Early or Late Dining

[CCLNCLRCICRUISER]

I always do late.

[Kokomos]

just got back from the Fantasy with kids and I hated the early seating. 545 was just too early. We only made it two nights.

[NeptunesGoddess]

If you are into Karaoke, you will definitely be happy you chose the early seating. By the time the late seating is letting out, you only have about 90 min to 2 hours left of Karaoke and it is crowded after the late seating lets out...so you will be lucky if you get up once to sing and you will probably have to wait a bit before you are even called for that one time.

[BND]

Okay, Bruin Steve, I have a question for you. Even though I didn't mention it in my previous post, one of the reasons we like late seating is that there are less kids. Why is it that some assume because you want to dine without other children around you when you're on vacation without yours (either left with someone or grown) that you don't "like" kids? That's just a ridiculous "jump" to a conclusion.

 

Second, the rush to get ready for dinner does apply if you've got a 5:45 dinner seating and are back on board at 4:30 and have several people trying to get ready at the same time. Just think, 2 girls traveling together trying to get showered, hair done, makeup, etc in an hour. Won't happen.

 

You took a long post to just tell somene to do whatever works for them:D

[Pianogrl]

We choose late seating.....like to stay in ports as long as possible, then take our time getting ready, sit on the balcony & watch sunset. If we get a little hungry, my husband will run up & grab us a snack, something like a piece of pizza to tide us over until dinner....we go to the last show & have never felt rushed to make that.

[Pianogrl]

We choose late seating.....like to stay in ports as long as possible, then take our time getting ready, sit on the balcony & watch sunset. If we get a little hungry, my husband will run up & grab us a snack, something like a piece of pizza to tide us over until dinner....we go to the last show & have never felt rushed to make that.

[Cotton]

I don't know why some folks keep saying "I choose" or "I chose"....All you do is REQUEST your desired dining assignment. You could be put in any of four different time slots. The only exception is those who are Platinum status passengers...and they get to choose whichever time they prefer.

 

Your seating is the decision of the Maitre d' ONLY. All anyone can do is ...(once again)... REQUEST a dining assignment. Then, as mentioned a zillion times, if your assignment is not what you want, you can see the Maitre d' at the appointed time listed in the Capers and REQUEST a different time slot.:)

[Bruin Steve]

Okay, Bruin Steve, I have a question for you. Even though I didn't mention it in my previous post, one of the reasons we like late seating is that there are less kids. Why is it that some assume because you want to dine without other children around you when you're on vacation without yours (either left with someone or grown) that you don't "like" kids? That's just a ridiculous "jump" to a conclusion.

 

Second, the rush to get ready for dinner does apply if you've got a 5:45 dinner seating and are back on board at 4:30 and have several people trying to get ready at the same time. Just think, 2 girls traveling together trying to get showered, hair done, makeup, etc in an hour. Won't happen.

 

You took a long post to just tell somene to do whatever works for them:D

 

Actually, I wrote that just for YOU...You obviously hate kids...Sorry about that... :)

 

Seriously... Did I have to make the post more obvious...(and, longer) and go on to say, rather than "don't like kids" say "don't like to have a lot of kids around them at dinner because perhaps they were trying to get away from their own kids"...I personally don't care about the reason people don't want kids at their dinner seating...It may be you think it's noisier...or don't want to risk them being assigned to your table because you'd rather converse with more adults...or you just think it detracts from the elegance???...But I certainly thought most folks wouldn't take "don't like kids" as a personal affront...Gee, reading THAT into it sounds to me like a ridiculous jump to conclusions...

 

And yeah, even two girls getting showered and dressed in under an hour isn't exactly that difficult for a lot of folks...Try one of you using the shower, then moving out of the bathroom to let the other one in...there's a mirror over the desk...you can put on your makeup there...

 

If you ARE one of those who needs an incredibly long time to make herself look presentable, by all means, take the Late Seating...Getting ready for dinner in a shorter time frame works for some people, it doesn't for others...

 

For me, there's only so much of my vacation time I care to waste in a bathroom or in front of a mirror...You may feel different...

 

And yeah, I did write a long post...and told peoiple to do whatever works for them...But, at least I think I gave folks a fair discussion of the issues in both directions...I've posted this answer before and most people seem to appreciate it...more than the posts that merely say "We like Late because we don't want to have to rush to get to dinner"...

[BND]

You don't do short posts do you?:D

 

My point about kids is that it has been brought up on many occasions. It's the defensive posture a lot of people take whenever someone says there are less kids at late seatings or anything else about children. Immediately someone jumps in that the poster must not like children.

 

As for 2 girls/women getting ready in under an hour. ROFL;) Good luck with that one. I'm not very high maintenance and it takes me at least 45 minutes if I'm the only one getting ready. Try a family of four sharing a cabin!

[Bruin Steve]

You don't do short posts do you?:D

Nope. I type as long as it takes to say whatever it is I have to say...

 

As for 2 girls/women getting ready in under an hour. ROFL;) Good luck with that one. I'm not very high maintenance and it takes me at least 45 minutes if I'm the only one getting ready. Try a family of four sharing a cabin!

So...You're taking YOUR kids to Late Seating then...???

Try this: Book TWO cabins...That way you get TWO bathrooms...

Our last cruise, we took our older daughter...and booked her into her own cabin...Voila! Two women, two bathrooms...Early seating, never a problem...

 

But, yes, before our girls became teenagers (they're 21 and 22 now), we used to book "Quad" cabins...So I know what it's like to have THREE girls (plus me) sharing one bathroom ...and, still, we NEVER had a probloem making it to Main Seating Dinner...

 

Like I've said...Some people seem to have no problem, others seem to need hours...

 

Gosh, I remember Junior High School and High School Physical Education classes...they gave us six minutes to fight the mob back to the locker room, shower and dress...and somehow, we all did it...