Is there a way to request having a certain kind of family to have as tablemates?

[Tower]

On our last cruise, there were 5 of us on a low-occupancy November cruise. I requested through my TA that we have a private table. To my initial dismay, there was couple with a DS11 (same age as our DS) at our table too. Before I even met them, I told the head server that we had requested a private table. I was promised that we'd have one by our next seating.

Well, we got along well with the other couple, and their son and our son got along well too, so they liked to chum around, so right after that dinner, I told the head waiter to scuttle that request. That family skipped one dinner so they could go to Palo, and they accidentally missed their character breakfast with us, but otherwise we had a great time together!

We'll still likely request a private table on our next cruise, but we're pretty easy going. Our kids are pretty well behaved, but I do get upset if another child is spoiled and unruly, therefore impacting another family's vacation.

 

[KPetty725]

I am always surprised by this as we have taken eight cruises and never shared our table with anyone. Is this something you ask for or do they just do it? We also onlt take second seating so maybe there are fewer people at that time.

I think Disney is moving away from the shared table concept. My DH and I just cruised on the Magic and were noticing how many 4-top tables there are now compared to the mainly 6- and 8-tops that were around 10 years ago. On the survey they sent me last week, it specifically asked if we had been seated with people we didn't know. My guess is that its been an issue one too many times so they're making changes to accommodate guest feedback.

 

[linkandclover]

It may have to do with size of your party. Or if you sail Concierge. Concierge always gets their own table, unless they request otherwise.

Our first 3 cruises (just DH & I) we were seated at an 8 top, an 8 top, and a 6 top, all with other couples within 5-6 years of our age range.

Our next cruise (5 of us) we had our own 6 top.

Next, (3 of us - DH, me, DS19), we were seated at an 8 top with a mom, her DD15, DS16, DD 20, and DGS3.

And our last cruise (6 of us, all adult couples) had our own table.

We have always travelled as 4 people with no requests in place and never been concierge.

 

[holula]

We always travel as just a couple (BF and me) and have had a 6-top, an 8-top where only one other party turned up (so only four of us), a full 8-top and once a 4-top to ourselves! We didn't request it, it just happened. However we like sitting with others - it makes it more interesting t dinner!

 

[lorenni]

Not many girls are into spiderman, cars and cowboys like my son is into.

Holy stereotype, batman! Maybe you were into princesses and Barbie, but a LOT of little girls like cars, pirates, superheroes, cowboys, aliens, etc.

 

[darkwing818]

Holy stereotype, batman! Maybe you were into princesses and Barbie, but a LOT of little girls like cars, pirates, superheroes, cowboys, aliens, etc.

I agree my DDs love Ironman, Spider-Man etc., with Batman as their favorite

 

[bumbershoot]

Holy stereotype, batman!

I would be really disappointed in my 8 year old son if he wouldn't make friends with a girl tablemate (or vice versa). (and disappointed in myself as well) He's in a ton of classes at the Y with girls (two years he's the only boy in his ballet class), and while there tends to be a mob "ew icky" mentality when it's a bunch of girls and just him (and vice versa with a group of boys and one girl), especially before they know him better, one-on-one girls and boys tend, in his experience, to be about the same.

It's always nice when kids take an interest in what other kids are doing; he would probably introduce Captain America to a child (girl or boy) who doesn't know about the Marvel heroes, and would be happy to play what she wanted to play (he just said "just in case I would bring my Merida doll"...Merida is one of his heroes and he now has TWO Meridas that has great adventures along with Buzz and Zurg) or talk about what she wanted to talk about.


But because of this thread I now understand why it was just the 3 of us at our table on the Dream, since we were in a 00V room.

 

[Kirbo]

Holy stereotype, batman! Maybe you were into princesses and Barbie, but a LOT of little girls like cars, pirates, superheroes, cowboys, aliens, etc.

You just described my girls! Princesses, Barbies, cars, superheroes (The Avengers is their current favorite movie and the Percy Jackson series are their favorite books), and aliens (Doctor Who is their favorite TV show). My girls are eight. They play with boys and girls but will pick girls over boys all other things being equal. But they have lots of friends who are boys.

 

[lbgraves]

LOL! This thread made me remember how DD didn't have a doll until she was almost 2. DS shared a couple of his Rescue Heros with her and she loved them. They lasted through her teething pretty well too. Today it seems that every single child we know is into Minecraft. It's the new universal kid language since Pokemon.

 

[justmestace]

It may have to do with size of your party. Or if you sail Concierge. Concierge always gets their own table, unless they request otherwise.

When did they change this??

We've almost always cruised concierge level, and unless we arranged to be seated with friends, we weren't put at a table by ourselves. Ever.

And according to your signature, your last DCL cruise was the same year as mine.

 

[MND]

Completely agree with this! My 9 yo son's best friend for the last couple years is a little girl in his class. But with them, it's Minecraft, Pokemon and baseball/softball!

 

[justmestace]

 

[lorenni]

It's not off topic when the OPs point was that disney sat them with a girl child instead of a boy child. I think we're trying to show her that boys are girls compatible in the eyes of whoever assigns tables.

 

[justmestace]

It's not off topic when the OPs point was that disney sat them with a girl child instead of a boy child. I think we're trying to show her that boys are girls compatible in the eyes of whoever assigns tables.

Ohhh...is that what he/she was saying? Sorry. And I agree with you.

 

[AZMermaid]

I am a first grade teacher (although teaching kinder this year- and this year only!). I will say my really sporty boys tend to hang with really sporty boys (although there is always a girl or two ruffing it up on the soccer field right with them). And, the future "mean girls" tend to stick with girls. But other than that, they mix pretty well. Somedays the girls stick together, some days they all play together. My students last year frequently got a whole class conga line going at recess- girl or boy. Even the two polar groups, will and do play and interact with the other sex- just not as often. So, I don't find it super unusual to seat and girl and a boy of the same age together, in fact, I wouldn't even hardly look at that with 7 year olds. Maybe with the tween and up age group, once puberty and that associated shyness comes into play.

 

[fairytalelover]

It's not off topic when the OPs point was that disney sat them with a girl child instead of a boy child. I think we're trying to show her that boys are girls compatible in the eyes of whoever assigns tables.

Alright everyone needs to calm down. Geez. All I meant was that my son would be better paired with some boys rather than girls for obvious reasons. I dont want to start a gender fight with anyone. My son is very sociable and has a bunch of female friends at school that he loves to play with. But I know, since I am his parent that if a boy around his age sat with us, he would be a little more excited. I know my son more than all of you so I'm sure you will agree that I know what makes me happier. If a girl is placed at our table, he will try to make friends with her in the same manner as if it was a boy. It would not deter him from being friendly and making friends with her. But at his age right now (7) odds are that he will create more of a comraderie with a boy. It is natural to feel more comfortable with those that you have more in common with. For example, when on our honeymoon we sat with other honeymooners and had a blast. We had a lot in common having just gotten married. It's not rocket science.

 

[fairytalelover]

I am a first grade teacher (although teaching kinder this year- and this year only!). I will say my really sporty boys tend to hang with really sporty boys (although there is always a girl or two ruffing it up on the soccer field right with them). And, the future "mean girls" tend to stick with girls. But other than that, they mix pretty well. Somedays the girls stick together, some days they all play together. My students last year frequently got a whole class conga line going at recess- girl or boy. Even the two polar groups, will and do play and interact with the other sex- just not as often. So, I don't find it super unusual to seat and girl and a boy of the same age together, in fact, I wouldn't even hardly look at that with 7 year olds. Maybe with the tween and up age group, once puberty and that associated shyness comes into play.

I agree with you. I am a junior high teacher so it's a bit different in my class. My son has a group of boys he likes to play with at recess and they tend to stay together. Once in a while, he will tell me that they played with some of the girls. But it's once in a while. Not all the time. Mostly, the boys like to hang out together.

 

[fairytalelover]

Holy stereotype, batman! Maybe you were into princesses and Barbie, but a LOT of little girls like cars, pirates, superheroes, cowboys, aliens, etc.

Well, actually YES. I was into princesses and Barbie and not at all into cars, pirates or superheroes. And yes, I know that "some" not "a lot" of girls like cars, pirates and superheroes. But typically, most girls tend to like princesses and Barbies and boys tend to like cars, pirates etc... That's just the way it is. You can label it "stereotype" if it makes you feel better. But a fact is a fact. I'm a teacher and I have observed children of all ages and in my experience I have seen what I stated is true.
My son happens to be a boy who has liked cars, pirates, cowboys, superheroes etc.... from the start. We didn't push him one way or another. He just showed more interest in that stuff from the beginning.

 

[fairytalelover]

The playground at my daughter's school would beg to differ. While I would agree that some limited gender dynamics are probably based in fundamental biology, the majority of the social gender binary in the US is artificially created by the culture in which the kids live.

I respectfully completely disagree with you. I realize this is the nature vs nurture debate. In this case, I lean towards nature.

 

[MyYearWithTheMouse]

This is interesting because I'm debating the idea myself. We are concierge so I don't know if we will get our own table, though I suspect that that level if we request it, it will be granted. On our first cruise it was Me, DH, and DS2 and the first night we sat with another couple with a DD who was 2, but they had requested first seating and were accommodated so the other nights we had the table to ourselves. On the one hand, DH and I have enjoyed shared tables on other cruises. On the other, DD (who will be 2) is very much a "monkey see, monkey do" child and will imitate inappropriate behavior, and I worry about another child demonstrating that to her--she gets enough inspiration from her own brother!