jerseygirl79 Posted December 28, 2010 #1 Share Posted December 28, 2010 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefly333 Posted December 28, 2010 #2 Share Posted December 28, 2010 I like early seating too .. but I always want a large table. I like meeting our table mates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlendaleCruiser Posted December 28, 2010 #3 Share Posted December 28, 2010 I like early seating too .. but I always want a large table. I like meeting our table mates. Ditto here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perfect Stranger Posted December 28, 2010 #4 Share Posted December 28, 2010 I couldn't imagine finishing dinner at 10:00 p.m. No time for the calories to get burned off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygirl79 Posted December 28, 2010 Author #5 Share Posted December 28, 2010 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygirl79 Posted December 28, 2010 Author #6 Share Posted December 28, 2010 I couldn't imagine finishing dinner at 10:00 p.m. No time for the calories to get burned off. Yes...it can be quite miserable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarapdot Posted December 28, 2010 #7 Share Posted December 28, 2010 I'm going to request early seating on our next cruise. I hated going to bed so full this last time. Plus we were so tired after eating so much that we missed all the late night activities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare chasinraynbowz Posted December 28, 2010 #8 Share Posted December 28, 2010 We have always had early seating and love it! If we get hungry later or want a little snack, there is always room service!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steelermoose Posted December 28, 2010 #9 Share Posted December 28, 2010 I LOVE early seating, because you still have time to get to the shows early enough to get a seat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygirl79 Posted December 28, 2010 Author #10 Share Posted December 28, 2010 I agree with you all. This was the least I ate on any cruise and I think it's because I ate more like I would at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPete Posted December 28, 2010 #11 Share Posted December 28, 2010 We were talked into late seating once. Worst experience of all our cruises. We are staunch early dinners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perfect Stranger Posted December 28, 2010 #12 Share Posted December 28, 2010 And you probably didn't feel "rushed after port", did you? I never did understand that theory from the late dining advocates. You're typically back on board at 4:00 anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soozles Posted December 28, 2010 #13 Share Posted December 28, 2010 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perfect Stranger Posted December 28, 2010 #14 Share Posted December 28, 2010 There's still time to lay down for an hour when you return from port. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygirl79 Posted December 28, 2010 Author #15 Share Posted December 28, 2010 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westview1 Posted December 28, 2010 #16 Share Posted December 28, 2010 We always go with early seating and for our short (4 day) cruise we opted for the late, just for the change of pace and give it a try. It should be interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guxu Posted December 28, 2010 #17 Share Posted December 28, 2010 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare skittl1321 Posted December 28, 2010 #18 Share Posted December 28, 2010 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygirl79 Posted December 28, 2010 Author #19 Share Posted December 28, 2010 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patseacruiser Posted December 28, 2010 #20 Share Posted December 28, 2010 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RICKnVICK Posted December 28, 2010 #21 Share Posted December 28, 2010 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uppitycats Posted December 28, 2010 #22 Share Posted December 28, 2010 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Charlie Posted December 28, 2010 #23 Share Posted December 28, 2010 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
golfadj Posted December 28, 2010 #24 Share Posted December 28, 2010 We always take early seating. Much more time to enjoy entertainment in the evening and not going to feel full when going to bed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmorg Posted December 28, 2010 #25 Share Posted December 28, 2010 I'm converted too... to Anytime/YourTime dining. Love, love, love it, forever & ever amen. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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