Dining Room Seating Options - Dinner

Published 01/28/2016 11:17 AM   |    Updated 02/25/2020 04:13 PM

Guests may choose from three different dinner seating options. In addition to Early and Late assigned seating, 'Your Time' open seating is available to accommodate individual guest preferences. By popular request, all dining rooms are smoke-free.

Guests may choose Early dining at 6:00pm (5:30pm for Alaska cruises), Late dining at 8:15pm (7:45pm for Alaska cruises) or 'Your Time' open seating, between 5:45pm and 9:30pm (between 5:15pm and 9:00pm for Alaska cruises).  

At time of booking, guests will be able to confirm their preferred dining choice. If their preference is not available, they may confirm an alternate time and be waitlisted for their preferred choice - there is no guarantee a waitlist will clear. When possible, waitlists will be cleared prior to the sailing and guests will be notified by email. Parties traveling together who are waitlisted together will be cleared on the same dining time.

In addition, guests may opt for casual bistro dining in the Lido Deck Restaurant, a slice of pizza from our 24/7 Pizzeria or a sandwich at the Carnival Deli. Other dining options include the elegant Steakhouse Restaurants serving fine quality prime steaks and other dishes in an intimate, upscale atmosphere as well as The Chef's Table, Cucina del Capitano, Ji Ji Asian Kitchen, Bonsai Sushi, Bonsai Teppanyaki, Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse|Brewhouse and on the Mardi Gras, Emeril’s Bistro 1396 and Rudi’s Seagrill.. Please note, all these additional dining options do have a nominal fee. To see if your ship features these options, please click here.

Assigned Seating - Early Dining and Late Dining
This dining option offers guests a pre-set dining time for the duration of the cruise as well as the same table assignment each evening in the Main Dining Room. Guests who choose this option will not be able to reserve 'Your Time' open seating once on board.

'Your Time' Open Seating Dining
'Your Time' open seating is offered fleetwide. Guests on 'Your Time' open seating may dine any time in the Main Dining Room between 5:45pm and 9:30pm (between 5:15pm and 9:00pm for Alaska cruises) and are able to request any table size or waiter. Guests are seated on a first come, first served basis depending on party size. Pagers are provided if a modest wait time is required so guests may relax elsewhere on the ship until their table is ready; in most cases, guests are accommodated within 20 minutes. Advance table reservations are not accepted on board. All guests must be present before the party is seated.

Since most tables are configured for parties up to 6 guests and many cannot be moved together to make larger tables, parties greater than 8 guests may need to be accommodated at several tables and the wait can sometimes be more than one hour. We highly suggest that parties of 8 or more guests choose the traditional assigned seating (6:00pm or 8:15pm) to assure sitting together at one table or several tables close together.