Special Diets in Anytime Dining

[baggal]

Does anyone have any recent experience with ordering a special meal while using Anytime Dining? In my case, I need to be on a low/no sodium diet. We last sailed HAL in 2009 when I wasn't watching my sodium so carefully, but now its a different story.

 

Since 2009 I've been on Celebrity, RCI, and Princess. I've had very good experience with special meals (and service) on Celebrity and RCI, but Princess has been a mixed bag. After my most recent disappointing cruise on the Regal Princess, (and a disaster for me in fixed late seating no less) DH and I are asking ourselves why did we ever stray from HAL?

 

We prefer Anytime Dining because "early" is too early and "late" is too late. Anytime worked really well on the other lines, but we never tried it on HAL. I need some reassurance.

 

Thanks,

 

Carol

[cbr663]

IIRC, most posters on this forum have found HAL to be very accommodating for special diets. From HAL's website:

 

"Special dietary needs, such as vegetarian, diabetic or gluten-free meals, are easily accommodated with advance requests. Kosher meals and a Health Conscious Dining option are also available. To arrange special meals, please contact the Ship Services Department at 1‐800‐541‐1576 at least 90 days prior to your cruise departure date."

[hammer18]

Hi I just posted some info regarding my recent cruise on NA. I need to eat gluten free. I ate in anytime dining every night. They give you the next nights menu and you order in advance. Never had a problem the whole week.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Definitely call Ship Services at the number listed above so that they can inform the dining room manager of your need for a low sodium diet.

Once on the ship -- confirm it. The first will be hectic in the dining room -- so be patient for your meal to be prepared. After that, you will be given the next evening's menu and you can select what you want.

[baggal]

Hi I just posted some info regarding my recent cruise on NA. I need to eat gluten free. I ate in anytime dining every night. They give you the next nights menu and you order in advance. Never had a problem the whole week.

 

Thanks for the feedback. I need to hear some real experiences. All the cruise lines SAY they will accommodate special diets, but after my recent experience with Princess, the reality is sometimes much different.

[dakrewser]

Thanks for the feedback. I need to hear some real experiences. All the cruise lines SAY they will accommodate special diets, but after my recent experience with Princess, the reality is sometimes much different.

 

HAL bends over backwards to help. In addition to being gluten-free, DW and DD are fructose-free and fructan-free (onions, garlic, cabbages, many green leafy veggies) and the dining staff made sure to know what was in every dish presented to them.

[Alberta Quilter]

My experience is with fixed dining but I have not had any issues with low sodium meals. As previously mentioned, one orders the evening before. I don't know how it would work in Open Dining but I believe someone addressed that earlier in the thread.

[crystalspin]

I'm not sure I "get" how you can have dietary considerations in ATD? My sis (and by then maybe me) has to avoid salt/sodium... I signed us four all up for early Fixed because I figured they tied the requested meals to the table/waiter.

 

It's their first cruise so I figure to keep the reservation until I see how it is working out. I believe the ships usually have a waiting list for early seating so if we decide to give it up, there will be no harm and four additional people happy!

[dakrewser]

I'm not sure I "get" how you can have dietary considerations in ATD? My sis (and by then maybe me) has to avoid salt/sodium... I signed us four all up for early Fixed because I figured they tied the requested meals to the table/waiter.

 

It's their first cruise so I figure to keep the reservation until I see how it is working out. I believe the ships usually have a waiting list for early seating so if we decide to give it up, there will be no harm and four additional people happy!

 

 

The meal requested is tied to your name & cabin number, so it follows you around.

[RMLincoln]

Did Open Dining with a family member allergic to a TON of different foods. Worked great. We had a menu given to us each evening to chose the next night's selections. First night we had to wing it a bit even though we had notified ship services. After that we made selections and wrote in the margins things like "no sauce" no dressing" etc. No matter where or when we were seated they knew from our cabin number that we had a flag for special diet needs. Every one of our servers was aware. m--

[pictonite]

You do, indeed, fill in your menu requests the night before. You can also fill in lunch requests for the main dining room, if lunch is being served the following day. You leave the requests with your waiter, or you can leave them with the assistant Maitre'd at the desk in the dining room entrance. Be sure to write your name and cabin # on the menu. If you are in any time dining and you follow these easy steps, you let the assistant m d know who you are when you enter the dining room for dinner. A card with your name on it will be at the desk, and the waiter who takes you to your table will hand that card to your server. At least that is what I experienced on the Eurodam this September.

 

Hope this helps!

[crystalspin]

Thanks to all who answered! That is pretty neat. We'll probably go to ATD then, we're pretty unstructured folks.

[baggal]

You do, indeed, fill in your menu requests the night before. You can also fill in lunch requests for the main dining room, if lunch is being served the following day. You leave the requests with your waiter, or you can leave them with the assistant Maitre'd at the desk in the dining room entrance. Be sure to write your name and cabin # on the menu. If you are in any time dining and you follow these easy steps, you let the assistant m d know who you are when you enter the dining room for dinner. A card with your name on it will be at the desk, and the waiter who takes you to your table will hand that card to your server. At least that is what I experienced on the Eurodam this September.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Thanks so much. This is exactly the information I was looking for.

[baggal]

Did Open Dining with a family member allergic to a TON of different foods. Worked great. We had a menu given to us each evening to chose the next night's selections. First night we had to wing it a bit even though we had notified ship services. After that we made selections and wrote in the margins things like "no sauce" no dressing" etc. No matter where or when we were seated they knew from our cabin number that we had a flag for special diet needs. Every one of our servers was aware. m--

 

Thanks for your response. Its very reassuring.