Evening dining with a 9 month old

Husband and I have done several cruises as a couple and have found that we prefer scheduled dining to anytime (we like table mates!) However, we're now planning our first cruise with a baby, who will be around 9 months old at the time, and we're wondering how practical this will actually be! Any thoughts from people who've done it? Would anytime be better for us?

Husband and I have done several cruises as a couple and have found that we prefer scheduled dining to anytime (we like table mates!) However, we're now planning our first cruise with a baby, who will be around 9 months old at the time, and we're wondering how practical this will actually be! Any thoughts from people who've done it? Would anytime be better for us?

We took our 11-month-old son and 3.5 yo daughter last year on Carnival for first time. We had earlier dinner. The baby was the easier of the two for sure! The earlier time worked better for us to get them to bed at a reasonable hour and they were less cranky. Sinners can be long so maybe I would have done every other night in main dining room and done buffet or something other nights. The staff entertained our kids when they seemed restless, they were great! We had some small stuffed animals etc but mostly he baby just snacked away and was good. Good luck !

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I would go for fixed early dining. We did flexible with our 8 month old daughter last time. But we wish we had fixed. Pros: you can get a high chair put there in advance (instead of repeatedly asking for one).

Your waiter will know your wishes and routines.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I agree...the dining room is the way to go, and either time that suits you best will work. They do try to put "like" couples/groups together as best they can....so families with families, couples with couples, etc...or you can ask for a table in traditional seating for just your family.

If you do anytime, then you definitely will be seated alone, but you may not have the same server each night.

I would just keep in mind any time zone differences also. We're in Florida and will be cruising Alaska this July. With that time difference, we're actually scheduling late dinners with the hopes that the 3-4 hour time difference will have our toddler fast asleep in her stroller come dinner time (she's a champ stroller sleeper already). Even a 5pm dinner would be 8 or 9pm our time - right smack in the tired-cranky zone. We've reserved the Teppan restaurant for dinner with our older boys at 7pm. I suspect at this time my teens will be able to stay awake while the toddler will hopefully be out like a light.

Thanks all - some great points raised! We've gone ahead and booked traditional dining, early sitting.

I hadn't considered the time zone differences and impact on routine - thanks! We're sailing out of our home country (UK) and will enter 2 other time zones over the course of the journey, so hopefully it will be a gradual change and low-impact. If not, it might be an idea to eat at the buffet during the transitions (i.e. mid-way between the previous and new dining time!)

I'm going to be on a river cruise in two weeks with my 8-9 month old. Not really sure how we're going to do this is there is only one seating for dining. I think our hope is to get him to bed before then, then use the ship's wifi to link our phones or the provided tablet as a baby monitor. I'm ok with him trying to eat with us and then put him down as he starts to fuss. Gonna really have to play this one by ear though.

early dinner is good. depends on how well your kid sits there for an hour or so. ours was pretty good at about 14 months but she would start to throw things as the night went on. thats when it was time to leave.

We took our twins on a cruise at 16months. Main dinning room was great. With twins a buffet is a nightmare. The thought of getting up and down for food asking for highchairs and two of them!?!! It was never relaxing.

On the other hand in the dining room the first night we told our waiter to have fruit and milk served when we arrived as well as steamed vegetables. We cruised on Royal Caribbean and the staff was super kid friendly. They constantly helped entertain our kids so we could have a second to eat ourselves.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I'm going to be on a river cruise in two weeks with my 8-9 month old. Not really sure how we're going to do this is there is only one seating for dining. I think our hope is to get him to bed before then, then use the ship's wifi to link our phones or the provided tablet as a baby monitor. I'm ok with him trying to eat with us and then put him down as he starts to fuss. Gonna really have to play this one by ear though.

I just had to read your post twice and have decided to make no comment other than to say have a "safe" cruise.

So, just back from our river cruise with our 9 month old. Dinner most nights was at 6:30 or 7. His bed time usually about 7-7:30.

Depending on how many, if any naps he managed during the day on the excursions, we would either put him down before dinner or take him to dinner with us, then when he started to show signs of being ready for bed, we would slip off to put him down while in the middle of dinner.

We used a small pop up tent like thing to contain him for sleeping on the ground and had it ready before hand so it took less than 5 minutes to change him and put him down when it was time.

He did well, no problems. And with everyone in the dining room at one time, no one could hear him cry, which he didn't really do anyway. The radio based baby monitor had plenty of range on the ship, but it was a river cruise. On an ocean cruise you'll want to figure out a wifi situation, even if it's just for show.