Solo on Carnival - Anytime or late seating?

[Colorado Kat]

I'll be solo on Carnival next month, and I enjoy meeting new people. Do you all think I'll have better luck with Anytime Dining, or moving to late seating?

[Essiesmom]

I like a fixed seating, so that I can get to know a few people better. Then you don't have to tell your story anew every night. But then again, you could tell a different one each night...EM

[blueangel74]

Go for late seating. It was great to have the same people to talk with. My last cruise I was at a table with 2 other solo cruisers. Hope it is that way again for my cruise on the 10/16 sailing of Conquest. Don't know if you would have the same waiters if you do anytime dining.

[travelnap]

ColoradoKat, I think I would go with the late seating as well. Carnival does a good job of putting solo's together so you get to meet some very nice people. I usually take the open seating myself as I am very outgoing and like meeting new people, but Carnival is one of the better ones for fixed dining as a solo. Happy sailing.

[MrFunInTheSun]

I'll be solo on Carnival next month, and I enjoy meeting new people. Do you all think I'll have better luck with Anytime Dining, or moving to late seating?

 

Anytime seating!

[arhillbilly]

I'll be solo on Carnival next month, and I enjoy meeting new people. Do you all think I'll have better luck with Anytime Dining, or moving to late seating?

 

I'll also be traveling solo in Nov with Carnival (Conquest out of New Orleans Nov 27). I have chosen the anytime dining since I hate eating late. I cruised on Norwegian last month and they all have Freestyle dining...didn't think I would like it, but I really did I had met a couple on check in and we had supper together every night...the last 4 or 5 nights we also added another couple and a single guy. Some nights we met at 5 and some nights we met at 6...it was great. I never meet a stranger, so I just imagine I will find someone to eat with

[thescot123]

Went solo on Carnival Elation for the first time in May. Carnival signed me up with late dining as the early was full. It all worked out since they put me at a table with two other couples and three singles. The only problem was two singles did not show up but it was no issues since the rest of us clicked.

 

I believe on Carnival that they will try to put solo/singles together.I really enjoyed Carnival as being assigned the same people each night gave me something to look forward to. I was going to pick anytime seating but was told that it not good for solo cruisers since you might be seated by yourself or with families who may not want you at their table.

 

Enjoy

[airlink diva]

I can give Carnival credit on placing solo cruisers together. Last month on the Dream, my table had four solos and four single friends traveling together. Our table clicjed and did other things together.

I know some people don't like fixed dining. I just like having my same table and staff.

[kitty9]

As a solo, definitely fixed dining. Not a fan of freestyle dining as a solo.

[crusinpsychRN]

You can call Carnival and request to be seated with other solos.

[mnbearsfan]

both times i've cruised with carnival, they sat me at a large table with other solo cruisers. i didn't even ask, i just asked for late seating at a large table. ended up hanging out with most of my dining companions after dinner for the evening activities, ended up being alot of fun...

[BoooBooKitEFk]

I'm having a hard time as well deciding between assigned and anytime seating. I've been with *someone* every cruise except one (Legend, Oct 2010) and have always had assigned dining times. The one solo I did I had assigned, and even then I found myself either skipping the meal all together, or just hitting the buffet (though I did have dinner one time with some roll-call cruise-mates, which was FANTASTIC!). This time however (Legend, Oct 2012), I chose anytime dining just because I know that it maxes out early and if I wanted it, I really should choose it early. I'm seriously contemplating changing to assigned time dining just because I'm not so keen on having to repeat to people night after night *why* I'm sailing solo.

 

I just don't know..... and I'm having a hard time giving up my anytime seating if it may work out in the end.

 

Any advice from those who have been there? Thanks in advance!!!!!!!!

[CShelly]

both times i've cruised with carnival, they sat me at a large table with other solo cruisers. i didn't even ask, i just asked for late seating at a large table. ended up hanging out with most of my dining companions after dinner for the evening activities, ended up being alot of fun...

 

I agree. Maybe I just got lucky but I had the fixed early seating and there were two other solo cruisers and a couple with their little girl, and another couple with their two aunts. We had a wonderful time and it was the highlight of my evenings all week!

[capricorn_solo]

Hmmm... almost everyone seems to prefer the fixed dining. But I am going to make my case for anytime. First off, I don't mind telling my story over and over as I love talking to new people and telling my story makes me the center of attention(!!). It also allows me to meet more different people, that way I accumulate many familiar faces throughout the cruise. I also like flexibility, since I take part in a lot of organized activities. With anytime dining, I do the activities I want and I can squeeze in my dinner somewhere in between. I ask to be seated at a big table to maximize the number of people I can meet and get to know. The more people at the table, the less time I have to spend telling the story about being solo.

 

You'll have fun either way, that's the important thing!!!

[yellowbird23]

I'm one of those people who doesn't care about eating alone. If it's available, I do anytime dining so that I don't feel that I have to be some place at a certain time or even go to the dining room at all. I enjoy the buffet on many occasions. To each their own. I would sometime maybe try to get at a table with solos to see how it goes. I make friends on all my cruises irregardless; some lasting, some not.

[GaNavy]

Hey there, ColoradoKat, hope you enjoyed your cruise - Jean & I still talk about the cruise we all took on Freedom.

 

Like a couple of others, I always take late seating when I go solo - the last two times I've been seated at a large table with almost all solos,without having to ask, and have had a fantastic time (my tablemates and I closed both the disco AND the casino on the last night....hard work but somebody had to do it... :o).

[Faith77]

I just came back from my 10 night cruise with HAL. I booked anytime dining and I thought HAL did a great job with this in the MDR.

I ate dinner in the MDR 5 times. Each time I was seated with good table makes at 6-8 person tables. The dinners lasted 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Some nights I ate between 6-6:30pm and other nights I ate 8-8:30pm. I liked doing a mix of the MDR and the lido for dinner.

Faith

[Jana60]

I'll be solo on Carnival next month, and I enjoy meeting new people. Do you all think I'll have better luck with Anytime Dining, or moving to late seating?

 

I prefer anytime dining so that I don't risk getting stuck with an unpleasant group for the entire Cruise. I was assigned to a table once in which all the people were over 70 and since I'm in the health care field they spent EVERY night telling me their physical woes. Another time I was placed at a table with a 3 couples who spoke absolutely NO English! I'm not saying you couldn't encounter these same folks on MTD but at least you wouldn't be stuck with them the entire week. I also prefer MTD because on days at Sea I like to eat early to be ready for Karaokie, then show, then Casino, then disco or late night comedian....(as you can see I schedule myself a pretty full night!) and on the port days I like to be free to go to dinner later. MTD gives you all the freedom. I've never had trouble making friends on a Cruise even without eating with the same people every night and if you find folks you want to eat with EVERY night you are free to plan this. :D

[Stevesan]

I prefer anytime dining so that I don't risk getting stuck with an unpleasant group for the entire Cruise. I was assigned to a table once in which all the people were over 70 and since I'm in the health care field they spent EVERY night telling me their physical woes. Another time I was placed at a table with a 3 couples who spoke absolutely NO English! I'm not saying you couldn't encounter these same folks on MTD but at least you wouldn't be stuck with them the entire week. I also prefer MTD because on days at Sea I like to eat early to be ready for Karaokie, then show, then Casino, then disco or late night comedian....(as you can see I schedule myself a pretty full night!) and on the port days I like to be free to go to dinner later. MTD gives you all the freedom. I've never had trouble making friends on a Cruise even without eating with the same people every night and if you find folks you want to eat with EVERY night you are free to plan this. :D

 

You don't have to be stuck. If you're unhappy with a table assignment, see the Maitre d' ASAP. He'll reseat you on the spot.

[jpaq]

I just returned from my first solo cruise (Carnival Freedom) and I did the late seating dinner. It was a great experience, all solos at the table, and we had a wonderful time. As the previous post stated, if you are not happy with your assignment, you can change to my time dining or ask to be moved. I had a wonderful cruise and will be doing more solo cruises in the future. Enjoy your cruise !

[meatloafsfan]

I prefer anytime dining so that I don't risk getting stuck with an unpleasant group for the entire Cruise. I was assigned to a table once in which all the people were over 70 and since I'm in the health care field they spent EVERY night telling me their physical woes.

 

I work for the government pension department up here in Canada. I hate being seated with other people who find out where I work (at events here in Canada). I deal with this stuff all day - the last thing I want to do hear your complaints that you're not getting enough money or how much paper work you needed to complete or could I look at your file when I'm back at the office to see if you're getting everything you're entitled to.

 

For me, I'd pick Anytime dining more so that on nights where I don't feel like company (and I'm sure there would be at least a few), I could eat in the MDR alone.

 

But then again, since I'm forced to be nice to people all day at work, when I'm on vacation I do enjoy my alone time (went to WDW for a week and ate every meal by myself and did almost everything by myself and loved not having to worry about other people).

[CaliforniaDreamer]

I can give Carnival credit on placing solo cruisers together. Last month on the Dream, my table had four solos and four single friends traveling together. Our table clicjed and did other things together.

I know some people don't like fixed dining. I just like having my same table and staff.

 

I thought Carnival was great at seating solos together UNTIL my recent cruise on the Inspiration. I was very disappointed in the whole experience and with the Maitre D

 

GOODBYE CARNIVAL