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What may a toddler order in the MDR? Tips for a large group?

Mum2Mercury

By Mum2Mercury,
in Royal Caribbean International

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Mum2Mercury

Mum2Mercury

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We'll have a three-year old boy who LIKES TO EAT on our cruise.  My question:  may he order from the adult menu, or must he stick to the kids' menu?  We're specifically thinking of the Fish & Chips.  My boy's half-British and loves his Fish & Chips!  

 

While I'm asking questions, any tips for a group of 12 diners who want to schedule dinner together in the MDR most nights?  The above-mentioned toddler would be the only child, and a fairly early meal is preferred.

 

Thanks in advance!  

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crzndeb

crzndeb

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14 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

We'll have a three-year old boy who LIKES TO EAT on our cruise.  My question:  may he order from the adult menu, or must he stick to the kids' menu?  We're specifically thinking of the Fish & Chips.  My boy's half-British and loves his Fish & Chips!  

 

Thanks in advance!  

 He can order whatever his heart desires. I am going with my grandson and granddaughter for New Years, and she loves ALL things seafood. My grandson is a bit pickier, but I’m sure he will find things he likes. I just worry about portions and waste, especially with him. 😬 He might be happier with kids menu and a side of fruit.

 

Since you edited….link your reservations and do early traditional.

Edited by crzndeb
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  • Mum2Mercury changed the title to What may a toddler order in the MDR? Tips for a large group?
Mum2Mercury

Mum2Mercury

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8 minutes ago, crzndeb said:

 He can order whatever his heart desires. I am going with my grandson and granddaughter for New Years, and she loves ALL things seafood. My grandson is a bit pickier, but I’m sure he will find things he likes. I just worry about portions and waste, especially with him. 😬 He might be happier with kids menu and a side of fruit.

 

Since you edited….link your reservations and do early traditional.

Excellent information!  We wouldn't allow him to purposefully be wasteful, and he probably will order from the kids' menu most nights -- but don't stand between my grandson and his Fish & Chips!  

 

That's exactly what I expected ... but HOW does one "link" reservations?  I'm guessing I'd need everyone's ressie numbers, and I'd need to make a phone call ... to whom?  

7 minutes ago, Dwarfbunny said:

My kids ordered from the adult menu from the time they were little. My daughter ordered the fish every single night and my son ordered the escargot. I know, weird kids, but they ate it all!

A girl after my own heart!  

 

Thanks, both for your information.  

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crzndeb

crzndeb

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2 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

That's exactly what I expected ... but HOW does one "link" reservations?  I'm guessing I'd need everyone's ressie numbers, and I'd need to make a phone call ... to whom?  

Are you using a TA, or directly through Royal? You will have to place a call and give all reservation numbers. I have 2 separate numbers for my family and my TA called and had them linked.

Now let’s see if we have the same table for dinner when we board. 😉

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crzndeb

crzndeb

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1 minute ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Each family booked individually -- I think everyone booked directly through Royal. 

Thanks! 

Get all the Res numbers and call. I’m not sure if you can actually do it yourself online or via the app. Hopefully someone can answer.

 

 

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Mum2Mercury

Mum2Mercury

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8 minutes ago, Coralc said:

I don't think I ever ordered on my own, when I was 3. It probably would have been something unhealthy like ice cream. His parents can order whatever they wish for him. 😄😀

Well, I hadn't really considering who would actually communicate with the wait staff.  

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strathcona

strathcona

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For large group, suggest early dinner and not MTD, you will stand around waiting for a table using MTD. Someone in the group will stress over everything while someone will be late. See the dinning room on first day to fix your table and keep the table for the rest of the cruise. The entire cruise line is short staff and a short meal is impossible now, watch how the new menu works out. 

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Mum2Mercury

Mum2Mercury

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8 hours ago, ONECRUISER said:

As said above since you want early as possible do Early Traditional Dining. Depending on Ship and Sailing this can be sometime between 5 & 6pm. Otherwise many times now My Time Dining starts at 6:45pm the earliest

Well, "early as possible" is not quite what we want -- just on the early side.  

Thanks for a reminder of My Time's starting point, and I know that Early Seating for our cruise is 5:15, which I find pretty early, even for early.  

1 hour ago, Joseph2017China said:

I thought you were going to say, that your child won't find anything he likes!  The child can order anything on the main menu, or kids menu that he wants.  If he has something favorite, let your waiter know.  

No, my little fellow likes most everything, but Fish & Chips is a mega-fave of his, and it's only on the adult menu.  By the time he's three I feel sure he will be able to express his choices.  

I've seen the children's menu online, but -- once we're on the ship -- does it have photo images for kids who can't yet read?  

35 minutes ago, strathcona said:

For large group, suggest early dinner and not MTD, you will stand around waiting for a table using MTD. Someone in the group will stress over everything while someone will be late. See the dinning room on first day to fix your table and keep the table for the rest of the cruise. The entire cruise line is short staff and a short meal is impossible now, watch how the new menu works out. 

Recently we've been a "party of two", but our meals seemed to be about 1 hour, which we found to be comfortable.  I do anticipate that a group of 12 will take longer -- someone is always lagging a little.  

If you want to shorten your dinner, one way is to ask for your dessert "to go".  The wait staff will package it up for you.  

Yes, I agree that we'll all be watching /waiting to see how the new menus affect things.  

 

Thanks to ALL who have helped me! 

Edited by Mum2Mercury
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Homosassa

Homosassa

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My daughter was a child that would eat and enjoy almost everything we gave her (39 now and still won't at lobster).

 

She cried the first time we were given a children's menu on a cruise because of the limited and boring selections on the menu.

 

What we found worked well when she was the age of your son and was not eating adult size meals was to include her in the discussion of what my husband and I were eating and to see if anything else on the menu appealed to her.

 

If she liked what we were eating, we had the waiter bring a  empty plate for her with each of our courses and gave her part of each item from our plates.

 

As we ordered multiple courses (appetizers, salad, main entree) there was plenty of food.

 

She always could chose her own dessert.

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ONECRUISER

ONECRUISER

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2 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Well, "early as possible" is not quite what we want -- just on the early side.  

Thanks for a reminder of My Time's starting point, and I know that Early Seating for our cruise is 5:15, which I find pretty early, even for early.  

 

No problem, understand, just giving you heads up what been experiencing since start up. Had great time with my Wee Ones, youngest turned 2 on her first Cruise and my Boy 4. Back then Royal would give Parent a Pager for Royal Adventure Ocean when at least one the Kids attending was under 5, that was nice for me a Single Parent and missed now though I never was far or go ashore w/o them...

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Mum2Mercury

Mum2Mercury

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21 minutes ago, flamingos said:

Waiters LOVE well-mannered kids who are easy to please. The table next to us last voyage had a lovely little girl. One night she was given an entire bowl of strawberries with whipped cream by a smiling waiter.  🙂

Two kids-and-waiters stories: 

 

- My youngest has always been shy, and on one cruise she wouldn't speak up and say what she wanted for dessert.  The waiter said, "No problem -- I'll bring you the Shy Girl Special."  He came back with a wine glass filled with brownies (or was it cookies?) mixed with ice cream, topped with whipped cream.  It wasn't on the menu, but my other three girls went ga-ga over it, and for the rest of the cruise, they all wanted "the Shy Girl Special".  He made her feel very special. 

- On another cruise -- traditional dining -- we were placed with another family with three kids, so the table was quite kid-heavy.  In addition to the dessert they ordered, each child was presented with a cloche filled with cookies to take back to the room.  Every single night!  

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taglovestocruise

taglovestocruise

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16 hours ago, Dwarfbunny said:

My kids ordered from the adult menu from the time they were little. My daughter ordered the fish every single night and my son ordered the escargot. I know, weird kids, but they ate it all!

Weirdness must be everywhere.   Our 5 year old granddaughter ordered two escargot appetizers every night. 

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Homosassa

Homosassa

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1 hour ago, taglovestocruise said:

Weirdness must be everywhere.   Our 5 year old granddaughter ordered two escargot appetizers every night. 

LOL, My daughter got her first taste of escargot at eighteen months on a Sitmar cruise. She loved it and there was no turning back.

 

While she may have shared other food items with us, escargot was the exception. She always had her own order.  That way, we had a chance to eat our orders.

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