Which dinner time is best to get to shows suitable for kids?

[Auralee]

I have seen people say the early comedy show is appropriate for kids- would that mean we need late dinner to attend the shows? Or are the “early” shows able to be seen by early or late dining? (Currently waitlisted for anytime dining- wondering which other time works for family shows).   We are sailing apr 29 to Alaska on legend. 

Edited April 14, 2019 by Auralee

[bandjwayne]

We were on the Carnival Paradise a couple weeks ago for a 5 day cruise.  We choose early dining (6pm)for our family which includes a 9 & 12 year old as I personally feel that eating at 8 pm is just too late for them.  They enjoyed the PG comedy shows which were at 8:30 & 9:00 on our sailing.  Plenty of time to get to them after dinner or you can always choose to skip the main dining & go to the buffet a few times to change things up...my boys appreciated this.

[Auralee]

Only meal time not waitlisted is late. So put ourselves on waitlist for anytime. Would we make the family friendly shows if we end up stuck with late dinner? Does the kids club take the kids to any shows? Kiddo could buffet and head to kids club if is open over late dinner? (Is it open during late dinner?)

[teknoge3k]

We prefer Anytime Dining. It works best for us, and our kids. At home we don't eat at the exact same time every night, so I don't want to do that on a ship either. Plus we don't have to hurry back from ports each day in order to go to the MDR at a certain time, or miss certain shows at night because we're stuck at dinner. With ATD we can go at whatever time we want to (in the timeframe of ATD) and eat when we're hungry. It fits us best. We still get the same wait staff every night so we're happy with that. We also tell our wait staff we don't enjoy some long drawn out process of dinner so they make sure we're in and out in the time we wish for. Normally we are out of the MDR within 45 minutes tops. It's what we prefer and works best for us. 

[jimbo5544]

With late dining most shows would happen before dining (except some comedy).  

[Joebucks]

I think the first PG show usually starts around 7:30? Honestly, I think you do any dining time at that point. The late time could sometimes interfere

 

[Vitamin Sea Addict]

We have had the 815 dining time for both of our most recent cruises (kids are 6 and 8). It's late the first night for sure but once we're past that, it's given us a TON of flexibility for going to shows (we usually do the 630 PG comedy show, then go hang out in the atrium etc until dinner, do some photos etc). There are a lot of shows that are done before the 815 time (main stage and smaller shows like comedy). It also means that when we get back on from ports etc, there's no rushing to get showered etc. We like to hit the alchemy bar after being ready for dinner and then we let the kids decide--comedy show, walk the decks, look for music etc--usually comedy though. It's given us a ton of flexibility 

[Auralee]

Thanks for all the comments letting me know that either time seems like it will work. I just was having a hard time trying to figure out what meal time would work for seeing all the shows (age appropriate for kiddo).  I think i'll keep us on Anytime Dinning wait list, but am glad to hear that if we are placed with  late dinning it sounds like we will still be able to see everything. Thanks Erikup. (early dinning is also wait listed so it is most likely if we don't get anytime dinning we will be placed in late night). 

 

I think i'll also check when Carnivals Kids club is closed for "dinner" . Our kiddo is usually eager to get back and that has been an issue on other cruises when our dinner was while it was open. Thinking more on it this might be the biggest factor lol that i recall causing issues with dinner. lol. 

[bandjwayne]

1 hour ago, Auralee said:

Thanks for all the comments letting me know that either time seems like it will work. I just was having a hard time trying to figure out what meal time would work for seeing all the shows (age appropriate for kiddo).  I think i'll keep us on Anytime Dinning wait list, but am glad to hear that if we are placed with  late dinning it sounds like we will still be able to see everything. Thanks Erikup. (early dinning is also wait listed so it is most likely if we don't get anytime dinning we will be placed in late night). 

 

I think i'll also check when Carnivals Kids club is closed for "dinner" . Our kiddo is usually eager to get back and that has been an issue on other cruises when our dinner was while it was open. Thinking more on it this might be the biggest factor lol that i recall causing issues with dinner. lol. 

I've attached the first page of the kids club activities from my Paradise 5 day cruise.  Other than the first day they had kids dinner from 6-7 pm each night for ages 2-11.  We never did that since we wanted to eat as a family, but would send him after our dinner.  The kids club did end each evening at 9:45 as it then would go to the pay for Night Owls service.  

[Elaine5715]

12 hours ago, Auralee said:

Only meal time not waitlisted is late. So put ourselves on waitlist for anytime. Would we make the family friendly shows if we end up stuck with late dinner? Does the kids club take the kids to any shows? Kiddo could buffet and head to kids club if is open over late dinner? (Is it open during late dinner?)

They do not take the kids to any shows.

[Auralee]

Ok i have only experience on other cruise lines. One cruise line offered pick up from the MDR - so kids could return to their programming if they wanted earlier. Another cruise line would take the kids club to one of the shows (maybe the late show - as i think was with early dinner? this is what i'm trying to remember lol) - So you could meet them at the show and the kids could sit in the front with the other kids or sign out and come and sit with you. But this cruiseline's kids club closed down for an hour or two over one of the designated dinner times and didn't offer a dinner with the kids (iirc - this was 5 yrs ago). - i could be mistaken.

 

I see that they have the dinner time planned with the kids at 6pm. (Kiddo wouldn't want to eat the plain stuff with them - but it is easier to have him eat with us when he knows that is all that he is missing out on). I see it says meet for show at 8:30 pm on one of the flyers (maybe that is a teen flyer?)  if the club plans for kids to eat at 6pm - I think that would be the optimum time for us to aim for as well to not conflict with programming - crossing our fingers we receive ATD so we will have this option =). 

[jbethel11]

19 hours ago, Auralee said:

I have seen people say the early comedy show is appropriate for kids- would that mean we need late dinner to attend the shows? Or are the “early” shows able to be seen by early or late dining? (Currently waitlisted for anytime dining- wondering which other time works for family shows).   We are sailing apr 29 to Alaska on legend. 

Coming from a teen's perspective here: When I was on the Horizon, I had late dining. I did miss some activities from the kids club. So I would assume early dining is best suited for kids.

[Auralee]

Thank you jbethl11. I was sure one of the meal times was more suited to the kids programming. I will be sure to talk to the maître d to bring up these points😀. 

 

Thanks!

[cruizergal70]

If schedules are a concern, isn't ATD your best bet? Eat whenever you want. Make dinnertime fit your needs.

[Auralee]

Definately.. but it is waitlisted. So is early. I wanted to know what dinner time worked best with kids programming so I knew if it was worth following up to try to get ATD /early when we board if we are still waitlisted or if late dinner worked just as well (which it sounds like it doesn’t). Hope that makes sense. 

[Saint Greg]

I would say late since the PG comedy shows are early. Or do YTD and get there right when they open. Even doing that I miss PG comedy at least once per cruise.

[Auralee]

How long does dinner service usually take?

[Marauder40]

First time cruiser here.  We currently are booked with late dining and waitlisted for the early time.  We have two kids (15 and 11).  How does it work if our dining isn’t changed and say we want to eat at a different time?  I assume we can’t eat in the MDR except our assigned time but can eat on Lido.  Do we just tell someone that we do this?  Do they scan our cards when we eat on Lido or what?