Early or late seating

[Jenlynn3]

Trying to decide the pros and cons to early and late seating for dinner. I have never done the late seating. Last time I was on the Fantasy I remember coming back from a shore excursion and felt rushed to get ready for dinner. I know we have the option for Cabanas. Traveling with 5 older teens, 2 adults and 2 seniors (70/90)

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

check out this thread in progress; many of the pros and cons are discussed here

https://www.disboards.com/threads/main-vs-late-dinner.3670062/

 

[Snowwhyt]

What that thread mentioned above doesn’t address is older individuals sometimes have acid reflux and are unable to eat late. As was the case with my parents. Both 75.
I definitely feel that late seating is best for Alaska at all costs.

 

[Jenlynn3]

Thank you for the thread link!! Think we made a decision

 

[JW9DVC]

Thank you for the thread link!! Think we made a decision

We prefer Late dining. It’s much more relaxed and we don’t have to rush after getting back from Port.

 

[nancyjo1998]

Having done both we prefer late dining for two reasons:
1. Not feeling rushed when returning from port
2. You get 2nd breakfast on debarkation morning, being up and ready to leave and at breakfast at 645 was not fun at all!

 

[GPaLarry]

When the grandkids are fed at home at 5:30, then we eat early on DCL cruises. When we eat at 6 at home, we eat early on DCL cruises. You might say we are creatures of habit. I know, it can be rushed on a Med. cruise when the excursions arrive back late. However, the MDR staff are prepared for that, we take a bit of time to enjoy our dinner, then get in the queue for the evening show. After that, with the exception of Pirate Night, we are off to bed...we're happy with this setup. We aren't really party animals, except when the servers make Goofy ears for me and Minnie ears for the wife. Take fun where you can find it...we love the water Mouse.

 

[xlxo]

Some like to feed closest to their home time zone. I like the second feeding.

• more time in port, have a local snack before reboarding and let it settle.
• 2nd feeding is less crowded and rushed, it feels more relaxing
• does DCL have a 3pm high tea? You need extra time post-tea to let that settle.
• clothes are cleaner for shows and photos as you eat after the show
• kids are taken to the evening program right after the meal
• if you have a cabin near a busy elevator, being a night owl and sleeping after midnight means the corridor is quieter
• you get to sleep in an extra hour on debarkation morning for the 2nd breakfast.
  • more time to pack
  • get to relax and wait in the dining room for your assigned debarkation time
  • For Alaskan cruisers.... really important because all the posted times are Pacific Daylight savings..... you LOSE an hour of sleep leaving Alaskan time the night before

 

[KashasMom]

If you go to the shows, it doesn't matter if you eat or go to a show first. You're going to be somewhere at 6 p.m.! That being said, we also like the second seating. We have started skipping most of the shows so it allows us to stay by the pool or relax a little longer. The flip side of that...is that there isn't much going on after second seating so you tend to not burn off your dinner before bedtime. (You may also need to get a little snack between 4-5 to hold you over.)

What did you decide?

 

[Jenlynn3]

We are a party of 12, we want late, the 2nd cabin wants early and 3rd cabin can go either way!

 

[MelSpees]

Some like to feed closest to their home time zone. I like the second feeding.

• more time in port, have a local snack before reboarding and let it settle.
• 2nd feeding is less crowded and rushed, it feels more relaxing
• does DCL have a 3pm high tea? You need extra time post-tea to let that settle.
• clothes are cleaner for shows and photos as you eat after the show
• kids are taken to the evening program right after the meal
• if you have a cabin near a busy elevator, being a night owl and sleeping after midnight means the corridor is quieter
• you get to sleep in an extra hour on debarkation morning for the 2nd breakfast.
  • more time to pack
  • get to relax and wait in the dining room for your assigned debarkation time
  • For Alaskan cruisers.... really important because all the posted times are Pacific Daylight savings..... you LOSE an hour of sleep leaving Alaskan time the night before

No high tea, so you don't need to worry about that.
You don't have to go to the MDR for debarkation breakfast. We go to Cabanas at a time right for us.

 

[GeneralTso]

We prefer 2nd seating, but we are sailing without any kids. It's quieter and more mellow. Most families want 1st seating so kids can get fed closer to their normal schedule. We also don't want to rush on days we have excursions. We want to take showers, get ready and relax a bit before dinner.