new here with a few questions...

[sea*siren]

My DH and I are taking our children and going on our first cruise this Dec aboard Carnival's Imagination. (stops in Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios) I am so excited to have found this board with it's weath of information!

I am curious to know about meal times in the dining room. Our children are 4 yrs and 10 ys old. We opted for the early second seating for this reason. My question is what happens if you miss your meal time? It looks like the breakfast time associated with the 2nd early seating is before 7 am. We were hoping to be able to sleep in while on vacation. :) Also, since we are going in Dec. is it cool/cold on deck when sailing? Will we be able to enjoy the pool and/or lounge in swimsuits without being cold? Lastly, I'd love to hear about experiences with Camp Carnival. Did your children enjoy it? Are Camp Carnival activites listed on the capers?

Sorry so many questions at once, and thanks in advance for your replies! Ever since booking this trip, I can't keep my mind off of it...~don't know how I'm going to make it to Dec :D

[lvtotrvl1]

Breakfast and lunch can also be found on the Lido deck as a buffet, so you can eat really at any time. The dining times are meant for dinner...If you want to eat in the restaurant for lunch and breakfast you can go at any time (during their serving times). It will be nice and warm in the Caribbean when you are travelling. Have a great trip!

[Cotton]

You have several choices for breakfast. Times are approximate, but...best I can remember:

 

The dining room is open from 7:30 till 9:30 for b'fast; Lido buffet b'fast is 7-10:30. You can also order from room service, although there are no hot foods delivered to cabins.

 

(No swimsuits or coverups allowed in dining room at any meal.)

 

You might want to come over to Cruise Critic's Carnival board for more info specific to Carnival:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=215&page=1&sort=lastpost&order=&pp=25&daysprune=-1

[sea*siren]

Thanks for the info...I feel a lot better knowing we have the option of a range of time for eating in the morning vs. a set time.

 

Cotton: I'm checking out the Carnival board now :)

[julieanne]

My DH and I are taking our children and going on our first cruise this Dec aboard Carnival's Imagination. (stops in Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios) I am so excited to have found this board with it's weath of information!

I am curious to know about meal times in the dining room. Our children are 4 yrs and 10 ys old. We opted for the early second seating for this reason. My question is what happens if you miss your meal time? It looks like the breakfast time associated with the 2nd early seating is before 7 am. We were hoping to be able to sleep in while on vacation. :) Also, since we are going in Dec. is it cool/cold on deck when sailing? Will we be able to enjoy the pool and/or lounge in swimsuits without being cold? Lastly, I'd love to hear about experiences with Camp Carnival. Did your children enjoy it? Are Camp Carnival activites listed on the capers?

Sorry so many questions at once, and thanks in advance for your replies! Ever since booking this trip, I can't keep my mind off of it...~don't know how I'm going to make it to Dec :D

I'll answer your camp Carnival questions. When you sign the children up, usually the first day, they will give you the activity sheet and then you should get them each day. Yes, our son and his cousin loved it when they were your children's ages! No matter what people say on these boards, my son and his cousin enjoyed Carnival more than RCCL and I found that they kept the children busy, happy and well looked after. The weather in the evenings can be a bit brisk, but not cold in the Caribbean. Take light sweaters for an evening stroll. As for dining, even when we had late seating, the waiter/busboy took care of the children very well. They always brought their meal out right away with our appetizers. They usually organize some special dinners with the children and camp counselors, such as a pizza party, etc or we would take them to the buffet or order room service if they were hungry and we had late seating. Happy cruising!:)