Dinner for two?

[MarriedAtDisney]

We’ve had six wonderful cruises with our kids over the years and have made wonderful friends from most of them After disney matched us with other families at dinner. But in January my wife and I decided to take a couples cruise to the southern Caribbean alone. We think we’d like to have dinner with just the two of us this trip. Is that possible? Can we request it?

 

[Maggie'sMom]

We’ve had six wonderful cruises with our kids over the years and have made wonderful friends from most of them After disney matched us with other families at dinner. But in January my wife and I decided to take a couples cruise to the southern Caribbean alone. We think we’d like to have dinner with just the two of us this trip. Is that possible? Can we request it?

Yes, you can request a private table for just the two of you. It is just a request, so you may not get it, but Disney tries to honor as many requests as they can. My DD and I requested a private table on our last cruise and got it.

I recommend that you go to the location listed in the Navigator for dining changes on embarkation day and ask if you were granted a private table. If not, see if they can change you then.

 

[MarriedAtDisney]

Thanks! Can we request before the cruise, and if so where?

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Thanks! Can we request before the cruise, and if so where?

It is best to call DCL with your request at least 3 weeks before your cruise. I've heard they start assigning dining tables approximately 2 weeks before the cruise, and you'd want to get your request in before they start that process.

 

[88golf88]

On embarkation day, you can go and check to see if they granted your request and if they didnt, you can ask again and they will do their best at that time to arrange it for you. Have fun!!

 

[cvjw]

We have requested private tables on our last 3 cruises. It was granted ahead of time only once. The other 2 times, we found out that we didn’t have a private table when we boarded the ship. We went to the dining change location indicated by the navigator and had them change us to a private table. We always do second dining, so I think it is easier to get a private table if you eat later.

 

[DCLObsessed]

We have requested private tables on our last 3 cruises. It was granted ahead of time only once. The other 2 times, we found out that we didn’t have a private table when we boarded the ship. We went to the dining change location indicated by the navigator and had them change us to a private table. We always do second dining, so I think it is easier to get a private table if you eat later.

How did you find out that you didn't have a private table when you boarded? This is always a stress for us(wondering if our request was granted). Thanks.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

How did you find out that you didn't have a private table when you boarded? This is always a stress for us(wondering if our request was granted). Thanks.

You go to where the dining changes are handled and they can look up the table configurations on the cruise.

 

[cvjw]

How did you find out that you didn't have a private table when you boarded? This is always a stress for us(wondering if our request was granted). Thanks.

yep. You go to the dining location located in the navigator that you get when you check in for your cruise. When you ask if your request for a private table was granted, and they say they need you to come back and talk to the head server, you know it wasn’t! It has been fixed both times though - we do always request late dining, so I think they have more empty tables to work with!

 

[Bonnie1222]

We have been on 11 DCL cruises, 2 with family or friends. All of the others we have had a table for just the 2 of us. First time we cruised alone we did not know to check with the dining changes location and were sat at a table for 8, DH mentioned to the gentleman seating us that first night we requested a table for 2, so he said let's go check. A man at the table were were assigned to was sooooo rude making nasty comments at us because we turned away to check. Thankfully they were able to take care of our request because I would not have wanted to dine with people like that. So every cruise we go and have it confirmed as soon as the dining changes location opens so if they did not accommodate us we can get it fixed before dinner.

FWIW - we request the table for 2 when we make our reservation. We now use a TA and she knows to always request late dining, table for 2.

 

[emilymad]

On our last cruise they couldn't accommodate the table for 2 the first night but they were able to switch us from the second night on. If the dining changes people can't help try talking to a head waiter when you go to be seated in the restaurant. We have found that requests don't always make it through to the restaurant.

 

[Jenrausch84]

We are in a similar situation. We are going on a cruise without the kids, how likely is it that we will sit with another adult couple? I would be perfectly fine with sitting with another couple but I'm not sure that we would want to sit with another family with kids. I love kids, but I just think since we are taking a trip without ours it might be weird to be sitting with someone elses.

 

[brianvdb]

We are in a similar situation. We are going on a cruise without the kids, how likely is it that we will sit with another adult couple? I would be perfectly fine with sitting with another couple but I'm not sure that we would want to sit with another family with kids. I love kids, but I just think since we are taking a trip without ours it might be weird to be sitting with someone elses.

We have been on 12 cruises; 8 of which we travelled only as a couple.

We requested a private table on one of the eight. The other 7 we were seated with other cruisers. The other cruisers have always been adults traveling without kids. All of our table mates were traveling as a party of 2 (husband/wife, fiancée/fiancé, two friends, etc).

I get the feeling that DCL tries to match up tablemates with others that are similarly situated.

 

[miss0033]

We are in a similar situation. We are going on a cruise without the kids, how likely is it that we will sit with another adult couple? I would be perfectly fine with sitting with another couple but I'm not sure that we would want to sit with another family with kids. I love kids, but I just think since we are taking a trip without ours it might be weird to be sitting with someone elses.

We have taken 4 Adult Only cruises. The 3 by ourselves we were always placed with other couples around the same age, who did not have children with them. The one we went with friends, we requested a table for 4 but didn't get it. The first night another couple (no kids) was with us, but we never say them, anywhere, the rest of the cruise.

I agree with brianvdb, Disney puts effort in and tries to match up table mates pretty well, it doesn't appear to be totally random.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We are in a similar situation. We are going on a cruise without the kids, how likely is it that we will sit with another adult couple? I would be perfectly fine with sitting with another couple but I'm not sure that we would want to sit with another family with kids. I love kids, but I just think since we are taking a trip without ours it might be weird to be sitting with someone elses.

12 DCL cruises, just hubby and me usually, only one cruise were we seated at a table with children. And I chalk that up to the fact that we had out 18 year old son with us. The other family was a mom with older teen boy & girl and 20-something daughter with baby. I believe they were matching up the teenagers.

All the other cruises we were always at at 6 or 8 top with other (adult) couples.