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

[Disneygirlxo91]

I agree this may be true. I’ve requested a private table on many cruises and have NEVER gotten my request filled. I have gotten a private table on the second leg of a b2b everytime I ask (But I’m asking in person then). I’ve tried to go to the dining room on embankment day to request and not Successful either. Note—they no longer have the tables at the dining room on embankment day.

What do you mean they no longer have the tables at the dining room on embankment day? Does that mean you can’t go in person and ask?

 

[Kwami]

What do you mean they no longer have the tables at the dining room on embankment day? Does that mean you can’t go in person and ask?

You can contact dining services through the app instead. Well, if it works for you. Contacting them through the app never worked for me, so I just went to guest services for everything.

 

[Disneygirlxo91]

You can contact dining services through the app instead. Well, if it works for you. Contacting them through the app never worked for me, so I just went to guest services for everything.

Oh that’s too bad it never worked for you. We didn’t have an issue chatting with them in the app in December. We have late dinning so hoping we will be able to get our request but we are only a party of 2 so we shall see. It appears our sailing still has a decent amount of rooms available. So fingers crossed.

 

[randumb0]

I agree this may be true. I’ve requested a private table on many cruises and have NEVER gotten my request filled. I have gotten a private table on the second leg of a b2b everytime I ask (But I’m asking in person then). I’ve tried to go to the dining room on embankment day to request and not Successful either. Note—they no longer have the tables at the dining room on embankment day.

What has been the typical size of your party?

 

[Kwami]

Oh that’s too bad it never worked for you. We didn’t have an issue chatting with them in the app in December. We have late dinning so hoping we will be able to get our request but we are only a party of 2 so we shall see. It appears our sailing still has a decent amount of rooms available. So fingers crossed.

On my first cruise post-restart, back in September, the app worked fine for contacting guest services (and dining services). The only thing that didn't work was booking placeholders.

On my last two cruises (February), I could never contact guest services through the app. I could join the queue, but either it would never move or else just before I go to talk to someone, I'd get bumped back another 7-10 spots. And that would keep happening for hours. So, I just gave up on it entirely. Nobody at guest services ever seemed to mind when I just came to talk to them without an appointment. On the plus side, placeholders worked!

 

[jldcherry]

We have a party of 6 and have requested a private table, is that likely to be honored since a 6 top is one of their normal table sizes??

 

[Annabell]

We have a party of 6 and have requested a private table, is that likely to be honored since a 6 top is one of their normal table sizes??

I think the normal table size is for 8 guests. When we went with 6 of us, we got another party of 2 assigned to our table. But it is sort of gamble and you may be in luck and gets your request honoured.

 

[n2mm]

What do you mean they no longer have the tables at the dining room on embankment day? Does that mean you can’t go in person and ask?

yes Kwami answered correctly. You use to go to a dining room to make requests and changed. Now you have to contact the dining team once you get onboard. Sounds painful and disappointing.

 

[SnowWhite2]

This post is kind of blunt but sometimes I think people expect too much from Disney in way of accommodations. Disney Cruise line is selling a product. If you want to buy that product, you need to accept the way they run their business. If having a private table is a deal breaker, you need to look at another cruise line or take what you get. If they can't accommodate you once on the ship, you are stuck and have to make the best of it. But you are told ahead of time that they might not be able to accommodate you. Just because you want to cruise on Disney doesn't mean they have to make any and all accommodations for you. Yes it sucks. But a cruise ship can only do so much. They are limited on space, food and staff. That's why Johnny can't get individual attention the whole time he is the the Oceaneers club, a family can't get a private table or a request a specific food once on board isn't going to happen.

 

[Kwami]

This post is kind of blunt but sometimes I think people expect too much from Disney in way of accommodations. Disney Cruise line is selling a product. If you want to buy that product, you need to accept the way they run their business. If having a private table is a deal breaker, you need to look at another cruise line or take what you get. If they can't accommodate you once on the ship, you are stuck and have to make the best of it. But you are told ahead of time that they might not be able to accommodate you. Just because you want to cruise on Disney doesn't mean they have to make any and all accommodations for you. Yes it sucks. But a cruise ship can only do so much. They are limited on space, food and staff. That's why Johnny can't get individual attention the whole time he is the the Oceaneers club, a family can't get a private table or a request a specific food once on board isn't going to happen.

What's your point, though? Should we not express our desires and let Disney know what we want? Why wouldn't they want to hear our opinions? Satisfying customers is how they make more money.

 

[Dug720]

I agree this may be true. I’ve requested a private table on many cruises and have NEVER gotten my request filled. I have gotten a private table on the second leg of a b2b everytime I ask (But I’m asking in person then). I’ve tried to go to the dining room on embankment day to request and not Successful either. Note—they no longer have the tables at the dining room on embankment day.

Agreed. Second seating might help a LITTLE bit, but it is not a guarantee. Especially if a sailing is completely sold out.

 

[Lilsia]

What's your point, though? Should we not express our desires and let Disney know what we want? Why wouldn't they want to hear our opinions? Satisfying customers is how they make more money.

I think that the point is that this style of dining is their business model. They don't have a bunch of restaurants, that are an extra charge, to spread the crowds out like other cruise ships do. The whole rotational dining is part of cruising with them. And that means shared tables to be able to fit everyone. Everyone knows this before they book the cruise. I understand why people don't want to share, that is not the issue. The issue is that people know that that is how Disney does it, they book the cruise anyway, and then complain about it. We don't know if they will be able to go to every party gets their own table. That would be tough considering that every cruise has different guest with different amounts of people. It's a ship with limited space. Giving every group their own table when the ship is full is not as easy as some people think it would be. Acting as if it's no big deal and "why can't they just give us what they want," when we have no idea what the logistics are, comes off as sounding a bit jerkish and entitled. I imagine that they would have to either have a third seating or push more people to late dining to accomplish this. I am sure that Disney knows that there are people who don't want to share and I imagine that if it was such and easy thing to fix, then they would be doing so.

 

[randumb0]

For a lot of us we would like to have a private table with the understanding that it is not guaranteed. I placed my request but I know that DCL may not be able to accommodate my request. It is better to ask for what you want than to sit quiet

 

[dreamer17555]

I think there’s nothing wrong with requesting a private table as long as you understand that it’s not guaranteed and did not throw a fit or to expect any special treatment once you get on the ship that you should be accommodated.

When booking a Disney Cruise sometimes the answer is going to be no for private table. Just because you’ve been accommodated in the past does not mean you will be accommodated in the future.

 

[Dug720]

I think there’s nothing wrong with requesting a private table as long as you understand that it’s not guaranteed and did not throw a fit or to expect any special treatment once you get on the ship that you should be accommodated.

When booking a Disney Cruise sometimes the answer is going to be no for private table. Just because you’ve been accommodated in the past does not mean you will be accommodated in the future.

Absolutely. No one is saying people should not request if that is what they want. BUT there is only so much Disney can do. Yes, Disney can and should note the request and do their best to honor it, and they should make it clear, which they do, that it is a request only and while they do their best, there are times it cannot be accommodated.

But we as cruisers have to realize that there are times when it is NOT possible. They cannot add extra tables; they cannot create a new dining room; were they to add a third seating, even more people would be upset because it's too early and cuts into port time OR it's so late that people become ill because of eating so close to when they go to bed.

If having a private table is vital to your cruise experience, there are other lines that have seating options which will guarantee private tables who would be happy to have your business.

 

[Kwami]

I think that the point is that this style of dining is their business model. They don't have a bunch of restaurants, that are an extra charge, to spread the crowds out like other cruise ships do. The whole rotational dining is part of cruising with them. And that means shared tables to be able to fit everyone. Everyone knows this before they book the cruise. I understand why people don't want to share, that is not the issue. The issue is that people know that that is how Disney does it, they book the cruise anyway, and then complain about it. We don't know if they will be able to go to every party gets their own table. That would be tough considering that every cruise has different guest with different amounts of people. It's a ship with limited space. Giving every group their own table when the ship is full is not as easy as some people think it would be. Acting as if it's no big deal and "why can't they just give us what they want," when we have no idea what the logistics are, comes off as sounding a bit jerkish and entitled. I imagine that they would have to either have a third seating or push more people to late dining to accomplish this. I am sure that Disney knows that there are people who don't want to share and I imagine that if it was such and easy thing to fix, then they would be doing so.

Noted, but there are some things that Disney can do to improve the situation without massive disruption. For instance, they can have 2-seat tables instead of using 4-seat tables as the minimum. Even if two, 2-seat tables are close together, having that small separation can really make a difference. It's permission to completely ignore the people at the other table. It's a separate bread basket. It's having the full attention of the servers while they're at your table.

There are plenty of restaurants like this in the US, where private tables are the norm, but most people accept the situation. Squish those tables together into a 4-seat table, however, and you'll get tons of complaints because sharing tables at restaurants just isn't a thing here.

 

[Dug720]

There are plenty of restaurants like this in the US, where private tables are the norm, but most people accept the situation. Squish those tables together into a 4-seat table, however, and you'll get tons of complaints because sharing tables at restaurants just isn't a thing here.

BUT it has been traditionally on cruise ships. Requesting/demanding private tables on cruises is a fairly new phenomenon.

 

[Lilsia]

Noted, but there are some things that Disney can do to improve the situation without massive disruption. For instance, they can have 2-seat tables instead of using 4-seat tables as the minimum. Even if two, 2-seat tables are close together, having that small separation can really make a difference. It's permission to completely ignore the people at the other table. It's a separate bread basket. It's having the full attention of the servers while they're at your table.

There are plenty of restaurants like this in the US, where private tables are the norm, but most people accept the situation. Squish those tables together into a 4-seat table, however, and you'll get tons of complaints because sharing tables at restaurants just isn't a thing here.

I have been on 9 Disney cruises and we have never shared a bread basket with others. They have always brought one out for each party, every single cruise, every single dinner. If you are grabbing the bread that belongs to the other party, that is on you. Our servers have always made it clear that every party gets their own bread basket. What are you all doing?

 

[Disneygirlxo91]

I have been on 9 Disney cruises and we have never shared a bread basket with others. They have always brought one out for each party, every single cruise, every single dinner. If you are grabbing the bread that belongs to the other party, that is on you. Our servers have always made it clear that every party gets their own bread basket. What are you all doing?

Yeah, that didn’t make sense to me when parties have said they shared bread with other parties. That would be very strange.

 

[Kwami]

I have been on 9 Disney cruises and we have never shared a bread basket with others. They have always brought one out for each party, every single cruise, every single dinner. If you are grabbing the bread that belongs to the other party, that is on you. Our servers have always made it clear that every party gets their own bread basket. What are you all doing?

I've never had to share a table, thankfully. Other posters here have reported sharing bread baskets with other groups that were seated at the same table.

The rest of my post stands and is, I think, quite valid.