Ultimate Dining Package - with a kid. What to do!

[MoonMan81]

Hoping I can get some help from you lovely people.

We're  trying out RCCL again after a hiatus of 12 years. There are three of us - Husband, wife and daughter (8 yrs) sailing on Wonder OTS.

We're very interested in the Unlimited Dining package.  My thinking would be to make full use of the package and go to a speciality restaurant every night of the cruise.

My problem lies with what to do with my daughter. She will be dining with us - but is a very picky eater.  How do they deal with this?  Can they just feed her the usual kids stuff like chicken tenders/ spaghetti etc?  If they do this, do they charge the kids cover charge of $10?

Would it just be easier paying for the kids rate of the package?

 

Thanks MM. 

[JazzBassMan]

This might be difficult at some of the Restaurants. I know all the restaurants have kids menu, but if you have a picky eater, it might be best to have her eat in the Windjammer and then drop her off at Adventure Ocean while you dine on some days. Looks to me like the Chops Grill kids menu would be more difficult than say the Giovanni's Italian Kitchen kids menu

Here are some sample menus to consider. Scroll to the bottom for the kids menu. I'm sure these can change, but should give you at least some idea of what is available 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/dam/royal/resources/menus/giovannis-italian-kitchen-menu-sample.pdf

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/dam/royal/resources/menus/chops-grille-menu-sample.pdf

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/dam/royal/resources/menus/hooked-seafood-menu-sample.pdf

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/dam/royal/resources/menus/one-hundred-fifty-central-park-menu-sample.pdf

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/dam/royal/resources/menus/izumi-menu-sample.pdf

First look at Mason Jar southern restaurant menu | Royal Caribbean Blog (Matt has the screenshot for the Mason Jar kids menu in here)

 

[MoonMan81]

Thank you!  Much appreciated.  Perhaps choosing carefully is the way to go.   Typically do you see kids in the speciality dining rooms?

 

 

[CruisingNewb]

My youngest son is 9 and we went to Alaska last June on the Ovation.

Although we cruised before with the older son, this was our youngest son's first cruise and our first cruise paying for most of the bells and whistles.

We got the UDP for both kids. The 9 year old's UDP was about $9 per day when we bought the package.

Though I am a former chef, my 9 year-old is a picky eater.  

Once on board, our first dinner was at Wonderland and my 9 year-old tried things he would never eat at home.  He ended up learning to love things like lobster, lamb chops, mushroom soup, etc.  Anything he did not want to eat, we simply considered it an extra course for us and went to Sorrentos for free pizza if my 9 year-old was still hungry.

So from our perspective, the UDP was a great deal even with a 9 year-old.  Just because he is 9 doesn't mean he was limited to the kids' menu.  

[FireFishII]

I agree with @CruisingNewb(when do you stop being a newbie? LOL)  Have a discussion with your 8 year old daughter.  Show her the menus prior to boarding so she knows what each restaurant will have.  Let her know that if she tries new foods and don't like it, that is ok.  You will take her up to the Windjammer or Sorrentos afterwards if she is still hungry.  I always encourage my kids to try new things because you never know when you will find your next favorite food.

Final advise: Have her bring a book or electronic device to keep her entertain. Or feed her early at the WIndjammer and send her off to Adventure Ocean if nothing on the menu looks interesting to her.

[KJRanch]

I also have a question about Kids and the unlimited dining package.   If we are to purchase the kids unlimited dining package, does the kids package also come with the $20/day a la carte food credit?  Also with the new per day food credit limit with the unlimited dining packages.  Would you be able to use the $20 credit for lunch at either playmakers or portside BBQ and also be able to get Izumi ($35) on the same day?  TIA

[Ampurp85]

3 hours ago, KJRanch said:

I also have a question about Kids and the unlimited dining package.   If we are to purchase the kids unlimited dining package, does the kids package also come with the $20/day a la carte food credit?  Also with the new per day food credit limit with the unlimited dining packages.  Would you be able to use the $20 credit for lunch at either playmakers or portside BBQ and also be able to get Izumi ($35) on the same day?  TIA

Can't answer as to whether children get the a la carte option, I don't see why not, but I can say it can be used at multiple a la carte specialty restaurants, just not the same one many times a day. You could do Portside for lunch, the Izumi $35 prefix for dinner and then have $20 at playmakers for a snack. They changed it so you can't close out Playmakers after you spent your $20 and open another tab, which is what people were doing.

[KJRanch]

28 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

Can't answer as to whether children get the a la carte option, I don't see why not, but I can say it can be used at multiple a la carte specialty restaurants, just not the same one many times a day. You could do Portside for lunch, the Izumi $35 prefix for dinner and then have $20 at playmakers for a snack. They changed it so you can't close out Playmakers after you spent your $20 and open another tab, which is what people were doing.

ok that makes sense, so it is basically $20/ per person per restaurant per day.  In the cruse planner it just "For restaurants with a la carte pricing, you’ll receive a $20 food credit, which can only be used once a day."  Which i figured was just $20 for all a la carte purchases.