Early or Late Dinner

[EI83]

1st timers, my wife, 10 yr old daughter & I sailing Pride next year. Torn between cutting day short a bit to eat early & catch the evening shows (if they are interesting for a 10 yr old) & not having to rush, eat late & not care much about the evening stuff. How are the evening shows? Thanks!

[CruiseCentric]

They have shows for people that choose either dining times.

[nanuak]

1st timers, my wife, 10 yr old daughter & I sailing Pride next year. Torn between cutting day short a bit to eat early & catch the evening shows (if they are interesting for a 10 yr old) & not having to rush, eat late & not care much about the evening stuff. How are the evening shows? Thanks!

 

We had late dinner, and went to the shows.

[kristyintx]

We've done both, and I can tell you that our kids much prefer the early seating.

 

The reason is that the kids' club evening activities (which my boys really enjoyed) start up at around 7-8 each night. When we did late seating on our last cruise, our boys didn't want to miss out on the beginning of the evening activities in the kids' club so many nights they didn't want to eat with us.

 

And then for me personally, I didn't like the late seating because I don't like to eat that late.

 

Have fun!

[EI83]

thanks for the reply. We were wondering if we would have to cut the day short (at port or on ship) to make the early time.

[Wennfred]

The first show is for everyone, it starts at 10:30pm and during the week they will have a 7PM Show for those that dine late at 8:15pm and the other show is at 8PM for those that eat early at 6pm.

 

So it looks like this:

 

7pm show for late diners (8:15pm dinner time)

8pm show for early diners (6pm dinner time)

 

There is an Adult show that starts at either 11:30pm or Midnight, these could be either Comedy or Hypnotist.

 

We select the Late seating because that way we are not rushed and if you are eating lots during the day time, by 6pm dinner time you might still be full and won't enjoy your dinner.

 

Since we book the Late Seating, we can always order room service or go up to Lido deck (Buffet) and have a snack during the 6pm dinner time.

 

 

 

Fred

[Havinsnest]

1st timers, my wife, 10 yr old daughter & I sailing Pride next year. Torn between cutting day short a bit to eat early & catch the evening shows (if they are interesting for a 10 yr old) & not having to rush, eat late & not care much about the evening stuff. How are the evening shows? Thanks!

 

We eat early. Even on vacation we tend to get up about 6 am so we have coffee and hot chocolate in our cabin about 6:30, breakfast around 7:30, lunch around noon and an early dinner. We go to the after dinner shows, watch karaoke, walk the outside decks, pass through the deck doors, spend a little time listening to jazz in the cigar bar and, if we have built up an appetite, we head for pizza, the grill, ice cream etc.

[soon to cruise]

I vote for the late seating. That way you arent rushed on port days. Our youngest was 9 this summer and the late seating worked out fine.

[Catrin]

With the kids, we have always had the early seating.

 

Dinner is at 6PM - and by the time you get out, it is 7:30ish. My kids then go to Camp Carnival until 10PM (with my oldest, who is now 13, in Circle C until Midnight). Camp Carnival takes the 9-11 year old group to the early shows. My sons, when they were that age, always prefered to watch the shows with their friends and councellors, then Mom and Dad!!

 

I think you need to do what works best for your family. What time do you normally eat? Are you going to start your day early?

 

If at anytime, you do not want to end your day on deck, you can always choose to eat the buffet that night instead of the dining room.

 

BTW>> on our cruise alone, we chose late seating... and ended up NOT liking it! We just realized we were more early rise, early to bed people and wanted to stay on our schedule!

 

Catrin

[mcfam5]

We always do early seating for dinne with our kids and we never feel like we are rushing back from port. Works out great for us. If we did late dinner our kids would end up needing something to eat to hold them over and then wouldn't eat dinner.

[pungo3]

When I cruise with DH, we eat early. Our schedule at home has us eating by 5:30 each day so eating at 6:00 on the ship is the time his stomach is geared to. When I cruise with my friends, we usually eat late. I really don't have a preference either way. I've never felt rushed to eat early and I've never been starving before late. Both seem to work well. It's really a matter of choice. Enjoy.

[Wennfred]

I've never felt rushed to eat early

 

I think that the worst time for us being rushed was returning from our excursions in the Caymans. The Sting Ray City / Island tour ends pretty close to the 5:45pm or now 6pm time frame. Its a pain and I think that day was Formal night.

 

 

Fred

[Cotton]

The first show is for everyone, it starts at 10:30pm

 

first show 10:30 :confused:

7pm show for late diners (8:15pm dinner time)

8pm show for early diners (6pm dinner time)

 

Not understanding you, Fred. On ALL my cruises:

Early diners saw the early show at 8:30

Late diners saw the late show at 10:30.

[Wennfred]

The first show is for everyone, it starts at 10:30pm

 

first show 10:30 :confused:

7pm show for late diners (8:15pm dinner time)

8pm show for early diners (6pm dinner time)

 

Not understanding you, Fred. On ALL my cruises:

Early diners saw the early show at 8:30

Late diners saw the late show at 10:30.

 

It all depends on the Class of Ship... On Elation, Fantasy Class we had the shows throughout the week scheduled as I posted above.

 

Now I know that ALL ships have their Embarkation Welcome onboard Show at 10:30pm.. they call it The One Big Show... Its has been like that on Spirit and Fantasy Class. This is for the very first night.

 

Im looking at my Elation Capers right now and this is what it states:

 

Main Show SPIN

 

7pm and 8:45pm

 

7pm for Late seating

 

8:45pm for Early seating

 

I believe on the Bigger Ships they have it the way you posted the times.

 

 

 

Fred

[DavisOfOurLives]

We have done both early and late seating for dinners on our cruises and have come to realize for us early seating is absolutely required.

 

Although gluttony is not a sin on cruises, we found we would have to eat "dinner" twice with late seating... we would get back onboard and be starving and have to eat something before it was time for our late dinner and then we'd eat again.

 

We also love to karaoke onboard and the times always seemed to be right in the middle of late dinner...

 

So choose wisely!!

[CruiznWithHubby]

Just know that whatever you choose, dinner will take about 1.5 hours,,,,

 

if you don't start until 8:15, you won't finish until about 9:45,,,,SOMETIMES LATER!!! In fact, most times we got out of dinner about 10pm,,,

 

we loved the late seating,,,,,,,,but when we take our grandson, we're doing early seating,,,,a tired, crabby 8 year old at dinner at 10pm,,,not good,,,,,,but each child is different :) I just know my grandson,,,,he'll be falling alseep in his desert!!! Holly

[TanIslandGirl]

This coming February we will try the late seating for the very first time.

It will be nice to stay out on the deck past 5:00 and not have to rush to get ready.

[lovin2cruise123]

I've done both and I prefer the early seating... that way we are back outside in time to see the sunset each evening. :)

[Kitt Grey]

My experience has been requested early twice and got seated at late both times. Since I was in vacation mode just went with the flow and it worked out that I had wonderful dinner companions both time. One thing I did learn to take in to account was the time change if you sail out of a different time zone.

[LizaMM]

I did early seating on my first cruise. I thought it would be best with the kids. I did feel rushed to get to dinner almost every night! Even on sea days I felt like we had to pack it up and head to the cabin to shower and get ready ealier than I wanted to. I had to think about it and did not feel in that total vacation mode when it got to be late afternoon.

 

I have done Late dinner on all my other cruises. Some of those have been solo and some with my kids. Late has worked out much better for us.

 

While it is true that kids club evening activities start while we are at dinner my kids have not had a problem with that. They enjoy the Late seating.

 

Hopefully with all the different info you get here you will be able to decide what should work best for your family!

[Guest JJWW]

Seems the later you eat the harder it is to get rid of those extra pounds ! :rolleyes:. The extra carbs late night will always make you sleepy!:eek:

[kermer]

People ask this question and it is anwered like you "have" to eat in the Main dinning room. Is this the case? If I am not quite hungry or don't want to leave the pool area am I SOL? From my research there is other food so I don't understand.

[Cotton]

People ask this question and it is anwered like you "have" to eat in the Main dinning room. Is this the case? .

 

No, of course not.:D

 

You can skip the dining room throughout the cruise if you'd like. There's always something to eat - buffet for all three meals, pizzeria, salad bar, deli, grill, room service. I think most say that just because the food is SO good in the dining room, and it's always a good experience. Your call.

[REDZONE]

Some ships even have a supper club, even better than dining room. We prefer late dinner.

[thunderbird1]

We have kids and prefer early seating. But then, we've always had young ones with us (15 mos, 5 years, 2 years), so your 10 year old might be just fine with late.

 

I never thought about late seating cutting into the evening kids' programs, but that's a good thing to consider. I just know that, for my kids, late seating would just be too late and they (and therefore, dh and I) wouldn't enjoy dinner as much. They'd be hungrier earlier, and if we went to the buffet at 6 for a "snack" they (and likely I) would end up eating a whole meal and wouldn't be hungry at 8. Not to mention I wouldn't expect them to eat dinner #1 at 6, then sit through a 1.5-2 hour formal dinner again at 8. Plus, they like to check out the late night buffet and grab a slice of pizza or cup of ice cream before bed. Early seating gives us plenty of time to recuperate before the next round of snackage!