What's the story with pre-dinner shows?

[librarycin]

I guess I'm one of the few who prefer the early show before the late dinner seating. I find an 11pm show too late. Not that I go to sleep early...I like to either go to the nightclub or wander around outside on top of the ship after dinner. That's just too late to sit still and watch a show - for me anyway.

[ellbon]

Due to the fact Solstice is new.. i am grateful that i have two weeks to see each show because on port days I will be anywhere but a 7 pm show. In some cases i will be in port in others in s shower. but i do want to see the new shows.. means i will be late to 830 pm dinner ads after the show I will be in my cabin dressing for dinner or in a bar relaxing.

 

11 pm is alte fro a show in Europe but not on Solstice as we realy never have to wake early but in Tortola. even in ST M's i can sleep in.

[Royalpair]

First off- CathyCruises I am insanely jealous of you. I love the Tetons!

 

We usually tour on port days, which means getting up earlier than I am used to to make sure we are ready, have eaten breakfast and off the ship in time.

When we get back we relax. On the ships when the dinners were late, while we liked it to be able to watch sail away, leaving a show at midnight was late. For us there was no time to wind down to bed. And we like to hit the casinos before bed.

 

Of course the main thing we like to do is go with the flow and enjoy!

 

Mary Kaye

[Quickcanuck]

I guess this thread should have been a poll! Add me to the late diners who hate the 7PM shows. Since this unfortunate trend took hold we rarely go to a show anymore.

 

It seems to me that many of us who chose late seating do so because the we like to enjoy the pre-dinner evening. I get back from the gym at maybe 6PM, grab a little sushi and a chilled glass of chardonnay, unwind, have a shower, dress up and I'm ready for a nice evening. That just doesn't work if I need to be done by 7PM.

 

The 11PM shows are all done by midnite so it's not like we are going to the early morning hours.

 

There may be some truth to the rationale that the performers don't like to work the "late show", but whatever happened to the idea that the cruise experience is there for the passengers' enjoyment?

[szdiver]

Put us in for the late shows....always.....

[CathyCruises]

First off- CathyCruises I am insanely jealous of you. I love the Tetons!

 

We usually tour on port days, which means getting up earlier than I am used to to make sure we are ready, have eaten breakfast and off the ship in time.

When we get back we relax. On the ships when the dinners were late, while we liked it to be able to watch sail away, leaving a show at midnight was late. For us there was no time to wind down to bed. And we like to hit the casinos before bed.

 

Of course the main thing we like to do is go with the flow and enjoy!

 

Mary Kaye

 

I have several clients from the Cleveland area who have bought vacation/retirement property from me--they are among our biggest fans!

 

Here is a photo of the view from our back deck--although not this AM as we awoke to a couple of inches of snow and can't even see the mtns at the moment--just got to wait 5 minutes! :) Cathy

[mslvp]

I guess that says it all....

 

We usually do early dinner, but we often cut dessert short and leave in time for the 7pm show. Is it possible that you can do the same on occaision and make the later show that is actually designed for the early dinner seating?

[Ken1359]

Right lets get this straight. The whole idea of choosing (for many of us) is to have a late dinner then go to the show. We dont want early shows as the whole idea of having late dinner is so we have a little time to ourselves , relax , after maybe a busy day, have a quiet drink sometimes maybe a little a snooze before dinner, then pre- dinner drinks in the bar We dont want to get ready early and go to see the show. If the cruise companies insist on changing the show-time we (us) just dont go to the shows . Come on listen to us Come NO! No! N0! No!

I thought the customer was always right.:confused:

 

 

 

 

 

Well I got that off my chest

 

 

Here's another vote for late shows after second seating. I cruised Celebrity for the first time last March and was unpleasantly surprised to find almost no late shows. For me, the whole idea of second seating is to essentially begin the evening with dinner, then a show, then whatever else works at the time. Doesn't the need to be ready for pre-dinner show defeat the purpose of late seating?

 

I'm booked on the Summit TA next week, but I gave serious consideration to another cruise line just because of the late show issue.

[TravelerThom]

We usually do early dinner, but we often cut dessert short and leave in time for the 7pm show. Is it possible that you can do the same on occaision and make the later show that is actually designed for the early dinner seating?

WOW, how do you do that - are you at a table for two? It is rare that we are out of the MDR by EIGHT. Royal Caribbean has Triva at 8pm [finished by 8:30, time set for both early and late seatings] and I often miss dessert for that.

[Fredr]

First off- CathyCruises I am insanely jealous of you. I love the Tetons!

 

We usually tour on port days, which means getting up earlier than I am used to to make sure we are ready, have eaten breakfast and off the ship in time.

When we get back we relax. On the ships when the dinners were late, while we liked it to be able to watch sail away, leaving a show at midnight was late. For us there was no time to wind down to bed. And we like to hit the casinos before bed.

 

Of course the main thing we like to do is go with the flow and enjoy!

 

Mary Kaye

 

Mary Kaye,

 

Do you remember the couple whom you had dinner with on the Dawn Princess? I had no idea that you enjoyed the Tetons because I could have told you my hiking stories. Hope all is well with you and your family and Happy Holidays.

 

Fred and Judy

[eroller]

You know the expression "dinner and a show" .... well that is my moto and it doesn't mean watching a show before dinner. Yuck!

 

I choose late sitting for dinner because I am a night person. I like staying by the pool or sightseeing in port as late as possible before getting ready for dinner. Having the show before dinner defeats the entire purpose, and besides I like to have pre-dinner cocktails while listening to some music. Dinner comes next, then the show, then dancing, the casino, or whatever.

 

Having the show after dinner also stretches out the evening so I don't get to the nightclub too early.

 

If I wanted an early evening I would pick first sitting for dinner.

 

Ernie

[ellbon]

You know the expression "dinner and a show" .... well that is my moto and it doesn't mean watching a show before dinner. Yuck!

 

I choose late sitting for dinner because I am a night person. I like staying by the pool or sightseeing in port as late as possible before getting ready for dinner. Having the show before dinner defeats the entire purpose, and besides I like to have pre-dinner cocktails while listening to some music. Dinner comes next, then the show, then dancing, the casino, or whatever.

 

Having the show after dinner also stretches out the evening so I don't get to the nightclub too early.

 

If I wanted an early evening I would pick first sitting for dinner.

 

Ernie

 

I so agree. I stay in port late. I am at the spa late. .whatever not at a show

[Royalpair]

Fred - of course I remember you and Judy. I was thinking of you the other day, as I like to think about our past cruises as I get ready for our adventure on the Solstice! We are all well. Have a good holiday, too. We already have some snow to put us in the mood.

 

Mary Kaye

[Lvteks]

The best shows we enjoyed were on MSC and all after late dining. Nothing like an Italian Tenor,( Ronan Tynan excepted.) It was wonderful to have an evening out and drift safely home. I can't remember ever bothering with an early show...as most say, way too rushed, hardly romantic, and if I barely had lunch, drinking early is not too pleasant.

 

Soon it will be Dec. 13th ..... waiting is s....l......o....w

 

Blessings,

 

Gail

[ryndam]

We agree with many others on this thread. We choose late sitting dinner in order to have some leisurely "down time" after a day's worth of activities. Among other reasons, we hestitate to sail with Princess and Holland America, partly due to their policy of pre-dinner entertainment for late sitting guests. We have not sailed with Celebrity for about 5 years and are looking forward to our next cruise on the Solstice in 2 weeks. We will be disappointed if we discover that Celebrity also follows this trend.

[Sekhmet]

We are another pair of voters for post-dinner shows when on late seating, and for all the same reasons. For information, I just looked at my diary from our October Panama Canal cruise on Infinity, and there were 6 pre-dinner shows and 6 post-dinner, 3 of which were the production shows on the 3 formal nights. One night there was no show at all, that being Caribbean Deck Party night, and the remaining night I seem to have no record - which presumably demonstrates that, whatever happened, it wasn't particularly memorable!

[dabear]

We also vote for post-dinner shows after late seating for many of the same reason previously stated. In fact we were so annoyed a few years ago when we took the Connie two years in a row, not only did they switch all of the shows for late eating to b4 dinner, the 3 production shows were the same as the prior year. We skipped all of them and in fact cruised 2 other cruise lines since our last X cruise.

[Fredr]

Hello,

 

While I understand completely the viewpoint of the late show folks, I happen to enjoy the early shows. After a fun filled show you go to dinner in an excellent mood, ready for some great food and hopefully, some wonderful conversation. Also, I find that a show before dinner allows me to enjoy the show more, that is, I am not as tired as I have been after a day of sightseeing, enjoying the ship on sea days, and then dinner.

 

Fred

[BurgerBits]

The practice of holding an 'early' show for 'late' diners (there's a good joke in there somewhere...) turned us into early dinner seating diners. It's not a good compromise.

 

Won't rehash all the excellent reasons posted here. I just agree.

[Seabee]

Put me in the camp of those who hate the pre-dinner shows.:confused:......

 

also put me in the camp of those who hate post dinner shows!!:confused:

 

I don't like the shows period...reminds me of the High School musicals!:rolleyes: