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I'm converted! No more Late Seating for me!

jerseygirl79

By jerseygirl79,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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jerseygirl79

jerseygirl79

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For the first time in 6 cruises we decided to try the Early Seating. We were waitlisted for Any Time, but ended up with my 2nd choice, Early. Soon after boarding the ship we went to the dining room and learned we had been assigned a table for 4. DH and I requested a table for 2 and it was granted! SWEET!!! I'm so glad because Destiny has 4-person booth seating and it just seems awkward to sit in a booth with strangers, LOL. I mean who sits where? Do the men sit side by side so they can look across the table at their wives or do you sit next to your spouse but then spend the night looking at a stranger and talking sideways to your spouse?? Maybe I'm putting too much thought into it, LOL.

 

Anway, I LOVE LOVE LOVE early seating!!! DH and I eat breakfast early, by 9am, lunch we ate between 12:30-1:30 so by the time 6:00 came we were hungry. In the past, we snacked between 1:30 and 8:15 on junk and really weren't hungry for dinner, but that's what you do on a cruise right...eat. Well this prevented that craziness. Plus, we were done by 8 just in time for all the trivia, shows, and comedy. At night I went to Lido for some coffee or maybe purchased a drink at Cafe On The Way before or after visiting the casino. No more going to bed full or stuffed. It was wonderful.

 

So I'm CONVERTED!!! And I'm not going back! :D

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jerseygirl79

jerseygirl79

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I like early seating too .. but I always want a large table. I like meeting our table mates.

 

My first 2 cruises I sat at larger tables with strangers and I didn't mind. But DH is a bit more reserved than I am. At least with a large table, you're more likely to find someone you click with. The 4 people booths still scare me, hahahah.

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soozles

soozles

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Eh, I'm not a fan of early dinner. I stay up later on cruises so I'm not going to bed full. And then I feel like it cuts the day really short when you have to go back to the room to get ready for dinner, plus I like to take a nap when I get back from the ports but before dinner. But it works for me that more people prefer early seating because it means I never need to worry about getting my late seating for dinner.

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jerseygirl79

jerseygirl79

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There's still time to lay down for an hour when you return from port.

 

I didn't feel rushed at all. In most cases we were off the ship early, right after breakfast. We either had lunch at port and arrived back to the ship between 3:30-4:30 or came back for a light lunch about 2pm. Plenty of time to digest, rest, and shower by 6pm.

 

I think it matters that we are early risers as opposed to night owls. We'd rather spend most of our time out and about at ports then in the clubs at night.

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skittl1321 Great Review Rare

skittl1321

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do you sit next to your spouse but then spend the night looking at a stranger and talking sideways to your spouse?? Maybe I'm putting too much thought into it, LOL.

 

I loved our booth for 4 when we were a party of 2. (I hate tables- booths all the way). The couples sat side by side and we talked sideways to our own spouse, but we spent most of the time talking as a party with the entire table- it wasn't ackward at all, and I'm so glad for the arrangement we got because we had so much in common, and became fast friends for the cruise.

 

A large table would make me nervous though- 4 people was the perfect size.

 

Who knows what we will get this cruise, as there are 4 of us already... fingers crossed for a booth though, I feel like since we are already in a group it would be weird to sit with another group. But when we were just a couple, it was great to sit with another couple.

 

The only ackward seating arrangement we had was one breakfast- we sat down, and then another couple joined us. The wife didn't speak any English, but the husband was affable and spoke a little. He wanted to talk with us quite a bit, and we did- but we felt like his wife was completely left out.

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jerseygirl79

jerseygirl79

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I love early seating too. After dinning room, we can go Lido deck to complete our dinner. Then, by the time they set up midnight buffet we will have rooms to enjoy more :p

 

Since it was just DH and I we were done eating by 7:30 in most cases. There were a couple of night I didn't want dessert, but I was thinking if I decide I want it later, I could still go to Lido before "dinner" ended and get it there. I never did, but it was a good idea to have as an option.

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patseacruiser

patseacruiser

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I have always had early seating and in March decided let's try late seating because this January we are cruising with 8 other people who are doing late dining so I said heck we'd do it and we were going to give it a 'dry run' last March. First night we were dying waiting until 8:30. We went down and were able to be changed to any time. So we tried to hold off until 7ish. When we were on the Epic in November since it's freestyle we went whenever and found we went to shows and didn't get to dinner until 8:30 ish so I feel better about my trip in 17 days that I will probably be able to make 8:30 dinner. Yes 17 days!!!! wooooo hooooo I am so ready after 28" of snow here. :D

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RICKnVICK

RICKnVICK

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My husband and I have always done early seating. This next cruise however, there are 31 of us going and we couldn't get confirmed for early seating. We are doing late for first time ever. Several friends cruising with us prefer late so I am going in with an open mind and will decide after cruise which one I prefer. I don't feel like I EVER go hungry on a cruise:rolleyes: so stay tuned......

 

I will say though that I am curious to see if the not rushing before dinner is a nice change of pace.

 

Vicki

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uppitycats

uppitycats

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If I couldn't get anytime dining...definitely our preference...then early seating would be our only choice. But we'd have to be assigned to a table of no more than 4, and preferably by ourselves. If we were assigned late seating we'd end up eating elsewhere. Having dinner that late is way too uncomfortable for us.

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98Charlie

98Charlie

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DH & I always take early dining. Even when sailing NCL with freestyle dining we eat by 6 p.m.

 

We were both raised in rural Ohio, farm bred so to speak, where families sat down to eat together after evening chores of milking cows and feeding the sheep. Sometimes that was 5 p.m. in the winter, sometimes 6 p.m. in the summer. By 9 p.m. we were getting ready for bed.

 

We are now in our early '60s and have lived in the city since we were 19 but we still prefer to eat our evening meal earlier than later.

 

I'm sure if we were ever assigned late seating the waiters would be upset. They'd find us face down in our creme brulee.

 

Dianne

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