cruise ship was on a 7-day trip in the Caribbean. Mardi Gras is returning Saturday to Port Canaveral (Orlando, Florida), as scheduled after a day at sea. She made a number of Western Caribbean calls on her journey, including Cozumel/Costa Maya in Mexico, and Roatan Island Honduras.
The distressed boat was in a precarious position Friday morning. A broad swath of showers/thunderstorms over the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico could turn into Tropical Storm Alex/tropical depression, the National Hurricane Center announced on Friday. The system is due to hit Florida on Saturday, June 4.
Tropical storm warnings were in effect Friday for 10+ million people in the southern half of Florida, the Bahamas, and Cuba.
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I was on this Mardi Gras sailing. We did not port in Costa Maya as planned. I witnessed the Cuban situation. It was sad. The monsoon rains ruined this cruise. I am Platinum Carnival and this was the worst and most expensive cruise I have ever been on. It was a replacement cruise for the Freedom ship which burned. The food and Entertainment onboard the MG are awesome. Roatan was fabulous. That was it for highlights.
I would like to say I was on the Mardi Gras sailing. I watched the Cuban rescue and them being taken to Coast Guard boat. We did not port in Costa Maya as planned. The rain was monsoon on this sailing. I am platinum. It was my worst cruise ever.