Dinner time assignment

[RosiePosie35]

We have been assigned the second dinner time. We are not fans of eating late. However, since we will be on "cruise" time will this really feel late? Anybody have any experience with pros and cons between the two table times?

 

[lbgraves]

Here is some reading for you.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2093663&highlight=seating

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2075842&highlight=seating

 

[frdeb1999]

It depends on what time your family is used to eating really. We just are'nt late night diners and it honestly did'nt work for us.

 

[SaveTheSeaTurtles]

Hi, there.

We actually were not fans of the late seating when we first saw that was where we were assigned BUT it worked out wonderfully. We were so busy during the day that lunch was usually later for us. I could never have eaten again at the early dinner time..Yikes! Now, if someone has small children, that is a different story - it is difficult for the children to stay up that late, waiting for dinner.

Whatever you are assigned (if you can't change it - and you can try that when you board the ship, you never know if something is available) - enjoy your cruise, and think positive.

 

[Ourtwoprincesses]

If you have small children, early is good. We have done both. The first time we did the early time, and my youngest was about 4 and oldest was 8. The only problem I found was that we felt rushed having to get to dinner, and we were always the last one in the dining room it seemed like. Especially when we were at an island and out all day. The late night we did when the girls were 6 and 10 and it worked out much better. We didn't feel rushed. We would let the kids get a healthy snack before we would go to the shows to hold them over. One time we didn't go to the show, we hung out at the pool instead and we had the whole pool to ourselves, it was so nice! On Pirate night for the late dining we thought we would be late and not beable to get a seat. We did fine. When I finished up I went up and got a seat, or a good seat I thought. Till this very rude lady wouldn't move her chair to make room for my kids and another ladies kids. The kids couldn't even see! She was hogging the space. That is another post, LOL!

 

[tvguy]

Really depends on what your normal routine is at home, and what time zone you live in.

As West Coasters, late seating is like eating at 6:30 pm to our bodies. Factor in that our kids have always had lots of after school activities like Little League, where games go until sunset, and we rarely ate before 7 or 7:30 pm, and during spring, rarely before 8 or 8:30 pm, which would be 11 or 11:30 pm on the east coast cruises, late seating is really eating early to us.
And we tend to eat even later when on vacation!

Always been amazed at the folks on this board, where both mom and dad work, and kids are in school, and they swear they sit down to dinner at 5 pm every night. Their lives must be right out of Leave it to Beaver.

 

[lbgraves]

Not by a long shot but if they don't eat before 6 pm then there is it harder to get them in bed by 8 pm with trying to go outside to play after homework/dinner then get cleaned up and their stuff ready for the next day and I try my best not to eat after 6 pm with my diet and the fact that I log back into work at either 6 or 7 so if dinner isn't ready before then I basically don't eat. DH eats whenever he gets home though...comes with the job, but the rest of us

 

[nic_x]

We had the late dinner seating on our last cruise with a 9 and 7 year-old. Since we are normally on Eastern time, and we tend to eat dinner around 6-6:30pm at home, that first night was rough. The kids were starving and were a little seasick (I think it was aggravated by waiting so long to eat and then being overtired waiting for the food...I tried giving them a later lunch, but apparently it wasn't late enough!)

However, after that first night, having the late seating was fine. They ate lunch on the later side, and since we were busy doing excursions/swimming/with kids' clubs, they were happy to have the late seating. The early one would have been too early.

If my kids were younger and we weren't as busy, I think I'd prefer the early seating. But we're doing the late seating again on our next cruise, and will plan to give the kids a good snack around 3-4 pm to tide them over.

 

[MagicMe]

Not by a long shot but if they don't eat before 6 pm then there is it harder to get them in bed by 8 pm with trying to go outside to play after homework/dinner then get cleaned up and their stuff ready for the next day and I try my best not to eat after 6 pm with my diet and the fact that I log back into work at either 6 or 7 so if dinner isn't ready before then I basically don't eat. DH eats whenever he gets home though...comes with the job, but the rest of us

Yeah but were they on the 8 pm bedtime on the cruise? Hard to keep an early bedtime!

 

[goofy4wsp]

early (main) here, kids 5 and 7 even thoguh they can be night owls they get grumpy without food...as do I!

 

[lbgraves]

Yeah but were they on the 8 pm bedtime on the cruise? Hard to keep an early bedtime!

No way but our tummies still want to eat at 6.

 

[zachnsamsmommy]

I've been wondering about this, too.

I have an almost 2 yr old. I keep picturing...late seating + toddler = bad....

 

[Brooklyn]

We too eat early at home but we LOVE the late seating. I do not think I would cruise any other way now.

There is endless amount of food wherever you go so you never go with being hungry. We would usually just have a snack around 4 or so and be fine till dinner.

We acutally found that our night ended earlier with the late seating vs the early. With the late show not starting till 8:30 my (then) 2yo NEVER made it through a show! With late seating my kids were able to enjoy the whole show then head to dinner. They enjoy dining in the dining room but it is not a highlight for them as it is for us. The usually order the same simple items like chicken fingers the whole time. Some nights they would eat then head to the kids club....some nights my (now) 3yo would sometimes fall asleep at the table or just sit quitly and color.

We have done it both ways and def prefer the late seating. We are cruising this summer with a new 4 and 8 yo and plan on doing late seating again.

One thing I do have to say is that on pirate night we were too full for the buffett. The line was long anyway so we did not feel like we were missing out on too much.