Number of people at table in MDR

[OhioNR]

Hello - going on Fantasy in March - how many people are typically seated at a table together in the main dining room? Hubby not a talkative guy and a bit stressed about sitting at a table with another family....thanks!!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Hello - going on Fantasy in March - how many people are typically seated at a table together in the main dining room? Hubby not a talkative guy and a bit stressed about sitting at a table with another family....thanks!!

Each serving team serves a 4 top, a 6 top and an 8 top. Depending on how many of you there are, you may or may not be seated with other guests.

You can call DCL and have the request to be seated alone placed on your reservation. They will point out that it's only a request. After you checkin at the port, go to where the dining changes are being handled onboard, and enquire whether your seating is just you. If not, they may be able to adjust the seating. If you are flexible about what dinner time you have, it may be easier to make the change onboard.

If you used a TA, your TA will need to contact DCL to have the request placed on your reservation.

 

[Kamesan]

I have read that you can request a table for 2 but it is not guaranteed (We have never tried this). The times where we cruised by ourselves we were setup on a table for 6 with 2 other couples. We never had a shared table with a family.

I too did not like the idea of sharing a table with people I did not know the first time we cruised, but it worked out well. The couples were really nice and I didn't feel uncomfortable at all.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I have read that you can request a table for 2 but it is not guaranteed (We have never tried this). The times where we cruised by ourselves we were setup on a table for 6 with 2 other couples. We never had a shared table with a family.

I too did not like the idea of sharing a table with people I did not know the first time we cruised, but it worked out well. The couples were really nice and I didn't feel uncomfortable at all.

Yes, DCL does try to match group demographics when assigning tables. When it's just DH & I we've been at 8 tops with 3 other couples within 5 years in age difference from us. One time we were linked with another couple and assigned to a 6 top with a single gentleman and a single lady.

When we cruised with our son, 18, the match wasn't quite as good. We were seated with a mom (maybe 45?), her daughter (15), son (16) and oldest daughter (22) and HER son (3). But they were great to have a table mates, since they were really into Disney!

Our other cruises we were a party of 5 & 6 and had our own 6 top.

 

[mmouse37]

You can request a table for 2 but it would be at a 4 top. There are no 2 top tables in the MDRs. DCL does try to accommodate all requests...request to be seated alone now and as mentioned go the dining changes venue to check and see if you did get a table for yourselves. If not request one on the spot. The earlier to get to the dining changes venue the better the chance your request would be granted.

MJ

 

[ocspartan]

Hello - going on Fantasy in March - how many people are typically seated at a table together in the main dining room? Hubby not a talkative guy and a bit stressed about sitting at a table with another family....thanks!!

Since it's close to sailing just give DCL a call and let them know that it's a bit stressful thinking about sharing a table and request to be seated on you're own. They are usually pretty good about making accommodations, each time we've requested it we've been seated on our own.

The split though can be pretty obvious though, on our last it just the 4 of us and essentially they took an 8 top and split it into two. the table next to ours seemed in the same demographics as us and our tables were separated by an inch or two but still separate tables as requested

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Since it's close to sailing just give DCL a call and let them know that it's a bit stressful thinking about sharing a table and request to be seated on you're own. They are usually pretty good about making accommodations, each time we've requested it we've been seated on our own.

The split though can be pretty obvious though, on our last it just the 4 of us and essentially they took an 8 top and split it into two. the table next to ours seemed in the same demographics as us and our tables were separated by an inch or two but still separate tables as requested

It's my understanding that the "chumminess" of the table in the MDRs for the Dream class ships is pretty much the norm.

 

[yvetticonfetti]

We are a group of 12 so we'll be at 2 tables. Will we be able to trade spaces at times so we can rotate who we are sitting with?

 

[grammie12]

We are a group of 12 so we'll be at 2 tables. Will we be able to trade spaces at times so we can rotate who we are sitting with?

If your reservations are linked, then you can request and quite likely get to be able to sit together at a 12 top. We sailed the Fantasy last May with 6 adults & 6 children and we all sat together at one long table.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We are a group of 12 so we'll be at 2 tables. Will we be able to trade spaces at times so we can rotate who we are sitting with?

Have you requested to be at 2 tables? It's possible to be seated at a 12 top (they push tables together to do this).

Yes, you can switch out where you sit as long as you have the same servers (it just makes it a little easier).

Our first cruise (4 couples at an 8 top) we sat differently every night. Boys on one side, girls on the other; all the girls on one end, boys on the other; alternating boy/girl with couples across from each other; same with couples sitting next to each other; boys on the corners girls in the middle; and so on......

 

[jrabbit]

Hello - going on Fantasy in March - how many people are typically seated at a table together in the main dining room? Hubby not a talkative guy and a bit stressed about sitting at a table with another family....thanks!!

We are typically pretty shy. BUT on the cruise where you will be spending your dinners with "strangers", we have opened up and this has become one of our favorite parts of the cruise. You probably will have "Disney" in common with the other people at your table - so that's a good place to start a conversation. And the way I see it is that your tablemates are "strangers" for only a short while and once you start talking with them, they become friends.

One time we were stuck at a table with only ourselves. If that happens again we WILL be asking to be moved in with another group

 

[kyirish25]

On our recent Magic cruise we were at 10 person table. Our family was 5 members and the other family was 5 members. In past cruises it had been 8 person table with a family of 3 joining us.

As stated they do a great job matching up kids close in age and we have lucked out an been with another DIS family, just by chance, on 2 cruises.

 

[Silver Queen]

We are two adults who have been on two Fantasy cruises. Although we are not extreme extroverts we have truly enjoyed our dining experiences with other guests. Disney did an excellent job of matching us with other diners and all of our meals were very enjoyable. As a previous poster stated, if we were ever to be placed at at able alone we would ask to be placed with others diners. Since we eat breakfast and lunch with just the two of us dinner with others is more like an event instead of just another meal.

 

[OhioNR]

thanks everyone for the info! there are 4 of us traveling, and thanks to your help, I did have our TA make the request - I understand the merits of meeting another family but also don't want my hubby to have anxiety over this since it is our first cruise and he is very shy, and as a 50 year old it's unlikely to change anytime soon! LOL

 

[omalley1118]

thanks everyone for the info! there are 4 of us traveling, and thanks to your help, I did have our TA make the request - I understand the merits of meeting another family but also don't want my hubby to have anxiety over this since it is our first cruise and he is very shy, and as a 50 year old it's unlikely to change anytime soon! LOL

We cruised in December on the Magic. I called ahead to request a 4 top for our family of 4 for the exact same reason. DH is not an extrovert and was anxious about the trying to make small talk with strangers. As it turns out, we were seated next to a family of 4 who were lovely!!! We chatted with them at every meal. We were very pleased. You do read horror stories about people acting badly in the MDRs.

 

[Guest of the Hatter]

We are typically pretty shy. BUT on the cruise where you will be spending your dinners with "strangers", we have opened up and this has become one of our favorite parts of the cruise. You probably will have "Disney" in common with the other people at your table - so that's a good place to start a conversation. And the way I see it is that your tablemates are "strangers" for only a short while and once you start talking with them, they become friends.

One time we were stuck at a table with only ourselves. If that happens again we WILL be asking to be moved in with another group

We were so pleasantly pleased by how well Disney paired us up with another family for dinner! We became great friends in no time! That was 3 years ago, and we've been coordinating our cruises together since!!! Matter of fact we all will be cruising together in a couple weeks! You should try it, there are new friends waiting to meet you!!

 

[mom4fun]

Most of you are so lucky. We have cruised twice and neither time was a great experience. The first time, the family we sat with, the women were nice but the husband and son who was my son's age, acted put out, like they didn't want to be spoke to which wasn't so great especially for my husband. The second cruise, we were left alone with the other family's children for 3 of the 4 night cruise. This year, the 3 of us will dine alone. No stress that way.

 

[MousePants]

I think sitting with a family with kids around the same age is a great opportunity for our kids to make friends. It will also let them learn about other things on the ship they might wish to try to the next day. There are five of us sailing together (originally going to be six), though, so we might end up at a table by ourselves.

 

[mickip]

Anyone know how the largest party to be seated together? We're all linked on the reservation (5 rooms), there are 16 of us.

 

[holula]

There was a party of 16 on the Fantasy last week at one extremely long table!