How is Dine My Way working for people with serious food allergies?

[LawDog61]

Since Dine My Way will put me in a different place all the time with different waiters, how is that working for people with serious food allergies?  I have entered gluten free in my medallion ( although it took a call to Princess by my TA to have it show up) but lack of continuity in service staff may create problems.  Anyone with recent experience? Thanks for any help.

[beg3yrs]

DW is celiac and we simply try to arrange for the same table at the same time every night. That way the staff gets to know us and our special need. It's worked out very well. The head waiter comes by each evening with the next day menus (lunch and dinner) and works with her to get the meal she needs. Usually they can make most, but not all, meals gluten-free.

[hubble]

12 hours ago, beg3yrs said:

DW is celiac and we simply try to arrange for the same table at the same time every night. That way the staff gets to know us and our special need. It's worked out very well. The head waiter comes by each evening with the next day menus (lunch and dinner) and works with her to get the meal she needs. Usually they can make most, but not all, meals gluten-free.

DH has celiac and this is our same experience.  It all works quite well in the dining rooms.  If you use the buffet, you can look for the manager and they can "guide" you through options that are GF if not already labeled.  They also can make some cooked to order items.  Thing with the buffet is your probably more subject to cross contamination, so if you are extremely sensitive you'll need to be really careful and express that to the staff.  The pizza place will also make GF pizza.  Sometimes they ask for 24 hours adv. notice though, but not always.  Our last trip there was no GF hamburger or hot dog buns on deck at the grill.  Hopefully they've added those items there on request, but I guess we'll find out on our next trip.  

 

We've been cruising w/Princess for years and it has been extremely accomodating to my DH dietary needs.  

[caribill]

13 hours ago, beg3yrs said:

DW is celiac and we simply try to arrange for the same table at the same time every night. That way the staff gets to know us and our special need. It's worked out very well.

 

9 minutes ago, hubble said:

DH has celiac and this is our same experience.  It all works quite well in the dining rooms.

 

Just to be sure -- this is your experience using Dining My Way since Princess resumed cruising?

 

No problem getting the same table each evening in practice with DMW?

[hubble]

No, I'll be boarding Sunday.  I'll report back at that time. 

 

I am fully assuming we will have the same table and waiters the entire cruise.  We do have a table for 2 reserved same time/dining room each night through DMW.  Our first night, we will explain GF requirements to the head waiter so I expect it will be handled same way they did in the past.   Since for the special menus for GF you have to order 1 day in advance, I don't see how they would want you to change times/seating or how would they find you if they did. 

 

[cnd crsr]

I have food allergies . There will be a note in your cabin when you check in which you take to the MDR when you go there the first time. Ask  the waiter where you are seated to get the Head Waiter for you. The HW will take note of you allergies and help you choose  foods for that meal. He will also bring you menus  for the following day and help with suggestions  and /or modifications.

We always used Anytime dining and the head waiter you see the first day will always be available for you. When we eat in a specialty dining room or Alfredo's i just tell my waiter I have allergies and ask for a head waiter to assist. Never had a problem.

[beg3yrs]

2 hours ago, caribill said:

 

 

Just to be sure -- this is your experience using Dining My Way since Princess resumed cruising?

 

No problem getting the same table each evening in practice with DMW?

Yes, this is the way it worked for us on the Emerald Princess in December 2021, two ten-day cruises B2B. Of course this was a time when the ship was about half-full and the dining room had lots of options as far as table assignments. We were unable to make a single table reservation using the Medallion Class app (go figure) but a chat with the head waiter easily took care of things.

[skents]

We have done six cruises on three ships post covid. My wife's allergy has not been a problem.  With DMW, we seldom had the same table/waiters, but always had the same head waiter.  He would take her order for the next night. He even took her order for the specialty restaurants and came to the specialty restaurant to get her for the next night.

[caribill]

6 hours ago, hubble said:

No, I'll be boarding Sunday.  I'll report back at that time. 

 

I am fully assuming we will have the same table and waiters the entire cruise.  We do have a table for 2 reserved same time/dining room each night through DMW.  Our first night, we will explain GF requirements to the head waiter so I expect it will be handled same way they did in the past.   Since for the special menus for GF you have to order 1 day in advance, I don't see how they would want you to change times/seating or how would they find you if they did. 

 

 

When the Headwaiter takes your request for the next evening, it is filed away by your cabin number. So whatever table or waitstaff you have the next evening can easily retrieve it.

 

It is best to eat in the same dining room each evening so you can work with the same headwaiter, even if he is assigned to a different area than you are in that evening.

 

This also works if the Headwaiter had taken your order for lunch in the dining room the next day. Just tell your waitstaff that you have ordered in advance and your cabin number.

[hubble]

39 minutes ago, caribill said:

 

When the Headwaiter takes your request for the next evening, it is filed away by your cabin number. So whatever table or waitstaff you have the next evening can easily retrieve it.

 

It is best to eat in the same dining room each evening so you can work with the same headwaiter, even if he is assigned to a different area than you are in that evening.

 

This also works if the Headwaiter had taken your order for lunch in the dining room the next day. Just tell your waitstaff that you have ordered in advance and your cabin number.

Good to know Caribill.  Thanks for the info!

[donaldsc]

My daughter has Celiac disease and Princess handled her problem very well.  This was pre covid however.

 

DON

[Ombud]

Works the same for me. HW brings the following day menu and I order what I want. Doesn't matter where I sit, s/he finds me

[megaphone84]

As someone with severe food allergies and currently planning my first Princess cruise this thread was super helpful! Thanks! 

[MsSoCalCruiser]

I have a severe dairy allergy and they always take excellent care of me.

[VibeGuy]

I have a life-threatening crustacean allergy *and sail with someone who cannot order dinner without using the phrase “I’ll start with two shrimp cocktails, please”, and we have 70 nights since the restart. 
 

Medallion Class and Dine My Way have actually improved my comfort level because the handhelds show a discreet red mark at the bottom of any customer with a food allergy.   I don’t worry about discussing it in the MDR for non-shellfish dishes at all - the stations are sufficiently separated that cross-contamination simply doesn’t exist.  I’ve even felt comfortable asking for shellfish garnishes to be left off, say, finfish entrees because the allergen notations are so clear and and it seems like they don’t try to just remove the shrimp and bring the risotto, for example. 
 

I feel just as comfortable as ever with discussions with the head waiters about specific ingredients and such, but I never, ever feel at risk from anything other than my DH deciding to slip

me a shrimp because he’s had enough of my backtalk to last a lifetime. 

[Essence08]

@VibeGuy Thanks for sharing that info - my young son has multiple severe allergies (dairy, egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts just for starters) I was impressed to hear about the allergy notifications coming up on staff devices and have listed all his allergies on the app. Our last time cruising with him and allergies was several years ago and he was much younger. 

We plan on mostly eating in the dining room rather than buffet due to cross contamination and the severity of his reactions.

 

Feeling more confident, love hearing first hand experiences if you have any allergy related tips!

 

 

[lindsaygal]

We were on the Majestic in Feb and we talked to the head waiter the first night of dining, we really liked our table and servers and asked if we could have the same table and staff each night and they were able to reserve that through him. Days we had specialty dining we just let them know and they still brought the menu's to my husband the night before and let him preorder. They also had and allergen safe chef's dessert each night. We were also told that if we wanted to eat at the buffet, to ask to talk to the chef on duty and he would walk us around and let us know what was safe. We had no problems or worries the whole week and were able to enjoy a wonderful cruise. 

[MsSoCalCruiser]

20 minutes ago, lindsaygal said:

We were on the Majestic in Feb and we talked to the head waiter the first night of dining, we really liked our table and servers and asked if we could have the same table and staff each night and they were able to reserve that through him. Days we had specialty dining we just let them know and they still brought the menu's to my husband the night before and let him preorder. They also had and allergen safe chef's dessert each night. We were also told that if we wanted to eat at the buffet, to ask to talk to the chef on duty and he would walk us around and let us know what was safe. We had no problems or worries the whole week and were able to enjoy a wonderful cruise. 

I feel so much safer on a Princess ship than I do at a restaurant on land.