Lobster

[gram4haley]

My family loves lobster and is looking forward to it on formal night. We are traveling with a 2 year old who, on most occasions, has good manners at the table. It seems as if a significant number of people believe children should not be seen or heard. I am sensitive to others, but want my family to have a nice time too (but not at others expense). Will we be able to eat lobster anywhere other than the main dining rooms on formal night?

[halos]

I don't think you can have lobster outside the dining room...why don't you plan on eating in the dining room and if the little one acts up, just take him out for a while. He may be good...there's a lot going on in the dining rooms that may keep him from getting bored...Carnival ships are decorated to extreme (and I mean that in a most loving way :D ). That will keep his eyes busy alone!! The wait staff may make a fuss over him...you never know, he could sit there perfectly all night.

It's refreshing to know you're concerned about your fellow passengers!!!

[Kathy555]

I have never seen lobster anywerhe else but in the dining room on formal nights. I don't see anyting wrong with bringing him in the dining room on formal night. If he acts up just decide who will leave with him and get that person's lobster to go. Don't miss out on it.

[Cotton]

Lobster in the dining room only. Don't miss out on your formal dinner. Take the little one with you - lots of folks do that, and the waiters do entertain them.:)

[chrly]

I found that when I took my 3 yo DD on our last cruise that the waiters were very attentive and tried to keep her active. They also have their own menu that they can scribble on to keep them entertained. We never had any problems with our DD other than she fell asleep at the table during dinner one night. She climbed up into my MIL's lap and it didn't take her long to go to sleep. I guess that the shore excursion we did that day wore her out. :p Gotta love kids! :D

[jckvpa0]

I believe they have lobster in the specialty restaurant, but you probably wouldn't want to go there with a 2 yro.

[Mgetta]

No one minds having little ones at the dining table until they start to cry and fuss. With all the attention and activity, this probably won't happen, but as prior poster said, just have an agreement with who gets up and leaves if that happens and everyone will be happy. Thanks for being a considerate parent.

[2funcruzin]

Don't think you can get it to go because you can't. On our last cruise we had been at sea for two days and I was feeling quite ill at dinner. Before the food got to the table I decided to go back to the room and DH was escorting me. He asked if he could take his dinner back to the room so he could be with me and they told him no that wasn't allowed. Just an FYI.

[lisiamc]

No one minds having little ones at the dining table until they start to cry and fuss. With all the attention and activity, this probably won't happen, but as prior poster said, just have an agreement with who gets up and leaves if that happens and everyone will be happy. Thanks for being a considerate parent.

 

Well, actually I'm not thrilled to share a table with a 2-yr old as a general rule. But even a big ol' meanie like me wouldn't mind having him or her there so that you could enjoy lobster night.

 

And as others have said, you are a considerate parent. I'm sure it will be a nice meal for all of your family and tablemates.

[serene56]

Don't think you can get it to go because you can't. On our last cruise we had been at sea for two days and I was feeling quite ill at dinner. Before the food got to the table I decided to go back to the room and DH was escorting me. He asked if he could take his dinner back to the room so he could be with me and they told him no that wasn't allowed. Just an FYI.

 

you had a terrible waiter then. Most foods can be had to go in the dining room and the lido buffet. They even offer to put a lid on it to keep it warm.

[ToddWelch]

Last year we took our triplets (2 1/2 years old) to dinner in the dining room 6 out of seven nights and they were never a problem. Mind you...they have always been pretty good going out for dinner...so we didn;t have too many worries....but they loved the food and the waiters spoiled them rotten.

 

Just go and enjoy...you will not be the only ones with kids.

 

Todd

[Scoutcat]

Another possiblity if you think that your toddler will just be too difficult is to take advantage of the babysitting service. The Camp Carnival folks run that in the evening. Your little one isn't going to get a thing out of Formal Night or the lobster....so why not free yourselves up to enjoy it a bit more?

 

Love my kids, but...to borrow and twist a phrase from "The Gambler".....you gotta know when to hold 'em and know when to let someone else hold 'em....LOL.

 

"Scout" aka Carol

[Wennfred]

You can go down to the dinning room and request 2 dinner plates and take them to your cabin, I seen this done before and have done it myself twice with no problems.:)

[Wennfred]

Don't think you can get it to go because you can't.

 

I have done this twice when Wendy was feeling sick, No questions asked and it was no problem.

[cprofits]

We had a long shore excursion, were feeling tired and just didn't feel like taking a shower, etc. We were walking by the dining room to get a peek at the menu during early sitting and just happened to see our waitress near the door. We casually mentioned to her that we didn't think we'd be at dinner tonight so she and our tablemates wouldn't wait on us. Several hours later after late seating was over, there was knock on our door and there she was. With a big tray with covered plates and a *lot* of food. She was great and we let her know it with our envelope.

[caprcorn28]

Oohh... particularly sensitive subject to me! Last cruise, our kids did the formal night with Camp Carnival and it was just supposed to be the adults at dinner. (CC had a formal dinner party for the kids that sounded like fun for them!) I WAS so looking forward to the lobster....At the beginning of dinner we were beeped by CC that our oldest was sick (VERY rough seas that night). I left to go get him, bring him back to the cabin/clean up, I figured by this point at least they are thru the salads and on to the main course....I get back to the table again...Beeper goes off again. The youngest child is very upset (she had seen me pick up her brother and not her, she wanted to get picked up)...back up to CC...back to the dining room with the youngest...to tell them that I better go back and be with the oldest. Our waiter DID send my dinner to the room...it just WASN'T the same though. Cold lobster is NOT good!! :( But it was a very sweet gesture!!

(This next cruise...hubby is on that duty should it repeat itself!!) I am going to have the lobster!!!

 

Yes - Bring the little one to the dining room!! Like people said, there is a lot going on in there to be entertained. The waitstaff really pays a lot of attention to them! There are lots of lights, food is plentiful to keep them entertained! Definitely do NOT miss out on the lobster!! :rolleyes: :)

[jakieemma]

It's funny how the rest of the world sees what they serve on cruise ships as lobster.

Growing up in Boston has spoiled me into believing the only real lobster is a "Maine" lobster. Don't get me wrong...I eat the "lobster" they serve, but it is more like a shrimp on steroids than an actual lobster !!!!

 

If they ever served Maine lobster, especially on formal night...the whole ship would smell like it, and people would be going to the shows after dinner with bits of it on their clothes....lol

 

I can't wait to take a bite out of that shrimp on roids !!!!

[VentureMan_2000]

Cruisers with kids tend to eat at the earlier seatings in the Dining room... so you may want to consider this. One reason Cruisers choose to eat at the late seatings is to get a child-free environment... or at least table. This is my #1 reason for selecting late seating Dining.

 

If you are cruising during "kid season", don't sweat it too much. But I think you will find more children eating during the early seatings.

[2funcruzin]

you had a terrible waiter then. Most foods can be had to go in the dining room and the lido buffet. They even offer to put a lid on it to keep it warm.

 

It wasn't the waiter it was the maitre d (sp?). OH well..maybe they just didn't want to deal with it. I have no idea. anyway glad for those who've had no problems.

[Cotton]

I think most folks know the difference between lobsters. I've been to Boston and also to Maine, and there is nothing better than the lobster served there! The little Florida lobsters we get around here are still delicious, and even just the tails if that's all that's offered.:)

[serene56]

It wasn't the waiter it was the maitre d (sp?). OH well..maybe they just didn't want to deal with it. I have no idea. anyway glad for those who've had no problems.

 

Well- I hope you dont need to find out this trip-- you WILL stay well right?

[2funcruzin]

Well- I hope you dont need to find out this trip-- you WILL stay well right?

 

That's right Cheryl!!! But I if I do start to feel ill maybe I'll just lay out on your big balcony!! :p

[Kathy555]

When we were on the Miracle they had a really nice sushi appetizer that night. My son, 14 at the time, wanted to get to the teen club so he ate in the buffet. I told our waiter how he would have loved it and could they let me take a plate back to the room. He said they stopped doing that but he made a plate for him anyway. From the way he spoke I got the impression that they were afraid of food spoiling. The plate was big to put in the fridge.

 

On the Destiny just 2 weeks ago they had a desert and my so again left early to get to the teen club so our wonderful waiter Guru heard us say how Matt would love the mousse so he gave us one to go.

 

I don't think it is a problem to get it to go.

[nimbex1970]

I think as several have stated, it is due to the concerns of spoiling that the waiters are discouraged from sending food with you. On the truimph they tried serrving my husband more lobsters than he could eat, our friend ate 4. our friend Mark wanted to take 3 back to his cabin. Their waiter said that it would not keep and he would be sick, but if Mark was willing to pick up the lobsters after the late seating, they would have fresh ones available for him to eat later that night.

 

So I think that the staff is concerned about health risks, and rightly so..... know this and also know that newer staff is less likely to be lienent and with some reasurace that you won't leave it sitting for hours, might change their minds... but someone always gets that odd duck server who won't budge, you could consider the maitre 'd at this point, but expect the strict orders to be comming from him/her and take the pressure off the wait staff for the "yes" answer you want. When face to face with the maiter 'd, you've better odds and it only takes a moment to ask.

 

worst they can say is no.

[jakieemma]

Not only are lobsters tasty, but they are VERY good for you...until you dip them in that yummy butter !!!!