Palo vs. Dining Rotation

[spankswife]

We are sailing in a 5 night Bahamas cruise (2x Castaway!) next summer. When will I find out our dining rotation and when do I need to book Palo? I would like to book it for a night where we have a dining room 2x so I get to experience all of the restaurants.

 

[jdb in AZ]

We are sailing in a 5 night Bahamas cruise (2x Castaway!) next summer. When will I find out our dining rotation and when do I need to book Palo? I would like to book it for a night where we have a dining room 2x so I get to experience all of the restaurants.

You won't know your dining rotation assignment til you check in at the cruise terminal. Your rotation will be printed on your KTTW card. (Room key.) If this is your first cruise you can book Palo 75 days before your cruise. If your reservation ends up on a night you'd rather be in a main dining room, you can go to "dining changes" on the ship and take care of it. The area for "dining changes" varies from cruise to cruise, so you'll need to look it up in the Navigator (daily newsletter) you'll receive when you board the ship.

 

[soniam]

If you do want to change your dining rotation, do it on the first day to increase your odds of being able to do it. Just book Palo on your booking day and then worry about changing the rotation once on the ship.

 

[FamilyHolidayPlanner]

after you book palo you can ring dcl and ask for a rotation that won't have you missing any mdrs. Less hassle than waiting until you are onboard

 

[Dug720]

Odds are you will be safe booking Palo for night 4 or 5.

 

[havoc315]

We are sailing in a 5 night Bahamas cruise (2x Castaway!) next summer. When will I find out our dining rotation and when do I need to book Palo? I would like to book it for a night where we have a dining room 2x so I get to experience all of the restaurants.

You don't get your rotation until you get on board. But you will rotate through the 3 restaurants... so every restaurant will be twice, except the night #3 restaurant. So just don't book Palo night #3.

 

[mevelandry]

I'd say: book it for one of the last days and when you get on board and know your rotation, ask to make the changes if you need to.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

You don't get your rotation until you get on board. But you will rotate through the 3 restaurants... so every restaurant will be twice, except the night #3 restaurant. So just don't book Palo night #3.

Not necessarily. The rotation could be 12312. Or 12312, 12231, 12233, 11233, 11223... Any number of rotations available.

As noted, nights 4 & 5 are most likely the repeated dining rooms. Note - while they are repeated, the menus served will be different than the first time in there, however.

 

[havoc315]

Not necessarily. The rotation could be 12312. Or 12312, 12231, 12233, 11233, 11223... Any number of rotations available.

As noted, nights 4 & 5 are most likely the repeated dining rooms. Note - while they are repeated, the menus served will be different than the first time in there, however.

I don't think I've ever seen rotations like those but I'll take your word for it.

Still -- regardless, I wouldn't worry. It's easy to change rotation as long as you do it early on the first day. I've changed rotations twice in three cruises.

 

[mathgeek]

I guess the question is whether you just want to experience all of the restaurants or if you want to experience all of the MDR menus. Navigators from 5-night double dips on the Dream (assuming you're on the Dream since you said summer) from 2015 show the following...

nights 1, 2, and 3 are standard rotational MDR
night 4 is Pirate Night
night 5 is the See Ya Real Soon menu

So my assumption from this is that you will visit different dining rooms on nights 1, 2, and 3, then 4 and 5 will be repeats, but who knows in what order. Pirate night on night 4 is consistent with what I'm seeing on my reservations for my two 5-nights I have booked for this summer.

I don't like missing the MDR menus, so I always book Palo or Remy for Pirate night.

 

[spankswife]

Ok, thanks everyone!

We are doing the early dining and I will have an 8 and a 3 yo. So should I make our res for early to still see the late show? Or watch the first show then go after? Also does the kids club offer dinner (not picky, no allergies)?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Ok, thanks everyone!

We are doing the early dining and I will have an 8 and a 3 yo. So should I make our res for early to still see the late show? Or watch the first show then go after? Also does the kids club offer dinner (not picky, no allergies)?

They do serve dinner in Oceaneer's, but it's at a set time. Not necessarily coinciding with your dinner seating (usually around 5:30). And, if your kids are in there, they don't make them eat. They'll announce dinner is here, but it's up to the kids to stop what they're doing to sit down and eat. Also, it's not the food that served in the dining rooms.

You have several options.

Find out when dinner is being served (it's in the Navigator, or you can ask as the club), and work around that time.

Get room service dinner for the kids before sending them to the club (and you to Palo) before late show.

Go room service dinner for the kids, then early show with them going to the club afterward while you go to Palo.

Some people will go to dinner with their kids in the MDR, but only get coffee (if anything) and then drop the kids at the club before heading to Palo. But you'd miss the show that way.

 

[spankswife]

@PrincessShmoo

Thanks so much for all of the great ideas!

Is it just me or do you hurry (log in bright and early!) and book a resi way in advance and then get your schedule and rearrange everything anyway? Maybe I'm just learning the ropes...

We cruised a 3 day a few years back so we just went to each restaurant, I didn't do all of this last time.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

@PrincessShmoo

Thanks so much for all of the great ideas!

Is it just me or do you hurry (log in bright and early!) and book a resi way in advance and then get your schedule and rearrange everything anyway? Maybe I'm just learning the ropes...

We cruised a 3 day a few years back so we just went to each restaurant, I didn't do all of this last time.

Well, I prefer brunch to dinner, so I don't often have to worry about what menu/dining room I'm missing. But, on those cruises we've done dinner, I just go with the flow and book the night I want to eat there. There's always the next cruise to pick up on something I might have missed.

Our very first cruise we did Palo dinner. I didn't worry about what dining room I was missing. There's only just so much time onboard, and you have to be comfortable with the choices you make.

 

[BCV23]

Personally rather than request a change in rotation, I would call Palo or go to the Palo desk once you know your rotation. We have found Palo very accommodating to change requests and it seems to me it must be less disruptive for the crew than changing table assignments in the MDR. Happy planning for your cruise.

 

[havoc315]

I guess the question is whether you just want to experience all of the restaurants or if you want to experience all of the MDR menus. Navigators from 5-night double dips on the Dream (assuming you're on the Dream since you said summer) from 2015 show the following...

nights 1, 2, and 3 are standard rotational MDR
night 4 is Pirate Night
night 5 is the See Ya Real Soon menu

So my assumption from this is that you will visit different dining rooms on nights 1, 2, and 3, then 4 and 5 will be repeats, but who knows in what order. Pirate night on night 4 is consistent with what I'm seeing on my reservations for my two 5-nights I have booked for this summer.

I don't like missing the MDR menus, so I always book Palo or Remy for Pirate night.

Same here! I have Palo booked for pirate night dinner. And Remy brunch last day.

 

[spankswife]

Thanks for all of the wise words. I'm so used to planning Disney World but I have to remember the cruise is way more relaxing

Brunch is a great idea!

 

[mathgeek]

Ok, thanks everyone!

We are doing the early dining and I will have an 8 and a 3 yo. So should I make our res for early to still see the late show? Or watch the first show then go after? Also does the kids club offer dinner (not picky, no allergies)?

It depends on what night you decide to book Palo if you do end up doing dinner. There are only 3 stage shows on the Dream. The other two nights will likely be a variety act and possibly a movie, so you might not actually need to miss a show.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

There are only 3 stage shows on the Dream.

There are actually only 3 production shows on all the ships.

Cruises of longer than 3 nights, will have other shows in the Walt Disney Theater - comedian, magician, hypnotist, singer. And, sometimes a "sort of" production show on the really longer cruises.

 

[rhinodadz]

Book Palo early, and change once you board if necessary. We've never had an issue changing a Palo reservation once we board (or snagging a 2nd one). And +1 for Palo on Pirate night.