Late Seating - When is the Show??

[DeRon]

If you are in late seating, I am sure that it is before eat. Right?

[Offtune Angel]

If you are in late seating, I am sure that it is before eat. Right?

It would make sense to me, but, unfortunately it is too often NOT the case. On the non-Celebrity ships I was on in the 80's & 90's your statement held true. Celebrity varies though, depending on CD, Sea day vs Port Day, Formal vs Informal or Casual, Single entertainer vs Extravaganza, mere whim. :(

I, personally do NOT like the inconsistency and I definitely don't like trying to attend a post dinner show after a second sitting in Europe -- due to the later time for second sitting, I'm usually too tired to make my way from the Dining room (aft) to the theatre (fwd) and back to my cabin (usually aft) and consequently miss the show for that day.:(

Incidentally, the pattern is even inconsistent on consecutive sea days - as we discovered on our recent Mediterranean B2B Transatlantic WB.

However, maybe with such a big emphasis on Cirque on the "M" class ships, Celebrity and the CD's will reconsider the current inconsistent scheduling and have the shows performing during each of the two sittings.

[LSilver]

DeRon:

 

According to 2 cruise-directors the timing of the show for those with late-seating is determined in large part by the age of the passangers. On 10+ day cruises, where the average age is older, the CDs try to schedule as many of the shows as possible before dinner

 

I understand CDs' rationale and don't really find fault with it. I would only note that a significant percentage of pax who choose late seating, myself included, do so in order to enjoy their afternoon activities thru the early evening and a) don't want those activities interrupted and/or b) don't want to have to put on the appropriate evening attire until dinner.

 

Only speaking for 10+ day cruises -- the first night's show and most port-day shows are after dinner; sea-day shows are before dinner.

[sunpsyche]

DeRon:

 

I would only note that a significant percentage of pax who choose late seating, myself included, do so in order to enjoy their afternoon activities thru the early evening and a) don't want those activities interrupted and/or b) don't want to have to put on the appropriate evening attire until dinner.

 

I agree totally and much prefer the shows that are after the late seating. I end up skipping the early entertainment in order to have a more leisurely early evening...enjoy the sunset, t-pool or martini bar. Its only after dinner when I'm ready to be entertained. To each his own!

[doree]

YES.........the show is before your dinner

[Ine]

It depends on the schedule and other activities.

 

Sometimes it was before, sometimes it was after 2nd seating.

Ckeck the daily paper.

[DUCK33]

dinner.......8:30pm

show.... 10:30 pm

[Deb C.]

With Duck's answer--sometimes yes, but sometimes no.

 

I prefer the 10:30 show, but several times they move it to 6:45/7:00PM due to parties out on the deck around 11PM.

 

Best advice--check the daily paper the night before and make your plans. What ship are you sailing?

[DUCK33]

did someone say party?????

[Larryhnj]

Hello Celebrity and RCCL

 

Unless its the passenger that wants to go to bed by 11:00pm I think most late dinner quests would rather have the show after dinner.

 

Dont interrupt our afternoon activities and dont roll up the carpet at 11:00 pm either :)

 

Larry

[SueSea]

The biggest problem with having late seating dinner shows after dinner is finding a decent seat, or sometimes any seat at all, at the show. On occasion dinner runs late, but the biggest problem is that the early seating folks have access to the late show. They can decide if they want to go to the early or late show, but late diners can only go to the late show. When early diners wait to see the late show, or if they just want to see it again, it leaves those of us at late dining either rushing through dinner or getting lousy seats. I'd rather have the show before dinner--at least I know I can get in! Either that or don't allow early seating guests in the late show until the very last minute.

[DeRon]

So does most everyone prefer early over late?

[geoherb]

We're just back from the Century's holiday cruise. Most of the nights, the show was after dinner (either 10:30 or 10:45). On a couple of nights, the show was at 7:00 (before dinner for the late seating passengers) and 8:45 (after dinner for the main seating).

 

We hardly ever got out of the dining room before 10:30. Other tables somehow managed. They must have been skipping some courses or else really rushed their waiters. We were having too much fun.

 

We never had a problem getting good seats. The theater was never full.

[hotspur]

On our November Galaxy cruise, most nights the show for "late" dinner seating was at 7:15pm--or before dinner. IIRC, on nights when the "production" cast (i.e., singers and dancers) were performing, it was after the late seating dinner--at 10:15 or 10:30.

[DeRon]

hotspur...

 

What does "IIRC" mean?

[joykts]

sometimes before dinner (6:45 or 7:00)

sometimes after dinner (10:30 or 10:45)

And sometimes a 9:45 "extra" show that only the folks with first seating dinners (or speed eaters with seats inthe kitchen who skipped courses) could get to. We seldom finished before 10:15 or 10:30 unless we all skipped a course, and that was fine -- we were enjoying ourselves -- but having to rush to the (bad) shows wasn't fun.

And once the "extra" show was at 10:15 (also tough to get to, and impossible to get seats at -- it was the Barbados native show).

 

yes, they need a dose of consistency.

[hotspur]

hotspur...

 

What does "IIRC" mean?

"If I recall correctly..."

[Giorgi-one]

I would guess that the theater would be empty when the show is done before dinner for late seating. As previously indicated, most people choose late seating because they have something else to do earlier (ports, gym, nap, etc). I have never attended a show before dinner.

[Offtune Angel]

I would guess that the theater would be empty when the show is done before dinner for late seating. ...

Not necessarily so. Our experiences found the 7:00 show for Late Diners to be quite full - sometimes standing room only. Very few people were using the gym at that time and most days we had left port by 5 or 6 (yes, there were occasional 7:00 departures, too). MOST port days, dressing for dinner wasn't a problem because dress code was USUALLY casual. Of course there is always the exception that makes the rule -- such as Captain's Farewell Formal on the evening of the day we tendered to and from Villefranche.:D