Dinner and Show times-HELP!

[KEIA]

Hello all...

 

My family is planning on our FIRST RC cruise, and I've been reading these boards and the Freedom of the Seas Reviews and have found 3 different answers when it comes to the dinner times.

 

Can someone PLEASE (pretty please) clear this up for me? Is the early sitting at 6:00 and the late sitting at 8:30? Or is the first sitting at 5:30 and the late dinner sitting at 8:00? I don't want to know when we start eating, but what time the dining room actually opens up for people to be allowed in.

 

One more questions...How do the shows work for both dinner times? Are there 2 shows a night like on other cruise lines, or is there only one show time? I tried looking through the compasses, but we're doing the Eastern route, and haven't found any compasses yet.

 

We're scheduled for the late sitting right now, but on the last Princess cruise I went on, we wouldn't get done eating until after 10:15 PM and the night shows would start at 10:00---I don't want to miss anything on my first RC CRUISE!! :)

 

Thank you so much for your time!!! Freedom--Here we COME!!!!

[skisteamboat]

There are two shows every night. The first show takes place while the early dinner seating is eating and the second show is when the second seating is eating. I have never missed a show I wanted to see in 5 cruises do far.

 

My experience is the doors open at the specified dinning time and not one second sooner. If it says 6:00 PM, the door will open exactly at 6:00 PM.

 

Enjoy the cruise.

 

Cheers

[debandbill]

KEIA,

 

Can't speak for Freedom but my experience has been that early dinner is at 6:00 and late at 8:30. There are two shows to accomodate each seating and the times are announced in the Compass (your daily news brochure that is placed on your bed each evening with info for the following day.) Sometimes the show will be before your meal and sometimes after (particularly for late seating.) Please note that things do vary between ships so times do change.

 

As far as making it to the show, we have never had a problem with the showtimes (and we always do late seating.) We have always had time to run to the restroom after our meal and still get good seats for the show.

 

Your biggest decision will be when to do the ice show...that may be the only time you have a conflict between meal time, theater show time and the ice show. But.....please do the ice show...probably the best show of all.

 

Congrats on your first cruise with Royal Caribbean...hope it is wonderful!