Early or Late Dining??

We are going on our first cruise to the Eastern Carribean in December on Carnival.

We are debating on which dining option to pick. Please can you help with pros and cons? Family of 4, two adults and two kids aged 8 and 9.

I saw some thread say the you miss the sunsets if you take early. And that you miss the shows if you take the late dining. Also don't want to rushed from ports...

Suggestions please? Thanks!!

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When we first started cruising, we opted for early dining, which most closely matched the time we ate dinner at home. On our last cruise, we opted for Anytime Dining. After nine cruises, we decided to choose something less structured. For us, it was very relaxing and very enjoyable. Everyone has their own reason for choosing their dinner time on a cruise. There are two shows in the theater. The first show time is for those that have chosen late dining, and the second is for those that have chosen early dining. So, unless you spend time elsewhere on the ship, you won't miss the shows. Aside from the dining time choices in the MDR, there are also the specialty restaurants (for which you typically have to make reservations), the buffet, and room service (with a limited menu). As for seeing or missing sunsets, that's something you'll have work out. My advice is, don't try to see and do everything. You'll wear yourselves out. Pace yourselves, and try to choose those things that are most important to you. And, if you miss something on your first cruise, you can always book another cruise and go again.

We tend to like to eat earlier primarily because we aren't late night partiers and it's uncomfortable going to bed on a super full stomach (late seating dinner usually ends around 10 pm). Will your kids want to eat that late?

The shows are always timed to allow both early & late seating to attend.

If you opt for early sitting and want to catch a sunset, or aren't ready to eat, you always have the option of eating in the buffet. But in December the sun will set pretty early so you may be able to watch the sun set and still make early seating :)

Know that late dining at, say, 8:15pm doesn't mean you sit down at 8:15 and see your food in front of you. You have to order, after all people assigned to the table have arrived, then it may be 10 or so minutes before the first course arrives...if you do appetizer, soup, salad, entrée, and dessert, you may not be leaving the dining room until 10:30p. That's awfully late for me, and might be also for your children. I have not sailed Carnival recently, but when I did, the shows were always after dinner. Show for late seating was at 10:30p. Only on HAL have the late seating shows been before dinner, 7pm. EM

As previous posts, most shows are twice-nightly to suit the two sittings. But as Essiesmom's post this isn't always the case.

There's something to be said for keeping to your usual time, especially with kids. Most Americans seem to eat early (just back from a US road-trip and found that restaurant kitchens in the less-populated parts closed at around 7.30 to 8pm :eek:).

We prefer late sitting - no rush to get to dinner after a day in port and we're not rushed out of the dining room to make way for the next sitting. Often missed shows because we were in deep & interesting after-dinner conversation with table companions.

Fewer elderly folk & kids too. Since you have kids, that might be worth bearing in mind.

Also bear in mind that if you don't have a lunch ashore, late sitting seems to be a very long time on an empty stomach. There's a great temptation to snack at the buffet when you return to the ship & spoil your appetite.

I'm pretty certain that kids' organised activities don't clash with any dinner timings.

Is "anytime" or similarly-named dining not an option on your ship?

Nobody has told you which you should choose. And that's the way it has to be - we can only tell you some of the pros & cons.

JB :)

Some considerations:

When do you eat at home? Will anyone have difficulty if there is a significant change in the time?

I am not familiar with the kids programs, but I think they are tied more to early dining. Will this be a problem for your kids if they eat late?

Will you be in port late? Will it be a problem for you getting back and getting ready for early dining?

The shows are usually tied to the two dining times. You should be able to make the show after early or late dinner unless you eat slowly or have a large table.

Will sailaway conflict with early (or late) dining? Do you care?

Pick the time closest to when you eat at home. You will have no need to "rush" on a port day....you will need to be on the ship 30 mins. prior to sail away, anyhow, so rushing to get ready for dinner really isn't a problem!

If you choose the "anytime" option, you go eat when you're ready. But, you'll likely be eating alone... anytime diners don't like table mates, generally speaking! If you enjoy others, then pick the traditional time that would suit your tummy best!

There really is no "pro or con" to either option!

When we were sailing with small children, we always went with early dinner. Those small children are now young men. We've chosen late dining for our next cruise because early dining is too early, since our 21-year-olds will want to get up for breakfast later, have lunch later and won't be interested in early dinner. We probably won't see much of them other than dinner. When we did early dinner, it gave all of us plenty of time to do whatever we were interested in after dinner, whether it was the show, the casino, game room, shopping or just lounging around. I think it would be nearly impossible to keep an 8 and 9 year old awake and waiting until dinner is finished at 10 pm. Maybe if you choose early dinner, you can skip the MDR one night, see the sunset and then go to the Windjammer or a specialty restaurant for dinner. Incidentally, we've seen some beautiful sunsets from the MDR.

We usually eat dinner at home by 6pm.

When we cruise we try to keep it as close to 6 as possible.

Sea Ya

I've sailed Carnival twice but never with kids. My grandson is 9 and if I was to ever take him, I'd do early dining...you don't want to get their schedule/routine too much off track.

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We prefer early dinner. Always ate early as both of us either had to go back to work for the evening or was working another job.

Thought we would like late dining once we retired but DH had a stroke and a heart attack and ended up taking many medications 4 times a day. Eating late puts his dinner meds right on top of night meds -- not a good idea. We do not stay up late. We are early risers -- DH is in the gym at 6 AM when we are not on a tour.

You might want to seriously consider the Anytime option so you can have dinner in the Main Dining Room when you please. :)

LuLu

Thank you so much to everyone for all the tips and help. I think we will go with early dining.

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Just one more comment. Everyone here seems to vouch for early dining but we've always had late dining at 8:30 and we love it, even though we usually eat at 7pm at home. Here's why: You get up and you eat breakfast, and typically you'll eat lunch around 12:30pm. It's a lot of food, and so typically you won't be hungry by 6pm for that huge cruise dinner. Also remember that you need to change for dinner so that means you need to be back in your cabin by 5:30pm at the latest. On certain port days that can cut your day short. We typically dress for dinner around 6 or 7pm, then walk around and listen to the live music or watch the sunset. By the time 830 rolls around, you're hungry and ready for the big meal. Afterwards you can go to the show. There are always two shows to match the two seatings. If not, the other show will be a short one at 7:15pm or something so that both seatings can make it. Also with late seating you don't feel guilty eating a snack by the pool or doing teatime in the afternoon, since you won't be eating dinner that soon. So for me, late seating makes the day seem longer.

I totally agree. My DH always pick the late dining. It gives us time for a nap before the late festivities. Since we're empty nesters now, we don't have to worry about getting little ones to bed. We do a LOT of snorkeling and we're pooped when we get back on the ship. The late dining works great for us. :)

We are going on our first cruise to the Eastern Carribean in December on Carnival.

 

We are debating on which dining option to pick. Please can you help with pros and cons? Family of 4, two adults and two kids aged 8 and 9.

 

I saw some thread say the you miss the sunsets if you take early. And that you miss the shows if you take the late dining. Also don't want to rushed from ports...

 

Suggestions please? Thanks!!

 

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk 4

You don't miss the shows if you take late dining. There are two shows each night and they are scheduled around the dining schedule. It is true that you will miss most (not all) of the sunsets if you take early dining.

If you normally eat around 6pm, then you might be happier with the early dining. If you normally eat late, you might be happier with the late dining.

Given the age of your children, do you really want them finishing their dinner at 10pm?

No matter which time you have, the buffet is always an option. You can go to the buffet when you want.

Some parents take late dining. They will take their kids to the buffet to eat during the early dining time, then take the kids to Camp Carnival to play with the other kids while the parent enjoy late dining.

I don't know about being rushed back to the ship on port days. Usually early dining begins when or after the ship leave port. You have to be on the ship 30 minutes prior to that.

I started out doing early dining. Then I tried late dining and decided that worked better for me. So now I do late dining. However, that is me, and yes, I normally do eat late. In your case I would suggest you try early dining and on days when it looks like there will be a sunset worth watching (or photographing) I suggest that you then skip the main dining room, watch/photograph the sunset, then go to the buffet. I like to take sunset pictures and if I can get two good sunsets on a one week cruise I am happy. Some weeks I get none.

You can also opt for the flexible dining schedule (I forget what Carnival call it because I prefer traditional dining (early & late seating).

I had early dining on the cruise when I took the two photos below (Carnival Glory - April 2006 - eastern Caribbean) ...

I had early dining when I took this one (Mariner of the Seas - June 2009 - Mexican Riviera ) ...

The next one is from the Navigator of the Seas in March 2013 in the western Caribbean (I had late dining) ...

The next one is from the NCL Jade in February 2008 on a full transit of the Panama Canal (NCL only offers flexible dining) ...

This last one is from the Caribbean Princess in July 2010 on an eastern Caribbean cruise (I believe I had late dining for this one) ...

I hope this is my view from our aft balcony! That would be awesome! This will be our first aft. I'm so excited. Only about 1 month to go!

I hope this is my view from our aft balcony! That would be awesome! This will be our first aft. I'm so excited. Only about 1 month to go!

Only one of those pictures was from an aft facing balcony. However, I do have others ...

Carnival Pride leaving Long Beach, California in May 2004 ...

Carnival Pride somewhere in the Pacific in May 2004 ...

Enchantment of the Seas somewhere in the Atlantic in February 2012 ...

Enchantment of the Seas leaving San Juan, Puerto Rico in February 2012.

Beautiful pics! Thanks for sharing!

Beautiful pics! Thanks for sharing!

You are welcome.

We are going on our first cruise to the Eastern Carribean in December on Carnival.

 

We are debating on which dining option to pick. Please can you help with pros and cons? Family of 4, two adults and two kids aged 8 and 9.

 

I saw some thread say the you miss the sunsets if you take early. And that you miss the shows if you take the late dining. Also don't want to rushed from ports...

 

Suggestions please? Thanks!!

 

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk 4

Any time dinning.

We generally eat early.

Like others have said, Carnival has two show times so regardless of dining time, you can catch most shows (welcome aboard has one showing, and that's usually later; if there is the guest talent show or the Legends show done by guests, there is usually only the one show). Generally, if you do early dining, you will be out of dinner in time to catch the early show.

As for feeling rushed getting back from ports, we've never really experienced this. Carnival's back on board time is usually before first seating anyway (with a few exceptions--a couple of times in Europe, and sometimes a couple of ports in the Caribbean). It's just a matter of if you want to immediately get ready for dinner after returning from port or if you want time to unwind.

If you do want to catch a sunset, keep in mind that you can always choose to do one of the specialty dining choices on Carnival (which on most ships is the steakhouse, Sunshine has a few other choices), or the buffet, pizza place, or deli for free options.