Indecisive about dinner seating time

[smheese]

I already booked the early seating, which was my instinct to do since we usually eat by 6:30 every night and are very hungry by then. However it's getting closer to cruise time and I am wondering if I can change to late. Not sure if 8 will feel too late or not, but I hate to rush to eat early, and I also read in someone's post that an early dinner seating means a 7am breakfast too?

 

My kids are 5, 7, 9 now and can hang pretty well. I guess we just have to decide if we are going to be vacation late risers and stay up late to digest or early to rise early to bed after an early dinner.

 

How long are the nightly shows? Are they 6 and 8 just like dinner?

 

I know I haven't asked a specific question, but more just want some advice and experiences on late vs. early dining. Thanks so much (this is our very first cruise ever... Magic 7 night over spring break)

[moki'smommy]

Oh my, you have a bit of misinformation. Dinner is not 6 and 8. It varies a little bit on some cruises, but is normally 5:45 and 8:15. There is always a 2 1/2 hour difference between main and late start times, whether they are 5:45 and 8:15, 6 and 8:30 or 5:30 and 8. We've experienced all of these times, but the norm is 5:45/8:15. The shows start a little later than dinner starts, but only by a few minutes.

 

OK, if you have 8:15 dinner, that means you ENTER the dining room at 8:15. It will be at least 15 minutes later till you see an appetizer.

 

If you have main (early) dinner, you will go to dinner at 5:45 and will not need an afternoon snack. Some people complain that this rushes them on port days, but "all aboard" time is usually no later than 5, giving you adequate time for a quick shower and clothes change before dinner. Late dinner would give you about 15 minutes more to "get ready" if that is an issue.

 

If you have late dinner, you WILL want an afternoon snack. We call it "healthy snack" and try to get something with at least SOME nutritive value. If you have late dinner, the CMs from the kid programming will come into the dining rooms about 9:00-9:15 and take any kids you want to the programming. You can finish your dinner in peace. HOWEVER....this is only a little different than what intelligent moms have done for 15+ years on DCL. If you have Main, ask your server to "expedite" the kid meals...as soon as the kids have finished, one adult excuses herself and takes the kids to programming, then returns to the dining room to finish the meal. It takes all of 5 minutes to run them to the programming. You can pick them up for the late show if you/they wish. Or they can finish dinner with you and you can all go to the 7:30 family activities. These are designed to give everyone something to do between dinner and the show, regardless of which you have completed.

 

My suggestion if you are on Eastern time--little people = main seating. Teens, adults = late. This is for us....obviously your preference may vary.

 

The shows last between 45 and 60 minutes. They are designed to have you out an hour after starting time including the CD announcements. So 5 minutes of announcements, then the show will total just under an hour.

Edited February 9, 2015 by moki'smommy

[BullDawg91]

I am on record as preferring late dining. Relax, order room service, enjoy the sunset, get dressed, see a show, go to dinner.

 

You don't miss anything either way because they do shows twice to accommodate both seatings.

 

And that is with kids.

 

 

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Edited February 9, 2015 by BullDawg91

[cb at sea]

With smaller kids...keep the early seating. Your tummy (and theirs!) will thank you!

[cruisefamilyforever]

Not sure if 8 will feel too late or not, but I hate to rush to eat early, and I also read in someone's post that an early dinner seating means a 7am breakfast too?

 

If I'm remembering correctly, I believe breakfast hours are the same for everyone except for the last morning of your cruise. I know it that way for the buffet and when I ate in the main dining room almost no one was there.

 

The last morning is the one and only time you have a set time based on your assigned original dining schedule and that is when the main dining was actually busy in the morning on my cruise on the Dream.

Edited February 10, 2015 by cruisefamilyforever

[moki'smommy]

As above, the only time you have an assigned breakfast seating is the last morning. Don't like your time? Talk to the head server (might be able to move you) or eat at the pool deck restaurant (open till 8:30, then food is put away).

[sunset@sea]

We did early seating on our last cruise in late January. Our kids are 6,4,4. We chose early seating because we thought it might be to late for baths, etc., after the late seating.

 

But it turns out they wanted to go back to kids club every evening after dinner and then stayed up watching movies. So it really wasn't worth rushing to dinner in what seemed like the middle of the day. It made the days seem so short. Our caregiver who travels with us also said she would prefer the later seating so that's what we're doing on our next sailing. The kids can have a snack in the afternoon.

 

I think the kids club staff may even come to the restaurants mid way through the late seating to take kids to the club.

[moki'smommy]

 

I think the kids club staff may even come to the restaurants mid way through the late seating to take kids to the club.

 

See post #2 above.

[GUT2407]

With little kids, I'd stck to early f you plan for them to eat with you.

 

At home we eat around 6:30 on a cruise always do late, more to time to prepare after returning to the ship an there's always somewhere to grab a bite if we're peckish.