Late Dining v. Portofino w/ Kids

[SaratogaTrunk]

We're wait-listed for the early seating :( As we didn't book until October, it's not looking too good... :(

 

In an effort to plan ahead and try to figure out ways in which we can dine earlier, I'm looking into other options. If we didn't want to do the Windjammer buffet or Johnny Rockets, could we take the children to Portofino? Is there a minimum age?... Our children are 16, 11.5 and 10-- All three are accustomed to dining in finer restaurants and behave well (it's my husband that I have to worry about :-O-- just kidding).

 

I completely understand why there might be a minimum age and I'd never do anything to disrupt anyone else's dining experience. I'm also not keen on breaking the "rules" (trying to set good examples for my teen as to why we NEED rules as guidelines).

 

ALSO-- does the RCCL children's program do dinner with the kids? I'd much rather eat together, but we're going to have to figure out ways to make nine evenings work!

 

Our party also includes my MIL and SIL :)

[geoherb]

You wouldn't want to eat at Portofino more than once probably. It would be an awfully expensive alternative at $20 per person. Just see the maitre d' as soon as possible after you board the ship. They're used to making changes and will try to do so if possible.

[boulders]

Minimum age at the specialty restaurants is 13.

 

I would call RCCL every day or so to see if something opens up. If you can't get off the waitlist, see the Maitre D' when you get on the ship. If that still doesn't work, go see him the second day, as there will probably be people who either decide not to eat in the dining room or switched to late seating.

[rebeccalouise]

Yes- the minimum age for Portofino is 13. So that's really not an option. I suggest that you not fret over the late seating.

 

Royal Caribbean offers a great buffet for the nights that you don't feel like dressing up for dinner or waiting for the late seating. Also there are other casual restaurants onboard. In fact, while on a 6 night cruise with my son I didn't ever eat in the main diningroom. It was nice to eat when you wanted to. I found the food to be consistently good in the Windjammer buffet.

[VikkiGarcia]

If you are unable to change to early seating don't worry. We have always done late seating with our kids. We make sure we have a table for just our family so we are not waiting on others. We arrive right as the dinning room opens so that our waiter will handle us first in their section. By the second night they know our kids head to kids club as soon as they finish their entree. My oldest makes sure his sister gets checked into kids club.This allows my husband and I to remain in the dining room and enjoy desert by ourselves. On average my kids are heading to kids club 8pm. When they were in the 9-11 group they might miss a few activities. Once they moved into teen they are missing nothing because that group starts to ramp up around 9pm.

[CanadianTwosome]

I'm not sure why late seating is a problem... Early seating is recommended for younger children, I know, but that's because very young children sometimes have trouble sitting through a long dinner. But if the youngest is 10, that shouldn't be a problem. If it's an activities issue, VikkiGarcia has given you some good advice. I wouldn't worry about it. It's a holiday on a beautiful cruise ship with plenty to do at any time of the day or evening; don't sweat it, just enjoy as much as you can!

[SadieQ]

I agree that given the age of your kids, late seating shoudln't be a huge problem. We've taken 2 cruises with our kids and done early, but they were 6 and 8 last time. We're cruising again in March, when they'll be 9 and 11. We requested late seating. At home we normally eat around 7, so sort of halfway between early and late. I figure they might want to skip dinner or leave early for the kids' activities, which is OK (I probably won't let them skip every night, because I want us to have some family dinners together).

 

 

With nine nights, you can probably work out a few evenings to dine with the kids and if they're enjoying the kids' program, just have them eat early at the buffet a few nights and go off to do their thing. Particuarly if your kids are used to eating out as mine are, I would imagine they'd be fine at late seating if you all want to eat together. And if you do think they'll get hungry and cranky (I'm 38 and I have that probelm, so even well-behaved kids might), ou can always snack at the buffet or Johnny Rockets or whatever a couple of hours before dinner.

[crusinmama06]

Yes as others have said Portofino is generallly not an option because of the 13 age limit. However, I am going to tell you that Portofino does allow chidren under 13 during the earlier reservation times (6pm and before). I would think that wouldn't be a great option though because of the $20-$25 per person expense every night. AND it is one long meal. It was actually too long and drawn out for me. I really didn't like it. I like the tempo of the dining room and it just seemed like everything took forever at Portofino.

 

You have other options. The kids can eat with AO at Johnny Rockets for 2 nights during the cruise. Also, you can take them to WJ for their dinner. Then they can go to AO during your dinner time.

 

However, the age of your children should be fine for late seating. Early seating is really for those with really young children. I take my kids to early seating, then have them in AO by 7pm and in bed by 10pm-10:30pm.

 

The only think about late seating is that your kids *may* miss certain events that they want to attend. But you can make that decision when you receive the day's activities the night before.

[SaratogaTrunk]

Thanks, guys!!

 

I'm too much of a worry-wart...the kids will be fine with all the choices.

 

CruisinMama-- thanks for the early Portofino idea. We will definitely keep this in mind as a "before 6" option. :p

 

With AO's pick up time of 10 p.m.-- will we make it back from the late seating in time to pick the children up, or should we just count on paying the late pick-up fee? I suppose I could always send DH or one of our relatives over to pick the kiddos up (thinkin' aloud here...)

[crusinmama06]

Thanks, guys!!

 

I'm too much of a worry-wart...the kids will be fine with all the choices.

 

CruisinMama-- thanks for the early Portofino idea. We will definitely keep this in mind as a "before 6" option. :p

 

With AO's pick up time of 10 p.m.-- will we make it back from the late seating in time to pick the children up, or should we just count on paying the late pick-up fee? I suppose I could always send DH or one of our relatives over to pick the kiddos up (thinkin' aloud here...)

 

With kids that age I can bet that they will want to stay at the "Late Night Party Zone". So you may have a hard time dragging them out before 10. Remember, my kids are 3 and 7 and I have a hard time dragging them out by 10pm.

 

Also, just know that whoever you want to pick them up MUST be written on the paper when you sign them in. Usually I list my name and my hubby's name.

 

BUT - you can give them the "sign in/out" option and the kids can sign themselves in/out and meet you at the dining room. That option is available for that age. But you have to be comfortable letting the younger ones do that. ;) Obviously the 16 year old is going to come/go as they please.

[SaratogaTrunk]

Also, just know that whoever you want to pick them up MUST be written on the paper when you sign them in. Usually I list my name and my hubby's name.

 

BUT - you can give them the "sign in/out" option and the kids can sign themselves in/out and meet you at the dining room. That option is available for that age. But you have to be comfortable letting the younger ones do that. ;)

 

 

Could I also provide my MIL and SIL's names as being all-clear to sign the kiddos out? Maybe (just maybe) their older brother?

 

How common is it for youngsters of that age (10, 11.5) to sign themselves in and out? Can you tell me how I could set up a question or a "poll" to learn more about peoples' opinions?

 

Thanks bunches :D

[crusinmama06]

Just make a new topic (I have NO idea how to do a poll...strange huh)

 

Just make a thread asking "At what age do you allow your kids to sign themselves out"

 

I can tell you what type of answers you will get...lol. Most tend to be VERY cautious when doing that. Ground rules are set that the kids can only travel in groups. And must be somewhere that the parents know they are (some carry walkie talkies).

 

It is all how comfortable YOU are. At age 10 and 11, IMO, that's a little young. But it's done every day on ships ;)

 

And you can only list 2 people to sign them out each time. So you will have to know who is picking them up, narrowed down to 2 people.

[CanadianTwosome]

I agree that it's a little young to be signing themselves out, but I might consider giving my younger child permission with the stipulation that they could only leave if they were in the company of someone I approved of - older sibling, grandma, grandpa... whomever. That way, you don't need to have the people on the sign out sheet, but you still get the supervision.

[Suzanne74]

Just to wrap up last years cruise real quick. DD 5 was with us and everyday after being in the pool, beach, running at AO all day, she was wiped by 4-5pm and would nap for a solid hour and a half. This made early dining very rushed for all of us not to mention she was bored to tears with all the adults and teenagers at our table. She behaved very well but I decided to at that point, this years cruise with my sister and her family (ds6 dd4), we would do late seating. The rest of the cruise we had her in the kids club for the last formal night and 2 nights we went to Chops in which we took her to WJ first for dinner while we ate salads with her. It was much less rushed for all of us.

 

DD always has been a vacation napper and it always works well for us because then she stays at the Kids Club longer at night without melting.

Now that the cruise is getting closer, I am starting to feel guilty even thought when I asked dd about dining with us she said, no thanks, LOL! She just loves Adventure Ocean.

 

We plan on the 4 adults taking turns taking the kids to the WJ on the nights the Kids Club doesn't offer dinner. Drop them off around 7pm and having a nice cocktail or 2 before dinner.

 

Has anyone ever done this? How did it work for you? We can still change if we want to so you can honestly tell me if it didn't!

[Onessa]

When creating a new thread, there are options in a window below where you enter your message. One of those lets you set up a poll.

 

DD is now 12YO -- teen program has no check in so there is no check out! When she was younger we never allowed her to check herself out because she as "alone". With a 10 and an 11YO you might allow them to check themselves out but only if they were going to be together -- you know your kids and you know if that might work for them.

[Suzanne74]

woops sorry about the post above, I meant to start a new thread. It has nothing to do with this one - sorry!:o