Dining.....I am just curious

[o&smom]

We loved sharing a table! Disney always did an amazing job with families we were matched with. We enjoyed finding out what they did in port that was different than what we experienced. We have only been sat privately since after Covid. I miss the good old days. Great memories!

 

[71 Truck]

We met a couple that are now dear lifelong friends due to being sat together on a cruise 6 years ago. Have done 6 more cruises with them. So, you never know--sometimes it turns out wonderfully.

My in laws met a couple (dinner table mates) from across the country years ago. They stayed friend for years. They would visit my in laws whenever they came to the east coast.

 

[cruisehopeful]

When we traveled with our daughter when she was a teen and then in the 18-20 group, we had shared tables and I didn't like it. It was the only time of the day that I was able to sit and talk to her since she was otherwise busy with whatever the other kids her age were doing. Usually, having table mates took away from my time to catch up with my own kid.

Now that it's just my husband and myself, I like the shared tables. I get to hear about other things on the ship that I didn't know about and also hear about the other excursions. It helps me decide what I want to do. Also, I get to see more menu items when they order something different than I do. During the day or in port, it's like seeing a neighbor/friend to say hi to.

 

[Disnsyncey]

Of the fourteen Disney Cruises we have been on, two of those cruises were with friends so of course on those two we all sat together.

Of the remaining twelve we always have our travel professional request a private table and since we do the later seating we have not had a problem getting one.

One of the main reasons we do this, I thought I would feel uncomfortable getting up and leaving a table where people I did not know were still eating.
For me, when I am done with dinner I want to have the flexibility to get up and go when I want to and not feel uncomfortable leaving.

Because of this we always request private a table.

huh, well, I mean, I have only been on the one cruise last week, but we were all done at the same time, since we all ordered at the same time and had our food delivered at the same time......MAYBE someone had a pinch of a dessert on their plates? but I'm pretty sure we all left the table after we finished dessert. Don't let that make you worry if you happen to get seated with others.....

 

[71 Truck]

huh, well, I mean, I have only been on the one cruise last week, but we were all done at the same time, since we all ordered at the same time and had our food delivered at the same time......MAYBE someone had a pinch of a dessert on their plates? but I'm pretty sure we all left the table after we finished dessert. Don't let that make you worry if you happen to get seated with others.....

Thank you.

 

[Calantha]

We've shared a table once a few years ago (it was me, my mom and DS (I think he was 7ish)) - it was fine but I don't like being tied to anyone else's schedule (or preferences) - so private table for us going forward. Also, it is usually not difficult when we're a group of 4 or 12...it's when there are just 2 or 3 of us I worry about it. (In fact, when DS and I were alone on a cruise last summer, they sent out a note that no private table requests had been honored because the ship was full, but we still got our private table because we were on the second leg of our B2B).

 

[KKKKCS]

in 21 Disney cruises my wife and I have never asked for a private table. We have met some wonderful people and still keep in touch with several of them. We are booked next summer for our 4th cruise with a couple we happened to share a table with. The only time we had, let's call it "an odd experience," was being seated with 2 very introverted German gaming nerds (self described) who met online and decided to take a cruise together having never met in person, a Venezuelan couple who spoke absolutely no english (they were very nice and friendly, but with no english on their part and very limited spanish on our part, it was impossible to converse), and a very angry Hispanic grandfather who's entire family (10 people) were inexplicably seated on the other side of the room (we talked to the head server on his behalf and the issue was rectified the next evening). We just made it fun for us. Talking mostly to the German guys by asking lots of questions and slowly drawing them out of their shells, and pantomiming conversation with the Venezuelans. I wouldn't call it the funnest dinner time, but it certainly was interesting!

 

[Amunet]

We have never requested a private table and have gotten more private tables than not. There is just my wife and I so we usually end up with a four top to ourselves. But we don't mind, never had a problem and it is what it is. The only way to ensure a private table is to take enough people to fill a table. If it helps, I have noticed more four tops on the newer ships.

And for second seating. There's a lot more room for private tables during second seating compared to first

 

[foodiddiedoo]

My next two cruises are groups of 5 so I assume we wouldn't be sharing a table. I'm terrified of having to make small talk if I don't click with someone.

 

[BStieers]

In 6 cruises we have traveled as a group 4 of those times, got a private table once, and a group table once. The group table was perfectly fine with us, the folks were other couples close to our age without kids on board. Like most things on cruises, it is as fun or not as you make it. That said of our next 3 DCL cruises, 1 is a group & 2 are just us - I expect to be seated with folks based on how full our cruises are. And as someone mentioned above the Triton/Wish class ships have the tables SO close no table is actual private.

 

[lanejudy]

My next two cruises are groups of 5 so I assume we wouldn't be sharing a table. I'm terrified of having to make small talk if I don't click with someone.

Not necessarily. We are a party of 3 and our first cruise we were seated with a party of 5 at an 8-top.

 

[Skippyboo]

Usually it’s a 4 top, 6 top and 8 top in a server’s table group.

For the most part Disney does a good job matching people at a table. I really only had one bad experience on my 5 cruises with an Asian guy on the Wish that where it was just me and him. Totally nothing in common, barely said a word. Managed to talk to the 2 Imagineers at the next table at 1923 and the guy watching football at next table at Arendelle but Marvel had no adjoining people to talk to.

 

[Kerr84]

I don't love it, but my autistic 6 year old daughter LOVES sharing a table. After the cruise, she wants to sit with other people everywhere we go and I have to explain we can't. lol.

Our first cruise, we were a party of 3 and placed with a family of 5. It was fine. They were very nice, but I am more of an introvert and don't want to make small talk the whole meal.

Our second cruise, we were a party of 3 and they placed us with another party of 3. It was fine too, but then that group was actually traveling with another group and they needed to rearrange us. They moved us to a "private" table. We were so close to 2 other tables that it felt like we were a big group of 10 instead of 3 separate tables. My daughter loved it!

So for our next cruise, we are a party of 3 traveling with another family of 3. I don't think I'll request a private table. I would rather request being near the stage and just hope that we get a private as a party of 6.

 

[galbat]

I am planning our first cruise, this is good info to have. It never even crossed my mind that we would be assigned dining partners.

 

[RedHead0186]

I'm not a fan, I don't like small talk. I've always requested a private table and have always gotten it, except for two weeks ago on the Wish. My parents and I were seated with three adults (a couple and her sister). It was fine, but not our favorite. We found that we couldn't have our usual dinner conversations (about family stuff, upcoming trips, etc.) because we were seated with others. I will say I think DCL did a good job 'matching' us, as it was a retired couple (like my parent) and another adult. We got along okay and found things to talk about, but it wasn't my favorite and we did find that we missed out on our usual dinner conversation.

 

[foodiddiedoo]

Not necessarily. We are a party of 3 and our first cruise we were seated with a party of 5 at an 8-top.

Ugh well I guess I better put in private table requests.

 

[Disnsyncey]

And as someone mentioned above the Triton/Wish class ships have the tables SO close no table is actual private.

HAHA and you might end up talking to your neighbors even more than you would expect to be talking to them at the same table!

 

[Disnsyncey]

I'm not a fan, I don't like small talk.

I am so awkward trying to small talk.....but there was no small talk happening at our table last week, we would ask about the adventures and activities that they did and we would discuss ours as well.....or is that small talk? I was with my parents the entire day, so there wouldn't be anything different we would talk about at dinner than during the afternoon. The conversation is what you make it!

I actually think that our tablemates this cruise needed some "other" people, as they had experienced a big thing in life and they needed to be around people.....I hope we helped! I actually was texting the other night with the daughter of the family.

Maybe the small talk has to happen the first night to feel everyone out? Then we talked like old friends or neighbors......heck, we talked to the couple at the table behind us throughout the cruise too

 

[jimmymc]

If I'm solo or with one friend, it's nice to sit with other similar passengers.

With my extended family, no thank you. I just want to talk with them.

 

[Drfate102]

And for second seating. There's a lot more room for private tables during second seating compared to first

We have never done second seating.