What time to dine with children ages 5 & 2

[Stephanie Vyhanek]

Love this board!! I have cruised on Norwegian many times but all before children. We will be cruising in February on the Sun (AC forward) with our 2 small children. I need your valuable wisdom here.

 

I was hoping to have the children in the kids club or with a babysitter for several of the evening meals. They are well behaved but still small children and we are used to dine and dash style eating with them. I see that the childcare doesn't start until 7pm and their is no private babysitting either.

 

I would go to dine at 7pm after the kids club starts but then I don't want to miss any of the shows. I don't really want to go to the late shows because I don't want my kids in the kids club really late either.

 

Help experienced parents, what would you do with young children for dinner and in the evenings?:rolleyes:

[shoreguy]

If you are in an AC you have the option of in room dining. You can order off any menu on the ship and have the butler serve you and or the kids. This could be an option on a couple of nights.

 

Fyi 7pm is the peak time in the main dinning rooms and you might be better off eating earlier.

 

I did not know there was an AC forward. I was in an AD forward but wanted one of the AC that were aft facing.

[Stephanie Vyhanek]

Actually we are in AC in the back of the ship AC 8707. I don't know what I was thinking earlier!

 

I've never cruised in a suite before so this is really huge. We have been using the MBNA Mastercard and collecting these reward points for years. We are finally taking this great cruise basically for FREE since we pay off our cc balances each month.

 

Thanks for the suggestion about the Butler service. I don't know anything at all about the butler service so I guess that will be the subject of a future post:cool: My husband and I have cruised many times but that was back before children and much discretionary spending money. I don't think we have even had a window before!

 

Stephanie

[Lib0007]

Hi Stephanie, I have been pondering about the same thing as you. I will be cruising with my five year old in two weeks.

 

My son will not enjoy long dinners - he would much rather be playing with the kids in the Kids Crew than enduring multi courses of a long meal. I have read one idea from other posters that I was going to try . . take child to the dining room around 6:30 - hopefully beat the crowd - while he eats his dinner, adults eat salad, soup or appetizers. When the clock strikes 7:00, one person run kids up to Kids Crew, then come back down for relaxing main course & dessert.

 

Also on previous cruises, we have ordered our son room service before going to kids crew or take him up to buffet, then us on to dinner at 7:00 & then enjoy late show. I'd love to hear other ideas from other families.

[msescada]

We cruised with our sun when he was 9 months, 3 years, 4 years, 5 years, etc. He's now . But, we've never been on the Sun (Norway at 9 months, recently Norway, Star and Dawn), so I'm no expert on their restaurants.

 

Here's my suggestion: EAT EARLY. First, it's hard for the kids, after a long fun day of activities, to eat too late. Mine was hungry. Second, the dining rooms tend to be less crowded. If you can stand the thought of 5:30 or so, that might be best. Third, talk to the concierge. If you're in an AC, you have concierge service, right? The concierge will know the best places and times for you all to have the best shot at enjoying yourselves.

 

Have fun. The kids will love it.

[OceanDreams]

I have cruised twice with my son. First when he was 9 then when he was 11. We usually go early to dinner like at 6:30. Then if he gets hungry later....do the pizza deal. I have found that the wait staff is great in the dinning rooms. They usually serve him what he ordered without waiting for everyone else to get there different courses. Making this a very stress free dinner. Enjoy your cruise.

 

OceanDreams

[smiggy]

When they were younger (starting at age 2) some days we would go the dining room early 5:30-6 and sit down and have dinner with the kids and let them do their dine and dash meal. Other days we would let them pick where they wanted to have dinner (which was usually the buffet). We would have a drink and a salad and sit and and talk with them and when they were done would take them for a walk and then drop them off them off at the kids club to play. We would then go have our dinner.

 

The waiters are wonderful with the kids and if you are going to eat your meal together do serve the children first. It's nice but we sometimes felt that we were then entertaining the children after they finished their meal. They are well behaved and I love spending time with them but I have to admit that we enjoy having dinner and not keeping and eye on them.

 

Of course, now they are 9 and 15 and while we do have dinner together there are still days when they beg us to let them have dinner early and ask us to have dinner alone this way they can go to their group activities.