Early or Late?

[gsb]

If you're early risers, like to get up for coffee on the balcony, watch the ship sail into port, have breakfast and be ready to get off the ship asap, the early dining times are better--plus you have some time after dinner to see the shows, win some money, go to the piano bar, go to the dance club, see the midnight comedian, and get to bed at a reasonable time.

It does keep you hoppin, which is a good thing.

I can sit on a deck chair at home.

[BrodyBarb]

This will be our first cruise, we've opted for the early 5:45 seating for these reasons....

1. We normally eat around five

2. We plan on being back onboard ship by four-ish anyway

3. It will give us more time to enjoy what the ship has to offer afterwards

4. Our ten year old won't miss out on camp activities he might like to do

I guess we'll see if we made the right decision next month!

[INCHARGE]

Late seating works best for me. We do not llike rushing from shore excursions. However, if there were a choice to alternate, I would much rather do early on sea days. Unfortunately, it does not work that way.Luckily we are up late in the disco dancing off some of that food!

[dothow]

When we first started cruising our children were young and therefore we ate early. Now they are in their 20's and still cruise with us our choice is late. We like to eat late because when we go on tours or visiting an island we don't want to rush back. We want to be able to come back get a shower and change before dinner. This works well for us.

 

Happy Cruising

dothow

[Saymyname]

Which particular early or late seating appears to depend on which dining room you are assigned. I prefer late because you have more time to get ready after a busy day in port, but my DH prefers early because he doesn't like to eat as late as the later seating. If you don't have little ones to worry about I would strongly suggest the first of the late seatings. If you don't get that just ask the maitre d to change it for you.

 

Bunkie took the words right out of my mouth!

[Knights on the Beach]

I prefer the 8:00 dinner time, which is what we requested and got on the Glory. It was the perfect time for us. We never had any problems getting seats for the shows, and never felt like we had to rush to get ready in the evenings. We had early dinner (6:15) on the Victory, and I hated it. I really didn't like getting all dressed up for formal nights so early in the day (and I wasn't about to miss the captain's party). ;) No, we're not hungry enough to eat at the midnight buffet, but except for the gala buffet those have been scaled back recently and I've pretty much lost interest in them anyway.

[Sea Turtle]

I voted on your poll for 1st Late; however, as long as it's late I don't care. Dinner is always very late at home so I can't see myself electing early seating on a cruise.

[madelinerose]

I've read on these boards that the Miracle has two seatings: 5:45 and 8:15.

 

We chose 8:15 with a table for two (this is our very first cruise). We don't want to rush to do anything. We'll check our table when we embark and decide if we like the location. If we choose to change, we'll see the maitre d'. If, during the week, we decide to sit at a larger table, we'll see the maitre d' again.

 

We also plan on dining at Nick & Nora's 2 nights. I don't know what the dining times are for the supper club. If anyone does, please let me know.

 

Thanks and have a great cruise.

[CruiseCATnMACK]

Late works best for us.

[CrusinGirl3]

I always go for late--it gives us enough time to shower off, rest up a bit and get ready for a fun night ahead. We always have plenty of time after dinner to make it to the shows and we can always find good seats to watch from. All the times I've cruised it's been at the late dining time and honestly don't think I'd like it any other way. It's just too convenient for myself and my family. As bad as this sounds, we'll make our way up to the midnight buffet to check it out, too. :)

[newcruiser452]

Only because it is closer to when we normally eat at home.

[glrounds]

Always have had late seating. For the same reasons given by many - don't want it to cut into my port times.

 

The other side of that, of course, is I usually have difficulty in finding a GOOD seat for the shows. :( Oh well. Life is merely a string of compromises. :)

[stlrboo]

The DW and I talked at length and decided we'd try the early.. would have chosen early dinner/2nd seating, but the Miracle just has the one dining room so that isn't an option. Maybe they'll move the time back to 6:15 when they change itineraries in November.

DW is hoping we'll be more apt to go to several of the shows after an early dinner, than we were this past April. After stuffing ourselves at the late seating, we were just ready to relax, unwind, and 'put on the jammies'.. :rolleyes:

Not that the big cans of Foster's and the foo-foo drinks had anything to do with that.. :eek:

[nursejewels]

I've done both...the early and the late dinner seating. The late was when we had 9 people in our group, and that seemed to work best for getting everybody ready in time, but my only regret was that we were never hungry for the midnight buffett! The early seating was when I was just with one other person, and we did get back from an excursion later than we thought, and we did miss our seating due to not wanting to rush, so all we did was call the dining room we were assigned to and asked the maitre'D if we could eat at the later seating, and he told us to just show up and he would work it out for us. We did just that at the latest seating and he sat us with a table that had people that didn't show up and we had the best dinner company of the cruise that night! Never hurts to ask, and is probably no problem for just 2 people, but probably wouldn't work for a large party unless you didn't mind splitting up. Doesn't hurt any to flirt with the maitre'D either!!! ;) Thanks, Mirko...you're the best!!!

[bethm214]

We chose 8:15 with a table for two (this is our very first cruise). We don't want to rush to do anything. We'll check our table when we embark and decide if we like the location. If we choose to change, we'll see the maitre d'. If, during the week, we decide to sit at a larger table, we'll see the maitre d' again.

This is only my opinion...but i would recommend switching around your options...start with a large table...get to know someone new....it is easier to get to know new folks when everyone is new to each other instead of coming into a formed group a few days later.

You will be able to eat alone in the specialty dining room and for the rest of your lives at home....I suggest you dine at a big table and meet new folks. Never know how it may change your life! And, if you try it for a couple days and don't like it, THEN ask to switch to a small table. And, speaking of small....those tables for 2 are small and I HATE to feel crowded when i have 4 beverages (water, tea, wine and mixed drink), 2 entrees (meat and seafood) and bread, etc. in front of me all at the same time! LOL!

But, whatever you decide....enjoy your cruise! It will be wonderful, I am sure!

[bombero]

2nd Early works best for us.. Still gives us plenty of time to take in the nights entertainment and get to bed at a decent hour... Bombero

 

Hmmmm.. Sounds like another poll subject.. "What time do you turn in"...

[cruisegirl1990]

1st early because than I have more of my evening ahead of me. I like to do karaoke so I have time to go and change out of my diner clothes before doing that.:)

[cruisinhs]

We were on the Elation 9/5-9/12 and we ended up with the earliest seating for dinner. The first early is at 5:45 and the second early is at 6:15. I had wanted the 6:15, but like you said, I think until you are actually on the ship, the most they ask is early or late. Anyway, we thought about changing, but then decided to go with the flow. We were glad we did. I think the other early sitting would have been fine as well. We didn't have to rush necessarily, but there was at least once when we got back on the ship, showered and went for dinner. Here's the thing we found with the late sittings. . .a lot of the fun things that go on before the night's main entertainment happen during the late sitting. You will also have to wait to see the second "show" of the night. The dancers admitted to me on more than one occasion that the first show is better because they are worn out by the second. Also, for the Captain's Ball, which will be Monday night. There will be a reception for the early sitting and then you go eat dinner AND you can actually come back for the late sitting reception. Why would you do this? Because this is the night when the drinks are on Carnival. Take advantage of it! We were able to get the meal over with, have a wonderful evening full of great entertainment and then head up to the buffet for a snack before bed. It worked out perfectly!

[FlaParrotHead]

We enjoy the ports and being back on the lido deck or on a Balcony somewhere as we leave the Island enjoying a daily foo-foo or other custom made libation, thinking about the day and planning the evening. We are not for rushing to shower and dress for dinner too early or too fast. There are always pleanty of snacks and foods to hold you (or the kids) over until the later seatings. We also have found the later seatings to be more relaxed and not rushed by the wait staff (to set up for the next one coming in). We have sailed with our boys since they were 2 and 4 (now 12 and 14) and this was never a problem.

 

But this is always something that generates interesting threads - deffinitly a personal choice topic.

 

B, B, D, and J

[Shadowfyre]

My boyfriend and I prefer late seating that way on port days we don't feel the need to rush back to the ship so we don't miss dinner.

[Earthworm Jim]

There are only two seatings on the Miracle. I will be chooing early too.....

That's good to know. I had looked at the deck plans and seen that there appears to be dining room seating on both the Promenade and Atlantic deck, so I had guessed that each deck was seated 1/2 hour apart.

 

So much for my powers of deduction.;)

[txskier]

For my upcoming cruise I choose the 6:15 seating. My biggest reason was because I prefer to eat early at home. Since this is my first cruise I guess I will see if it works for me :D

Grayce> My wife and I thought like you about "the eating time" because that is about when we ate at home......Well, we finally excepted late seating on our last cruise (Celebration Dec of '03) and found that late seating really fit us better on a cruise. If you are on a ship with a balcony, you have a place to chill while the better half gets ready. No balcony, no problem, you still don't feel rushed.

Ofcourse, we still get up at 530am lookin' for coffee and want the "early" dining room breakfast!!!! One morning we ate at the breakfast buffet early and then went to late seating in the dining room for breakfast!!! No wonder we gained wieght!!!

[cruznon]

We have always had early dinner, but this time we're doing late seating. I think we'll be less rushed for dinner. I also like the idea of a later breakfast.

[gfyjny]

My fiance and I chose late dining on Legend. Do we have to keep the same time if we make a reservation for the Golden Fleece (Supper Club)? Or, do we get to choose earlier time? We are planning on going to the show on the night we do the Golden Fleece. :p

[mnsawyer]

We have always done late seating and on our Triumph cruise we did late as well. Didn't get the 8:30 which would have been a bit too late but did get the 8:00 p.m. I found that I had a hard time staying awake for the evening shows...sign of getting old??? I guess we should have taken naps during the day or late afternoon but never seemed to. If we cruise again, I may try early just to see what it is like. I always said it would interfere with getting back to the ship, etc., but would like to try it just once. I wouldn't want the 5:45 but 6:15 p.m. might work. Plus, all of the shows are done twice so no one misses out.