Why do you chose 1st or 2nd Seating?

[Bellatrix]

Just wondering what the advantages are to each seating?

 

For me, we chose 2nd seating so that we aren't rushed after going on excursions all day. Maybe we can come back to the room and take a little nap before getting ready for dinner?

 

I am looking forward to the "event" of dinner - the only other cruise I have been on has been Princess, where we had Personal Choice dinner... which I feel was much less of an "event". We never got to meet other cruisers or get to know our waiters, servers. So I definitely looking forward to our next experience!

[JanineM]

We always choose main/early seating, and it is still an "event". When we go ashore we tend to come back early, so there is still plenty of time to shower, dress, have a cocktail, etc.

 

But the primary reason is that DH and I are early risers. We are normally asleep before 11 pm, and are up before 6 am. So if we have dinner from 8:30 to 10, it makes for a pretty uncomfortable night.

[MaryZ]

We choose main seating. Eating at 8pm is fine, just not every night for us.

We prefer to stick to around 6-7 pm. We only eat breakfast and dinner, so by around main seating time we are hungry.

I realize other people eat around the clock on a cruise, but we don't do that.

[og719]

Late seating. Fewer kids.

[Bellatrix]

I hope you didn't get me wrong - I think that both seatings on RCCL have more of an event like feel... as opposed to the anytime dining I experienced on Princess.

 

I am just wondering why everyone else choses what they do...

 

I think my dh would feel too rushed, also. He likes to stay up late, too. Me? No matter what I am up by 7 every morning!

[kt0331]

There are pros and cons to both seating assignments. I prefer the later seating as you have time to be out on deck when the ship sets sail. I had early seating on Adventure back in May and we usually were back getting ready for dinner while the ship was leaving port. The down side to late seating is that you finish eating rather late and after a day out and about and in the sun, being full and tired is not for everyone. I just tend to think that late seating gives you greater flexibility without the rush - but it depends on your plans for the days and your personal preferences.

[doublegator]

i like the early seating - at least in the summer. I hate to miss the sun set!

[kingsgirl]

Just wondering what the advantages are to each seating?

 

For me, we chose 2nd seating so that we aren't rushed after going on excursions all day. Maybe we can come back to the room and take a little nap before getting ready for dinner?

 

I am looking forward to the "event" of dinner - the only other cruise I have been on has been Princess, where we had Personal Choice dinner... which I feel was much less of an "event". We never got to meet other cruisers or get to know our waiters, servers. So I definitely looking forward to our next experience!

 

I definitely thought the same thing as you b/c I had early seating on my first cruise. It was a mistake though. Late dinner is soo late that you feel like you're "waiting around". I'd rather have been rushed than trying to waste time before dinner.

 

Because of that we're going back to early seating!!

[kingsgirl]

i like the early seating - at least in the summer. I hate to miss the sun set!

 

Yeah I agree. If we miss the sunset due to dining times, we usually will tell our waiters we will be coming late to supper the next night so we can catch it. They have been very accommodating for this. Usually it is only 15 minutes or so!

[Brooklyn1985]

early seating since we like to go to the shows which sometime start during the late seating

[dirtgirl]

We usually have early seating when the kids are along, but if I am on a girl's cruise, late seating it is! I am a night owl, and dance the night away, so late seating is okay with me!

[Bellatrix]

OK, so maybe this is what I'll do... keep my late seating and then for the 2 nights we do Chops & Portofinos, I will do it earlier, more like an eary seating time, so that we can catch the sunset & see what time we like better!:D

 

Thanks for mentioning the sunset part!!! I will also book C & P on nights when we can cath the ice shows!

[cruisnpat]

We like early so we aren't going to bed on a full stomach.

[louanne93]

I definitely thought the same thing as you b/c I had early seating on my first cruise. It was a mistake though. Late dinner is soo late that you feel like you're "waiting around". I'd rather have been rushed than trying to waste time before dinner.

 

Because of that we're going back to early seating!!

 

I found that too!! We ended up waiting around for dinner. Then, when dinner was over we were tired and full. It doesn't take us a lot of time to get ready for dinner...maybe a half hour or so. So, back to early for us as well. I like the concept of dinner, then a show and then maybe a little bit of the casino or late night comedy.

[cb at sea]

Late seating, for us! We like to drink before dinner--so we have PLENTY of time to get a good "buzz" going! Not much on drinking after we eat, so this works for us! The only downside is that I've never been able to partake of any late night "goodies"--the midnight buffet, or poolside cook-out...

But that's ok--don't need those calories before going to bed, anyway!

[luvscruising2007]

We found ourselves in a little routine. We had late seating so we would come back from an excursion and eat late lunch. Then we would do something on the ship and then head for the cabin for a nap. Then we would get ready for dinner, grab a drink at the centrum bar and go to dinner. At the bar there were ballroom dancers that were fun to watch. We'd catch the show after dinner. IF the show was before dinner we took that in. RCL had the shows very coordinated so we never missed one. Late seating is also closer to our normal dining time at home.

Isn't it a good thing we don't all like the same thing, the dining room would be very crowded and many passengers would be unhappy.

[pmfan]

We choose first as it is closer to our normal dining times.

[klfhngr]

Late... Cuz usually we're eating and drinking all day, we like to hang out by the pool.. we then like to take a nap then get ready.. don't want to be rushed!

[realtreebar]

we will choose early as last cruise DW & DD wanted to go to sleep after late dinner!

[12vman]

i like the early seating - at least in the summer. I hate to miss the sun set!

 

but the early seating is 6pm correct?

Sun sets in Caribbean at about 6pm or shortly thereafter in October and April (as i have been on both).

i know, if i went to dinner on my cruises, i missed the sunsets :(

maybe closer to 6:10-6:15 the sunsets are??

[anchorsaweigh]

A few reasons for me. I don't like to eat late, my mother can't eat late, she's diabetic (although you wouldn't know by looking at her dessert plate ;) ), lastly if we ate late, I really wouldn't want to do much else.

[tmoret]

We always take late for a few reasons... The main one is we live in colorado so 8:30pm on the ship is only 6:30pm here..

[dirtgirl]

To the OP, do you by any chance read Harry Potter?;)

[trislow]

We do later seating because we also like to have time after coming back on board after a day in port. We also tend to cruise in the fall/winter so we don't like to miss the sunset! Fewer kids too!

[JLC@SD]

Late seating. Fewer kids.

 

....amen......:)

 

.....and we get to see all of the sailaways....;)