Dinner 2nd Seating

Are there any issues with the 2nd seating for dinner and the ability to catch some of the shows at night?

Each main stage show is run twice each night--once during each dinner seating. If you have late dinner, you go to the early show. If you have early dinner, you go to the late show. No issues at all. If you are thinking about the adult entertainment later in the evening, those start at 10:30, which is well after late dinner.

Agreed... if the first show is run at the same time as the first dinner. The second show is run at the same time as the second dinner.

Love 2nd dining...

• you get to sleep in on debarkation day and get the later breakfast
  
• on port days... you can stay out later to enjoy the port, including enjoying the local port cuisine
  
• you may have to decide on staying at the port longer vs catching the first show
  

Staying late in port can happen occasionally. MOST ports have all aboard times earlier than first dinner/show.

We love second seating!

The only small issue is that sometimes my husband gets a little hungry around 5pm. He usually just swings by Flos café and grabs a slice of pizza or Panini to hold him over til dinner.

I just got off the dream 5 night sailing in July with my 5 year old. we had the late seating and I can't decide if I enjoyed it or not. Our first night we didn't get the main entrees until almost 930. They were so busy, understandably. I did like that the kids clubs come to take the kiddos but a couple nights we weren't finished with our meals and hadn't gotten dessert yet. Not sure if it was just our server or what though.

I just got off the dream 5 night sailing in July with my 5 year old. we had the late seating and I can't decide if I enjoyed it or not. Our first night we didn't get the main entrees until almost 930. They were so busy, understandably. I did like that the kids clubs come to take the kiddos but a couple nights we weren't finished with our meals and hadn't gotten dessert yet. Not sure if it was just our server or what though.

This sounds like a server problem. There is no excuse with 8:15 dining to not have your entree till 9:30. We are typically done and gone in 90 minutes or less.

The "secret" to the kid pick up is to tell your server that you are doing Dine and Play and ask them to expedite the kid service. That way, the kids don't have to wait for you to finish a course--when they are done, they get the next one quickly. The whole idea is for them to be completely finished eating by 9:00. Obviously, some servers are better than others, but this description sounds unacceptable to me. Unless I'm failing to understand something, I'd have been talking to the head server. The excuse of "busy" doesn't cut it. The ship always sails full or nearly so. They have roughly the same number of guests on each cruise and should be able to manage it.

30+ DCL cruises...we've seen some of the best and some of the worst. They want "excellent" reviews; insist on excellent service.

This sounds like a server problem. There is no excuse with 8:15 dining to not have your entree till 9:30. We are typically done and gone in 90 minutes or less.

 

 

 

The "secret" to the kid pick up is to tell your server that you are doing Dine and Play and ask them to expedite the kid service. That way' date=' the kids don't have to wait for you to finish a course--when they are done, they get the next one quickly. The whole idea is for them to be completely finished eating by 9:00. Obviously, some servers are better than others, but this description sounds unacceptable to me. Unless I'm failing to understand something, I'd have been talking to the head server.[/quote']

 

 

Honestly we weren't sure whether it was the server or just the second seating so we never said anything. It was only our second cruise with Disney. That is good to know about this again seeing though for future cruises

They want "excellent" reviews; insist on excellent service.

This above!

ex techie

This above!

 

 

 

ex techie

Yes, looking back now i do wish we would of said something. We ended up eating at cabanas dine in service for dinner 2 of the nights. It did get Better toward the end of the cruise.

Dinner will NEVER cause you to miss a show!!!

Yes, looking back now i do wish we would of said something. We ended up eating at cabanas dine in service for dinner 2 of the nights. It did get Better toward the end of the cruise.

You can still contact DCL Guest Communications to have your voice heard.

Unless people speak up, they don't know.

ex techie

Still, no excuse for poor/slow service. Yes, some servers are more organized or faster than others. Our all time favorite server would give his tables a little talk on the first night when he said that if we would all show up right at the opening time for the restaurant, he could get our orders in quickly and beat the rush. From there, it would be up to us how fast or slow we wanted the food to appear. But if we showed up 10 minutes after the restaurant opened, he'd be in line behind others and it wouldn't work as well.

Some servers will hand out menus and take orders as soon as all are present at your table; others insist on waiting till everyone is present at their serving station (this can be fixed with a comment to head server). Some assistants will have beverages ready when you enter the dining room while others insist on asking about your order each night. Again, just telling them that you will have X every night will do the job with the brighter ones.

NO ONE is supposed to be placed into the MDR setting while brand new. Cabanas functions as a "training restaurant" at dinner. The people there have far fewer tables and more supervision which results in better food and service.

Bottom line--for what you are paying for this cruise, insist on excellence. If you don't get it, speak up. Yes, I've heard horror stories of non-caring head servers. If that happens remember to be equally non-caring when tip time comes around...but only do that if you have voiced your concerns with no resolution. We have not had bad head servers...but we try to get assigned to our favorites.

NO ONE is supposed to be placed into the MDR setting while brand new. Cabanas functions as a "training restaurant" at dinner. The people there have far fewer tables and more supervision which results in better food and service.

 

Bottom line--for what you are paying for this cruise' date=' insist on excellence. If you don't get it, speak up.[/quote']

 

We had an assistant server on our most recent cruise who was completely hopeless - wrong drinks, wine coming at end of entrée, slow/no refill even when asked, several spills, inability to figure out what you were ordering. We complained to the head server after the first night, were told that he was new (first cruise, not just first night in the MDR so clearly not trained in Cabanas as I had thought they normally were) and got an assistant to the assistant. He improved slightly but after the third night one of our tablemates ended up complaining to whoever is above the head server. Fourth night we got our own assistant server who also helped the other assistant server at his other tables. Our new assistant server apparently came from the kitchens where he had been helping to plate for several years. Whether he'd previously had training or had helped out as assistant server or in Cabanas I can't say but I can say that he was great. We were so pleased with him and were told that, at the end of our cruise, he was promoted to assistant server permanently which we had all told the head server was where he really should be.

 

It definitely pays to complain if you are genuinely having issues. If the original assistant server had been just OK, we wouldn't have complained but it was getting to the point where I was not looking forward to dinner because I never knew what I was going to be served or when. Not only is dinner one of my greatest pleasures in cruising, but we were cruising with 6 other friends and that was a time that I should have been looking forward to. Once our not-terribly-well-or-totally-not-trained assistant server was replaced, we had an amazing time.

Hackif, your story clearly demonstrates why I said they are not "supposed to" start in the MDRs....but sometimes it obviously happens.

But more importantly, it demonstrates what happens if you make your concerns known. No, we don't like to get people in trouble, and there have been times we have just laughed at an assistant that was so confused that it became a joke (we still laugh about "Little Juan." He was like a lost puppy, and it was his second contract!) If you don't speak up, nothing happens.

We love the second seating. I like not having to rush to get ready for an early dinner on port days and my kids prefer the show before dinner. We don't eat really early at home and often eat even later on weekends and on vacation so it works great for us. My youngest enjoys going to the kids club right from dinner. We just let our server know he will be leaving at 9 and they get his dinner out quickly. Being proactive and letting the server know when you are seated works best with that service.

We just got off the Wonder and had second sitting, which allowed us to take our time at port destinations. Dinner would run at least an hour to an hour and a half in any MDR.

We were sailing with someone with dietary restrictions, so our server gave her the following day's menu in advance and she pre ordered the next days MDR meal. This took some extra time and may have prolonged our sitting. In fact, our server had about 7 or 8 special order sheets amongst the tables he was responsible for.

The only issue with 2nd sitting may be on the last night of the cruise if you want Disney to take your bags to the terminal for you since they have to be outside your stateroom before 10pm.

 

The only issue with 2nd sitting may be on the last night of the cruise if you want Disney to take your bags to the terminal for you since they have to be outside your stateroom before 10pm.

The typical time is between 8:15 and 10 or 8 and 10, so you can put them out right before you leave for dinner. We just plan on wearing to dinner the same clothing as we will wear off the ship the next morning

The typical time is between 8:15 and 10 or 8 and 10' date=' so you can put them out right before you leave for dinner. We just plan on wearing to dinner the same clothing as we will wear off the ship the next morning[/quote']

 

On the Wonder coming back to Vancouver, the time range given was between 6pm and 10pm. There were many things to do between 6pm and 10pm (nightly show, character meets, and dinner) so I packed most of it in the afternoon. We use packing cubes, so it was easy to put most of the stuff away.

 

In fact, I should have just taken my suitcase off of the boat myself. When I got to the arrival hall, someone had taken my suitcase by mistake and it ended up in California before Disney lost and found notified me of it's location. Now, it's been sent to Orlando for inventory/customs purposes, and should be back to me in a couple of days.

I really appreciate what people are saying about new staff but we all went through that phase at some point.

On my first job out of university, I show up and I am supposed to answer the phone as one of my tasks. I got a call and had no idea what the answer would be so being an honest person I told the caller that "I was new here" and that's when I had to move the phone away from my ear. The caller must have thought that I was being smart.

It's helpful to speak to the powers that be so that concerns can be addressed for the sake of the new staff person and the guests. Then I take a deep breath and remember "where but for the grace of God go I" and be grateful that I am retired and don't have to be the new kid on the block ever again!