Dining with young children and seniors? Will long lines be a problem?

[CMF]

I've perused some of the threads and read that the buffets are not very good and that there are long lines. We are traveling with very young [impatient] children [4 year old twins and a 1 year old] and seniors that have a hard time standing for a length of time. What can we do to avoid lines and get decent food? We are sailing on the Star.

 

I really appreciate the help!

Charles

[TrinaLC]

Go at off peak hours - a little on the early side. Lunch at 11:45, dinner at 5:45 ought to do the trick.

 

With the little ones, one parent can sit with them reserving the table, and the other parent can get them a quick plate to keep them busy - like their own appetizer. Then take your time getting the full meal.

[Retired not Expired]

I've perused some of the threads and read that the buffets are not very good and that there are long lines. We are traveling with very young [impatient] children [4 year old twins and a 1 year old] and seniors that have a hard time standing for a length of time. What can we do to avoid lines and get decent food? We are sailing on the Star.

 

I really appreciate the help!

Charles

 

Charles, I have a back problem that prevents me from standing for more than ten minutes or so. I have never seen the buffet lines so long to give me problems other than possibly on the first day when everyone boarding normally heads there. Check both sides. Sometimes everyone comes in on one side and the other has few people. If it's too bad, find a table to sit, gets some drinks, and either wait for it to die down a bit or let the ones that can stand go get the food.

 

As far as the main dining rooms, either go early, the first 30-45 minutes or go after eight. Following this, my wife and I have never waited more than five minutes whether a party of two or ten.

 

The quality of food is subjective. I have a brother-in-law that makes dining with him a bad experience. He finds fault with everything. I find the same food quite nice. There are some things I've found that weren't right on board but can always find some things that are very good. Nice thing on a ship. If you don't like it, send it back and get something else. They will gladly do it for you.

 

I'll be on the Star in three and a half weeks. Lots of places to eat on that ship. I'm sure I won't go hungry. BTW, sometimes one dining room has a big crowd and the other has very few.

[KeystoneCruiser]

Retired not expired has summed up the story. I too have been on the Star and hate lines. Here are my tips:

 

1.) Go to dinner early to avoid a wait. No later than 6:15 to guarantee no wait. I have also found that if you are the first tables each night for waiters, even in the specialty restaurants, you get a little quicker and better service.

 

2.) In the buffet, don't stop at the first lines on either side. Go to the middle or aft lines. They will be shorter. This is especially true for breakfast.

 

3.) Don't try to be the first off or last on in the ports of call. The line getting back on in Ketchikan was terrible because everybody waited until the last 30 minutes! Sometimes this is unavoidable due to shore excursions, but let the masses fight it out early and late!

 

4.) I have found the kids menu on the Star to be very good. (it is the same in all restaurants except the buffet and Blue Lagoon). My daughter loved the PB&J with the crusts cut off!!

[2Cruise4Ever]

I agree with the above posters. I have another tip: even in the main dining rooms, you can still make reservations. We traveled with our 2 young kids on the Dawn last year and we made reservations in the Venetian more than once and were seated as soon as we arrived. Next year, we're going back on the Dawn (yippee-skippee!) and this time, we're taking my in-laws (or out-laws as my TA calls them :)) and we'll do the same thing.

 

Happy Sailing!! :D

[kmgl]

You should not have a problem unless you go at the peak eating times. If you go the main dining rooms (Aqua & Versailles), get there a few minutes before they open. It may look terrible, like there is a huge crowd, but when they open the doors, they walk you right in, telling a group of 2 to go to table # whatever, group of 6 to table # whatever etc. We were seated in 5 minutes in most cases. If you wait until later, it may be a longer wait, because you will have missed the initial seating and all the tables will be full.

 

I agree with the other posters on the buffet. Go to a different line if one looks too long. Have one adult find a table and hold your place while you are filling plates. We took turns like this if we happened to arrive at a very crowded time. Also, they had a little buffet area for very small children that yours may enjoy (it was over in one corner). The thing was short so they could reach the food by themselves without adult help.

 

There is no additional charge at La Tratorria and Endless Summer and they take reservations. You could make reservations at these places for a couple of nights, and then just walk right in with no line. Make reservations the first day on the ship.

[newmexicoNita]

7 sailing on NCL and have only been stuck in a line at the buffet once:that was at lunch on the day we boarded the ship. Go at off hours, same with the dining rooms: go before 6pm or after 8pm. Of course if you are a large group and it sounds like you are you will have a longer wait. I don't care what cruise line you are on, if you are a group of 8 or more it is going to be more challenging. NMNita

[KeystoneCruiser]

I agree with the above posters. I have another tip: even in the main dining rooms, you can still make reservations. We traveled with our 2 young kids on the Dawn last year and we made reservations in the Venetian more than once and were seated as soon as we arrived. Next year, we're going back on the Dawn (yippee-skippee!) and this time, we're taking my in-laws (or out-laws as my TA calls them :)) and we'll do the same thing.

 

Happy Sailing!! :D

 

 

I was just on the Dawn last month and had just the opposite happen. One night our group broke up in to three groups. One group to Bamboo (had reservations), one group to LaTrattoria (had reservations) and the remaining three of us wanted Beef Wellington in the main restaurants and so we went to Impressions. We called and they would not take a reservation for a group of "less than 7." (of course, we got there at 5:30 and went right in with no wait.)

 

Different stories once again. Inconsistancies do occur, your best bet is check when you get on board.