Alternate Dining with Kids

[ILFAN11]

We are taking my 16 month old on her first cruise. She is generally very good at dinner. However, it doesn't usually take us 2 hours to eat dinner. However, it does in the formal dining room on a cruiseship. My question is this:

 

If you eat dinner in the buffet area (where we usually eat breakfast and lunch) is it the same food that is offered in the dining room? Is it buffet style? And do they offer the same time seatings - 6:00pm, 6:30pm, 8:00pm and 8:30pm? Ok, I know that's more than one question. Sorry.

[6rugrats]

No, it's not the same food; it's a buffet. You can eat there whenever it's open. There are no set seating times.

[ILFAN11]

I had read somewhere that someone said they had prime rib on the dinner buffet. I thought perhaps it was the same food just buffet style. Is the food better at the buffet at dinner than at lunch or about the same? Anyone have a menu or pictures of the buffet at dinner on the Elation? Thanks!!

[PattyW]

In my experience, RCCL's buffets often have the same/similar food in the buffet as what is served for dinner on the ship, but on NCL the options weren't even close to the same.

 

So, I guess the answer is - it depends.

[6rugrats]

OP is on Carnival. I have never sailed on Carnival, but I don't think there is a menu for the buffet. I don't like buffets personally, so I don't think the food is as good as the food in the dining room.

 

On HAL, the food was totally different in the Lido versus the main dining room.

[kitty9]

We've done the buffet on Carnival in the evening and it's no where near the kind of food in the main dining room. It's just your usual buffet food with salads, soups, two carved meats (usually a beef and fowl) and simple desserts. I really don't think you should rule out dinner in the main dining room. People do it all the time with little ones. Try it out and see what happens. To make things go quicker, make sure you have a table for just yourselves and that way, your service can go quicker.

[ILFAN11]

Hopefully, we will get a table to ourselves. We are definitely going to try the dining room - I was just curious of my choices if it doesn't work out. When you have a little one do they usually put you by yourself?!?!