Dining w/ an 8 yo

[Lulachick]

My 8 yo daughter has decided she wants to eat with us in the main dining room. I read somwhere that they do have the kid's menu available during dinner. Is this true? I am packing her some dresses to be on the safeside. She is driving me nuts. She gets to wear her 1st pair of "grown up" stockings on the cruise. Anybody else out there have children that preferred to eat with them? Normally she blows us off for her friends.

[PaulMedik]

My 8 yo daughter has decided she wants to eat with us in the main dining room. I read somwhere that they do have the kid's menu available during dinner. Is this true? I am packing her some dresses to be on the safeside. She is driving me nuts. She gets to wear her 1st pair of "grown up" stockings on the cruise. Anybody else out there have children that preferred to eat with them? Normally she blows us off for her friends.

 

 

Lulachick,

 

My boys prefer to eat in the main dining room. They do have a children's menu and they do an excellent job of bringing whatever makes them happy.

[OceanDreamin]

My 6 year old DD chose to eat with us every night in the dining room. Yes, they have a kids menu (with activities and such), or the kids can order off the adult menu if they wish. The waiters were WONDERFUL with her, and she thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

[mamajules]

On our first cruise my son (now 14) was 8 and ate with me every night in the dining room. The kids menu has all the normal favorites, but my son decided since he could order anything, he would be adventurous and try out some of the "big people" food on the main menu. If he didn't like it, he just ordered something off the kids menu. Our waiters were wonderful, always playing up to him - What would you like this evening, Mr. Jared? We had the early seating and he would go on to Camp Carnival from dinner. Have a wonderful cruise!

[gazingm42]

Our kids are 8 and 10 now and the eat with us in the main eating room. They

have a good kids menu. If they don't find it on the menu they do a great job

to get the kids what they request. The waiters normally are REALLY good and

do a great job with the kids in the past cruises with CLL.

 

Have Fun

[vacationfool]

I think thats wonderful that she wants to join you in the dining room. This is a great age to experience such quality service. Just beware that it takes much longer to dine then going to the buffet. IF you haven't had a chance to introduce proper manners at the table, or just teaching some new things about where the silver goes, how to use it, etc. this would be a good time to learn before you go, and be able to use it. Simple yes please, no thank you, and ordering off the menu without help, and letting them know how good the food is. The kids get a kick out of this. Now don't get me wrong, the dining room is not all prom and proper..haha but it is different then the dining room or most supper tables at home! Most kids do not get too over dressed either. The waiters do pay ALOT of attention to the children and will remember their names the first night. Some love talking about their own children too. There is a childrens menu, but they can order anything they like on any menu. I am in the childcare business and each Summer we teach children age 5yrs thru 10yrs a two week program on manners and ordering,etc. They have a blast! Remember to get pictures for long lasting memories!

[dnj1]

My DD (age 7) does not know anything about the cruise yet. (August) But I was thinking that she would want to eat at the camp. Maybe I will be wrong and she will want to eat with us. I would love that. I am going to make her eat in the dining room at least 1 night, regardless. :) I agree it is a great experience for them.

[mamaskittles]

Last year on the Legend my 7yo nephew ate with us (the whole family,9 of us) in the main dining room every night. He has severe peanut allergy and they treated him like a king. They remembered all his favorites and even brought little bits of the adult foods for him to try. He loved the crab legs! It does take a little longer to eat in the main dining room but the waiters are very entertaining and they pay lots of attention to the kiddies. And don't forget they do have the singing and dancing shows that the kids all enjoy and the waitstaff usually bring the kids up to join them if they want.:)

[buddyjo143]

We took a family cruise at Christmas and there was only one night when the little ones didn't eat with us because there was a party in Camp Carnival that they wanted to go to. The nieces and nephews were ages 5, 7 and 8.

 

My favorite memory is the waiter listing off all the desserts on the children's menu and my 7 year old nephew saying, "Excuse me, but are all those free?":p

[ballarinamom]

We've taken DD5 on two cruises and she ate with us each night. Thank goodness because she spent most of the day and night in the kid's camp. It was one of the few family times together on board! She is a cheese fanatic and the waiter had a cheese plate with grapes waiting in her spot each night! She thought that was really cool and still talks about it. We make ressies for early seating so she can go to the kid's program after and not miss anything.

[Lulachick]

Vacationfool,

You reminded me that I need to bring her up to speed on the table manners thing. She is not bad but she can be better. Thankfully I have the whole place setting at home and we can practice togather. It will be fun.

[TennisLover]

The kids in my family always eat in the dining room with us -- DS since he was 7 (on this year's cruise he was 11); my niece and nephew (8 and 6 this year, but they also cruised with us when they were 6 and 4, and before that when they were even younger); and this year, another cousin who was 4 yo ate with us every night.

 

This year, the kids didn't linger as long as we did. The youngest was taken to camp. The wait staff is always wonderful with the kids.

[lagbunch8]

My 6 children ages 12-5 ate in the dining room every night on our family cruise. They kids enjoyed the fine dining as much as mom and dad did. I was a little concerned about table manners for my two 5 yr olds but, they did great. I was less concerned about them using the wrong fork than with eating with their hands or misbehaving. :)

[LHP]

We started cruising with the boys when they were 5 and 8 and they have always eaten with us. The 8 year old ate from the adult menu from day one. The youngest is a special needs child and ate from the children's menu (pepperoni pizza to be specific) every evening for years. Last year, at the age of 14 (on his 13th cruise) he finally started eating from the adult menu exclusively....and has said goodbye to the pizza (at least for dinner) !!

 

You can also "mix and match". Perhaps she would like to try an appetizer from the adult menu and then add her entree from the children's menu.

 

It has really been a great learning experience. They learned proper table manners and experimented with lots of foods that they otherwise may not have tried.

 

The youngest has decided that he LOVES snails. Had 2 appetizers of them in March on the Fantasy. He also loves calamari. He has come a long way from pizza!!

[kgerkin]

We have taken my 6 year old daughter on two cruises. On both cruises we read her the kids menu and she insisted on eating what we were eating...which was great. She tried all kinds of new food. The only item she picked from the kids menu was vanilla icecream. Each night the waiter brought her icecream for dessert with cherries from the bar on it. She didnt even need to ask after the 2nd night. The wait staff are wonderful with children.

 

My daughter loved camp carnival but wanted to have dinner with us. We had early seating and she would go to camp for a few hours after dinner. Gave her dad and I time to see the shows or go to the casino.

[PelicanBill]

Our 8 yr old daughter loves to eat with us in the main dining room. A year and a half ago she was delighted by her new ability to read the menu herself and order things she wanted to try. She tried many foods we could never have gotten her to eat if it were our suggestion.

 

One day at lunch, when the waiter approached, she looked up and said

"I would like grilled cheese, onion rings, and beer."

[curlydog]

My DD (age 7) does not know anything about the cruise yet. (August) But I was thinking that she would want to eat at the camp. Maybe I will be wrong and she will want to eat with us. I would love that. I am going to make her eat in the dining room at least 1 night, regardless. :) I agree it is a great experience for them.

 

 

My DD was 6 last year on the Inspiration and she loved getting dresssed up each night for dinner.....the wait saff treated her like a little princess....she loved every minute of it.

[MrPete]

My now 8 year old has been eating off the menu since she started cruising at 4. There is a childrens menu, and in the beginning, ordered something from both menues.

 

She's a pro now!

[shark Fan]

IF you haven't had a chance to introduce proper manners at the table, or just teaching some new things about where the silver goes, how to use it, etc. this would be a good time to learn before you go, and be able to use it. Simple yes please, no thank you, and ordering off the menu without help, and letting them know how good the food is.

 

Some people! Looks like some need to learn how to be more tactful.:cool: We have taken our children since ages of 4 and 5. They look foward to dinner in the main dining room. Have fun!!