Are they still seating only 1 family/party per table?

[Dug720]

I emailed last week to request our own (knowing it's nothing more than a request) for our 5/14 cruise, and they replied that they are still seating parties separately now anyway. Could change by then, who knows, but if you don't want to wait on the phone to have them note the request, I recommend emailing them and getting the request noted.

It has already changed per reports on here.

 

[minniebeth]

OK BUT they do not have an "allergy zone" an they aren't going to tell someone at the table next to you that they can't order fish because there's an allergy at the table next to them (not the same table). It's not going to happen, and you need to be prepared that you might smell your allergen.

100 percent! But still different than seating with allergy parties at the same table. My point is that it should be more than "we'll see what we can do", it should be a "yes, we can do that". We've always been accommodated, and anyone putting in a severe allergy request should be as well. Especially when they aren't sailing at 100% full yet.

And the changes are being made daily... Disney has no problem communicating what is required of pax, they should be clearly communicating/updating what they reverse so passengers can make decisions sailing feeling comfortable with the changes. Most people don't research continually like we do lol. But then again, DCL has gone rogue for even it's paid customers, so I guess that's asking too much. Just venting!

 

[Disneygirlxo91]

I emailed last week to request our own (knowing it's nothing more than a request) for our 5/14 cruise, and they replied that they are still seating parties separately now anyway. Could change by then, who knows, but if you don't want to wait on the phone to have them note the request, I recommend emailing them and getting the request noted.

I got a response today for my 4/30 cruise on the fantasy they will put the request.

 

[bcwife76]

Thanks to this thread I just emailed our request for a private table for our upcoming Alaska cruise. In the past I've always requested it (unless we were travelling with another family) and it's always been granted, we always choose late dining so that has probably helped. I can't recall if I requested it for Alaska as maybe I assumed it wasn't needed so I've emailed now anyway.

 

[Lilsia]

OK BUT they do not have an "allergy zone" an they aren't going to tell someone at the table next to you that they can't order fish because there's an allergy at the table next to them (not the same table). It's not going to happen, and you need to be prepared that you might smell your allergen.

This is what I was wondering. How is it any different to have someone 3 seats away from you when the next table can be just as close? I am legitimately wondering how that works and what the issue is. I am not judging or making fun of, just want to know.

 

[cmph]

This is what I was wondering. How is it any different to have someone 3 seats away from you when the next table can be just as close? I am legitimately wondering how that works and what the issue is. I am not judging or making fun of, just want to know.

People are not always tidy when eating, and that is multiplied by a lot when it comes to kids. Crumbs and bits will fly across the table (break a crusty roll apart with your hands, struggle with a plate of spaghetti, etc.), and some don't, um, remember to close their mouths when they eat. So I get the issue - it's WAY less likely that someone at a nearby table is going to fling a crumb of someone's allergen at them.

If anyone wonders: DH has celiac, and oh yes, he's had to toss his plate of food on occasion when others eat gluten-containing ingredients and an accident occurs. Extended family meals always require logistical planning for seating! This would be a nightmare with people we don't know, if an accident happened. Either they would be mortified and everyone would be super awkward, or they would think he was being a drama queen. No winning.

 

[Lilsia]

People are not always tidy when eating, and that is multiplied by a lot when it comes to kids. Crumbs and bits will fly across the table (break a crusty roll apart with your hands, struggle with a plate of spaghetti, etc.), and some don't, um, remember to close their mouths when they eat. So I get the issue - it's WAY less likely that someone at a nearby table is going to fling a crumb of someone's allergen at them.

If anyone wonders: DH has celiac, and oh yes, he's had to toss his plate of food on occasion when others eat gluten-containing ingredients and an accident occurs. Extended family meals always require logistical planning for seating! This would be a nightmare with people we don't know, if an accident happened. Either they would be mortified and everyone would be super awkward, or they would think he was being a drama queen. No winning.

Thanks for sharing. I feel that some of the table set ups on the cruise are too close together. On one cruise, I could reach out and touch the person sitting at the next table without fully extending my arm. They were much closer to me then the people at the other end of the table. I wonder if a person can request sitting in the corner.

 

[Disneygirlxo91]

Heaven forbid going and being randomly placed with strangers and they come up sick in the middle of the trip and they quarantine both parties.

 

[Dug720]

I wonder if a person can request sitting in the corner.

On a line with only one dining room, you could request that.

But the dining rooms do not have the same layout on Disney and the numbers are not in the same area between the rooms. What is a "corner" in one MDR may be in the middle of a section in the next.

 

[lolomarie]

Heaven forbid going and being randomly placed with strangers and they come up sick in the middle of the trip and they quarantine both parties.

They must be getting rid of quarantining of close contacts?

 

[Disneygirlxo91]

They must be getting rid of quarantining of close contacts?

I’d hope so.

 

[lolomarie]

The issue I see with DCL returning to shared tables is the same issue with corporate employers returning to in person work. We can’t just pretend the last 2 years didn’t happen. They did! Lots of the changes were awful, but some of the changes were nice (ie. the new muster operations that everyone seems to like).

We can’t just “go back to how it was before” and pretend we all just didn’t live through a pandemic (and are still currently living through one). Some people experienced multiple traumas over the past 2 years and not wanting to share a table goes deeper than not wanting to be social on a cruise. These types of changes should be considered with more sensitivity to guests and at least have a notification period in place.

Also, “requests” for a private table shouldn’t just be a “request”. For whatever reason, if someone deems that they can’t sit with strangers, they shouldn’t have to, on their very expensive vacation. Disney should do whatever they have to, to accommodate this. Life has changed, and may never be the same for some people, and we should be allowed to recover from that in whatever way is right for us.

 

[tvguy]

They must be getting rid of quarantining of close contacts?

Good question. Not sure how that will go. I THINK they used a similar protocol on our 2003 cruise for norovirus. Anyone in the same stateroom was asked to be tested and if necessary quarantined. So if that is any indication, covid and norovirus and any other communicable disease will be in the same category....and require quarantine.

 

[Disneygirlxo91]

The issue I see with DCL returning to shared tables is the same issue with corporate employers returning to in person work. We can’t just pretend the last 2 years didn’t happen. They did! Lots of the changes were awful, but some of the changes were nice (ie. the new muster operations that everyone seems to like).

We can’t just “go back to how it was before” and pretend we all just didn’t live through a pandemic (and are still currently living through one). Some people experienced multiple traumas over the past 2 years and not wanting to share a table goes deeper than not wanting to be social on a cruise. These types of changes should be considered with more sensitivity to guests and at least have a notification period in place.

Also, “requests” for a private table shouldn’t just be a “request”. For whatever reason, if someone deems that they can’t sit with strangers, they shouldn’t have to, on their very expensive vacation. Disney should do whatever they have to, to accommodate this. Life has changed, and may never be the same for some people, and we should be allowed to recover from that in whatever way is right for us.

I agree. I won’t get too personal here but when I found out this news today it has made all my excitement go away and now it is 100 % anxiety as if our request we will be possible. We’ve cruised before and were always lucky to have our own table pre-Covid. And when booking this cruise taking time off work, it’s all been a sense of I can’t wait to go and relax and enjoy time with my significant other and though some people might not understand and think why sharing a table isn’t a big deal to some people it might be and thinking it would be something we’d have to think about for this cruise wasn’t in my cards, and it’s taken a big part of the excitement away.

 

[lolomarie]

I agree. I won’t get too personal here but when I found out this news today it has made all my excitement go away and now it is 100 % anxiety as if our request we will be possible. We’ve cruised before and were always lucky to have our own table pre-Covid. And when booking this cruise taking time off work, it’s all been a sense of I can’t wait to go and relax and enjoy time with my significant other and though some people might not understand and think why sharing a table isn’t a big deal to some people it might be and thinking it would be something we’d have to think about for this cruise wasn’t in my cards, and it’s taken a big part of the excitement away.

I’m sorry you’re feeling this way. I’m hopeful for you that your request is granted and it sounds like if you can swing late dinning this will be more likely. I hope you can relax and enjoy your cruise.

 

[dreamer17555]

The issue I see with DCL returning to shared tables is the same issue with corporate employers returning to in person work. We can’t just pretend the last 2 years didn’t happen. They did! Lots of the changes were awful, but some of the changes were nice (ie. the new muster operations that everyone seems to like).

We can’t just “go back to how it was before” and pretend we all just didn’t live through a pandemic (and are still currently living through one). Some people experienced multiple traumas over the past 2 years and not wanting to share a table goes deeper than not wanting to be social on a cruise. These types of changes should be considered with more sensitivity to guests and at least have a notification period in place.

Also, “requests” for a private table shouldn’t just be a “request”. For whatever reason, if someone deems that they can’t sit with strangers, they shouldn’t have to, on their very expensive vacation. Disney should do whatever they have to, to accommodate this. Life has changed, and may never be the same for some people, and we should be allowed to recover from that in whatever way is right for us.

I agree with what you are saying but in practice how is this practical? They simply cannot accommodate everyone who will likely want a private table when ship are full.

I know for my family a private table adds a layer of security as I have a food allergy that also is a contact allergy (meaning if splattered by a sweet but well meaning child I will break out in hives, if ingested I have anaphylaxis). I also have a teen son with autism who has (besides anxiety about new people) some behaviors that others might find off putting and some rituals that I am sure they might not want to indulge him in…

I am honestly curious how Disney is going to juggle what is going to be an influx of requests… Platinum members first? Those with needs first? Those who put the request in earliest? This change is likely not going to go over well.

 

[Disneygirlxo91]

I’m sorry you’re feeling this way. I’m hopeful for you that your request is granted and it sounds like if you can swing late dinning this will be more likely. I hope you can relax and enjoy your cruise.

Thank you. I hope so, currently we have late dinning but were on the waitlist for main seating. I have wrote them and explained our top priority is a private table and we will be happy to stay on late dining and be off the waitlist for main.

 

[lolomarie]

I agree with what you are saying but in practice how is this practical? They simply cannot accommodate everyone who will likely want a private table when ship are full.

I know for my family a private table adds a layer of security as I have a food allergy that also is a contact allergy (meaning if splattered by a sweet but well meaning child I will break out in hives, if ingested I have anaphylaxis). I also have a teen son with autism who has (besides anxiety about new people) some behaviors that others might find off putting and some rituals that I am sure they might not want to indulge him in…

I am honestly curious how Disney is going to juggle what is going to be an influx of requests… Platinum members first? Those with needs first? Those who put the request in earliest? This change is likely not going to go over well.

In the short term, putting experience over profits. Only having as many passengers that can be accommodated on board. In the long term, additional dinning times, additional restaurants, changing dinning rotations are a few solutions I could see, but I’m sure there are more who work in this industry.

 

[dreamer17555]

In the short term, putting experience over profits. Only having as many passengers that can be accommodated on board. In the long term, additional dinning times, additional restaurants, changing dinning rotations are a few solutions I could see, but I’m sure there are more who work in this industry.

I am not sure where you add a restaurant in the ships already built and changing to three dining times means a very early dining time (cutting short excursions) and likely an even later late seating… Plus figuring out three show times and how that all works…

And Disney needs to at some point turn a profit from DCL not simply break even… I don’t think there really is a good solution for Disney here. Like I said it will be interesting to see how they hand out private table (beyond concierge getting first dibs).

 

[Lilsia]

The issue I see with DCL returning to shared tables is the same issue with corporate employers returning to in person work. We can’t just pretend the last 2 years didn’t happen. They did! Lots of the changes were awful, but some of the changes were nice (ie. the new muster operations that everyone seems to like).

We can’t just “go back to how it was before” and pretend we all just didn’t live through a pandemic (and are still currently living through one). Some people experienced multiple traumas over the past 2 years and not wanting to share a table goes deeper than not wanting to be social on a cruise. These types of changes should be considered with more sensitivity to guests and at least have a notification period in place.

Also, “requests” for a private table shouldn’t just be a “request”. For whatever reason, if someone deems that they can’t sit with strangers, they shouldn’t have to, on their very expensive vacation. Disney should do whatever they have to, to accommodate this. Life has changed, and may never be the same for some people, and we should be allowed to recover from that in whatever way is right for us.

I agree that if someone does not want to share, they shouldn't have to. But right now with the set up that they have, it is difficult with the first dining time. If people are willing to eat later, it is much easier to get your own table. If they go to 3 dining times, I think that would be the best way to spread the people out and give most people their own tables. I think that they try to give people their request, but if there is not enough room, they can't poof more space into existence.