Dining Question

[VioletNYC]

Hi Everyone! We just booked our first RCC cruise on AOS! Very excited! We've sailed on Princess before with Anytime dining-so this is our first traditional dining experience. We selected late night seating...I just have a few questions which may sound weird...how long will dinner usually last? Do we have to wait for everyone to be seated before we order? And wait for everyone to finish before leaving? I feel like this sounds rude, but it's not meant to be! It's actually just going to be me and my sister and we both have very little appetites we'll have 2 bites of something and be full and usually end up being out of the dining room in 20 minutes. We also never order dessert!

Thanks so much in advance.

[cb at sea]

late seating usually ends by 10 -10:30 pm. It's not just dinner, you know, it's a social occasion! The waiter will generally let everyone be seated before taking the order. If someone is late, they will start taking the order and try to get the latecomer "caught up" during the meal.

If you plan on rushing through dinner, then you should request a table for your own group. There's more to dining on a cruise ship than eating!!!

[VioletNYC]

Ok Thanks for the info! I wasn't sure at all how it works.

[Gonzo70]

If you are looking for a quick dinner, you may be happier going to the Windjammer or doing room service, or grabbing pizza and/or sandwhiches at the Royal Promenade cafe or what not on at least some of the nights. These options are all free, are casual, are fast, and you would not have to worry about waiting for others to start eating or leaving before others are done.

 

Trying to arrange for a table for two in the main dining room is also possible (though more people generally want these than they have tables available, so it is not a guarantee that you will be able to secure this).

 

For most people on cruise ships, dinner is an event and they enjoy socializing with their table mates as much as eating. I have met people at dinner on all of my cruises that I wound up hanging out with during the cruise. The dinner in the main dining tends to be at a slow pace and often takes 1 & 1/2 to 2 hours. The portions are somewhat small and spread out, so even if you have a small appetite, you may still end up being hungry enough to eat at least some of each course. You might want to try this out for at least the first two nights and see how it goes.

 

People do typically wait for their tablemates to arrive before ordering (although bread is brought around soon after you arrive in case you are too hungry to wait and need something in your system). It is rare (but not unheard of) for people to rush out while their tablemates are still eating without some sort of need (i.e. someone is seasick or are rushing to get to a scheduled activity). If you are eating in the dining room one night and plan to not eat there the next night, it is also nice to inform your tablemates and/or waiter of this so they are not waiting for you to arrive before taking other people's orders.

 

Have a nice cruise; the AOS is a great ship!

[DonnaK]

You dont have to wait until everyone is finished eating to leave. Just politely excuse yourselves.

[reallyitsmema]

Request a table for two in the dining room, that way you can eat at your pace. Many people prefer to enjoy time with their group and not have to deal with others at their table, you only have to be as social as you want to be. Some of the meals from the dining room are served in the Windjammer for dinner but not all, you won't get the lobster, for example, in the Windjammer. Find out what works best for you and your sister and enjoy your cruise.:)