Special Dietary Needs

SALTS has a very good history of accommodating the special dietary needs of trainees on board our ships; however, it is important to understand that on a traditional tall ship there are some limitations. Although it is rare, some severe conditions cannot be accommodated safely, so it is important that any trainees with significant medical or severe dietary restrictions are identified and reported to our booking department as early as possible so we can assess our ability to accommodate and avoid disappointment. We hope the following information is helpful in preparing trainees with special dietary needs for a SALTS Trip.

SALTS ships are fully equipped to provide satisfying meals, but storage and preparation space are very limited. Trainees will often work alongside the ship’s Cook to help prepare meals and all take turns washing dishes and cleaning the ship’s galley (kitchen). A few weeks prior to the trip, the ship’s Cook will receive a list of special dietary details from which they will plan meals and purchase ingredients for the trip. Please ensure that the SALTS office has very clear notes about all special dietary requirements. Trainees must enter the following details in the trainee profile section of their online registration:
  • What the medical condition or food allergy is. Please be specific about trigger foods.
  • The severity of the condition/allergy – mild, moderate, severe, anaphylactic/life threatening.
  • The type of reaction(s) experienced – e.g. hives, nausea, breathing difficulty, etc.
  • Whether the reaction is triggered by ingestion only, or if contact and/or smell can be triggers. If the trainee reacts to dairy products, are they ok if there is dairy in baked items?
  • Whether trace amounts or cross contamination present a problem for the trainee? Please note that while our Cooks do their best, cross contamination cannot be completely eliminated on board due to the very limited preparation space. If this is a concern, please call our office at 1-888-383-6811.
  • Any medications that the trainee will be bringing aboard the vessel – e.g. digestive enzymes, antihistamines, Epi-Pens, inhalers, topical cortisone etc.
To provide energy to a large group of young people engaged in vigorous activities, meals will often lean toward a large carbohydrate portion. Water and juice are provided with each meal. Here are the typical nutritional elements and examples of meals while aboard the ship:
  • Breakfast (between 7 – 8am): Usually grains or starch foods - muffins, baked hashbrowns, cereals or porridge with milk, fruit and some protein.
  • Lunch (11am - 1pm): A grain/starch, vegetables & protein - hearty soup with focaccia & veggie sticks.
  • Dinner (5 – 6pm): A grain/starch, vegetables and protein (sometimes also fruit) – stir-fry on noodles, coconut curry on rice, enchiladas and garden salad, chicken pot pie with spinach salad.
  • Mug-up snack (around 9pm): A sweet treat and a hot drink – brownies, fruit crisp, chai tea, hot choc.
While we will do our best to accommodate dietary needs, we ask that trainees only indicate dietary requirements and not food preferences, as these accommodations are both time consuming and costly. In some instances, we may ask trainees with significant dietary restrictions to bring some of their own ingredients, snacks, or prepared meals. Please let the SALTS office know ahead of time if anyone is planning to bring additional food items so the ship’s Cook can be notified, as space is very tight and cold storage is extremely limited.

For those with Celiac or gluten intolerance, please see our Gluten Free Dietary Needs information.

Fair Winds