Carnival Cruise Line Dining Options for Cruise with a DJ

As you know, Jaclyn and I are hosting a Carnival Cruise to Mexico during Fall Break of 2015. We're leaving New Orleans on Saturday, October 12th and heading to Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico. One of the BEST parts of a cruise is the food and Carnival offers a variety of dining options. I decided to offer you guys some friendly and helpful advice on making your cruise reservations and choosing your dining options. And I'll let you know which option Jaclyn and I are choosing and why.

Photo from Carnival Cruise Lines

YOUR TIME DINING

In 2009, Carnival Cruise Lines launched "Your Time Dining." Basically, this flexible dining plan allows you to have dinner anytime between 5:45pm and 9:30pm. It's offered in the dining room on a first come, first served basis and allows you to choose your table mates. The idea was to make dining more convenient for you and to allow you to truly eat whenever you decide. That's fine, but I suggest Carnival's other options. Just as important as food is experience. And the Carnival dining experience is wonderful!

EARLY DINING

Carnival offers an early and late dining option. If you choose the EARLY option, you will be dining at 6pm each evening of the cruise. If you like to eat early in the evening, this, obviously, is the best choice for you. And you're gonna love the assigned seating. Carnival will assign you a table and you will sit at the same table every night of the cruise.

Now, some folks find this a bit daunting and get uncomfortable if they share a table with other passengers. Trust me. Go with it! Some of the best times I have ever had on cruises have come at dinner . .. with complete strangers who became instant and forever friends.

Veronica and RoDonna- We were assigned to their dining room table four years ago and we became fast friends. And we still keep in touch today!

And if you choose the early or late option, you'll have the same waiter and support staff each night of the cruise. To say that the waiters and waitresses will learn your names and your eating preferences is an understatement. By the second night, they'll know what you want to drink, what kind of bread you'd like with your meal and more. By the final night of the cruise, you'll know everything about them too and you'll feel like you're saying goodbye to a family member when you leave the ship. Truly.

Albert Weatherman- Our Croatian waiter from a couple of years ago. Albert and I still chat routinely via Facebook. Love that guy!

The Carnival dining room is where new friendships are formed. It's where nations come together and bond over food and fun. Take my advice. Do not miss out on this opportunity to meet new people and form new friendships. And don't miss the opportunity to try new foods. The Carnival menu is incredibly varied. You can play it completely safe or be daring and adventurous.

My friend Leisa after she tried escargot. Okay. So she didn't care for it much, but at least she was adventurous and tried it, right?? LOL!

You're gonna LOVE the Carnival dining rooms and the Carnival dining experience. And I can assure you from lots of personal experience, you'll get the most out of it by designating either the early or late option.

LATE DINING

It's the LATE dining option that I actually prefer. And I book it every single cruise I take. And here's why. You'll find that you have more time to enjoy the ports if you're not rushing to get back for dinner. For example, when we port in Progreso on October 6th, we'll be there from 9am to 5pm. If you have chosen the EARLY dining option, you'll have to get back on the ship before then to get ready for dinner. You'll get to truly enjoy every minute of the port if you choose the LATE dining option. If you don't have to be in the dining room until 8:15pm, you get milk every single moment you're on land in Mexico! And, I'll be honest, you can always steal a quick nap before you have to get ready. And, trust me on this too, you'll definitely want that nap to recharge for Carnival night life.

One of the reasons my friends and I always choose the LATE dining option is that we typically leave dinner and go right to the Carnival showroom. Carnival is well-known for it's Vegas-style entertainment and there are performances each night around 10:30pm. There's nothing quite like dinner followed by a great show!

Photo from Carnival

The third benefit to choosing the LATE option. You can truly take your time in the dining room. The next wave of folks are not coming in after you (like they are at 6pm). Carnival offers a delicious dessert menu at the close of each dinner and the selections nightly. Take my advice. HAVE DESSERT!! You're on vacation. Sample and enjoy. Relax and take your time. Let the staff pamper and spoil you. They will and you will love it.

iWayan just wasn't sure what to think when I reached down and picked him up!

And, seriously. ENJOY! Carnival is home to the Fun Ships and you should absolutely have fun! You're gonna have great times, eat great food, make great new friends and enjoy great ports of call.

So, join us for Cruise with a DJ! Right now, you can book for just over $400 per person and you can reserve your spots on the ship for just $200 per person. And you'll have until July of 2015 to pay off your balance. Ambassador Travel of Evansville is handling our reservations for this trip and you can contact them by CLICKING HERE!

We'll see you onboard and we'll see you in the Carnival dining room. 8:15pm. LATE dining. Be there!!

Cruise with a DJ is presented by Henderson Chevy Buick GMC. Cross that money-saving bridge!