Alternative Dining with A 22 Month Old

[shellito1012]

I am booked for my 6th cruise (my second with Royal) for October. My daughter will be 22 months at that time. My favorite meals on my last cruise were at the alternative dining (Chops and Portofinos), and I can't wait to go to those restaurants again. I literally dream about it all the time (except in my dreams, I'm on the last day of my cruise and I can't get reservations)!

 

So I have been a little upset by what I have been reading. Apparently, you can now make reservations online before the cruise, but not if you have a child. I see this as quite unfair. If she were coming along free, I think I would understand, but we are paying a regular fare for her on this cruise and I guess I kind of feel penalized for having a child. Okay, all this to ask:

 

1. Is a 22-month old charged the fee for dining? (I am perfectly happy to pay this fee, just wondering). I assumed we would be paying but then when I read that we couldn't book online prior to the cruise because of our 22-month, I wondered.

 

2. I read that alternative dining only has reservations for up to 6. We have six adults in my party and the 22-month old. Will they count her as the 7th person?

 

I did read that because of the age of our daughter, we have to eat there before 7pm which quite fine. We have early dining in the MDR and my daughter's bed time (currently) is 6:30pm, so this is not an issue at all.

 

I did ask on my roll call if babies were welcome in the alternative dining and the response was "they are welcome at the windjammer." I will DEFINITELY be taking my daughter to the MDR with us and I hope they weren't implying that children were not welcome there as I know otherwise. If all else fails on the alterntive dining, my mom and step-dad will keep her while my husband and I dine and vice versa but it would be nice to dine with my entire party at an alternative restuarant (at least on my 40th bday).

 

Thanks!

[cb at sea]

If you bring a child under 13, they want you in and out of the specialty restaurant early, so booking for one of the 1st reservation times is a must.....If you need to book in advance, book 2 tables and when you board, go and tell them that the 2 tables need to be together....they can do it, just not online.

I don't know if they'll charge for the 2 year old....probably, as I assume she will eat something???!!!

[shellito1012]

She'll definitely be eating:-)...she is a good eater (but dinner is actually the one time she doesn't eat well...she's a lunch and breakfast person). I totally expected to have to pay for her I just starting wondering how "they" viewed a 22 month old if they are limiting when I can make reservations "because of" her. KWIM? I totally understand having to eat their earlier....that isn't a problem for us at all.

[gerif]

She'll definitely be eating:-)...she is a good eater (but dinner is actually the one time she doesn't eat well...she's a lunch and breakfast person). I totally expected to have to pay for her I just starting wondering how "they" viewed a 22 month old if they are limiting when I can make reservations "because of" her. KWIM? I totally understand having to eat their earlier....that isn't a problem for us at all.

 

Only you know your child and, actually, it's a little soon to know how she will be in eight months. If you do not sincerely feel she can sit quietly through a two-hour dinner (and no flaming intended here, but even happy shreiks from a little one can prove quite annoying to a couply trying to enjoy a romantic dinner), perhaps you could consider in-cabin babysitting for the nights you plan to eat in the specialty restaurants. I know that our DGS at that age would have been fine - DGD, OTOH, forget about it.

[kitty9]

I'm not sure there's anything in the alternate restaurants for a toddler to eat so I can't see them charging for her. I agree with the poster who said to get an in room babysitter that night. Then you and the rest of your party will truly enjoy the special dinner.

[shellito1012]

Oh yeah, if she can't handle being in a restaurant in eight months, we definitely will not take her! That goes without saying (for us anyway). We are an older couple (40 and 51) and totally understand not wanting problem toddlers in a restaurant such as this. But she has been travelling and eating out with her for quite some time (and she has cruised previously) so I am hoping it will not be a problem But she will be 8 months older so we have already considered how her behaviour could change.

 

My daughter eats just about everything we eat....including some spicy foods. I can't think of anything she "couldn't" eat from Chops or Portofinos. Will she eat a five course dinner? No, probably not but we could have her leftovers sent to the room I guess (smile) if they do charge for her. We don't mind sharing off our plates if they don't charge for her. Either way, that one isn't a problem for us.

[flashdog_1]

From what I've read, when you take a child to a specialty restaurant they do not have to order the good stuff. They can get whatever is on the children's menu in the main dining room (read no additional charge). I hope I'm telling you correctly in that I've not cruised with a child. I'm just repeating what I've read on cruise critic. Hope it works for you!

[shellito1012]

thanks flashdog_1

[flashdog_1]

Oh yeah, if she can't handle being in a restaurant in eight months, we definitely will not take her! That goes without saying (for us anyway). We are an older couple (40 and 51) and totally understand not wanting problem toddlers in a restaurant such as this. But she has been travelling and eating out with her for quite some time (and she has cruised previously) so I am hoping it will not be a problem But she will be 8 months older so we have already considered how her behaviour could change..

 

i forgot to comment about your consideration for fellow passengers should she become a problem restaurant eater. Hey, I attempted to school my kids in restaurant behavior when they were little, and there were times when I had to give up, apologizing to the waitress that we were leaving (fortunately no order had yet been placed). I'd tell the kids that I could see they weren't quite ready yet, but we'd try again when they were older (like two more weeks).

 

One of my funniest memories was that when service was particularly slow, they got under the table and were chatting. I lifted the tablecloth and said, "look around. Do you see anyone else under their tables?" They actually stopped and looked around and were amazed that this did not seem to be acceptable behavior, and without my asking, returned to their seats. They knew this could not be done at home, but why there was no transference I don't know! Maybe they just thought an outing is an outing! Live and learn. Let's hope yours gives you no problems!