Main Seating Vs Late Seating

[tlprice]

My 8 year old daughter and I did late seating on our last cruise and will do it again on our next cruise in October. The early seating is just too early. I was never hungry that early. We also usually eat later at home. Even with a 2 hour time difference we had no problems with the later seating. It definitely seemed more relaxing than the first seating seemed. I thought about doing the kid club pick up, but we were seated with two other single moms with kids and the three kids had so much fun together and our servers were so great with them, that they never wanted to leave early. In fact, our table closed down the restaurant a couple of nights.

 

[Holli L]

Dinner is served in the kid's club. But it's at a set time, and a basic meal (chicken fingers; pasta of some sort; fruit; milk). I think it's generally during the early dinner seating. OK, checked a past Navigator dinner was served 5:30-6:15. I've also been told that they only announce "dinner is here", they don't make anyone sit down and eat.

Awesome, thanks!! Hopefully our little one will be cool with hanging out in the kid's club. She does good with daycare and I'm assuming that the clubs go all out to help kids feel comfy staying while their parent's do their thing. Fingers crossed!!

 

[Lonegalathome]

Are some of you who love late dining families with kids with early bed times? We are currently second seating for a Dec sailing and our kids (5,4,and 1) are typically asleep at 730/8 at home. I'm really nervous. Do kids figure it out and just stay up late? Are they disasters during the day if I monkey with bed time?

 

[Holli L]

Are some of you who love late dining families with kids with early bed times? We are currently second seating for a Dec sailing and our kids (5,4,and 1) are typically asleep at 730/8 at home. I'm really nervous. Do kids figure it out and just stay up late? Are they disasters during the day if I monkey with bed time?

I'm right there with you on this.. we are scheduled for late dinner which seems awesome, but it could prove to be disastrous with our 3 year old! Sometimes she can hang.. other times, she turns into a tiny devil. May not be a big deal if we didn't need to get up a little early to take advantage of full days off of the ship.

 

[MSPeeler]

Are some of you who love late dining families with kids with early bed times? We are currently second seating for a Dec sailing and our kids (5,4,and 1) are typically asleep at 730/8 at home. I'm really nervous. Do kids figure it out and just stay up late? Are they disasters during the day if I monkey with bed time?

We are scheduled for 2nd seating with our 19 month old, I scheduled childcare during dinner on night 2, 3 and 4 just in case. If all goes well Night 1, we have up to 4 hours before scheduled childcare to change at no charge to us!

Worth looking into for the little ones.

 

[Lonegalathome]

that's not a bad idea - thanks!

 

[RedSox68]

We have always preferred late dining for many reasons: don't have to rush back from the port or the days' activities; more time to get ready for dinner; can go to the show first in your day clothes and then change for dinner; less "rushed" then main dining (from what we've heard).

 

[RedSox68]

Second seating gets the later breakfast on debarkation day. It's at 8:00. We had main seating for the first time on our last cruise and I just knew there was no way we'd be ready for breakfast that early so we skipped breakfast in the MDR and went to Cabanas.

We stopped going to breakfast on debarkation day years ago -- too depressing (we thought), too rushed. We go up to Cabanas and bring the food back to the room while we get showered and changed and last minute packing. Much more relaxing. Then we just walk out of our room with the luggage and leave.

 

[The Sasquatch]

i wonder when late seating will become preferred

 

[RedSox68]

i wonder when late seating will become preferred

It is the preferred seating on other lines where smaller kids are not the norm -- like HAL, Princess, etc. We had trouble getting late seating on those lines a couple of times, so just took any time dining. I'd with for that on Disney, but then you wouldn't have the staff rotation and that's part of the charm.

 

[Holli L]

We are scheduled for 2nd seating with our 19 month old, I scheduled childcare during dinner on night 2, 3 and 4 just in case. If all goes well Night 1, we have up to 4 hours before scheduled childcare to change at no charge to us!

Worth looking into for the little ones.

Love this idea!! Totally new to Disney cruise but I assume this is one of those things you can book around the time you start booking excursions and all? It's childcare in your actual stateroom?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Love this idea!! Totally new to Disney cruise but I assume this is one of those things you can book around the time you start booking excursions and all? It's childcare in your actual stateroom?

No, DCL doesn't do in-room child care. You schedule time in the nursery.

 

[Holli L]

Ahh

No, DCL doesn't do in-room child care. You schedule time in the nursery.

Ahh okay thanks!

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

We have always had main dining until our last two cruises; a four and seven night cruise in that order with second seating. And we learned we hate second seating, yes hate Even for four nights!
We eat early at home, typically between 5:00 and 5:30 so that is reason number one. Reason two, hate going to bed really, really full. Reason three, we are not late night people. Reason four, we love being able to just do what we want to for the rest of the evening after we finish dinner. We don't worry about making all the shows in the evening. If it's a favorite or one we have not seen we may go. But a lot of the times if it is a really nice evening we will go and find a drink outside and sit and enjoy the night. If it isn't we go to a lounge, order a drink and if it isn't too busy have a nice conversation with the Cast Members. The drawback to main seating is you do feel a little rushed so they can clean up and get it ready for round two. But I can live with that. JMHO

 

[RedSox68]

No, DCL doesn't do in-room child care. You schedule time in the nursery.

That would be a great new amenity though -- especially for people with babies. But the interview process for those position would be a nightmare!

 

[Holli L]

That would be a great new amenity though -- especially for people with babies. But the interview process for those position would be a nightmare!

Absolutely! Royal Caribbean offers in room and they have a cute Dream Works cruise option, but Disney still won out for us