Early or late dinner??

[Zandile]

Basically first time cruisers, going on Sovereign for the 4 day with our 5 year old son on 4/2. I originally booked the early dinner although that is WAY early for our tastes but I've since read that many folks book the later seating, grab some pizza for the little ones when they are out of AO for dinner and then send them back to AO so that parents can have a nice adult meal. That sounds good but I'm a sucker for shows too.....what times are the shows for the later seatings? I know I can pay for our son to stay at AO late but he needs his sleep too!

 

Either way, I respect the later seating as a time when people do not expect young kids in the dining room (and we'd be looking for that adult ambience then as well). Just don't want to feel rushed all over the place during the evenings.

 

And my other concern is that I think my son would really get something out of the dining room experience, getting to know the wait staff, experiencing the fancy atmosphere. We plan to travel with him more as he grows and this would be a good time to hone his fancy dining skills.

 

What do ya'll think????

[Pomperaugrr]

We will be cruising with our two daughters 6 and 8. We opted for the early seating, so they would be able to enjoy the dining room experience, then head over to AO. We feel that 5 to 6 is a good age to experience higher end dining experiences. They love getting dressed up and waited on. We take them to restaurants and they know how to behave. This will be a great experience for your son too. The early seating frees up the dining room for those that prefer later dining, with fewer children (been there myself before). You can still have a fun adult dining experience too. Get your son some pizza, settle him in AO, then go to one of the specialty restaurants on board for a grown-up dining experience. Just make reservations early. Kids and dining rooms do mix well, especially the early seating, before they get tired. You are on vacation, so don't stress out over what others may think.

 

Eric

[lovemylab]

The showtimes vary from one ship to another. We had late seating on the Explorer and the shows were after dinner. I've read other reviews where people who had late seating went to the show before dinner.

 

I agree with Eric - stick with the early seating and go to one of the specialty restaurants if you are looking for some adult time.

[Zandile]

It's my understanding that there aren't any upscale specialty restaurants on Sovereign, am I mistaken? Thanks for the input though!

[cb at sea]

The dining times and show times are synchronized so that no one need miss anything. Main seating goes to the after-dinner shows. Late seating attends shows PRIOR to dinner.

Generally, if you plan on your child eating with you in the dining room, main seating is best. If you're going to feed them separately (in the Windjammer or room service, perhaps) then pick whichever time suits you best!

Late seating doesn't end until after 10pm--that's kind of late for little ones.