DINNER - 1st or 2nd seating??

[MamaByrd]

We're cruising first time - with our daughters, 17 and 20. Our TA booked us with late seating, but we are so used to eating early at home, and having the whole night ahead...Would be interested to hear pro's and con's of the dinner times. What about catching the shows and entertainment?

[sept10dsm]

We're cruising first time - with our daughters, 17 and 20. Our TA booked us with late seating, but we are so used to eating early at home, and having the whole night ahead...Would be interested to hear pro's and con's of the dinner times. What about catching the shows and entertainment?

Many choose the early seating, maybe that's why your agent booked you at the later one.

 

If you have many ports and the time to return to the ship is 5-6pm, you might have to rush to get ready for dinner. That is one reason why we have chosen the later time. If you are very hungry you could always get something at the buffet to hold you over.

 

Yes, your reason for eating earlier is valid too. My main reason like I said is being able get back from port and be ready for the earlier time.

 

This is one reason why we like the Anytime Dining Princess offers. You can basically eat at any time you like. We usualy then eat around 6:30 or 7, in between early and late. (they also offer traditional seatings)

 

Depends on the ship, but they do usually have the shows correspond so that either seating will be able to see them (2 shows)

 

Have fun planning and have a great cruise.

 

Good luck in choosing.

[Happy ks]

The later seating has always worked best for us, even when our kids were younger.

 

Mainly the fact that you have almost no time to get ready for dinner with the early seating. Being the mom, I have to start earlier than anyone else, to keep everyone else organized. That usually means I have to stop whatever activity, or return to the ship, by 4:30 pm. After doing everything we've done for the day and then a large dinner, I'm pretty much ready to go to bed and hour or two after dinner. So, early seating over at 7:30, we're in bed by 9:30, no evening activities for us :rolleyes: .

 

The later seating we have time to rest after our day, leisurely get ready for dinner, many times the show is before the late seating (there is a different seating time for the shows, early and late).

 

In reality, it's all a personal choice. We're up early in the day and the day hours are more important to us. The people in the next cabin may rather enjoy sleeping in, early dinner and party well into the night. You can only make that choice for yourself. If you decide that you want to change, but the choice is not available before boarding, you can go to the Maitre d' after boarding to request a change. A lot of people do this so don't be shy about requesting it.

[julieanne]

We choose to dine early now as our cruises have many sea days. The reason being: second seating dinner is more relaxed and we didn't get out of the dining room most nights until 10pm. We were too full to stay awake in the shows and just didn't like feeling that way so late in the evening. When we're in port, we may take an alternate dining option so that we can stay in port later. Most ships have a buffet and many have open seating dining which is great! We'd prefer about 7 pm for dinner, but they just don't do that unless it's freestyle on NCL or anytime on Princess.

[EggDropErin]

We always choose early seating due to eating early at home, and the fact that I'm usually not physically able to stay awake very late. The only downside is that you sometimes have little time to get ready for dinner after returning back from certain ports. Other than that, I have found no other disadvantages.

[Sheffie]

I like to be up on deck at sail-away, and this usually isn't possible with first seating. That is one reason why we eat the later dinner.

[kitty9]

For me, I don't like finishing a big dinner at 10:30 at night. That's just too late for me to be comfortable. I'm not a huge late night person, so having a full stomach at midnight isn't a plus for me. I like dining early and than having the time to work off the meal at a decent hour.

[EggDropErin]

Oh yeah...I almost forgot. With early seating, it's much easier to have room for those delicious midnight buffets! :D

[celbercrz333]

Mama,

Depends on where you are going. We went to Bermuda for our first cruise to celebrate our 25th anniversary. I had read online that Hamilton, Bermuda--the capital--closes down everything at 5 pm. Imagine that they go home to their families instead of making a few extra $$$ at night. Well we are early diners at home and we did early seating. It worked for us because we are also golfers and had an early tee time one day. What I'm getting around to saying is that we could have spent more time on the beach instead of getting back to the ship to do our showers and get ready for dinner if we had later seating. So I guess my answer is it depends on what else you plan to do on the cruise while in port and what your destination is like as far as night time activities. The good thing about being on a ship in a port is that you always have options of things to do whether it be on the ship or on the shore.

[CorbinCatFan]

We've done both and have cruise with our daughters (19 and 21 on the last).

 

The pro's of the main sitting is that afterward, I enjoy the shows, some gambling, late night snack, and the late night comedy shows. The con's of the main sitting is I don't have enough time with cocktail time and I feel very rushed from port to make the formal night parties.

 

The pro's of the late sitting is that I can enjoy cocktails and sushi after a great day in port. I can enjoy the show before dinner. The con's of the late night is that I don't enjoy the late night snacks or deck parties so close to the end of my meals and I tend not to stay up very late afterwards.

 

My wife is not much of a night person but she and I would still have the late sitting as our choice on our next cruise.

[quikb18b]

For reference I am 25 and she is 23

 

I prefer to not be rushed after port days, I like to come back to the boat relax a bit, get a shower. I do wish it was 8 vs 8:30, but 6 p:m is way to early IMO. The other thing I liked about the later seating was there is less kids and you still don't miss any of the shows.

 

I heard one person say "I cant go that long without eating" dont base your decisions on solely this because there is plenty of food on the so you won't be starved"

 

Just try one and if you dont like it ask to be switched.

[cherylandtk]

At home we eat about 6 pm. On cruises, we always choose late dining, for many of the reasons mentioned above. Our schedule is shifted when we are on vacation, we stay up a little later, we sleep in a bit, and we enjoy the ambience in the dining room that late dining provides.

[bwolfe8140]

We're cruising first time - with our daughters, 17 and 20. Our TA booked us with late seating, but we are so used to eating early at home, and having the whole night ahead...Would be interested to hear pro's and con's of the dinner times. What about catching the shows and entertainment?

 

We like EARLY seating. We tried late on our last cruise in September - what a disaster. By the time we got out from dinner it felt like bedtime. The 1st night they only did one Welcome Show so they delayed our meal by 1/2 hour. We were at a table by the window - but it was dark.

 

The ship usually leaves the port between 5 & 6 and you have to be back at least 1/2 hour (or 1 hour?) before it leaves so there is plenty of time to get ready for dinner without feeling too rushed.

 

We won't do late again.

[MamaByrd]

Thanks for all the info. So many pro's and con's, but I did change to Main seating. We are on a short cruise, really only in port one day till 5:00. (Another day til 2:00) so I understand the feeling of rushing to get ready for dinner, but won't be much of an issue for us.

 

I'm just so used to eating early...with late seating I'm afraid I'd sleep through dessert! And we can't have that!

Thanks again.

[Cotton]

Hi Mama. It's good to say which cruiseline or ship you'll be on. The lines have different policies.

 

IF it's Carnival, which I'm more familiar, you won't miss any shows no matter which seating. The early seating passengers go to the 8:30 show and the late diners go to the 10:30 show. I'm talking about the big production shows. The other shows, comedians, etc. are usually later.

 

Also if it's Carnival - you are only requesting a seating. No one except Platinum guests are assured of a certain dinner seating. It's certainly a possibility that the Maitre d' can change the seating time if you ask.

 

Have a great first cruise!:)

[patpaul]

You will still catch the shows,they are early and late also. We usually book late seating this way you don't have to rush back to the ship for dinner,if you get hungry you can get something small from room service or from the buffet. The one thing you never have to worry about on a cruise is getting something to eat --there is always food. We have opted to eat at the buffet or one of the other restuants many times instead of waiting.

Pat