Second seating with young kids?

[chimo2u]

I'm having a real problem with trying to choose which seating to do (and we are 2 adults!!!) Originally I was booked for 2nd seating and I was going to do my PALO dinner with my DH on Pirate Night. Well, I recently was diagnosed with Diabetes, and I find if I don't eat at regular intervals , i tend towards low blood sugar, shakes, and over all feeling of unwellness. So I asked Concierge to change us to main dining (which they where able to do) and rebooked our PALO for our 1st Sea Day. This way we wouldn't miss pirate night as people kept telling me it's a must do for first time cruisers. Now, I am second guessing my change, and beginning to wonder if main dining is going to be too crazy and crowded, and early for us.... We are currently West Coast Canada / rather mountain time, I am guessing (we are 2 hours behind Florida) so I will be eating realatively early in comparison to what I am used to . I am beginning to think maybe I should switch back to late seating. My only concern was I didn't want to be eating until 10pm then going to bed on a full tummy..... however, it seems late dining is more relaxed, perhaps allowing us to enjoy the pools, slide, etc... when the mass of crowds are at dinner. I'm finding this a hard decison, but am leaning towards maybe late dining again. If I do switch, I am guessing we could do the buffet in Cabanas for dinner on Pirate night, so we can eat a little earlier and still enjoy the pirate buffet late at night. Such a hard choice!!!

 

[afyoung]

I'm having a real problem with trying to choose which seating to do (and we are 2 adults!!!) Originally I was booked for 2nd seating and I was going to do my PALO dinner with my DH on Pirate Night. Well, I recently was diagnosed with Diabetes, and I find if I don't eat at regular intervals , i tend towards low blood sugar, shakes, and over all feeling of unwellness. So I asked Concierge to change us to main dining (which they where able to do) and rebooked our PALO for our 1st Sea Day. This way we wouldn't miss pirate night as people kept telling me it's a must do for first time cruisers. Now, I am second guessing my change, and beginning to wonder if main dining is going to be too crazy and crowded, and early for us.... We are currently West Coast Canada / rather mountain time, I am guessing (we are 2 hours behind Florida) so I will be eating realatively early in comparison to what I am used to . I am beginning to think maybe I should switch back to late seating. My only concern was I didn't want to be eating until 10pm then going to bed on a full tummy..... however, it seems late dining is more relaxed, perhaps allowing us to enjoy the pools, slide, etc... when the mass of crowds are at dinner. I'm finding this a hard decison, but am leaning towards maybe late dining again. If I do switch, I am guessing we could do the buffet in Cabanas for dinner on Pirate night, so we can eat a little earlier and still enjoy the pirate buffet late at night. Such a hard choice!!!

I think it is important to choose what is best for you. The upside of the cruise---you will not starve. There is always something available to eat 24 hours a day. At our second seating dinners last year it was still a full restaurant. There were 4,000 people on the ship with roughly 2,000 people eating in 3 different restaurants. There is just no way for that not to be full and feel crowded. That being said, the servers are very well orchestrated and they get you fed. Lots of courses, bread baskets, etc. If you are interested in a long leisurely dinner, then go with the second seating (lots of kids leave to go to the kids club) and apart from the bustle when the kids are leaving it should begin to feel less crowded by the time your main course arrives. We did usually stay up til midnight or just a bit later to avoid the full tummy at bedtime scenario. You can always stick with what you have scheduled and if after the first night you find it will truly not work, then go and ask to be switched.

 

[gumbypee]

I'm having a real problem with trying to choose which seating to do (and we are 2 adults!!!) Originally I was booked for 2nd seating and I was going to do my PALO dinner with my DH on Pirate Night. Well, I recently was diagnosed with Diabetes, and I find if I don't eat at regular intervals , i tend towards low blood sugar, shakes, and over all feeling of unwellness. So I asked Concierge to change us to main dining (which they where able to do) and rebooked our PALO for our 1st Sea Day. This way we wouldn't miss pirate night as people kept telling me it's a must do for first time cruisers. Now, I am second guessing my change, and beginning to wonder if main dining is going to be too crazy and crowded, and early for us.... We are currently West Coast Canada / rather mountain time, I am guessing (we are 2 hours behind Florida) so I will be eating realatively early in comparison to what I am used to . I am beginning to think maybe I should switch back to late seating. My only concern was I didn't want to be eating until 10pm then going to bed on a full tummy..... however, it seems late dining is more relaxed, perhaps allowing us to enjoy the pools, slide, etc... when the mass of crowds are at dinner. I'm finding this a hard decison, but am leaning towards maybe late dining again. If I do switch, I am guessing we could do the buffet in Cabanas for dinner on Pirate night, so we can eat a little earlier and still enjoy the pirate buffet late at night. Such a hard choice!!!

I have only been on one disney cruise but i had main dining and i never felt rushed, not coming back from ports, not rushed at dinner. never. i eat early anyways so there is no way i could wait until late dining to eat.

 

[momof2n2]

Last year we did a 4-night with kids 15 mos, 3, 8, 9, 11, 13 with second dinner. They were tired, but did fine. I strongly preferred it. We'd see the early show. Dinner was active enough to keep them awake. I think they would have fallen asleep if we did the show later.

 

[momof2n2]

This thread is from 2012. Not sure how it got dug up. Zombie thread!

Ugh. Why didn't I see that?

 

[CrawfordMomof2]

Wow I am really torn! We have early seating but reading this thread has me wanting to change to late. We will be cruising with DS's 5 and 9 and my mother and hubby. We will be on the Galveston NYE sailing. I really like the idea of the kids being able to enjoy the show more if it is earlier, and not rushing to dinner.

My thoughts exactly! Mine will be 10 and 6, and now I'm gonna have to talk to my husband about considering second seating instead.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

My thoughts exactly! Mine will be 10 and 6, and now I'm gonna have to talk to my husband about considering second seating instead.

Just gonna point out that you're responding to someone who posted 3 years ago. I think that ship has sailed.

 

[funfam]

True but the topic is still relevant to many people and the thread may be helpful.

 

[zephyr'd]

Thank you for the help everyone! I know it's a zombie thread but I was about to post the exact same question anyway so it helped!

 

[gumbypee]

My thoughts exactly! Mine will be 10 and 6, and now I'm gonna have to talk to my husband about considering second seating instead.

Again I NEVER felt rushed at main dining. You know your family best