How do I decide between early and late dinner seatings?
Think about your lifestyle and what time you serve meals at home before deciding which seating is preferable. Most families with small children select the early seating, as do many seniors. Times can vary from ship to ship, and even day to day on the same cruise. Some ships serve open seating breakfasts and lunches when in port. On sailings with a high percentage of European or South American passengers, dinner times are often scheduled as late as 9:00pm to adhere to international customs. Casual dining alternatives to the dining room schedules are often available. The ships daily newsletter will list serving times for all dining venues and room service is generally served on a 24-hour basis. Some small or luxury ships have open seating for all meals, allowing passengers to dine when, where, and with whom they please. You’ll even find that convenience offered on mainstream fleets, such as Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, and Holland America Line. For an in-depth look into how y
