Early, Late or 'anytime' seating?

[Wine Taster]

I have just booked my first solo cruise on the Noordam next May from Fort Lauderdale to Barcelona. Up to now I have traveled with my sister or children and grandchildren and we have had the "anytime" dining which worked out well. It's a little scary since this is my first solo.

 

Would I be wise to pick either the early or late fixed seating. It might be nice to be at a table with the same people each evening (unless it turned out to be a group that didn't mesh). On the other hand, on cruises with my sister, we had fun meeting new people by asking to be at a table of 4 or 6 each evening.

 

In the past I got to know several folks on the Roll Calls and met them at the meet & greet.

 

Help, what can some of you experienced solo cruisers suggest?

 

Thanks for any input you can offer.

 

Dave

[airlink diva]

I have just booked my first solo cruise on the Noordam next May from Fort Lauderdale to Barcelona. Up to now I have traveled with my sister or children and grandchildren and we have had the "anytime" dining which worked out well. It's a little scary since this is my first solo.

 

Would I be wise to pick either the early or late fixed seating. It might be nice to be at a table with the same people each evening (unless it turned out to be a group that didn't mesh). On the other hand, on cruises with my sister, we had fun meeting new people by asking to be at a table of 4 or 6 each evening.

 

In the past I got to know several folks on the Roll Calls and met them at the meet & greet.

 

Help, what can some of you experienced solo cruisers suggest?

 

Thanks for any input you can offer.

 

Dave

 

I prefer to have fixed dining on the late seating. This gives me a chance to return to the ship from port and relax. I don't like rushing for dinner.

I also love fixed dining because as a rule HAL places solo diners together and it's fun meeting new people and know who is at your table.

On one of my sailings I had a tablemate from he** and I didn't know that I could change tables and end up in the Lido. If you don't like the table, just request a table change. But on all my other sailings, I've met wonderful people that I still in contact with years after sailing with them.

You likey also have solo cruisers on the early fixed dining time.

There are some solo cruisers who love the anytime dining and meeting new people each night. I'm hestaint about anytime dining because I like to know my dining staff and my tablemates. If you an outgoing person who love meeting new people all of the time,anytime is for you.

[AmoMondo]

I'm a creature of habit and always go for late seating. I eat late at home and do so on vacation too. I like to have plenty of time to relax and chill out for a while before getting ready for dinner at a leisurely pace. I'm also more of a night owl than an early bird so am quite happy not to be finishing dinner until 10.30, then going to the show and then listening to some music in a lounge before heading to my cabin sometime after midnight. I also find second sitting less rushed as they don't need to hurry to get you out the door for the next sitting (the converse of this is for people who do not want to take a long time over dinner, find first better as the service is speedier). Another reason that I prefr second is that there tends to be less children on the later sitting. Don't get me wrong I'm not a kid hater or anything but given the choice I find it generally quieter and more relaxing without loads of them in the dining room and acting up because they are bored.

 

If you are the type of person who is an early riser and likes to get ashore as soon as possible, then late seting may not be such a good option. I certainly would not wanting to be going striaght to bed straight after dinner as the food would lie in my stomach like a lead weight!. So choosing between early r late really depends a lot on a person's preferences.

 

The advantage of the fixed sitting is that you get people to have dinner with each evening, However as you mentioned there is no guarantee that you will get on. I have no experience of anytime so can't really comment on that, excpet the cruiseline that I sail with sort of does that at breakfast and lunch if you choose to eat in the dining room rather than the buffet. Sometimes I get to share a table with very interesting people, sometimes they make it fairly clear that they are not over the moon about me joining them. Other times i end up on a table by myself.

 

Does the cruiseline you are booking with allow you to switch from fixed to anytime? if so maybe you could try one, see how it works for you and then switch if it doesn't?

[marcmarc2]

Another vote for traditional late seating. I've generally had more interesting tablemates with late seating. I also enjoy the opportunity to see the sunset or get in a spa appointment before getting ready for dinner. On my last cruise, my first solo, a solo tablemate and I (a fellow CCer) went to a specialty restaurant for an early dinner, then joined our other late-seating tablemates for (another) dessert, they were a great bunch.

[SeanCU79]

I think it really depends on your preference. If you like anytime then do that if you like traditional then choose the seating time you usually do. When i go solo I prefer doing the anytime because it gives me the flexibility. Also, I like it because I usually make friends with other people on the cruise and end up having dinner with them a few nights on the cruise so the anytime works out great. I also, like the fact that I am getting to meet so many different people by doing anytime. But that is just my preference. If you prefer traditional dining I would encourage you to do that.

 

Bottom line for me is whatever dining method you liked in the pass when you were with a group will likely be just fine for you now. I don't think you will have a bad experience with either option because you are doing it solo. Have a great time! Noordam is a great ship!

[chachi]

I went on a solo cruise a couple of months ago and chose early time dining hoping that I would be able to meet people at dinner. When I got on this ship I found out that I was anytime. I ended up eating alone the first 3 nights. Then I ate at the buffet for 3 nights. Then I found someone to eat with on the last night. I liked the idea of anytime, but would not do it as a solo cruiser. I sat alone at a table for 2. They never asked if I would like to eat with others.

[wdw1972]

I would have said late traditional, until I tried anytime (on HAL) on a solo cruise last year. I'll never go back to traditional! Why on earth would I want to "have to" eat at some set time every night and meet a small group of people vs eating whenever I feel like it (different times on different nights) and meet 7 times the number of people??? It's a no brainer to me. I booked our Feb 2009 HAL cruise with anytime, and we always got a table for 2 (his preference). In November I'm solo again and have anytime. I'm looking forward to meeting lots of people at dinner and eating according to MY schedule - not the ship's.

 

Sue/WDW1972

Eurodam 11/07/09

[kitty9]

After more than 25 cruises as a solo, and 61 overall, give me traditional anytime. I'm not too concerned with early vs late, but as a solo, I'm not at all comfortable with freestyle. I don't like having to do all the little small talk every single night with new passengers, I like getting to know a person rather than just the usual "where are you from, what's your favorite cruise, what do you do for a living, how many cruises have you been on, do you have kids" and all that. After the first night, those questions are finished and you can really get to know others. I also totally dislike waiting for a table to fill up until they take the orders, and am dismayed when passengers refuse to allow you to join their table. That whole business sucks. I also don't like being looked at as some kind of leper, when I approach the maitre'd and say "I'm a solo passenger". And that does happen, and I don't like it.

[Wine Taster]

Thanks everybody for your comments. Although there is no consensus, it gives me the pros :) and cons :eek: I was looking for.

[SeanCU79]

I went on a solo cruise a couple of months ago and chose early time dining hoping that I would be able to meet people at dinner. When I got on this ship I found out that I was anytime. I ended up eating alone the first 3 nights. Then I ate at the buffet for 3 nights. Then I found someone to eat with on the last night. I liked the idea of anytime, but would not do it as a solo cruiser. I sat alone at a table for 2. They never asked if I would like to eat with others.

 

Hi Chachi, what cruise line was that on? I have done solo cruises on Princess and HAL and never ran into the issues of not having people to share. I have read on these boards that NCL can be more difficult to find tables to share. So just curious what cruise line you experienced this on so I know for future reference!

 

Thanks!

[Stevesan]

I would have said late traditional, until I tried anytime (on HAL) on a solo cruise last year. I'll never go back to traditional! Why on earth would I want to "have to" eat at some set time every night and meet a small group of people vs eating whenever I feel like it (different times on different nights) and meet 7 times the number of people??? It's a no brainer to me. I booked our Feb 2009 HAL cruise with anytime, and we always got a table for 2 (his preference). In November I'm solo again and have anytime. I'm looking forward to meeting lots of people at dinner and eating according to MY schedule - not the ship's.

 

Sue/WDW1972

Eurodam 11/07/09

 

And you get to repeat your best stories and jokes. :p