Choose early dining on a cruise if you want your evenings free, have young children or like to be in bed by 10:30 pm. Choose late dining if you want full days in port, a less hurried dinner and time for a show or drink first. If you can’t decide, pick a flexible option where your cruise line offers one.
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Deciding between early or late dining on a cruise matters more on some lines than others. Early seatings usually start between 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm and late seatings between 7:45 pm and 8:30 pm, but every line sets its own times. The table below shows what to expect for 2026, followed by a simple way to match a seating to your itinerary.
Early or late dining on a cruise: the quick comparison
| Factor | Early seating | Late seating |
|---|---|---|
| Typical start | 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm | 7:45 pm to 8:30 pm |
| Best for | Families, early risers, early excursions | Couples, night owls, long port days |
| Port days | Can be a rush to get back and change | Plenty of time to return and unwind |
| Main shows | Usually straight after dinner | Usually before dinner |
| Atmosphere | Busier, often more children | Quieter and more relaxed |
| Availability | Fills first | Usually easier to get |
| Main drawback | Can feel rushed, and you may want a snack later | A late finish, and a long gap after lunch |
Cruise dining times by line
These are approximate main dining room times based on cruise line information and recent published guides. Ships and itineraries differ, and lines adjust times without much notice, so treat this as a guide and confirm your own time on your booking, cruise card or app.
| Cruise line | Early / first | Late / second | Flexible option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Caribbean | About 5:30 pm | About 8:00 pm | My Time Dining |
| Carnival | About 5:30 to 6:00 pm | About 7:45 to 8:15 pm | Your Time Dining |
| Celebrity | About 6:00 pm | About 8:30 pm | Select Anytime, about 6:00 to 9:30 pm |
| Holland America | About 6:00 pm | About 8:00 pm | As You Wish, about 5:15 to 9:00 pm |
| Disney | About 5:45 pm | About 8:15 pm | None in the rotational dining rooms |
| MSC | About 6:00 to 7:00 pm | About 8:30 to 9:00 pm | Selected fares and ships only |
| Princess | Set times available through Dine My Way, which vary by ship | Dine My Way | |
| Norwegian | No fixed seatings | Freestyle Dining | |
| P&O Cruises (UK) | About 6:30 pm | About 8:30 pm | Freedom Dining, about 6:00 to 9:30 pm |
| Cunard (Britannia cabins) | About 6:00 pm | About 8:30 pm | Open Dining, about 6:00 to 9:00 pm |
| Fred. Olsen | About 6:00 pm | About 8:00 pm (8:15 pm on some evenings) | None in the main restaurant |
Royal Caribbean dining times
Royal Caribbean offers early seating, late seating or My Time Dining. It gives 5:30 pm and 8:00 pm as the typical traditional times, with some variation by ship and route. On select markets and ships, gratuities are prepaid automatically if you choose My Time Dining, so check this when you book.
Carnival dining times
Carnival times vary more than most. Many ships, including newer ones such as Celebration and Jubilee, use around 5:30 pm and 7:45 pm, while others, such as Conquest and Glory, use around 6:00 pm and 8:15 pm. A few differ again, so look up your specific ship rather than relying on a fleet-wide figure.
UK lines with fixed sittings
Fixed sittings remain central to the British-style cruise. On P&O Cruises, Club Dining keeps you at the same table with the same waiters and fellow diners all cruise, but Iona and Arvia are Freedom Dining only. Fred. Olsen’s Balmoral, Bolette and Borealis have two dinner sittings, with the second moving slightly later on embarkation day and formal nights.
On Cunard, your cabin grade decides how you dine. Britannia cabins choose early, late or Open Dining in the Britannia Restaurant, while Princess Grill and Queens Grill guests keep a reserved table and arrive when they like during service.
Why choose early dining?
Early seating works well if you think of dinner as the start of your evening rather than the end of it.
- Your evening stays open. You finish in time for shows, music, trivia and a walk on deck.
- It suits children. Younger children are less likely to be overtired, and it’s a natural fit before kids’ clubs or bedtime.
- It suits early starts. If you have a morning excursion or a sea-day gym habit, you’ll get to bed at a sensible hour.
- It keeps to your usual routine. Many people who normally eat around 6:00 pm find it the easiest adjustment.
The trade-offs are real, though. On a port day you may have little time to get back, shower and change, and dinner can feel paced because the room must turn over for the next seating. Early seating is also the most requested, so ask for it as soon as you book.
Why choose late dining?
Late seating gives you a longer day. It’s the better fit if you want every available hour ashore or by the pool.
- Port days are easier. You can return close to all-aboard time and still have a relaxed hour before dinner.
- Dinner tends to be calmer. With no seating behind you, there’s less pressure to finish.
- You can do things first. A pre-dinner drink or an early show fits naturally.
- It’s usually easier to get. Late seating generally fills more slowly than early.
The downsides are a long gap after lunch and a late finish, which can catch up with you if the next day starts early. Young children may also struggle to wait that long, and they can get restless at the table.
Flexible dining: a third option
Most big lines now offer some form of flexible dining, so you aren’t always limited to early vs late seating on a cruise. Royal Caribbean’s My Time Dining, Carnival’s Your Time Dining, Celebrity’s Select Anytime and Holland America’s As You Wish all let you eat at different times on different nights. Norwegian has no fixed seatings at all, and smaller premium and luxury lines such as Viking and Oceania generally use open seating.
The freedom comes with a catch. You can queue on busy nights, even with a reservation, and you won’t necessarily see the same waiter twice. You can also be left with awkward gaps around shows, which are often scheduled around traditional seatings. Princess takes a slightly different approach, and our guide to how Princess Cruises dining works explains the choices in more detail.
Disney is the main exception in the other direction. Its rotational system moves you through three themed dining rooms with your servers following along, and main stage shows run opposite your seating, so first seating sees the show after dinner and second seating sees it before.
Table size is a separate question from time. If you’d rather not share, read our advice on how to get a table for two on a cruise before you sail.
Check your itinerary before you choose
Most advice on this topic stops at personal preference, but the cruise itself can settle the question. Before you settle on early or late dining on a cruise, look at your itinerary for these four things:
- Late port departures. Count how many days have an all-aboard time in the late afternoon or later. If there are several, early seating will often mean rushing back, so late seating or a flexible option is safer.
- Early arrivals and tours. A run of early morning excursions favors early seating, since a late dinner followed by a 7:00 am meet-up is tiring.
- Sea days. On a cruise with lots of sea days, the timing matters less for logistics, so go with your normal appetite and bedtime.
- Time changes. On a transatlantic or repositioning voyage, the ship’s clock can move repeatedly. Sailing east, clocks go forward, so a 6:00 pm dinner feels like 5:00 pm or earlier. Sailing west, clocks go back, so an 8:30 pm dinner feels later each night.
Traveling with others? Link your reservations before you choose, and confirm the arrangement on boarding day, so your group lands at the same seating and table. New to cruising? Our first-time cruise tips cover what else is worth sorting out before you board.
How to change your dining time
Your options depend on when you act, and sooner is always better.
- Before you sail: Many lines let you switch in your online booking or app, subject to availability. On Royal Caribbean, sign in to your Guest Account, open your reservation and go to the Dining section. Carnival guests can use the Hub app or their account.
- On embarkation day: Go to the maitre d’ or dining desk as early as you can. Royal Caribbean specifically directs guests to its hospitality desk on that day.
- If your choice is full: Ask to be waitlisted. Disney, for example, moves waitlisted guests as main seating places open up.
Fixed-dining lines often hold fewer spare places than you’d hope, so have a backup. Booking a specialty restaurant for a night doesn’t change your main dining room assignment, and the buffet is usually there if a seating simply doesn’t suit one evening.
FAQs
Is early or late dining better on a cruise?
Neither is better for everyone. Early dining suits families, early risers and anyone who wants the whole evening free. Late dining suits people who want long port days and a slower dinner.
What time is early and late dining on Royal Caribbean?
Royal Caribbean says traditional seatings are typically 5:30 pm and 8:00 pm. Times vary by ship and itinerary, so check your SeaPass card and the app for your sailing.
What time is early and late dining on Carnival?
Early dining is usually between about 5:30 pm and 6:00 pm, and late dining between about 7:45 pm and 8:15 pm. The exact times depend on the ship, and a few older ships differ slightly.
Can you change your dining time once on board?
Often, but it isn’t guaranteed. See the maitre d’ or dining desk on embarkation day, and expect early seating to be harder to get. If you can change online before sailing, do that first.
Do you have to dress up for late dining?
No. The dress code is set by the night and the cruise line, not by your seating. Early and late diners on the same evening follow the same guidance.
