Kids club & Late dining

[Boatingmom]

We have late dining. Wil I my kids miss out on meeting people the first night? I plan on bringing them there a little bit before dinner. Anybody have experience with this? They're 11 & 13. TIA

[seashinesunshine]

We have late dining. Wil I my kids miss out on meeting people the first night? I plan on bringing them there a little bit before dinner. Anybody have experience with this? They're 11 & 13. TIA

 

It can depend on the ship you are on. Some ships have anytime dining for the first night, due to leaving port later. Ex: on The Victory, the ship doesn't leave port until 10 pm, therefor people are not all on board by dinner time, so it is all anytime dining in the MDRs.

If you post which is your specific ship, people can give you better info than I can. :)

[H82seaUgo]

wow! kids and late dining?

 

who were you thinking of booking that?

[seashell36]

Boatingmom - We cruised on the Legend a couple of years ago with kids ages 5,6, 10 and 11. The orientation for the younger ones (11 and under) started at 7:30. Then a welcome party started at 8:15. For your teenager Circle C will have a meeting party starting around 8:30.

I've heard parents say that their children missed that first get together and didnt make any connection with any of the kids. I know that would be more true with the older age groups - where some of the kids show up the first night, make friends to hang out with and don't come back to the "club". My kids have never had a problem making friends on the first full sea day during camp activities.

One of the frequent contributors on the family cruising board, Crusinmama06, has put together a website with a lot of the capers for the different ships and different age groups. You can find the Carnival capers here:

http://photobucket.com/cruisekidpages

 

Hope this helps!

[serene56]

Late dining and kids club do not match. Earlier seating will work better for the kids if they want to participate in those activities.

 

Camps close nightly at 5pm and reopen at 7pm with activities happening between 8-10pm (which is when you will be eating)

 

taking late seating--the kids will have a LOT of down time (most kids will be getting ready for early dining between 5-7

Especially with kids this age group and there will be lots of kids onboard your week.

 

do you eat this late at home?

 

the reason I ask-- we took late seating the first cruise and boy was it rough for us sleeping= all that heavy food sitting there with no time to digest.

[hpreece]

We were assigned late dinner seating but after looking at the schedule it didn't match with the childrens activities. So even though they were turning people away to reschedule their dinner seating they rescheduled us due to that reason. We just went to the MDR the first day before dinner and explained...

[SadieN]

The kids can always eat dinner at the buffet the first night.

[Boatingmom]

Thanks for the info. everybody. Seashell36 thanks for the capers link. We're sailing the Lgend and one of the reasons we're doing late seating is that last time the children were too full to eat at early seating and we had to rush too much. We are also cruising with older childless relatives.

 

We really only use the kids club for after dinner when we want to go to a show or casino. For the most part its family time when on vacation. This time we'll also use the club when at the Chef's Table.

 

Guess they'll have to adjust:eek:

[har]

Why dine every night with the kids? Most of the Carnival ships I have been have had an option to bring the kids to the kids club when they reopen at 6pm and they then take all the kids up to the buffet for dinner in a special kids area with kids-type foods (all but the first night of the cruise). This is usually at 6pm I think but may depend on the ship. We would drop the kids off at the kids club at 6pm and then head to early seating dinner without them. This might work out well for a lot of children, especially those younger ones who would much rather eat a quick meal and then go play and have fun, rather than having to sit a long time for a multi-course dinner lasting well over an hour. I suppose this all depends on your own preferences. Happy Cruising!

[hlb76]

We have done the late dining the last 2 cruises. We like it better as we dont have to rush to dinner after getting back from port. I will admit it does interfere alot w/ the camp doings. My oldest never really minded my younger one does depending if he met friends that went to camp often.

 

If there was a activity he really wants to do we either feed him before and run him to camp or let him eat w/ camp. My oldest loves eating in the MDR and hardly has ever missed a meal there.

 

We have only once been to the welcome aboard party and that was our first cruise. The kids where younger and we thought we had to go if we wanted the kids to try camp. It was a fun time but they did not need to go. Since then we sign them up the first sea day or sometimes they have it the first night at different times. My kids have always been ok w/ this and made friends. Sometimes such good friends they never wanted to hang w/ boring mom and dad.

[Cavners5]

If the camp opens at 6 pm, how do you get to the Chef's Table if it is at 6 also???