Has this request ever been granted?

[mostyn17]

We have 5 adults on the 7 day this august, our problem is...we would prefer to sit alone at dinner, It's not that we are rude, it's just we feel like we have to entertain at dinner, and that is not our thing. I know it's a a weird family size but do they have tables for 5 or has anyone ever requested this and actually gotten it?

Thanks for your help!

Travis

 

[Thumpersmom]

I don't know if we requested this but we were a table of 5 on our June 2002 cruise. DH, DS,me and my parents. We just linked our dining and ended up at a table for six.

I think they set the tables up so the waiters have about 20 people at each seating. We were a party of 23 and one table had a different waiter/serving team. I do know upon boarding they will let you make changes if you need to. Check with you TA if you can request this ahead of time and then verify once on board.

 

[hydster]

We are a family of 5 as well and we really did NOT want to sit with people we didn't know for dinner. We are not anti-social we just wanted our own family dinner time like at home. We requested it and realized it wasn't guaranteed but were hoping and praying that when we got on board they would have honored it....unfortunately they did not honor it and we were seated with a family of 3. We tried several times unsuccessfully to get our own table but they wouldn't budge with us. We even offered to go to Late Seating, different dining rotation but no luck! The family was very nice but dinner was always an uncomfortable scenario for us. On the Wonder in 2002 my inlaws were with us and so we were able to dine alone and it was SO nice! If we don't have our kids with us we usually have a blast with dinner companions and have actually kept in touch with a few from past cruises but we wanted to be alone as a family but were unable to swing it! I wouldn't get to set on getting it in case they won't grant it.

Heidi

 

[LAMPSKIES]

We had 4 of us on our first sailing....alone. Then 6 on our next two sailings......still alone. All late seatings.

 

[Cuzisayso2]

We had 6 on our recent cruise and we had our own table, early seating.

 

[Hygiene99]

If they say that they cant do it at guest services , Go to the place u are for the first night of Dining and ask to see your HEAD SERVER....

We have also been able to get a Table change
in this fashion

we are not five people but he was willing to Bend over backwards for us ... and move people around So we could have the desired seating arrangements we wanted...


We found out that we had a table for 4 and did not want to be put in that arrangement that can be real uncomfortable
if u have nothing in Common with the other 2 people
and wanted to be at a table with atleast 10 to 12 people

so that u can mix and Mingle was a 7 day cruise...

Ended up getting at a table for 12 was lots of fun met some neat people and the 2 children at the table were very well behaved... we liked them so much we bought them acouple of t shirt from the shop brought them to the dining room early and gave them to our head server and told him to have our Server ANNMARIE from S. Africa was fantastic by the way...
bring them out as a surprise from Mickey for being so Good at the dinner table on the last night of the cruise...

Was fun parents thought that they did that for all the kids on the last night... we let them think it... was more fun that way...

And very last thing before we left the server told the parents that it was us... who had done it ... and they were very greatful...
and we got a thank u from the kids...

 

[Princess49]

We were on the 3 night & seated with another couple. We didn't enjoy it- we aren't antisocial either- we just enjoy our time together. The first lunch they seated us with a couple married 50 years- it was like eating with our grandparents & we felt obligated to listen to all of their stories. Then the first morning we were seated with a couple similar in age to us but it was still akward especially because we began eating much before they sat down & we felt akward leaving the table early. Our dinner seating was ok I guess- we sat with the couple the first night & I felt like I spent the whole night trying to keep up with conversation rather than enjoying the atmosphere then the 2nd night we ate at Palo & the third night the other couple ate there so we didn't see each other until the last breakfast. But even then I would like to have spent more time enjoying the atmosphere. Don't get me wrong, they were nice people- but I felt wierd because I didn't want to seem rude. There is a really uncomfortable line between being curteous & paying attention & evesdropping on a conversation! I didn't know when to talk & when not to! I'm not on the cruise to make friends I'm there to spend time with my bf so I would have LOVED tables for 2 in all the dining rooms- it's one of the many reasons Palo was our favorite! It didn't occur to me to ask but maybe next time I will- the worst they can do is say no!

 

[Catnip0113]

We were a family of 3 and were seated alone 2nd seating at a table for 6. I am thinking the others traded for the earlier seating. Most nights it was just the two of us when our DD12 was off with her own plans. It was nice, but I felt like the high school cafeteria outcasts sometimes and we always finished much earlier. One breakfast we were seated with an older retired couple and listened to their stories. We kind of like that (at least for a short meal), my husband could talk gardening with them. You could tell they enjoyed sitting with us so it felt good.

On our honeymoon (on Norwegian) we were seated at a table for 6 with another honeymoon couple and two older women who were all a lot of fun. It is good to have more than one other couple to divide conversation. If they were talking we could talk by ourselves and such.

 

[jordgubben]

I'm glad to hear that there are tables of twelve and such. My husband and I actually requested a large table because we thought it would be more fun than eating by ourselves (we do that every night) however we didn't want there to be just one other couple in case we didn't really have anything to talk about.

 

[wide awake]

Probably in the minority on this thread but...we like sitting with others on the cruise...the three of us sit down together every other night of the year, it was interesting to hear new dinner conversation. On port days you could compare excursions and it really added to our enjoyment. Our tablemates laughed every night when DH ordered red meat, one night when steak was not a featured item they actually worried that he wouldn't find something he liked...fat chance !!! As a side note, it is a good experience for children to understand about making social conversation, picking topics of general interest, etc...I teach and believe me, many children...and teens...think everyone really wants to hear a line by line description of the latest video game or movie...doesn't hurt them at all to realize that table manners and conversational skills are a valued commodities in the real world.

 

[Bmwdsny]

I am not antisocial but because i am deaf and i totally rely on reading lips, i can make some people uncomfortable when i am staring at them (so i can read their lips) esp when they are eating. I have requested to have my own table since sometimes it is hard to conversate with others esp when it is a group and i get frusterated when trying to "hear" what is going on and what they are talking about. My request was always granted by Disney.

 

[goingbacksoon]

We had originally requested a table of 4, but hearing what you all have said about maybe not having something in common with the other couple and then you're screwed, maybe a larger table is a good idea. I like the thought of having 12 people (4 other couples or so) and sharing stories.

Sailing in December, we had a group of 6, and it was kind of awkward. There was one couple about our age (20-somethings) and then the other couple was 35ish. Great people, just not the right age group (edited to add: not meant to offend 35ish couples, probably the largest users of this board). At breakfast another day we sat with a central american couple, even more awkward. But aside from dinner we just realized we could sit alone as long as we asked.

Maybe DCL should take age into account too. I can't imagine sitting with a couple married 50 years - that's longer than my grandparents!

Just my luck, those past tablemates are probably reading this right now....

goingbacksoon

 

[aprilgail2]

Everytime we went in to breakfast or lunch they tried to sit us with other people and I always said "we would like a table by ourselves please" I don't like sitting with others and my daughter is a whiner so I didn't want to subject anyone else to that!
I had requested a table for 4 for dinner and checked once we got onboard that we did have one. I honestly don't think I would have went to the sit down dinners if we were put at a table with 6 other people. I would have just ate at topsiders in the evenings. At dinner was the time for my daughter to tell me everything she did in the kids club that day and talk about what we were doing later and the next day. I didn't want to have to make chit chat with strangers during our meal time together.

 

[mostyn17]

Thansk guys! I'm glad i'm not alone in this situation!! We have second dining.....we ususally are a party of 4 and have always been seated alone....(we ususally request it) This time it's second dining too...I will be sure to check as soon as we board!

Thanks for all your help!
Travis

 

[Ontario Kim]

We were on the Western Cruise in April this year and we are a family of 5 with the late seating. It was the first time we have ever been seated by ourselves. We did notice however, that almost every table in the dining room on our rotation (APL) late, there were very few combined families. We questioned our servers and they said when the boat isn't at capacity and when late seating isn't full, they don't mix as many families. On our previous two cruises we were always with another family of 5.

If anything, I would think they would put 5 adults either by themselves or with other adults on the late seating. I wouldn't think they would put your group with children.

 

[MrsPete]

If you request late seating, I bet you'll get a table to yourselves.

 

[mrsltg]

We're hoping for a table to ourselves, as well. We are on the 9/11 sailing and there are three of us in the late seating - myself, my dh and our dd (3). We are taking this cruise as an escape from a particulary hard time - the due date of our son who passed away on Mother's Day. My TA is making the request, and thanks to this thread, I will speak with the dining manager upon boarding to explain the situation. If we are seated with others, we'll make the best of it. I would just prefer to not have to explain something that is weighing so heavily on us - both for our sake, and for the sake of discomfort of others.

Erin

 

[mostyn17]

Ahhh i'm so sorry for your loss. I hope you have a great relaxing vacation!

Travis

 

[kpgclark]

Travis I sent you a PM

 

[CAMICKEY]

Just got off the May 8th Western. We requestd and received a table for 6 for our party. - Mike