Dinner times- early, late, whenever. Which one is for you??

[MzOhioLady]

We prefer and love Late Seating too. We don't eat dinner at home until late so it fits right in with our normal schedule. As others have stated, I don't like to feel rushed to get ready for dinner if I've been out all day while in port. Yes, very few kids are at the late seating for dinner and I haven't missed any shows that I wanted to see. So far it's been a no brainer to select Late Seating for Dinner as it's worked in our favor.

[ccleveland]

sorry everyone that I have not replied back I've been working my butt off lol but it seems like the early dining time and the anytime dining time is the best. I have any time at the moment and from what I read on one of the comments there are tables reserved just for this which is awesome I did not know that. I'm on the waiting list early but if I don't get it then the anytime dining time will be just fine for me. I'm so excited for the screws because it'll be the first cruise on the fantasy class type ships. I have a room on Dec five on the fascination so I'm hoping I will not feel too much movement but I might call my carnival person and have her move me down one deck that way I feel a little less movement

[simplelife]

I love the simplicity of fixed dining - just show up at our assigned time and be seated at "our" table and be served by "our' staff. No waiting. We have done both early and late and have found late to be TOO late. Early is in keeping with the time we usually eat, and it allows more options for the evening.

[ccleveland]

I love the simplicity of fixed dining - just show up at our assigned time and be seated at "our" table and be served by "our' staff. No waiting. We have done both early and late and have found late to be TOO late. Early is in keeping with the time we usually eat, and it allows more options for the evening.

Just stinks that I am put on a waiting list for the early time and its still 4 months or so away from the cruise I guess this is normal but I'm not sure

[simplelife]

Just stinks that I am put on a waiting list for the early time and its still 4 months or so away from the cruise I guess this is normal but I'm not sure

See the Maitre D soon after you board and he will generally be able to accommodate your request for early.

[ccleveland]

See the Maitre D soon after you board and he will generally be able to accommodate your request for early.

This might sound weird but who is that? Lol I've only been on two cruises so I'm still getting used to the lingo

[PurdueChefAmber]

This might sound weird but who is that? Lol I've only been on two cruises so I'm still getting used to the lingo

 

 

It is the man or woman in suited attire at the front of the dining room that oversees all the dining operations.

 

 

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[dioxide45]

We prefer ATD for two reasons, the flexibility to dine when we want. We prefer to eat later in the evening when cruising and ATD lets us do that. Also we like that if we want a table for two we can ask for it or if we are feeling more social we can ask for a group table. If you get traditional early or late, are at a group table and you don't feel social, you don't have much choice if you want to eat in the MDR. You have to sit with your table mates. With ATD you also have new table mates every night if you wish, meeting more people. Though we often ask for a table for two.

[luvabargain]

I like late. I am always thankful when my friend and I book and early is sold out. He likes early. I DO NOT. Early puts too much of a rush on things happening during the day. I have missed very few shows by eating late. Very few.

 

This is us as well - but at least my dh likes the later seating as well. We haven't cruised since they implemented the ATD, so we are trying that out on our upcoming cruise.

[emm126]

I love any time dinning because well I can go any time. Yes, we may have to wait, so we go to the bar and get a drink until the table is ready. My work life is very structured, 9 am to 6pm I know what I am doing every hour. When I am on vacation, I am more of a go with the flow type of chick. LOL. Which is why although I enjoyed my cruises on NCL and Royal Caribbean, I did not like having to make plans months in advance for dinners. I also didn't like waking up at 630am to try and make reservations for some restaurants. (and still not get them)

 

I do think there is negatives about ATD, depending on what time you dine, you might miss the dancing waiters or you don't build the friendship with your wait staff but overall I think it is worth it.

[dioxide45]

I do think there is negatives about ATD, depending on what time you dine, you might miss the dancing waiters or you don't build the friendship with your wait staff but overall I think it is worth it.

 

Some would say that missing the dancing waiters is a positive.:D

[Cruisin 4 Ever]

We like anytime dining for 2 reasons - first we prefer not to be on a schedule when we are on vacation and second we prefer to sit on our own rather than at a group table.

[gtalum]

Your Time Dining. We'll never sail with traditional dining again, given the choice.

[RW20]

It depends on who is travelling. Just me and my kids we can do late easily. My next cruise we are going with my sister and she will have a 2 year old so we are doing the early seating. I also enjoy having the same staff every night. Usually the second night my dinner drink is waiting for me.

[mediccruzin]

I prefer early as I am a early riser and usually asleep by 10 pm most nights. More so in a cruise after several drinks during the day.

[Bobblefrog]

We prefer ATD for two reasons, the flexibility to dine when we want. We prefer to eat later in the evening when cruising and ATD lets us do that. Also we like that if we want a table for two we can ask for it or if we are feeling more social we can ask for a group table. If you get traditional early or late, are at a group table and you don't feel social, you don't have much choice if you want to eat in the MDR. You have to sit with your table mates. With ATD you also have new table mates every night if you wish, meeting more people. Though we often ask for a table for two.

 

Not sure you can always plan on this - on our last cruise we asked to be seated with others four times and they always seated us by ourselves (no one else wanted to sit with us I guess - :p )

[dioxide45]

Not sure you can always plan on this - on our last cruise we asked to be seated with others four times and they always seated us by ourselves (no one else wanted to sit with us I guess - :p )

 

True, it is possible that we would be couple of two at a table for 8 or 10. Though we also saw that on our lat cruise in late traditional. We had a table for 10 of which only 8 people showed up. There was another couple at the next table over where no other people showed up on the first night. On the second night after the other couple didn't show up at our table, we invited them to our table. A few people did finally come to the other table on night three but we never saw more than two couples at that table for the entire cruise. They also said ours was to have 10 people seated at it, but that one couple never showed. I suppose perhaps they changed to ATD or early or just ate at the buffet every night.

[mss22859]

On all 5 of our previous cruises, as well as our Liberty cruise in October, we have done early dining. I think that late dining is too late. We have never considered ATD. No particular reason, just cause.

[ccruisequeen]

Anytime

 

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[Bobblefrog]

True, it is possible that we would be couple of two at a table for 8 or 10. Though we also saw that on our lat cruise in late traditional. We had a table for 10 of which only 8 people showed up. There was another couple at the next table over where no other people showed up on the first night. On the second night after the other couple didn't show up at our table, we invited them to our table. A few people did finally come to the other table on night three but we never saw more than two couples at that table for the entire cruise. They also said ours was to have 10 people seated at it, but that one couple never showed. I suppose perhaps they changed to ATD or early or just ate at the buffet every night.

 

Ah! So traditional dining has its challenges, too!

[ufyellowfin]

Early dining for us. With two little ones they are ready to eat at 6ish. The benefit to us was we ate early, got them changed and dropped off at Camp Carnival. After that we had time to grab a drink and listen to some music or shop before the late showing of the main show. Typically the late show was less crowded when the doors opened and we could get a seat pretty easy.

Edited May 16, 2015 by ufyellowfin

[Greselda]

We love early seating and request a larger table. We have met some great tablemates and still stay in touch.

 

We have done the 2 top once, and did not care for it. We also like having the same wait staff and they seem to have fun with a larger table too.

[ccleveland]

What if I'm on the waiting list for the early dining time but I don't ever see it change online on the carnival site since the wait was to long... do I automatically get the anytime dining time? Or does it give me the late?

Edited May 17, 2015 by ccleveland

[SMSACE6]

What if I'm on the waiting list for the early dining time but I don't ever see it change online on the carnival site since the wait was to long... do I automatically get the anytime dining time? Or does it give me the late?

 

not sure really, but if I did not see any change to dining time on the carnival site, nor if I never got an email notice from carnival saying you were now confirmed in your waitlisted/preferred dining time, then I would make it my priority to go to the dining room on boarding day, see the maitre d' and make my request known yet again.

 

Maitre d' is usually available in one of the dining rooms to discuss these changes and requests the first day, day of boarding, and most often they are able to work things out for you.

[Out to sea!]

Early for me. If for some reason I couldn't get early then i would have to go ATD and just go early on my own.