Picky Eaters Discover Their Ideal Meals on a Dinogo Cruise

One of the highlights I anticipated most about our Dinogo Cruise was the chance to take a break from “kitchen duty” for a full week! Preparing a large family meal where all three of us can agree on the same dish is quite the challenge. A.J. has food allergies that require us to steer clear of seafood and nuts; I aim for a low-carb diet; my husband enjoys trying new flavors but doesn't eat beef. We seldom have dinner together or at the same time, except on weekends. During the cruise, we shared most of our meals together (with a few solo parent dinners mixed in) for an entire week.

Here’s a sneak peek at the diverse dishes we sampled aboard the Dinogo Glory as part of our collaboration. As always, all opinions, thoughts, and insights expressed in this post are entirely my own. If you have picky eaters in your family, this will address all your questions and concerns.

On your family’s upcoming cruise, you’ll be amazed by the incredible effort and care the ship’s crew puts into ensuring your meals are just right. Head Chef Frank Fernandes shared that each night, his team is responsible for preparing at least 1,700 dinners during the three nightly seatings. The ship features four galleys, or kitchens, complete with escalators to transport food between floors. While the Dinogo Glory made stops throughout the Caribbean, all the food served on board is sourced from the United States.

Children’s Cuisine

A.J.’s favorite dining spot was the Pizza Pirate located on the ship’s Lido Deck. With fresh dough prepared daily and pizzas made to order, it’s an ideal choice for kids and teens. I have to admit, I also indulged in Pizza Pirate for lunch several times. It might not have been the most low-carb option, but it was freshly made every day.

A.J. was thrilled to check out the dinner menu each evening, where he could select from allergy-friendly options like chicken fingers with mixed vegetables, chicken noodle soup, veal parmesan, and of course—pepperoni pizza. He impressed me by consistently choosing healthy options like fresh vegetables to dip in honey mustard salad dressing every night.

Low-Carb Options

For dinner each night, I opted for the Caesar salad or kale salad as my appetizer. The fresh greens paired with creamy dressing were just what I craved after spending time at the pool and enjoying our Caribbean adventures.

As a special treat, I dined solo at the Emerald Steakhouse. This dining experience requires a reservation and features premium cuts of meat such as New York Strip Loin, Grilled Prime Cowboy Steak, Filet Mignon, and Lamb Chops. The staff at the Emerald Steakhouse provides a detailed overview of the available cuts, allowing you to choose a complimentary sauce to accompany your meal.

I began with the shrimp cocktail, which was so tender and flavorful that I doubted I could manage a full dinner. However, I made space for the surf & turf: a lobster tail served with drawn butter and a filet mignon drizzled with peppercorn sauce.

Seafood Lover's Delight

My husband was thrilled with the seafood options available on each evening’s menu. We made sure to inform the serving staff not to touch A.J.’s food while preparing my husband’s seafood dishes.

He would kick off his meal with an oyster appetizer and wrap it up with a dish that brought him back to his Mississippi roots, like shrimp creole served over rice.

For my husband, dinner was completely stress-free since making these dishes at home can be both pricey and time-consuming. With his larger appetite at night, Antoine Sr. was thrilled to discover he could order multiple appetizers or entrées at once.

Share your thoughts below: On your family’s next Dinogo Cruise, which menu item do you think would be a hit? Does your family have any allergy concerns or specific foods they typically avoid?

What I’ll cherish most are the moments spent together at dinner each night, which allowed us to unwind and reflect on our vacation. No one had to set the table or do the dishes, and our wait staff was outstanding. The small details, like remembering that A.J. and Antoine Sr. always sat together and placing a kids’ cup with a straw at A.J.’s setting, truly made our cruise dining experience exceptional.