Ahoy there, Rachel -
Date nights are definitely something to look forward to while on the Disney Cruise. It's the only place where I feel at ease when I leave my kids to do their own thing... so my husband and I can enjoy some time alone.
We never miss dining at Palo on every cruise - dinner or brunch or both. It's definitely our favorite restaurant. You've got a couple of options available to you when planning the evening for your kids. The
Oceaneer Club/Lab will welcome having them for the whole evening, and the youth counselors will take the kids to enjoy dinner with their friends. My kids always enjoyed going up to Cabanas buffet with their friends to have lunch and dinner as a group. Another option to try, is to have your kids go to dinner on their own, during your scheduled dinner rotation. We tried this option several years ago, when my kids were about 7 or 8 years old, and they had a blast! From that point, they now look forward to having their 'nice dinner on their own' on each cruise -- they even invite 1-2 friends to dine with them at our table! Your dining team will take really good care of the kids. They make dinner so much fun, and they'll even keep a close eye on them to make sure they eat well. If they order steaks (my son always does), your server will even cut up their food into small portions.
We plan our Palo dinner reservations after we drop off the kids at the main restaurant - just to make sure they're at the right place. We also advise our dining team the night before to expect just the kids for dinner, as we enjoy Palo. Mom reminders will be abundant... eat, be polite, behave at dinner (or else)! Where else can kids enjoy a fancy dinner on their own?
Enjoy your date night, Rachel. Your kids will surely not go hungry... and they'll have a great time on their own!
~ Dolly