Early or late dining w/ 11 mo. old

[czarinahil]

We will be taking a 3 night cruise in April to introduce our son to the wonders of cruising (and to celebrate my in-laws 40th anniversary). Currently he goes to sleep between 7-7:30 pm. He will be 11 months old at the time of the cruise.

 

Should we go with early seating and risk him being cranky at dinner, or go with late seating and try to get him to sleep in the stroller to bringing him to the dining room?

 

What has worked for others?

[Beffy1167]

I can answer your question based only on my experience with my son. Like your son, my son's is anearly-to-bed baby (has been from day one). At 11 months old he was always in bed by 7.

 

He's now 17 months old and his bedtime has moved (insert joking voice) all the way to 7:30 pm! LOL I'd never even have attempted to do late seating with him because he's the kind of kid who, if we try to keep him up past his bedtime, will make everyone around him miserable!

 

Some people may give you the same advice I've received and that is, "Give him a late nap and do late seating." That doesn't work with my son. If I give him a late nap, then he doesn't sleep well at night. (And frankly, we'd rather do early seating than have to deal with a grumpy, miserable little boy whose routine is off for the entire week.) But if it works for your son, go for it!

 

I don't know how cranky your son gets, or if he sleeps well in the stroller (mine doesn't). You're the best one to make that judgment.

 

I suppose the point to this whole long post is that if your son is like mine, he may be up a bit later by the time you cruise, but not a whole lot!

 

No matter what you choose, I hope you have a great time!

[caribbean dreams]

Earily seating would be much better because of his 7 to 7:30 bed time, besides being cranky you wouldn't want him to end of falling asleep face down in his plate. (something my kids used to do quite often)

[czarinahil]

I forgot to add - we currently have late seating reserved assuming that it should be easier to switch to the early seating closer to the cruise or once we get on the ship than it would be the other way around.

 

Also, since it is just a three night cruise if we see the dining room doesn't work we could just do the buffet the other two nights.

[scgalloways]

My daughter will be 22 months when we cruise. We booked early seating for several reasons. One, it's closer to her normal dinner time as I think it's important to keep that routine as close to normal as possible. Two, if you go to early dinner a show will follow so you may be able to enjoy a bit of that as well or take a walk on deck before the crankiness arrives.

 

Good luck to us both,

Lynn

[viking30]

I actually think it is the opposite - I have always found that early seating books full first, it is easier to switch to late than the other way around. More people choose early.

[caribbean dreams]

I actually think it is the opposite - I have always found that early seating books full first, it is easier to switch to late than the other way around. More people choose early.

 

Yes, I also think that, and i was told earily fills up faster.

 

[crusinmama06]

I forgot to add - we currently have late seating reserved assuming that it should be easier to switch to the early seating closer to the cruise or once we get on the ship than it would be the other way around.

 

Also, since it is just a three night cruise if we see the dining room doesn't work we could just do the buffet the other two nights.

 

Don't make that assumption, early seating is often waitlisted by the time you board.

 

And we always do early seating (main seating) with our young children. Couldn't do anything later than that or they would be sleeping in their soup bowls. :p

[czarinahil]

Thanks everyone! You've convinced me. We are switching to the early seating and the more I think about it the more I believe it will work out pretty well. I don't think trhey will be long, lesurely dinners, though:D

[goofygrin]

We had late and switched to early. I kind of wished we'd stayed late.

 

My son (10 mo) was awake at all the dinners except one. The one where he slept was the most relaxing dinner we had! The others he was either fussing, unhappy in the high chair or just plain being a little doodie head (and daddy had to hold him the whole meal... hard to eat with a kid in your lap :D).

 

If he'd been asleep the other times our dinners would have probably been more enjoyable (but we would have gained more weight by eating two dinners every night.

[bensona]

i have an 11mo old too and we're doing the early seating. on our last cruise we had 21mo old twins. we were signed up for the early seating but it never really worked out.

 

the boys couldn't sit through a meal so we ate at the buffets and it was fine. we actually had a great time and the food was good. the boys stayed more entertained and were off to bed shortly afterwards.

 

this time we wised up and we're bringing a nanny to help us out!

[Jo_London_Mum]

It also depends if you can get early seating. We booked for early at time of booking and were let down once we got on the Mariner of the seas and ended up with the late seating. Our boys are a bit older but fell asleep at everymeal, which was great after they'd actually gone to sleep but, as us parents know, its the bit beforehand thats a nightmare!

Go for early, bring some benedryl perhpas for the late seating scenario?? (just a suggestion)

Good luck and enjoy yourselves x Jo