Little ones in MDR

[gavinfromlondon]

We are going on a 12 night cruise when our daughter will be just over aged 2.

 

We will probably do a mix of eating options in the evening (Windjammer/ inroom dining/ Johnny Rockets etc) but wanted to know of others experiences in the MDR with a little one.

 

Are we likely to be able to get a table just for the three of us (as less potential disruption to others and we can eat quicker/ skip a course if we want)? Do they have highchairs in the MDR?

[MOSusan]

We are going on a 12 night cruise when our daughter will be just over aged 2.

 

We will probably do a mix of eating options in the evening (Windjammer/ inroom dining/ Johnny Rockets etc) but wanted to know of others experiences in the MDR with a little one.

 

Are we likely to be able to get a table just for the three of us (as less potential disruption to others and we can eat quicker/ skip a course if we want)? Do they have highchairs in the MDR?

 

Yes, they do have highchairs in the MDR. It sounds like you are trying to be very considerate of your fellow passengers and that is all that can be asked of you. Most of us can overlook a fussy child it it is obvious that the parents are trying. Good Luck, may you have smooth sailing.

[Cru1s1ng2009]

We are going on a 12 night cruise when our daughter will be just over aged 2.

 

We will probably do a mix of eating options in the evening (Windjammer/ inroom dining/ Johnny Rockets etc) but wanted to know of others experiences in the MDR with a little one.

 

Are we likely to be able to get a table just for the three of us (as less potential disruption to others and we can eat quicker/ skip a course if we want)? Do they have highchairs in the MDR?

I think it is more likely that you will be at a table with other people who have kids. Thats what ends up happening to us a lot of the time. And I have no idea about highchairs but how could they not?

 

Keep in mind that dinner is about 1 1/2 to 2 hours in the MDR. When mine was smaller she would get bored adfter a while so I guess it depends on your kid. There is a lot going on the there so maybe that will keep him/her entertained.

[watertraveler]

Last year, we had a family traveling with us that had a 2 year old. The dining staff were fantastic with him! They brought his food out early so he didn't have to wait and after the first couple of nights, they learned what he liked to eat and had his food waiting!

 

Of course, the parents had an Ipad and he watched his favorite movie every night. When he got fidgetity, his parents walked him around.

 

All in all, it went really smoothly.

[gerif]

They definitely have highchairs so no problem there. Ask for a small table now, possibly one near the entrance so one of you could make a quick exit if needed during the meal.

[B_Mc]

Yes, highchairs with trays are readily available. Ours was always pulled up to the table and waiting from the second night on! We've always been able to find something for our son from the main menu or the children's menu (10 months and 22 months) and the staff was quick to bring whole milk upon request.

 

We didn't ask for specific seating and ended up being seated with other children which suited us just fine. We were tucked away in a back corner right near a deep set window which also suited us, we were out of the way, yet had a little space near the window to let our little one stretch.

 

On another cruise we were seated with our own large group but noticed almost all the tables near us also had children! I suspect there is some thought that goes into the seating.

[AmesFL]

We have brought DD on cruises at 8 months, 21 months and right after she turned 3. The trickiest age was 21 months. She was really antsy, so while we started in traditional dining (early seating) we switched off with my in-laws and didn't have DD in the dining room after the second night. At 8 months she was fine at early seating and when she was 3 we did MTD, which worked out perfectly. A table with just us went much faster and our waiter was able to give her a little more attention. I'd recommend doing MTD if you can.

[danilynn17]

Children do well with routines. Two years ago we went on a HAL cruise with our daughter who was just shy of a year. We were assigned to their version of MTD, but made a standing reservation for the entire cruise. So we had the same table and same wait staff.

 

They made it so easy. The high chair would be in place when we got there, along with her milk (with a straw- she loved straws). A plate of steamed veggies would come out shortly after we got to the table for her to munch on. We were seated in a corner at a table for 6 (it was my husband and I, my parents and our daughter). With all the different courses, we always let her try something of ours.

 

In a few weeks we are going on RCL, again with my parents. This time our older daughter will be 3, and we will have a 10.5 month old. We have early dining and hope to establish the same routine.

 

I think having the routine helps. There's no waiting for a table, the table is set up and ready to go when you arrive, and the staff will make the effort to get your child something right away.

 

We found the Windjammer to be difficult- balancing all of the food, keeping an eye on the kid, getting her milk, finding a high chair, etc. It was much easier to be waited on in the main dining room.

[spookwife]

We are going on a 12 night cruise when our daughter will be just over aged 2.

 

We will probably do a mix of eating options in the evening (Windjammer/ inroom dining/ Johnny Rockets etc) but wanted to know of others experiences in the MDR with a little one.

 

Are we likely to be able to get a table just for the three of us (as less potential disruption to others and we can eat quicker/ skip a course if we want)? Do they have highchairs in the MDR?

 

do you have set dining, or My Time? if the former then you will be seated with at least one other group, probably with children the same age. if the latter you can request to eat alone but if you do not make reservations you *might* have to wait when you do show up.

 

any time you opt to not use the MDR you should at least inform the headwaiter so that your table mates( if applicable) do not wait for you.

[Isaboo]

They do a really good job matching people up for dinner based on demographics I guess. We just returned from the 3 day Allure and sat with another couple who was almost exactly like us! On our honeymoon cruise year ago we were seated with other honeymooners. You'll probably be seated with another family or two. No worries! It's a very family friendly cruse line. :)

[Showtune]

When our son was 19 months old, we did a standing 6 pm reservation in MTD. Our party had our own table and the same waitstaff each night. The highchair was always in place. However, dinner in the main dining room is a long drawn out affair, and even on a good night, it was too long for our son. He just couldn't sit still that long, and at that age wasn't interested in electronics for very long either. Inevitably, one of us had to take him out for a walk during the meal. It was NOT an enjoyable dining experience for any of our party. Of course, the table next to us had a little girl only a few month older, and she'd eat her fruit cup, french fries and chocolate ice cream, then fall asleep with her head on the table!

 

We had much more success in the Windjammer. One of us would get there right as they opened the hot food line and get food for themselves and the kid. The other parent would bring the kiddo in to a table about 10 minutes later, then go get their own food.

 

No one knows your kid better than you do. My best advice is to go with the flow. Don't expect them to function on their best behavior when they are tired, hungry, or bored. And be ready to change the way you do things if it's not working out. A cruise with little kids is very different that a cruise without them.

[DrD]

Years ago on the Grandeur the staff was awesome with our then 2yo. If he had to be taken away (usually) they would send all the food we had ordered but hadn't had yet to our cabin!

 

And no we weren't in a suite.

[harz99]

Sounds like My Time Family Dining would be good for the OP.

 

http://bookings.royalcaribbean.co.uk/findacruise/experience/html.do?exCode=702&shipCode=VY&wuc=GBR

 

Hope that link works!

[clwnmt2]

Just a thought, you can request to be sitting alone if you would want. Go to rcldining@rcl.com. They might be able to put in a request if you would want. Just let them know the details of your upcoming cruise. Have a great time.

[brillohead]

We cruised when my son was 3yo and again when he was 4yo, and all the staff were GREAT with him. Most of the crew have either kids of their own, younger siblings, or nieces/nephews, and so the kids on board become almost like "surrogate kids" to them (especially if the kid in question isn't a spoiled hellion brat).

 

The waiter and assistant waiter and bar waitress all made a fuss over him every night. I think I still have a handful of "drink umbrellas" in a desk at home left over from ten years ago when the bar waitress spoiled my kid rotten with them -- she showed him how to "play parachute" with them, and it was their little game for the rest of the trip.

[flhokie]

We are cruising with DD (2) in May. We will be sailing with a group of family & friends on Allure & will be sitting with them at main seating. We plan to request a high chair. DD is very tall for her age & can sit in a chair (especially with a booster seat), so we will see what works best.

 

We plan to take it night by night. We plan to take things to occupy her attention (coloring book, crayons, stickers, paper, books & probably dvd player with headphones). DH & I will take her to walk around outside the dining room if necessary (grandparents, etc.) have offered too. I'm sure we might end up in Windjammer or Johnny Rockets (or Park Cafe) some nights.

 

The night we dine at Chops we plan to take her to the nursery.

[Cshgrand]

Mdr staff are really accommodating - five out of seven meals last cruise our son fell asleep at dinner time because of jet lag. They offered to make him a chair bed up, get our meals to go etc when this happened in mdr and chops!

We have also grown to love my time dining as it means a table for three and we can get thru dinner more rapidly if the situation demands, we have never encountered a wait for a prebooked table. A personal choice, but no Electrical entertainment at meal times for us and we find Usbourne sticker books are great to amuse.

We have always used a booster seat on a chair at the table at meal times, they are also readily available.

Have a great time.

[gavinfromlondon]

Thanks to all for your comments. The Ipad is definitely a great tool for keeping a little one amused after they have eaten!

 

We would be happy to sit with others with children but what we don't want is to either disturb others or have them glaring at us through dinner!

[sjb317]

We've had great experiences in the MDR with our grandsons, Gavin was just 16 months old on our last family cruise. We did MTD with a set reservation each night for our party of 8, so we had the same table & wait staff each night. The waiters were wonderful with our grandsons! After the first night there was always fruit & milk waiting for both boys each night and ice cream always appeared at the end of the meal. Gavin loved the waiters and was willing to be swooped up by them each night and carried around the dining room. One of the waiters told us how much she missed her little boy and gave Ben a model of the ship on our last night.

 

As someone else said, being waited on in the MDR was much easier than trying to juggle food & children in the WJ. There are highchairs in the WJ as well as MDR.

 

Sherri:)

[nivek82]

The best time we have had was MTD that started BEFORE early seating. As people mentioned by day 2 a high chair was waiting for us as well as a fruit plate. We would order and our DD would get her main course with our apps. By the time she would normally be "over" sitting main seating would open up and she spent the next 30 minutes watching people. We would be out in about an hour (only a couple of times had to take a desert to go for myself of mommy) and since we were done so early public areas were nice and empty for DD to burn off her food without getting in others way.

 

Now it is different but I found ourselves eatting less snacks in the afternoon because we knew we would eat early. We then would put our child to bed around her normal time 8ish and the other would get some snacks or extra deserts from Windjammer just before t closed. On one cruise we would put our child to bed in her crib then have sushi (or what RCL calls sushi) on the balcony.

 

Finally (sorry so long but before we had our daughter I came to this board all the time and it helped much to how things with a child work on a ship) don't discount the nursery. We use it on ships that have it and its great! DD has tons of fun and gets to bed early and we have time for drinks in the DL and donations to the casino. Only if they saw how much I donate and give me a break on that fee in the nursery.

[lady_cruiser]

While we don't have kids I can tell you what it is like to be seated at a table near one that has very young children.

 

The staff goes the extra mile to keep them happy, laughing and entertained.

 

I think you will be happy you chose this cruiseline to sail with your precious little one.

[gelo7]

Our youngest had just turned 1 when she first cruised, and we had no problems at all.