Any early eaters experience late dining?

[brentm77]

I found a dollop of soft serve ice cream in coffee (regular or decaf) does the trick for me.

That sounds really good and exactly the type of thing that would make it easy for me to make it until a later time. Thanks for the idea!

 

[Husker Mike]

We have always done early dining. The few times we were waitlisted, we were able to switch either before the cruise or when we boarded. At home we eat around 6 or 6:30, and DS is usually in bed by 8:30/9. (He's 12 so I'm sure that will shift any day now). Pre-COVID when we cruised he usually missed at least a couple of the shows. Our last cruise, this past December, we decided to try late dining to see if we liked it better. DH thought we'd like having a bit more downtime in the afternoons, and not rushing to the show right after dinner. It did NOT work well for us. DS was falling asleep at the table and went back to the room partway through dinner. We talked to our head waiter and we were actually able to shift to early dining for the rest of the cruise... we were very thankful but I'm sure that's not always possible. Now we know that we are early dining people through and through!

Obviously this was either before the kids club changes, or your son did not hang out at Edge...because many of the activities in the clubs happen after dinner and the shows.

Speaking as someone who works in the office past 5 pm and typically doesn't get home until 6 or later, I'm surprised, if not shocked, by the number of people who eat dinner at 4 pm on this thread. Medical workers (doctors, nurses, etc.) might be done by 4 if they work in hospitals, otherwise it's factory workers or farmers who are done with their day in time to eat at 4 pm. If anything, I'm more likely to have to eat a late lunch at 3 pm than eat an early supper.

And since I'm coming from the central time zone, the "main dining" is a late lunch to me, while the second seating is pretty much when I'd normally eat anyway.

 

[iivye]

We eat around 5pm at home but always get late dining. We like not having to rush after excursions to get ready for dinner. Also, the pools empty out for early dinner so we are able to get in some swimming. If we got hungry around our usual dining time we would just have a little snack or cocktail. Now, when my daughter used to sail with us she didn't like late dining because the other teens were all in early dining so she felt like she was missing out.

 

[tvguy]

We usually request early dining on DCL because I hate late dining, not so much for the 8ish start, but more for the fact that if you get the "wrong" service team, you could be there until 10pm...

You really nailed it here.
What people expect varies and that has changed vastly in the 44 years I have been cruising. We were never out of the dining room on our Disney Magic cruise before 10:30 pm, and that is our preference. We expected a leisurely meal. And I think those of us that prefer late dining tend to request it for that reason. No hurry to get out so the servers can set up for the next seating like there is with early seating dining. However many cruisers these days do not want a leisurely meal, or getting dressed up for dinner. I get it, it's changed.
In our case, our son was 15 and into magic tricks. Our server for some reason did a simple trick, my son they did one and it got out of control. By the last few days of our 7 day cruise, after dinner our table was surrounded by servers and an audience of other cruisers watching the servers trying to "one up" each other with their magic tricks. I felt bad that we were delaying the servers from finishing their duties so they could go to bed, but they REALLY seems to enjoy the "competition".

Now, as a West Coaster on a Caribbean cruise, late seating was really an hour earlier than our bodies clocks were used to. Our kids are 37 and 33 now, and they STILL talk about how much fun it was to stroll the top deck at 1 am watching the sea and the lights of the islands go by. We would be up by 9 or 9:30, have breakfast no later than 10 am. And some how all our excursions were at 11 am or later.

I should mention that on my first cruise, the night club (okay, it was a Disco) didn't even open until 2 am!

 

[RangerPooh]

We're not early eaters, but we have a teen who is early to bed. On our first cruise we had first dinner which we liked as we usually eat between 5:30-6:30pm due to sports and scouts. On our second cruise we had late dining and hated it. DH was grumpy having to wait to eat, and our early to bed teen fell asleep at the table nightly. It didn't help that our waitstaff was slow and received our meals really late each night. We said never again. This cruise we're back to early dinner.

If you cannot get an early dinner there's always room service.

 

[auntlynne]

So, I guess the bigger question here is: What time do you go to Rosie's Cantina?

I don’t - I do Little Rosie’s Taqueria. Breakast. Avoid it at 6-7 pm. Usually pick up, often mid afternoon. Big Rosie’s is often cold and loud (all that concrete and brick).

 

[tidefan]

I don’t - I do Little Rosie’s Taqueria. Breakast. Avoid it at 6-7 pm. Usually pick up, often mid afternoon. Big Rosie’s is often cold and loud (all that concrete and brick).

But that Mexican Lasagna is sooooo good... (IYKYK)

 

[tink1970]

Schools and a lot of jobs start at 8 am. My father’s work hours were 8 am - 4:20. (Professional engineer for the US Government, a fairly common job here).

Not to derail the post, but I knew by the second sentence where you lived . I'm all about Rosie's Taqueria for breakfast and Cantina for lunch or dinner...because why choose? Yummm....(my parents have lived there for 20+ years).

@brentm77 ...DH and I were military+medical and we're the poster children for early to bed/rise and that includes meals so the rare times we have late dining it's a little stressful. We've adjusted by:

1) skipping the MDRs and eating room service or Palo
2) having deck food as a later afternoon primary meal and then apps and/or dessert in the MDR
3) sleeping in and attempting to "phase shift" meals on sea days

In the end, it wasn't terrible and was, as vacation is, a break from our routine so I'm sure you and your travel party will do fine .

 

[auntlynne]

But that Mexican Lasagna is sooooo good... (IYKYK)

They have it at the Taqueria, too. Probably the same. The menu is definitely more limited. And no hot plates. Lately, I have been buying their taco meat, queso, and pico to make a taco/burrito bowl at home with rice, avocado and sour cream. I have been thinking about it for a week (it’s only 5 miles away); got the avocado at the grocery today. Guess I’ll be going there soon.

Hard to realize they opened in 1995. They opened Steak Out in 1986. Time is flying! We used to order that at the hospital.

I actually ate at the hole in the wall location of Dreamland, south of T-town, decades ago. That and City Cafe in Northport are my knowledge of dining in West AL.

 

[tidefan]

They have it at the Taqueria, too. Probably the same. The menu is definitely more limited. And no hot plates. Lately, I have been buying their taco meat, queso, and pico to make a taco/burrito bowl at home with rice, avocado and sour cream. I have been thinking about it for a week (it’s only 5 miles away); got the avocado at the grocery today. Guess I’ll be going there soon.

Hard to realize they opened in 1995. They opened Steak Out in 1986. Time is flying! We used to order that at the hospital.

I actually ate at the hole in the wall location of Dreamland, south of T-town, decades ago. That and City Cafe in Northport are my knowledge of dining in West AL.

Not to derail the thread.... but when in Tuscaloosa...

Dreamland (the original, not Northport)
Archibald's
City Cafe
Waysider
Nick's in the Stick's
Avenue Pub

They should all be on your list

I wish they would bring a Rosie's here...

 

[auntlynne]

Not to derail the post, but I knew by the second sentence where you lived . I'm all about Rosie's Taqueria for breakfast and Cantina for lunch or dinner...because why choose? Yummm....(my parents have lived there for 20+ years).

@brentm77 ...DH and I were military+medical and we're the poster children for early to bed/rise and that includes meals so the rare times we have late dining it's a little stressful. We've adjusted by:

1) skipping the MDRs and eating room service or Palo
2) having deck food as a later afternoon primary meal and then apps and/or dessert in the MDR
3) sleeping in and attempting to "phase shift" meals on sea days

In the end, it wasn't terrible and was, as vacation is, a break from our routine so I'm sure you and your travel party will do fine .

I think @brentm77 will forgive us our tangent. Yes?

I don’t work for the government, so I have no secrets to share. I just can’t divulge any patient info.

@brentm77 - have you actually never had late dining? Do do deviate at home? I try to eat when hungry, so my dining hours are all over the place.

 

[brentm77]

Not to derail the post, but I knew by the second sentence where you lived . I'm all about Rosie's Taqueria for breakfast and Cantina for lunch or dinner...because why choose? Yummm....(my parents have lived there for 20+ years).

@brentm77 ...DH and I were military+medical and we're the poster children for early to bed/rise and that includes meals so the rare times we have late dining it's a little stressful. We've adjusted by:

1) skipping the MDRs and eating room service or Palo
2) having deck food as a later afternoon primary meal and then apps and/or dessert in the MDR
3) sleeping in and attempting to "phase shift" meals on sea days

In the end, it wasn't terrible and was, as vacation is, a break from our routine so I'm sure you and your travel party will do fine .

Great ideas. On the plus side, we sailed one of the ships (Magic) two summers ago, so skipping a few MDR meals won't be a huge deal. If I remember right, I thought the pool deck food on the Magic was a little better than the Fantasy too. I will never complain about two unexpected DCL sailings! I am just trying to set my own expectations. I like the idea of just desserts some nights in the MDR.

 

[auntlynne]

Not to derail the thread.... but when in Tuscaloosa...

Dreamland (the original, not Northport)
Archibald's
City Cafe
Waysider
Nick's in the Stick's
Avenue Pub

They should all be on your list

I wish they would bring a Rosie's here...

Can I show up there with an Aubie decal on my car? Will it be safe?

I wish we could get that Raising Cane’s; they are wasting in Bama students. But we couldn’t even keep a Guthrie’s chicken fingers here (and yet there is one in Cullman!)

Good thing I just ate or I would be out the door to get something tasty. Was a hot dog at 3:30 a really late lunch, snack or early dinner?

 

[brentm77]

have you actually never had late dining? Do do deviate at home? I try to eat when hungry, so my dining hours are all over the place.

We haven't had late dining yet - it's never been an issue to move to early. But we have never booked so late.

We don't deviate much at home. The truth is that I will be just fine waiting, since I intermediate fast most days of the week and only eat one meal. Of course, I don't do that when cruising, because I would miss out on some of my favorite food on the ship. But, I can easily wait until late. I am more concerned about a couple of others in our party who are highly affected by when we eat. They have great metabolisms, which means frequent smaller meals. I know there is plenty for them to eat outside the MDR, but fear it may turn into me being the only one wanting to do the MDR some nights, as I am not a huge fan of the pool-side food. They are the type that would come along so I could eat, but it isn't the same when you are the only one eating at dinner. I hope they just adjust and the later dining works great. It seems that many end up shifting to later breakfast/lunch, which may work well for us too.

 

[auntlynne]

Great ideas. On the plus side, we sailed one of the ships two summers ago, so skipping a few MDR meals won't be a huge deal. If I remember right, I thought the pool deck food on the Magic was a little better than the Fantasy too. I will never complain about two unexpected DCL sailings! I am just trying to set my own expectations. I like the idea of just desserts some nights in the MDR.

You don’t have littles who could fall asleep at the table anymore, right?

Sing along with me. Tune: Give a little whistle. “And always let your stomach be your guide.”

 

[brentm77]

You don’t have littles who could fall asleep at the table anymore, right?

Sing along with me. Tune: Give a little whistle. “And always let your stomach be your guide.”

No! Thank goodness, that won't be an issue. Haha

 

[auntlynne]

So glad to hear your daughter is doing well enough to travel again. Somehow, I think she will adapt and conquer. And not just her, but the family as a whole. Its a lot easier with a supportive family.

 

[brentm77]

So glad to hear your daughter is doing well enough to travel again. Somehow, I think she will adapt and conquer. And not just her, but the family as a whole. Its a lot easier with a supportive family.

Thank you! There will be a few tears when we step onto the ship and when we enter Disneyland later that week. There was a very real possibility that she wouldn't be with us and it will be very emotional. We are counting down every day. She's such a fighter and I can't wait to give this break form reality to her.

 

[tidefan]

Can I show up there with an Aubie decal on my car? Will it be safe?

I wish we could get that Raising Cane’s; they are wasting in Bama students. But we couldn’t even keep a Guthrie’s chicken fingers here (and yet there is one in Cullman!)

Good thing I just ate or I would be out the door to get something tasty. Was a hot dog at 3:30 a really late lunch, snack or early dinner?

There are a few of those decals around (but not many)

Actually, for chicken fingers, we are more partial to Foosackly’s than either Cane’s or Guthrie’s.

 

[brentm77]

I think @brentm77 will forgive us our tangent. Yes?

Missed that question. Of course! I am guilty of doing it on other threads, and don't mind it at all.