Dining help

[ilmsg]

We're planning a last minute short cruise for January or February. This is only my second cruise, first one was in the summer on NCL to the Bahamas. It was a fabulous time. I'm only familiar with freestyle dining though. Can someone explain the dining options and dress code on Carnival? We're looking at Imagination and Paradise (I think those are the names).

 

Is it all assigned seating/times? Are there other options if we don't want set dining times? Thanks in advance.

[BND]

Dining options are set/assigned times in the Dining Room or eating in the Lido deck (buffet). There's also a pizzeria, supper club ($30p/p), grill, or limited room service. Dress code can be found on Carnival's website.

[GoinCruisin]

Depends on the ship... most ships still have assigned times in the dining room, some are experimenting with adding flexible dining. Your other option on most ships would be the lido deck, deli, pizza, grill, room service, etc. I don't think either ship you are looking at has flexible dining, but i'm not 100% sure, hopefully someone else will be able to tell you... Good luck and have fun!!!

[GoinCruisin]

Dining options are set/assigned times in the Dining Room or eating in the Lido deck (buffet). There's also a pizzeria, supper club ($30p/p), grill, or limited room service. Dress code can be found on Carnival's website.

 

There is no supper club on the fantasy class ships...

[LizaMM]

Only the Liberty and the Legend have the Anytime Dining Option for now.

 

You have the choice of requesting Early or Late Seating in the Main Dining Room.

 

I LOVE traditional dining! As a matter of fact NCL is not even on my "todo" list of cruiselines for now because I have no desire for freestyle dining.

 

There are many choices of things to eat in the Buffet Style Dining Area on the Lido Deck. You should not go hungry!!

[GoinCruisin]

I will say this... I'm a buffet basher. I have always thought buffets were pretty disgusting... I avoid them at all costs generally :p I've had them on cruises in the past and wasn't impressed... however, I really didn't want to do the whole dining room thing on our last B2B... most nights I just grabbed some sushi or something light, but some nights I went through the buffet line just to see what they had... I must say, I had a few good dinners there. I will definitely give it another shot in the future. Now, we went later in the evening when all of creation wasn't fighting for a chicken wing :rolleyes: So the atmosphere was better, which may have helped. But the food really wasn't that bad... we went on formal night and had prime rib, and those really yummy shrimp that you can't get in the dining room anymore... YUMMMM (I'll eat in the buffet on formal night from now on just to get those shrimp, they are far and beyond better than those things they try to pull off as lobsters in the dining room :p)... oh, and they had chocolate melting cake in there every night I was there... not that I indulged, but they had it :D Overall, I was really impressed with the selection and quality of the food and I won't be a buffet basher anymore... at least on Carnival, and at least for now :p

[ilmsg]

Thanks for the info, it was really helpful!

[cruiseguy82]

I went on a 7 day NCL cruise last year. My girlfriend and I ended up eating in the main dining room every night. Although you don't have a set time you have to go, we would always end up eating around 8-8:30. It was like being on any other ship except each night he would have to have a new server and we could only get tables for 2. I guess the freestlye makes sense if you want to try alot of different stlyes of food. I prefer the traditional cruise approach, you get to know your server, you never have to wait for a table and you get to meet new people at your table.

[LemurCat]

I was on NCL's Gem last winter and never once actually ate in the main dining room. I like their buffet better than Carnivals, but I'm not a fan of their main dining room menus. Though I did enjoy the hibachi grill and steak house. I find I do better in regards to not over-indulging when I'm on Carnival because of the more formal dining room setting.

[BND]

There is no supper club on the fantasy class ships...

 

I do know that. LOL. I was just thinking dining options on Carnival.