Table mates

[stitchlovestink]

On our first cruise we were a family of four cruising for four nights on the Wonder seated at an eight top and our tablemates never showed for any of the meals ever...

On our second cruise we were a couple cruising for three nights on the Wonder (we left the kids in WDW) and had linked our ressies to our friends (they were a family of 3) who were also on the same cruise. Again we were seated at an eight top, and if we were to have other tablemates, they never showed up....
I would suspect we should have because they could have put the 5 of us at a table for 6. So I can't imagine we shouldn't have had tablemates and it was first seating which is usually booked solid.

On our third cruise, we were a family of three (DH, myself, and DD who was turning 16 on the cruise) and AGAIN we were seated at an eight top! LOL!
This time we were seated with a family of five...a mom, dad, a 16yo daughter, and two VERY YOUNG children that were 3 and 2!! I must say, I didn't think Disney did such a great job on this match. I know to each his/her own... and I know that this probably going to be perceived as rude but I had no desire to dine with children that young on my vacation. I have health issues that my nervous system is ultra sensitive and I'm not saying that they are bad or whiny kids but if they were (and you don't know until it's a bit too late...) I can't deal with that. And TWO kids that young!! I just had a bad feeling from the get go that this was not going to be a good match. So before I even sat down, I talked to the head server and they moved us. We ended up at our own table. As it turned out we got a server we LOVED!! and are requesting again this November. And DD said she and the other girl didn't really click in Vibe when she tried talking to her. We also noticed that the family tended to arrived about 15 minutes late for dinner each night which is a pet peeve of mine...lol. We did talk to the people at the next table at 2 of the 3 restaurants based on how the tables were set up, and we had lovely conversations with them! They were DVC owners cruising on points. They didn't live far from us. Talked alot about WDW... So we did feel like we got a good bit of conversation outside of just the three of us this time. But I don't regret asking to be moved. I know we would've been unhappy. Don't get me wrong...I don't hate kids, but I don't have an interest in sitting at a dinner table for 1.5 to 2 hours with very young ones that aren't mine (been there, done that already) when I'm on my vacation. Ever since the Dr's damaged my nervous system I can't handle very much crying or whining...and I don't feel I should have to leave the dinner to table to avoid it. Hopefully, we will get matched with age appropriate tablemates this fall.

 

[ChristyTX]

The matching is probably all done by computer but I like to think of someone actually doing this at Disney. Sitting in a cubicle, going over passenger lists....making mock-ups of seating arrangements a'la Monica from Friends. That would be a job that's cool to say you have: "Oh, I do seating arrangements for dinners on Disney ships!"

I was thinking the same thing. Wouldn't that be the best job ever? I would want to be a "fly on the wall" in the dining room so I could see how I did with my match-ups.

 

[Clotho]

I was thinking the same thing. Wouldn't that be the best job ever? I would want to be a "fly on the wall" in the dining room so I could see how I did with my match-ups.

I admit, I was like "how do I get this job?!" LOL!

 

[linz02ag]

Oh the irony, stitch.

 

[Melissa S]

I know to each his/her own... and I know that this probably going to be perceived as rude but I had no desire to dine with children that young on my vacation. I have health issues that my nervous system is ultra sensitive and I'm not saying that they are bad or whiny kids but if they were (and you don't know until it's a bit too late...) I can't deal with that. And TWO kids that young!! I just had a bad feeling from the get go that this was not going to be a good match. So before I even sat down, I talked to the head server and they moved us. We ended up at our own table.

Not seen as rude at all. We cruise with our toddler and we have no desire to dine with tablemates for this very reason. We request to be by ourselves becasue I don't want the pressure for DD to be on her best behavior. For the 20 minutes she eats with us (before she heads to play in the nursery) she touches all the bread in the basket, gets a little vocal because she's excited, may knock over a drink, and other things you would expect from a toddler. Of course as parents you feel like everyone is watching you and your child is ten times louder than they actually are but we don't want to ruin anyone else's dining experience and they indirectly would ruin ours. My daughter is usually very well behaved and does well when we go out to eat at home (although we don't have 1.5 hour meals) but the excitement of being on DCL kicks in and she's not an angel at the MDRs. We're not anti-social we just don't want to sit with others for this reason.

 

[JKSWonder]

Not seen as rude at all. We cruise with our toddler and we have no desire to dine with tablemates for this very reason. We request to be by ourselves becasue I don't want the pressure for DD to be on her best behavior. For the 20 minutes she eats with us (before she heads to play in the nursery) she touches all the bread in the basket, gets a little vocal because she's excited, may knock over a drink, and other things you would expect from a toddler. Of course as parents you feel like everyone is watching you and your child is ten times louder than they actually are but we don't want to ruin anyone else's dining experience and they indirectly would ruin ours. My daughter is usually very well behaved and does well when we go out to eat at home (although we don't have 1.5 hour meals) but the excitement of being on DCL kicks in and she's not an angel at the MDRs. We're not anti-social we just don't want to sit with others for this reason.

I have always requested and received a table to ourselves.

Our son is on the autism spectrum...he's a great little kid, funny, talkative and a real charmer, but sometimes, he just has his moments especially when he becomes overwhelmed.

Our daughter has selective mutism. Sometimes she just literally cannot speak. Putting her in a pressure situation where she feels like she MUST speak only makes her anxiety worse.

98% of the time, they are perfectly well behaved. Soft spoken and polite. It's that 2% I worry about. I don't want to disturb any one else's vacation in any way, but I also want keep my family as relaxed and as happy as possible.

 

[OrlandoDisneyFan]

Our first cruise we were a family of three and were seated with a family of five. It was the worst experience ever. They totally ignored all attempts at conversation, were constantly late, gave the staff a very hard time about everything they could think of, etc.

Since then, we have become a family of four and ALWAYS request and have recieved a table for four. Its just not worth the 'risk' after our first cruise experience. It really put a damper on our cruise, dreading dinner time.

First thing I do when boarding is go to the restaurant that is serving lunch (Enchanted Garden on Dream and/or Parrot Cay on Wonder) to look for our table and make sure it is a 4 top.

 

[tajz90]

I can see why you would be uneasy some people can be judgemental and that could ruin a cruise.

On our last cruise this family didnt like us (i am super extrovert) and then never showed up again for a meal. The only part that bothered me was they didnt tell the head server or anyone so we waited two nights to give them time to show up.

I did have great table mates a couple of cruusea ago all couples at a 8 person table it was great everyone was chatty.

That happened to us. We usually request a 4 top, but failed to on the Mexi Riv cruise and were set with another family. We asked to change before they ever got there, but the head waiter talked us out of it. We had such a good time. We were happy we didn't leave. The next night they didn't show. No big deal. The next night we saw them ushered to another table while we sat 4 to an 8 top. The next day we saw them out and about laughing and having fun. That evening, I saw them in the theater and decided to find out what was wrong and the woman pointed to her throat and the husband said she had laryngitis. Yeah right! Too bad we had already heard her laughing it up!

I wish they would have had the decency to tell the truth....

 

[jaminmd]

That happened to us. We usually request a 4 top, but failed to on the Mexi Riv cruise and were set with another family. We asked to change before they ever got there, but the head waiter talked us out of it. We had such a good time. We were happy we didn't leave. The next night they didn't show. No big deal. The next night we saw them ushered to another table while we sat 4 to an 8 top. The next day we saw them out and about laughing and having fun. That evening, I saw them in the theater and decided to find out what was wrong and the woman pointed to her throat and the husband said she had laryngitis. Yeah right! Too bad we had already heard her laughing it up!

I wish they would have had the decency to tell the truth....

Oh, that wouldn't sit well with me if a stranger wanted to know why we weren't at the dinner table. I've requested our own table because we have zero desire to make small talk with strangers. They didn't owe you any explanation.

 

[tajz90]

Oh, that wouldn't sit well with me if a stranger wanted to know why we weren't at the dinner table. I've requested our own table because we have zero desire to make small talk with strangers. They didn't owe you any explanation.

I didn't want an explanation. I wanted to know if everything was ok. They lied and said the wife couldn't talk at that moment because she has laryngitis I would have liked them to tell the truth like LEAVE US ALONE! Haha.

And we don't normally sit with people and we like it for the same reason.

 

[jdemwe]

My family has always requested and received our own table at dinner; except one time and it turned out fantastic.

My family consisted of 5 people, my grandmother in her seventies, my parents in their early fifties, and my girlfriend at the time (now wife) who were in our early twenties. Disney put us at a table with a family of three; a husband and wife in their early fifties and their son who was in his early twenties. I assume they matched us with a similarly aged family with no kids. We also both lived in the Mid-West.

It was a 14 night cruise and we all ate dinner in the main dining room every night. By the end of the trip we were great friends. It has been over six years now and we still email each other often. They have moved down to Orlando, where we happen to be a few times a year , so we get see them a few times a year. They came to my wife’s and my wedding and my family went to their son’s wedding. They are great people who we really enjoy.

It must have been the Disney magic, because they matched us with great tablemates.

 

[Kelly867]

When and where do we make our request for a table alone, not that we're antisocial, but this is our very first vacation without the kids in over a decade and we would really love to have a table to ourselves

 

[tajz90]

When and where do we make our request for a table alone, not that we're antisocial, but this is our very first vacation without the kids in over a decade and we would really love to have a table to ourselves

We request one when we make our reservation with Disney.

 

[dmi188]

When and where do we make our request for a table alone, not that we're antisocial, but this is our very first vacation without the kids in over a decade and we would really love to have a table to ourselves

Just call DCL and ask, if you haven't done so already. Or if you booked thru a TA, have them call right away.

 

[Guineveree]

2 cruises with table mates, couples like us (mid-40s-50, no kids). Total disaster. I won't go in details, but it was just bad. I felt like I had to be polite and make small talk because this is what you're supposed to do in polite society.

I was to the point where I started looking into other cruise lines because I didn't want to go on a vacation and dread dinner time. That sounded counterintuitive to the concept of vacation.

This time we asked for a table for 2. We were not sure our request would be honored, but we kept our fingers crossed. It was night and day! My husband and I could relax, enjoy ourselves, not feeling contrived into conversing with strangers just "'cause."

We have placed the same request for our incoming cruises and am keeping my fingers crossed!!

 

[Kelly867]

Thank you for the replies
I will call and put in the request, though we are only a couple weeks from sailing so it might be too late. We've always travelled with 4 or more people so always have been sat alone. Ill request and if its not possible, then we'll dine with others, thanks once again for the info

 

[Clotho]

2 cruises with table mates, couples like us (mid-40s-50, no kids). Total disaster. I won't go in details, but it was just bad.

Aww c'mon! You won't give us a few TINY details?

 

[dgmommie]

We are looking forward to our next cruise but scared that since their are 5 of us (including my in-laws) that we will not get anymore table mates

One of our cruises was just the five of us in my family (me, my husband, and our three children). We were seated at a table for 8 with a woman and her two kids.

 

[dgmommie]

I wish I had known you could ask to move tables as myself my sister both in our 20s and my mother were seated with a group of same age who sat whispering and laughing to each other while their 23 yr old colored on the tablecloth!!

FYI, I found on our on cruise last month that you are allowed to color on the tablecloths with crayons. Shocked me! I saw a boy coloring all over the tablecloth at a table nearby and made a comment about how it was going to be hard to get that out to our assistant server. He said not at all, brought over crayons and showed us. Then he left them there for us to color and draw! We had fun doing that each night after that. The asst server would join us in coloring/drawing each night too (late seating, only 3 tables, so plenty of time at the end of the evening).

 

[Subi WRX]

We were stuck with a borish couple once that made fun of our home town and thought we shared our Politics for some reason. I never bring up Politics, and I don't particularly care to hear yours or debate you on vacation. That was a one and done dinner with them.

Another time, we were seated with a family who said grace forever before dinner. I have no problem if you want to keep grace short and sweet, but blessing the captain and all who travel on the journey, and the safety of all passengers and on and on and on. We sat there quietly and politely while they did their thing, but it was too much and too awkward and our food was cold by the time they finished saying every last thing they were grateful for. They also didn't drink and raised their eyebrows at my wife's second glass of wine. Um, no. We asked for a different table the second night.

Since then, we make plans to dine alone.