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

[cruzincurt]

Isn't it great that half of us like early, the other half late? We've always done the late.

[samtig]

We prefer late seating so we can relax after a port day. Then enjoy late shows. Didn't expect to like Freestyle dining on NCL but it is great - just eat when we feel like it. No waiting except a 5 min. once. Just put me on a cruise ship!!

[cruisin_in_my_dreams]

We prefer late seating for dinner as well. We have more time to relax and don't have to rush to get dressed for dinner.

 

patty

[AACJ]

We prefer late seating so we can relax after a port day. Then enjoy late shows. Didn't expect to like Freestyle dining on NCL but it is great - just eat when we feel like it. No waiting except a 5 min. once. Just put me on a cruise ship!!

 

I suppose you would have different tablemates each night if you did the Freestyle.

[DukeFamily]

We had late seating for the first time this last cruise and LOVED it. The days all felt nice and long and relaxed, even port days. There were only two midnight buffets (I think that's pretty standard any more) and really, who WANTS to eat like a pig at midnight?? That's just gross, to me! We were able to stroll back to the ship from the ports, enjoy the sail away from up top and even relax a little before we even had to think about getting ready for dinner. The kids even had time to take an extra dip in the pool before dinner. Also, something I liked, on the days when I was a little hungry a couple of hours prior to our 8:30 dinner time, I would go into the Windjammer and fix myself a little plate of appetizers to enjoy poolside. We'll go for late seating from now on.

[May4]

We ask for the 6:15 seating, and so far that is what we have gotten. By the time we are ready for the main course, it's almost 7:00. That's when we normally eat at home.

[MAXII]

Late sitting is my preference: there are fewer very young children, better suits some in-port times, like to enjoy a full day either on the ship or in port and then take my time to dress for dinner.

[ahoughton]

We enjoy going to the shows so if we did late we would have to be back on board early anyway. We also enjoy midnight buffet and it would be rough getting up from dinner at 10:00 and eating again at 12:00.

[suezyq50]

We have always done main. It is just what we are accustomed to. I am concerned about going to bed "on a full stomach"

[KAWS]

Well after reading all of these postings, I asked my TA to switch us from the main (6:15 pm) seating to the early late (8 pm) seating. I know this will work out fine for me and for dh. I just hope my teenage son sees it that way. I'm sure he's going to see it as cutting into HIS time. Oh well - I'm sure there will be one night we'll be at the buffet and also one night dh and I want to go alone to the speciality restaurant so he'll just have to compromise a little.

 

Kim

[Sprocket]

We prefer the late seating as we quite often do not eat before 8 PM at home. With the 3 hour time difference for us West Coasters eating dinner at 2PM our time is just way too early.

 

Bev

[gmouse]

We've done Main Seating for all of our cruises and never felt rushed to get back to the ship when in port. If we choose to stay in port really long, we just eat at the other restraunts. I don't like dressing up to eat dinner anyway.

 

Plus we tend to do excursions at each port and most require that you are up fairly early, so I try not to stay up into the wee hours of the morning. And I'm starving by the time I get back to the ship, so the sooner we can eat the better.

 

I would like to try out the late seating sometime just to see if I would like it, but I'm afraid to commit a whole cruise to that time, just in case I don't like it.

[survivor]

We prefer late seating.We like to shower before dinner after being out all day. We sit on the deck with a drink and relaxe before the evening fun hopefully begins:)

[motherchic]

WELL........ thank goodness we all dont like the same things.....

that dining room certainly would be packed.

I know i would make the best of it if i could not get my choice of seating, and yet when you wait and look forward to a cruise for so long it is so wonderful when you get your choice.

We prefere late seating. After a day on the islands, i love spending time in the thallo pool and hot tubs, getting dressed for dinner and then enjoying sushi at the aft of the ship and then on to the martini bar for a pre-dinner drink or a cocktail on our balcony. We enjoy sailing Celebrity and found the food to be wonderfully served but also not overlyfilling to the point of feeling stuffed. We then attend the 11pm show and spend a bit of time in the casino. Perfect day !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kudos2Fly]

We prefer maine seating. We tried late one time. We also felt rushed after dinner. With maine we can relax after dinner and of course we never have felt rushed getting back to the ship.

 

Plus it around our normal eating time anyways.

[AACJ]

bump

[suntan]

We prefer main seating. We normally eat around 6pm anyways so it fits into our usual routine. I can see how others prefer late seating. I have been caught once or twice rushing back from a shore excursion to get ready for dinner at 6.

[AACJ]

still a 60/40 split

[bubbles1209]

We prefer the late seating so that we have plenty of time to take a breather before dinner after being in port most of the day. DH likes to take a nap, and I go out on deck for sailaway, then go and get ready for dinner. Also gives you plenty of time to get ready for formal night without being rushed.

[madhouseinc]

Late, I like to go to tea in the afternoon, then perhaps a short nap so I can get a second wind to the nights activities.

[flvol77]

We prefer Anytime - we don't plan our day around food - when we are hungry we get ready for dinner and go - sometimes its 5:30 other times it 8:30 or somewhere in between.

 

Thank You Princess for anytime dining - its what brought us into cruising!

[Caliber1]

Late seating, less kiddies, more relaxed atmosphere.

[NAS-KARR]

WE WANT TO !

CIAO..."to all and to all a BUONA NOTTE"

[fllady]

We prefer early/main seating. We can't go to bed stuffed getting to old for that. We also enjoyed the anytime seating on Princess. So if we were busy on tour etc we could eat when we got back instead of rushig to main seating. We did try late seating 3 different cruises just to see if we liked it. Went back to main each time.

[swimsimcoe]

I much prefer the early dining although I do admit that sometimes it is a bit of a rush.HOWEVER I LOVE ALL THE NIGHT ENTERTAINMENT and would have to miss out on things I would like to see and do if I ate late.It does not seem to make as big a difference on a smaller ship as entertainment is not as plentiful but certaily on a ship of 2500 or more.