Which night's dinner should we skip?

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publicdefender

Guest
Getting serious now. Documents have arrived. Docs say flight will arrive in Orlando 11:48. What time can we expect to be in our rooms?
Want to go to the upscale restaurant one night with the family but I'm not sure which night to pick. Are the menus listed on the web shots pages accurate as to the nights they are served? Or do they switch up the nights of the menus for different cruises? I don't want to make the reservation for the nice restaurant when its lobster night in the dining room. Some posters suggest the reservations are filled up quickly. Will I have time to find out what is being served for dinner each night and THEN make my reservation? Can I just tip the room steward after we meet him and have him make our reservation? Don't want to miss the boat on this one ,so to speak.
 
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Cruzman

Guest
In the short term, menus do not vary much from cruise to cruise. In the long run however, a head chef may be rotated out to a different ship, and the new chef may alternate the menu significantly. As for alternative dining venues; on each sailing on which I have been a participant, all the hype promotes the specialty restaurants by creating the feeling that if you don't book early, you're likely to miss out. In reality, every time we have dined there, plenty of tables always seem to be empty. The bottom line is that if you can get menu information from someone who has recently sailed on your ship, you can depend upon a high degree of accuracy relative to what your menus will look like. As for booking ahead of time, I wouldn't fret about it. After you board, locate the maitre'D and get his suggestions; JMHO.
 
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Babushka

Guest
How exciting that you've received your documents! Are you arriving in Orlando the day of your cruise or the day before? Keep in mind that it is about a 50 min. drive from the airport to the ship. So if you are arriving that same day you will need time to collect your luggage, get to your transportation and head out to the ship. You may also have lines to deal with when boarding so it could be after 2 pm till you are on the ship. We flew out a day early when we went into Orlando and stayed at a hotel near the pier. We were on the first shuttle and were on the Carnival Glory by about 11:30 am.

As far as dining goes, for the most part I believe the menus stay the same in the dining rooms. If you see a menu from someone that has sailed recently chances are it will be the same for you. We booked our reservations for the specialty restaurant the day we arrived but I do agree that for the most part you should be able to get a reservation whenever. I do recommend getting them early if you are partial to eating at a specific time. I know that even though you may not have a problem getting the reservation, you may be eating at a time you don't like. Dinners in the specialty restaurants can take up to 2 1/2 hrs so keep that in mind. If you are looking for a specific night to skip the dining room and go to the specialty place that is up to you. I know that some like to dine in there on a formal night because they want that more formal experience. We prefer to dine on there on one of the non formal nights. We like going to the dining room on the first formal night and we like skipping the second formal night and going to the buffet. I don't really care to have to get that dressed up 2 nights in the week.

If you are worried about it just be sure to schedule your reservation the day you arrive. I also suggest that if you plan on going to the spa or salon be sure to schedule that ASAP also. That is the first place I go to when I get on the ship, even before I go to my room. Things like that fill up really fast! Have a great time on your cruise!
 
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serene56

Guest
Lobster is always served the first formal night-- on the menu its called Capt gala dinner.

Menus are available at the pursers desk that you can check out when you get onboard. Or you can ask the matre de to let you look.
Cabin stewards can not make your reservations--you can go to the place and make it--pick out a nice table.. or you can call.... or you can visit the reservationist in the atrium the first night.

Some nights do sell out more quickly then others. We went on a Thursday-late night in Cozumel- and picked a 7:00pm time.. we were the only people there other the the Captain and his crew and the pursers crew.


First night is a saturday or Sunday sailing?
 
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docbfree

Guest
I am not sure that Lobster is the first formal night. I think that the majority of time, lobster is served at the second formal night (the next to last day of cruise). As far as skipping, don't skip #1 due to finding your table in main dining room. Don't skip #2 or #6 due to being formal nights. Pick between the other 4 with regard to your itenerary, etc. Finally, consider the last night of the cruise, which often does not have the best entertainment and this would make the last night of your cruise special.
 
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Cori

Guest
Ditto on the specialty restaurant selling out; as much as they hype it, I can almost GUARANTEE you that you will be able to get a table there, even if you wait until midweek to book one. You may not get the TIME tou prefer, but you WILL get a table. They just want you to think that you need to HURRY HURRY HURRY, you know?
 
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serene56

Guest
Doc-- I am 99.99% sure that lobster is served on the first formal night. Its served on the Captains Gala dinner. 2nd formal night is served using the Gala menu. Only differnce is--the first one is the captains.
 
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publicdefender

Guest
Serene,
Sailing begins on Saturday. We are arriving the same day. Landing about 11:30 in Orlando. While I would like to get onboard as soon as possible, these times avoid us having to get up too early .
Last night of cruise sounds like the best suggestion for the reservation although the evening the ship is docked late in Cozumel when few are in the restaurant doesn't sound bad either. I wonder if it would be just as empty when we hit Belize City or do more people stay on the ship in Belize since it seems to have less to offer than Cozumel. Still lots of questions. Glad to hear the cruiseline hype that you better make the reservation immediately is just that-hype.
I think after we get on the ship and make our way to our cabins we will forage out to find the restaurant and make our reservation then. It will give us a purpose along with familiarizing ourselves with the different decks. Thanks all.
 
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serene56

Guest
More people stayed on the ship in Belize since it is a port that you need an excursion-- Its a place that you just cant get off the ship and wander around on your own.
Shame too. Lots of beautifull things to do.
The sea days will find the supper club more booked then a regular port day.

We were in Cozumel til 6. made reservations for 7:15. WOrked out great for us. Didnt have to be back on the ship til 5:30 then relaxed and took showers and got ready for dinner.

The biggie for what night to make reservation for us was what would be missing in the way of shows.

We took a table by the window--thought that would be very nice-cozyu even It was very dark at 7:00 and we could barely see the menu. THe lighting in the corner there was by battery operated candles. the tables are located right off the deck so people walking by could look in at you. (stay away from the wondow--lol
 
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jbest

Guest
We always ask our dining room waiter which night he would recommend we book the supper club, and then we book the supper club right after dinner the first night based on that recommendation. We've found the best night for us tends to be on the second formal night, because my husband only wants to dress up two nights, and the food on the second formal night isn't usually as special as the first formal night in our opinion.
 
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BlueChef

Guest
Yes, Serene56 is correct. The first formal night is ALWAYS when lobster and prime rib are served in the dining room. (On Carnival ships, the first formal night is ALWAYS your second night on board the ship.)
 
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serene56

Guest
jbest-- In the supper club on the Miracle--on either formal night the dress for the evening was formal.

you said your honey dont like dressing up for the second formal night-- I was under the impression that the supper clubs are enforced dress code. This will be great to know as we are on the Liberty come Feb and if you dont have to get formally dressed I would like to do the supper club the second night.
 
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Babushka

Guest
We ate in the supper club on the Glory. They are supposed to enforce dress codes. Dress in this restaurant does not need to be formal but you should be dressed nicely. I wore a dressy pair of capri pants with heels and a nice blouse. Most women were dressed like this or in skirts or dresses, nothing fancy. Most men wore a nice pair of slacks with a nice polo shirt or dress shirt. I did however see someone in there with a nice shirt on and a pair of jeans and was surprised that no one said anything to that person. I was under the impression that they really enforced the dress code.

It was mentioned above about going to the supper club the second formal night so you don't have to get dressed up twice. When we were on the Glory we did see alot of people going into the supper club in formal wear, some look at it as a more formal atmosphere because it's more quiet and not as crowded. Ahhh...sooo many choices to make! Formal, not formal? Which night to eat here or there? I can't wait to have to make those decisions myself in April!
 
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Cruizer

Guest
Do a back to back cruise. Sample all the dinners on the first cruise. Then on the second cruise skip the one you like the least.
 
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publicdefender

Guest
The supper club dinner takes about two hours to complete? Sounds great but how does that square with getting to watch the night's show? What time does that usually start? Now I have to consider what show I might have to miss? Are some of the night's shows much better than others? Choices , choices.
 
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Cruizer

Guest
You can work / eat around the shows. You could eat early and catch the late show, or eat late and catch the early show. The meals in the main restaurant take about two hours also. Check the difference between the time for the early dinner and the late dinner. It is about two hours.

However, if you are concerned, my back to back idea will work for this problem also. On the first week you catch all of the shows, and the second week you miss the show you liked the least.
 
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serene56

Guest
shows are usually done on the formal nights.

Please remember that while on a cruise you can NOT do it all and only will make yourself crazy trying to fit it all in. No matter what time oyu pick for the supper club i am sure there will be something going on.

2 hours for dinner is a heads up for you- it sure didnt feel like that long to us when we dined in Nick & Noras.


above all-- relax. enjoy.
 
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Cori

Guest
Cruizer, in our experience the dinners in the main dining room took nowhere NEAR two hours. Even though they allow for that long between seatings, we were in and out of there as quickly as one would be in and out of a normal restaurant, maybe even quicker if you consider that everything is pre-plated before you even order it. Of course, we had the early seating, so maybe they "rushed" us through more quickly than late seating?

The supper club, however, DEFINITELY took a long time, two hours or very close to it. It was an absolutely wonderful time, but yes, it took that long.

Ditto what Serene56 said-- don't try to do everything on board or you will come home more exhausted than when you left! Read your Capers when you get them, pick and choose, and don't forget to "book" time to just relax and do nothing, too!!
 
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Babushka

Guest
Perhaps dinners for the early seating don't take long but we've always had late seating and dinner has always been close to 2 hours. It could very well be because they are trying to get those with early seating out in time to accomodate the guests with late seatings.
 
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serene56

Guest
I would say it matters how many people are at your table inthe dining room to say how long it takes for dinner. We had tables for 10 that took the 2 hours...and a table for 6 that took 1 1/2 hours. I can imagine a table for 2 or 4 would take less time.
 
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