Kids in Chop's

[George C]

2 hours ago, cruisin4kicks said:

OP here. I left for dinner & come back to all these posts. Thank you to everybody who provided answers/comments to my question. If I'm reading your posts correctly, I believe more than one of you mentioned that I can reserve Chop's on the Cruise Planner but will have to pay for 6 adults when I reserve it  but when we arrive for dinner, the total price will be adjusted due to 2 people in the party of 6 will be 4 years old or under.

 

I mentioned in my original post that my wife & I were going to use our BOGO's to drop the price in half for the adults. Do any of you know if that will be adjusted as well? In other words, after adjustments, I'm hoping the total price of the meal for 4 adults & 2 children will only be the cost for 2 adults because of the BOGOs. Again, thank you for any answers/knowledge that you are able to provide.

 

Tim

Tim please check with chops when you board to make sure you can have a table for eight that night , first two nights can be really crowded.

[Goodtime Cruizin]

5 hours ago, compman9 said:

 

What does "if my babies fuss" mean?

 

Is it wriggle around and be a bit of a nuisance to you, the parents?

Or is it, scream their heads off in front of other paying customers?

 

 

 

 

 

Paying customers? I thought all customers paid. Are you saying there are customers that go to Chops and not pay? If so, how does one got to Chops and not pay?

[TheMastodon]

Chops has kinda been underwhelming for me last few visits.  I’m a meat & potato’s kinda guy too.  It’s very pleasant sitting outside tho down in CP.  

[Ashland]

4 hours ago, TheMastodon said:

With that being said cruising with kids is challenging, memorable, fun, and challenging.  Oasis ships is obv best choice when bringing the little ones along - adventure ocean is fantastic!  
 

I’d say the only time I feel “guilty” is driving the damn stroller around.  Takes up a lot of space on the elevator.  Hate to inconvenience the folks who use it to go up one floor.

 

Ive thought about writing a thread for parents who are considering cruising w/ 8month-3year olds.  We have done it a few times and have learned from many mistakes.  

We've also cruised many times with toddler grandkids...Never feel "guilty" with your stroller...they take up less room on the elevator than electric scooter's do. 

 

Coming from one that has almost been run into/run down many times as I was in the elevator or walking in the Promenade 

[nelblu]

14 hours ago, 3monkeys4me said:

 

Children are allowed in Chops. I am pretty sure on our last cruise we paid $10 for our daughter who ordered off the children's menu. You can't make a reservation for a child online so we just made the reservation for an adult and received a credit once on board. 

 

 If they were screaming we exited as quickly as we could, thankfully that only happened once between the three of them. 

We have taken our grandkids to both Chops and Giovanni's on Oasis & Allure and paid $10 per child and were allowed to order from the adult menus.  Also, took my grandkids to the D club without any problem.  

 

Also, on our first Oasis cruise, my youngest became fidgety and began crying and my son promptly picked her up and took her to the cabin.  We brought my son dinner to the cabin.

[deliver42]

I'd rather be in an elevator with a stroller than with a scooter.From what I've seen in over 20 cruises is that scooter people on the whole, not all, seem to thing your feet don't count as long as they get in the elevator.

[John&LaLa]

My only gripe with strollers are those gigantic jogging one people bring. 😱

[GTO-Girl]

5 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

My only gripe with strollers are those gigantic jogging one people bring. 😱

And some leave them parked in the hall along with others who leave their scooters 😳

[John&LaLa]

Just now, GTO-Girl said:

And some leave them parked in the hall along with others who leave their scooters 😳

 

Yes, to big to fit in cabin

 

I have successfully fought the urge to move them at night. 😇

[Merion_Mom]

15 hours ago, TheMastodon said:

 

 

Ive thought about writing a thread for parents who are considering cruising w/ 8month-3year olds.  We have done it a few times and have learned from many mistakes.  

 

There is an entire forum on Cruise Critic for cruising with children:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/28-family-cruises/

[TheMastodon]

1 minute ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

There is an entire forum on Cruise Critic for cruising with children:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/28-family-cruises/

 

Never knew that - thank you.  I have much to contribute over there!  

[Ashland]

When necessary family has always brought small collapsible stroller umbrella type.

Never would leave it in the hallway and those strollers/scooters that are are a fire hazard

and removed by staff. I've seen this happen and arguments going on about it ...staff won 

[johnjen]

19 hours ago, Billy Baltic said:

I’m pleasantly surprised that there hasn’t been a “keep kids out of chops” response. Maybe the last several months has made people more tolerant of others and less selfish. More likely those people just haven’t posted yet. 

For real. And, overall, Cruise Critic's boards have gotten MUCH better with less snarky responses. Hey, maybe COVID has produced at least a couple of good outcomes..?

[BND]

Just remember, small kids get bored and most, especially that young, do not sit still well for an hour+ while the meal is being served.  Let's face it, most kids want to eat and be done with it.  Why do you think kids learn to say "all done" so early?  It's so they can get up and go.  Everyone is allowed to have a nice dining experience, but as for Chops, we pretty much have stopped going except at lunch on boarding day because quality and the menu has slipped a lot over the years.   Dinner used to take 2 hours or more but now you are rushed through and the menu has shrunk.  I would tell anyone who takes kids into a specialty dining experience onboard to be prepared to deal with their children if things go south.   Because, not everyone does.

Edited September 14, 2020 by BND

[spookwife]

Eat off the MDR kids menu is free.  Eat off the Chops kids menu is$10.  
 

at one point, kids under 12 were only welcome  before 7 pm.  Officially, that restriction has gone away.  However, for kids that young, earlier is better for everyone involved.  It’s a long affair and they get restless.  
 

with the loss of in room babysitting,  my usual suggestion of leaving the infant behind is no longer an option.  
 

just keep in mind that your idea of fussy may not be someone else’s.  For instance, a happy shriek from a toddler is physically painful for my husband who has had several ear surgeries 

[Hogbay]

The early romantic dinner for two has become a bet of how long will it take before they do anything about their "Fussy " child If anything . Kids want chicken nuggets and fry's , soft serve and to poke at everything at the dessert display . 😇

[Ashland]

2 hours ago, spookwife said:

Eat off the MDR kids menu is free.  Eat off the Chops kids menu is$10.  
 

at one point, kids under 12 were only welcome  before 7 pm.  Officially, that restriction has gone away.  However, for kids that young, earlier is better for everyone involved.  It’s a long affair and they get restless.  
 

with the loss of in room babysitting,  my usual suggestion of leaving the infant behind is no longer an option.  
 

just keep in mind that your idea of fussy may not be someone else’s.  For instance, a happy shriek from a toddler is physically painful for my husband who has had several ear surgeries 

Sail on a ship that has Adventure Ocean....problem....solved. They (staff) will take them to dinner in the WJ...We have used this option on Harmony and it worked out great.

 

If your child is under the age of two sail on a ship that has Royal Babies & Tots Nursery. We've also used this on Radiance.

Edited September 14, 2020 by Ashland

[Billy Baltic]

12 minutes ago, Hogbay said:

The early romantic dinner for two has become a bet of how long will it take before they do anything about their "Fussy " child If anything . Kids want chicken nuggets and fry's , soft serve and to poke at everything at the dessert display . 😇

In my experience the early romantic dinner for two is more likely to be interrupted by loud and boorish adults dining at the same time. The child still has time to learn dining etiquette. The adults on the other hand.... 

[BND]

38 minutes ago, Billy Baltic said:

In my experience the early romantic dinner for two is more likely to be interrupted by loud and boorish adults dining at the same time. The child still has time to learn dining etiquette. The adults on the other hand.... 

Been to many specialty restaurants and nice ones on land.  Never had "loud and boorish adults" ruin anything.  As for kids learning dining etiquette, that's all well and good, but we taught our kids by eating as a family at  home and occasionally going  out to just any restaurant and using what we called "restaurant manners".  It doesn't have to be a fine dining establishment to do that.  They're 34 and 36 now and know fine dining etiquette even though they never went to any upscale restaurants until they were about 14.   The idea that a 5 year old has to eat out to learn manners is ridiculous.  Manners are taught at home.

 

I hate the fact someone always has to say how obnoxious some adults can be whenever kids are brought up on these boards.  Guess what?  Kids can be obnoxious too and that usually points to the adults if they're not willing to deal with it when it happens.  In 28 cruises I only remember one adult who was obnoxious and that was someone in the CL.  It happens everywhere, but don't play that card trying to act like people aren't allowed to have a nice romantic dinner somewhere.

 

 

Edited September 14, 2020 by BND

[jean87510]

35 minutes ago, Billy Baltic said:

In my experience the early romantic dinner for two is more likely to be interrupted by loud and boorish adults dining at the same time. The child still has time to learn dining etiquette. The adults on the other hand.... 

So true. I was dressed up for chic night with my husband on the Celebrity summit and had a nice dress and high heels that were pretty high. I had a drunk table next to me at Izumi that was extremely obnoxious in references to my dress and heels. My husband wanted to punch one of the guys but I said just ignore them. Before our food came, we begged the waiter to move us. I would have taken a screaming toddler over that any day. It was really uncomfortable and I was mortified.  Point is not just kids can ruin a dinner for others. Ive seen some very well behaved kids in specialty dining as we tend to go a lot in cruises. I try to compliment the parents when I leave. 

[GTO-Girl]

6 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Yes, to big to fit in cabin

 

I have successfully fought the urge to move them at night. 😇

Me too!!  🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️

[BND]

2 minutes ago, jean87510 said:

So true. I was dressed up for chic night with my husband on the Celebrity summit and had a nice dress and high heels that were pretty high. I had a drunk table next to me at Izumi that was extremely obnoxious in references to my dress and heels. My husband wanted to punch one of the guys but I said just ignore them. Before our food came, we begged the waiter to move us. I would have taken a screaming toddler over that any day. It was really uncomfortable and I was mortified.  Point is not just kids can ruin a dinner for others. Ive seen some very well behaved kids in specialty dining as we tend to go a lot in cruises. I try to compliment the parents when I leave. 

But, will you at least admit young kids get bored easily and don't want to sit through a long meal?  Your experience is not the norm and it has nothing to do with a young child being bored and/or tired.  

[BND]

6 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Yes, to big to fit in cabin

 

I have successfully fought the urge to move them at night. 😇

I've wanted to move several things I've found in the hallway.  

[Mapleleafforever]

11 minutes ago, BND said:

Been to many specialty restaurants and nice ones on land.  Never had "loud and boorish adults" ruin anything.  As for kids learning dining etiquette, that's all well and good, but we taught our kids by eating as a family at  home and occasionally going  out to just any restaurant and using what we called "restaurant manners".  It doesn't have to be a fine dining establishment to do that.  They're 34 and 36 now and know fine dining etiquette even though they never went to any upscale restaurants until they were about 14.   The idea that a 5 year old has to eat out to learn manners is ridiculous.  Manners are taught at home.

 

I hate the fact someone always has to say how obnoxious some adults can be whenever kids are brought up on these boards.  Guess what?  Kids can be obnoxious too and that usually points to the adults if they're not willing to deal with it when it happens.  In 28 cruises I only remember one adult who was obnoxious and that was someone in the CL.  It happens everywhere, but don't play that card trying to act like people aren't allowed to have a nice romantic dinner somewhere.

 

 

Do you have grandkids yet?

[Billy Baltic]

13 minutes ago, BND said:

As for kids learning dining etiquette, that's all well and good, but we taught our kids by eating as a family at  home and occasionally going  out to just any restaurant and using what we called "restaurant manners".  It doesn't have to be a fine dining establishment to do that. 

Fine dining establishment? This is a restaurant on a family oriented cruise ship.