Late dining - Dine and Play?

[hockeyfanytz]

On the sailing we are looking to book there is only late seating - 8 pm

I read that pre pandemic there was a Dine and Play service where kids were ushered to the kids clubs after about 45 minutes.
Has this been restored now? It’s not clear.
If not restored, what’s the typical dining length - like an hour 30? Just trying to gauge whether we can make later dining work.

Thanks!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

On the sailing we are looking to book there is only late seating - 8 pm

I read that pre pandemic there was a Dine and Play service where kids were ushered to the kids clubs after about 45 minutes.
Has this been restored now? It’s not clear.
If not restored, what’s the typical dining length - like an hour 30? Just trying to gauge whether we can make later dining work.

Thanks!

I don't know whether it's back in use or not. But, there's no reason you can't tell your server you'd like the kid's meals brought out quickly, and then, when they're done with their meal (between courses) you can run them down to the kid's club. I've found, most of the time, the lag between courses can be sufficient to make a run back to my room for whatever I forgot to bring with me for dinner.

 

[NEGeekymama]

I don't know whether it's back in use or not. But, there's no reason you can't tell your server you'd like the kid's meals brought out quickly, and then, when they're done with their meal (between courses) you can run them down to the kid's club. I've found, most of the time, the lag between courses can be sufficient to make a run back to my room for whatever I forgot to bring with me for dinner.

And depending on how old they are, they can check themselves into the kid's club.

 

[IcedCoffee52]

We just got off the Fantasy today, and it's not back. Late dinner was at 8:15pm, and we were typically done around 9:30pm. A few times, our older kids left dinner early to go to kids club/Edge.

 

[lanejudy]

And depending on how old they are, they can check themselves into the kid's club.

I believe any age can check themselves IN at the Club/Lab. They must be at least 8 with parent permission to check OUT. Of course, one probably doesn’t want to send a preschooler alone from the MDR to the Club; but an older sibling could walk them there.

OP - last I knew the dine&play option had not returned. As a PP mentions, just inform the server that the kids want to eat quickly and you can probably take them yourself before the adults’ entrees are served.

 

[IcedCoffee52]

This was true for us. My 9-year old was able to check himself and our almost 5 year old into the kids club without us, so we'd send them from our room or the MDR. The castmembers say they'll let any child check themselves in, but only the right age kids (and with permissions) can check themselves out.

And, at dinner, most nights, the servers just automatically brought our younger kids' dinners before the older kids, DH, and me.

 

[Anna131517]

9 year olds can check themselves OUT?!?! I do not want my 9 year old running around the ship by himself! We’re going in February. Is there any way to opt out of that?

 

[IcedCoffee52]

I believe any age can check themselves IN at the Club/Lab. They must be at least 8 with parent permission to check OUT. Of course, one probably doesn’t want to send a preschooler alone from the MDR to the Club; but an older sibling could walk them there.

OP - last I knew the dine&play option had not returned. As a PP mentions, just inform the server that the kids want to eat quickly and you can probably take them yourself before the adults’ entrees are served.

9 year olds can check themselves OUT?!?! I do not want my 9 year old running around the ship by himself! We’re going in February. Is there any way to opt out of that?

Only if you sign up for them to check themselves out. My 9-year old would have been fine checking himself out and finding us, but his 4-year old brother would have lost his mind if he left without him, so we didn't allow him to check himself out.

(We did let the 9 year old go by alone to and from the Edge open houses without us, but we've been on the Fantasy several times so he knows his way around and his older siblings were there so we were fine with it.)

 

[anricat]

9 year olds can check themselves OUT?!?! I do not want my 9 year old running around the ship by himself! We’re going in February. Is there any way to opt out of that?

You won't need to opt out. The default is to NOT allow it. Parents need to specifically choose the option to allow self checkout.

 

[bigAWL]

9 year olds can check themselves OUT?!?! I do not want my 9 year old running around the ship by himself! We’re going in February. Is there any way to opt out of that?

As others have replied, your 9-year old won't be able to do self-check out unless you specifically allow it.

However, when kids reach 11, they are eligible for the Edge tween club. Edge does not check kids in or out - they may come and go as they please.

 

[ScooterScott44]

To the OP hockeyfanytz , our son traveled on DCL from 1 - 12 y.o. with our last cruise in Sept 2019. We cannot answer if Dine n Play is back since we have not done DCL post COVID.

We mostly have done late seating of our 15+ cruises and that worked. With snacks available and sometimes all of us take a nap in the afternoon, depending on the itinerary, and everything works for late dining. It was not an issue on the nights he wanted to go to the club for me to run him to check-in and then get back for the next course. We did use Dine n Play at times but it was usually quicker for me to just take him, since there could be a lot of standing and waiting with the counselors, that cut into play time for the kids.