Late Seating with Lots of Kids - How bad is this really?!

[MCruiser30]

Cruising in March with 8 kids.  The only time available was late seating.  There is of course My Time Dining, but I've heard that this is very challenging with a party of 11 to get seated with any expediency, even with reservations.  I am concerned about two things:
1) That the kids will just be straight up hungry to be sitting down to eat dinner at 8 PM.  BTW - when does this seating time usually let out?

2) It seems like all of the evening "kid activities" are geared for the early seating.  As in, we will be eating right over the top of kid activities for kids aged <5, 5- 8, 8-11, 12+.  It seems really lame (am I wrong?) that they will get out of dinner and everything will be more or less over as far as this stuff.

 

I have tried working with RCCL on this.  They are saying the early time is "closed" and that changes are very unlikely to happen.

 

Advice, sympathy, pro-tips please.  

[Clarea]

1 minute ago, MCruiser30 said:

 ...
1) That the kids will just be straight up hungry to be sitting down to eat dinner at 8 PM.  BTW - when does this seating time usually let out?

 ...

 

Figure at least 90 minutes with your large party.

[bouhunter]

Maybe consider My Time Dining and split into two tables.

[bearette]

You can always feed them at the buffet and then just you and your husband attend dinner at late seating (or anytime). My kids love the kids club and have no interest in sitting down to dinner for 90-120 minutes. If you go as soon as they open, you get seated faster which may solve your anytime dinning problem.  

[tangogulf]

3 minutes ago, bouhunter said:

Maybe consider My Time Dining and split into two tables.

Probably best option. On nights where your kids want to engage in a particular organised activity that clashes with dinner you can always go to the Windjammer. 

[#1TravelMom]

Totally agree with bearette.  When our kids were younger, we would take them to the buffet and then to kids club.  We'd enjoy a nice dinner - everyone happy!!!

[happymanitee]

If you have reservations with My Time  Dining, they will have your table ready for you with no wait.  If you make reservations for all or most of the nights, you will have the same table.  I would switch to MTD and then make reservations in your cruise planner for earlier times. 

[rimmit]

A little bit of a long shot due to the party size, but on embarkation day try and switch.  We have always been able to but our party size has been 4 so not as difficult as a large party.

 

Otherwise, I would feed the kids at the buffet and drop them off at the kids club and then go to the MdR.

[spookwife]

8 hours ago, happymanitee said:

If you have reservations with My Time  Dining, they will have your table ready for you with no wait.  If you make reservations for all or most of the nights, you will have the same table.  I would switch to MTD and then make reservations in your cruise planner for earlier times. 

not always., especially with a group that large.   we are just 2 and have had to wait on occasion even with MTD reservations.  

 

besides they CANT switch over  at this point.   and no guarantees it can be handled once on board either.  

 

with that many kids, I'd  plan on buffet for them, if you can't switch to an earlier dining slot.  

[Cru1s1ng2009]

9 hours ago, MCruiser30 said:

Cruising in March with 8 kids.  The only time available was late seating.  There is of course My Time Dining, but I've heard that this is very challenging with a party of 11 to get seated with any expediency, even with reservations.  I am concerned about two things:
1) That the kids will just be straight up hungry to be sitting down to eat dinner at 8 PM.  BTW - when does this seating time usually let out?

2) It seems like all of the evening "kid activities" are geared for the early seating.  As in, we will be eating right over the top of kid activities for kids aged <5, 5- 8, 8-11, 12+.  It seems really lame (am I wrong?) that they will get out of dinner and everything will be more or less over as far as this stuff.

 

I have tried working with RCCL on this.  They are saying the early time is "closed" and that changes are very unlikely to happen.

 

Advice, sympathy, pro-tips please.  

they are going to miss out on so much! That really sucks.

 

I would try changing it when you get on board, asking on email 30 days before, and if all else fails take the other commenters advice and take them to the windjammer, drop them off at kids club, and enjoy dinner as adults.

[vacationlover_mn]

8 hours ago, rimmit said:

A little bit of a long shot due to the party size, but on embarkation day try and switch.  

I agree- head to the MDR right away after you board, and try this.

[rimmit]

Another option as well would be to go to MTD right when it opens.  Typically I have had no problems even with groups of eight if you want to eat before 5:30.  I have even gone as late as 5:45 and seated quickly with a group of 8 in the past. 5:15 or Earlier is pretty much walk in though from my previous experience with large groups. 
 

 

Edited December 31, 2019 by rimmit

[Nebr.cruiser]

This was some time ago, but we once cruised with 7 grandkids, ages 5-11, so with us, there were 9 total.

 

We did Mytime dining.  Although if on our own we prefer to eat later, the kids wanted to do some of the kid activities in the evening, so we ate fairly early; maybe 6 or so

 

The first night they rather quickly found us a large round table; after that, the same table was ready for us every night.  It worked out perfectly.  We did tell them we would be eating about the same time.

 

The kids loved the MDR and the older ones were very brave about trying new things.  The waiters and head waiter were so wonderful with the children, having all kinds of fun and even games and tricks for them each night.

 

The oldest of those kids are now turning 20, so who knows how this would work out now.

[Cutigerlady]

We always to MTD because the early seating is too early and my kids can’t wait for the late seating. We have been successful at getting the same table/servers each night by requesting it the first night. I’ve always found that they want to make you happy and try to work with you.  I made reservations and tried to get the times at a similar time each night. We also find MTD goes faster, which the kids like.  We saw lots of big parties in MTD, so they definitely have them. 

[LMaxwell]

Have the kids dine with the kids clubs and participate in those activities.  They usually take the kids to eat at the buffet around 630 or 7pm

[MississippiMom]

I agree with all of the posters who are recommending MTD.  That will give you more flexibility with your evenings.

[jptoz]

Take the kids to the windjammer for dinner at 5:30- 6. then drop them off at adventure ocean. Or sign them up for adventure dinning, the adventure ocean staff will take them to dinner for you, and then straight to the kids club for the evening session.  Great service and my kids always  loved going to dinner with all the other kids. Then have a nice adults only dinner/ evening.  

[MCruiser30]

6 minutes ago, jptoz said:

Take the kids to the windjammer for dinner at 5:30- 6. then drop them off at adventure ocean. Or sign them up for adventure dinning, the adventure ocean staff will take them to dinner for you, and then straight to the kids club for the evening session.  Great service and my kids always  loved going to dinner with all the other kids. Then have a nice adults only dinner/ evening.  

 

What is "adventure dining"?  The only thing I can find is where they pick your kids up from the dining room.  Not where they take them to dining also.

https://www.royalcaribbean.ae/my-family-time-dining/

[MCruiser30]

3 hours ago, Cutigerlady said:

We always to MTD because the early seating is too early and my kids can’t wait for the late seating. We have been successful at getting the same table/servers each night by requesting it the first night. I’ve always found that they want to make you happy and try to work with you.  I made reservations and tried to get the times at a similar time each night. We also find MTD goes faster, which the kids like.  We saw lots of big parties in MTD, so they definitely have them. 

 

What is the size of your party?  I am seeing very mixed reviews that parties (particularly of size) don't get a major run around with MTD.  Just very inconsistent execution.

[jptoz]

Adventure dining is a service where you take the kids to the kids club. At  around  5pm. The staff will take them to dinner at the windjammer. You must sign them up before 4 pm. for the Adventure dinning. I always took advantage of this service. My kids loved it and they would of rather eat with other kids/new friend ,then  spend 1 1/2 to 2 hrs in a dining room with us. Also the first day on a cruise is, I think the most important for the kids to go to the kids club/ teen club. This is when they meet new friends. so I would never plan a dinner around that time on day 1.

[MCruiser30]

Do you have any links relating to this?  

 

Also, is this for all ages categories, or just some of them.

 

Thanks!

[rimmit]

44 minutes ago, MCruiser30 said:

Do you have any links relating to this?  

 

Also, is this for all ages categories, or just some of them.

 

Thanks!

Adventure Time Dining is very variable based on the ship in regards to availability.  On the Oasis class ships it is available every night but the 1st night.  On the other ships of the fleet there is NO rhyme or reason, and I have asked the AO staff l, and they give some guidelines when they offer it but inevitably, they always seem to break those guidelines.  In 7 years of using ATD I have never found a pattern to it, but in general on non oasis class ships I have found it offered about half the time and never on the first night and more often than not,   It is not offered on the last night,  but again,   There are no exacting rules for ATD.

 

There is no info online.  As others have stated it is from 5-7pm and you need to have them signed up before 4 and on rare occasions it can be filled up.  They are given an option of either cheese or pepperoni pizza from our experience using it.  No other options.  They take them to the windjammer and bring them back to AO and they are automatically signed in for the evening session.

 

It for 3-11 year olds.  So basically the entire AO age group.

Edited December 31, 2019 by rimmit

[MCruiser30]

21 minutes ago, rimmit said:

Adventure Time Dining is very variable based on the ship in regards to availability.  On the Oasis class ships it is available every night but the 1st night.  On the other ships of the fleet there is NO rhyme or reason, and I have asked the AO staff l, and they give some guidelines when they offer it but inevitably, they always seem to break those guidelines.  In 7 years of using ATD I have never found a pattern to it, but in general on non oasis class ships I have found it offered about half the time and never on the first night and more often than not,   It is not offered on the last night,  but again,   There are no exacting rules for ATD.

 

There is no info online.  As others have stated it is from 5-7pm and you need to have them signed up before 4 and on rare occasions it can be filled up.  They are given an option of either cheese or pepperoni pizza from our experience using it.  No other options.  They take them to the windjammer and bring them back to AO and they are automatically signed in for the evening session.

 

It for 3-11 year olds.  So basically the entire AO age group.

 

Obviously this is great info.  Thanks so much for posting it!  Too bad they don't have a consistent policy.

 

[ljmandelbaum]

I prefer late seating.  There is time to relax before dinner.  Plenty of time to snack between lunch and dinner.   The first cruise I took my girls on at age 2 we did early seating and I said never again.  I got talked into doing it again on our last cruise since we were with my nephews who are 5 and under.  One of my brother in laws said late seating would have been so much better.