Poll: What do you prefer, Main or Late dining and why

[satxdiver]

We prefer late dinning.

• The early dinning has more children/families particularly the younger ones as a general rule.
  
• It is too early for us to eat dinner as we usually eat around 7:30 or so at home.
  
• The early dinning is hard to use when in port as you are rushed to get back aboard, clean up and then go to dinner. We prefer to leisurely return, clean up and have a drink before dinner. It is a vacation after all.
  
• In the early dinning they are in a rush to get you served and out before the next group arrives. Whereas in the late dinning they just want to get you out so they can clean up. The staff is a lot more relaxed.
  
• We get to do our favorite activity watching the last few running for the gangplank.
  
• The later shows tend to be more "adult" particularly the comedians and the few children present older.

[AACJ]

Just booked a cruise with the kids, trying to get Main dinner for them, although they will most likely be staying up late.

[uppitycats]

Too bad the poll didn't include "anytime dining". I much prefer that to being told when I'm supposed to eat. I'd be interested to see how many agree.

[pris993]

We prefer late. Early is too early, we are generally not even hungry then. Also we find we like to rest late afternoon, late dining gives us time to relax and not feel rushed. This is especially true if we have a significant time change to adjust to when we take a TA or European cruise.

[nocheckedbags]

Early seating for us. We are early to bed, early to rise people.

[MMDown Under]

Early sitting always for us, as we are early to bed, early to rise seniors.

 

Although we requested early sitting on our last cruise, we were given late sitting, so had to request a change.

 

As late sittings seem more popular, surely cruise lines should have a policy of giving seniors early sitting, if they have requested early sitting.

[Colorado Kat]

Early dining. I let my 16 year old girls decide, and they much preferred the early dining, so they could get a good start on the evening festivities. There are really a lot of things going on at night!

 

Kathy

[Judi2112]

Late Dining:

Time for a siesta;

Lots of time to get ready;

Pre-dinner drinks;

Not being rushed at dinner.

[simplelife]

I voted for late seating because main and late are the only alternatives on Royal Caribbean at the moment. I would really prefer 7 p.m. or 7:30. Six o'clock is too early (hardly any time for cocktail hour) and 8:30 is a little late (makes for a 3 hour cocktail hour).:)

 

The food and beverage manager on the Mariner told us in April that Royal Caribbean is experimenting with some other options - but not open seating.

 

I agree -main is too early and Late is WAY too late.

 

We have tried both - when we cruise with others we go with their preference. When it's just us, we do main. This allows us to have more of the evening open for shows and entertainment, to retire early if we wish, or to actually sample the midnight buffet.

[simplelife]

Looks like its trending more to late seating.

 

 

art

 

I wonder then why main seating always seems to fill up first?

[printingchick]

On Royal Caribbean it's called "MyTime Dining", but they have open seating on nearly all cruise ships now. You go any time between 6:00-9:30 and are seated just as you would be at a restaurant. I prefer to fit my meals around my activities, rather than be locked into a specific dining time every night.

[WELSH WIZARDS]

I prefer late seating...and I also NEED IT !!

It takes much , much longer these days to turn this old pumpkin into Cinderella..! :D ;)

[AACJ]

I wonder why that is too. We were just put on the main dining wait list for our cruise in July, but after reading the paperwork, it appears they don't assign until the day of the cruise.

 

I wonder then why main seating always seems to fill up first?

[kescott98]

My family and I like the late dining. That way, we don't feel rushed coming back from the shore excursions.

[jamers22]

We've tried both and prefer late:)

- stay out longer by the pool

- not rushed to get back from shore excursions to get ready

- just seems more relaxed and laid-back

[cruiserbryce]

we like Main...lets us eat then enjoy the rest of the evening on board. Only draw back is that if you are in a port late you could miss the DR dinner...which is fine with us, we'd rather use up all the possible time in port

[LindaKE]

We prefer to pick our time so we like anytime dining, freestyle, etc.

[simplelife]

\The later shows tend to be more "adult" particularly the comedians and the few children present older.

With main dining you can still go the late shows. In fact I have found that early dining allows for more evening entertainment options.

[griffy]

Early/Main gives us time for everyone to chill out or hit the casino or shop and I'm starving by the time I get dressed. We don't spend lots of time on getting ready..just your basic shower, dress and a mad dash for the elevator to the Dining room. We don't stay up all night dancing so I like to have some time to wind down after dinner before hitting the bed.Besides, with Main Dining, I have time to build up an appetite for a couple of cookies and a slice of pizza before bedtime..out on my balcony in the quiet, peaceful zone.

[Cymro1953]

Neither, the 1st is too early and 2nd too late. So we're doing My Time Dining and can eat when we want.

 

Berwyn

[GlendaleCruiser]

Isn't it cool that they have so many options and everyone can do what feels right for them and works for them? I love that!

 

I personally eat dinner at home around 6 or so, and like the earlier seating. Then I like to sit on deck if it's nice and look at the stars, or go to a piano bar for a couple of hours, or dance in the promenade if the band is there. Sometimes I shop. Sometimes, I just feel like going back to the cabin and reading for awhile and I don't have to worry about that FULLLL feeling. I usually stay up late, but I'm not comfortable eating late.

[amcg96]

We just prefer late dining because it gives us the opportunity to enjoy every minute at each of the ports. We've only been on a cruise and this Oct. will be our second but since we plan on taking many more cruises what had worked for us is:

get to the ship :30min. prior to the last call for each port, go right to the windjammer to get some snacks and hit the pool to see the departure from the islands. Just by that time we do some quick activities around the ship and go to change for the dining. We go to the shows after our meal.

[CruisnGram]

Neither. Freestyle all the way for me. I can choose to eat late one night, and early the next if I want.

 

CG

[cruznjan]

Early, because that's about the time we usually eat. DH is diabetic and can't wait for a late meal.

Edited May 26, 2009 by cruznjan
grammar

[mypleasure]

I like to eat when I need to eat or want to eat. I will only consider cruiselines that offer me that flexibility. Fortunately it seems that more and more are offering some sort of anytime dining but none as good as NCL so far. For that reason I prefer to sail NCL and yes, before anyone tells me, I don't mind the occasional visit to an additional charge venue, I don't consider it nickel and diming since it is my choice and my choice alone to do so. The two main dining rooms, buffet, fast food place and room service offer plenty of no fee choice for those who don't want to pay extra and you can go there at a fixed time every night if that is what you want to do.