As a veteran cruiser (30+) on several different lines, I enjoy the main dining room for dinner though we occasionally will visit the specialty restaurants. Holland America will let you have the same table every night if you request it. Otherwise, most lines allow you to reserve a table the day of the dinner - earlier you make the reservations the better your chances. Waiting until you arrive at the dining room will always mean a line.
I appreciate the service of being waited upon and the selection from the menu. Having a set table and time means being a regular with the dining stewards and results in better service.
Finally, the choice of lines does make a big difference in the quality of food. Carnival is the bottom of the list. However, if you are traveling with kids, there is more to do on ship for that age bracket. Holland America (which caters to an older crowd) does pretty well on food. though some of the smaller ship lines (read higher prices) have better food.
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“There is no such thing as a normal period of history. Normality is a fiction of economic textbooks.”
— Joan Robinson, “Contributions to Modern Economics” (1978)
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