No, MTD can fill up. It's not just a "catch all". They still need to accommodate the bulk of people. They just know that everyone won't be showing up at the same time.
This is my biggest pet peeve. There is no way to say "I'm not using the MDR" and not take up a space. If you switch to MTD, you are taking up space there, so someone else might not get it. If you take a traditional dining spot, same thing.
This is a no win situation.
Laws in the state. Not sure the specifics for NY. I think it's just easier for Carnival to just not do the first day versus figuring out the accounting.
As you got closer to the cruise, your illegal itinerary would have been caught.
Generally speaking, if you start in one US port and end in a second US port, without going to a distant foreign port first, you are in violation.
Also to point out, that it also recommended that you get a notarized letter from the non-traveling parent (minus a sole custody agreement) giving to consent to take the kids out of the country. So if the issue is that the non-custodial parent not willing to sign the application, you still might have an issue.
With anytime dining, you don't have a reserved table. You check in when you're ready to eat, and get a table when you get there. Just note that in a lot of cases, the tables for 2 aren't by the window.
As a Canadian citizen, you would be required to have a Canadian passport, along with your permanent resident paperwork. Just a Florida driver's license is not acceptable, even for US citizens who would also need a birth certificate.
Zodiaks are glorified rafts. I would guess that if you had a couple of people that could carry you onto the zodiak that you might be able to get your manual wheelchair on. But, I can't answer for certain if this would be allowed. I would contact Silversea and see what they say.