Horrible table last year at rotation

[Jsme]

Last year we had the worse table in each dining room. Since you are at the same table each night but in a different restaruant until you start to repeat, we figured on the first night that this restaurant the table was bad but we would be better off on other nights. Not so. We had a table that had 2 sides against the wall, and the other two had servings stations that blocked our visibility. It was awful. The only thing that made it bareable was the fact we had great servers.

I made a complaint last year about this on another board. A wonderful poster said she calls at 2 weeks out and requests a certain table for her cruise. She has said she has always been given the table of choice. Has anyone else requested a table before going on the cruise? Now, to be honest if I did call I have no idea what table to request. I figured I would just call and explain the situation that happened to us last year and hope for the best. Our cruise on 9/1/05 is special for us. One it is for my birthday. Two we are going without the kids. I really would like to have a good table. I just do not know what I would do if we have a horrible table again this year. I am not one who normally asks for anything special for vacation but I just donot know if I can take looking at the wall or the serving stations again.

I think one of the things that was the most upsetting was the fact that we had booked over a year before and others we talked with that had a wonderful window seat were CM's who had just been offered the cruise to fill the ship. They had literally just booked and was given a wonderful seat. Last year I did not have a clue I could have done anything about it on the cruise. Call me naive but it was only our second cruise with DCL.

I guess I want some opinions about if anyone has done this. Or would you do it? Please no flames here. This is an honest question.

 

[MBFergie]

what a great idea. Our last 2 cruises our tables wer in "bad" locations. But is was better then the one in my kitchen where I'm cooking!!

Anyway maybe posters can tell us best table locations in each restaurant. Unfortunately I can't remember what table # I had last cruise.

Thanks, as always the disboard is the best!! My bloodline to the best vacation!!

 

[Kimmielee]

Great question... I'd love to know this too... Breaking out my PassPorter to see if that was covered...

 

[Joelzme]

Well if you still have your KTTW Cards they should have the old table numbers and the rotation listed on them. Also I would just book a table at Palo's everynight. They way you are sure to have a great table everynight!



Joel

 

[Billinaz]

I got lucky and got a good table on our first cruise.

Its a table for 6 and is in a nice location, and a window seat in Parrot Cay.

Since then Ive noted this request on my reservations and got the same table.

 

[stars918]

We were just on the Magic July 30th cruise and had a horrible table as well, literally right next to the kitchen. My Dad complained to Ronald and we were switched with no problems. He even gave us a table by the window at Lumineres All it takes is to mention it if your not happy, if they can accommodate you they will ... DCL wants their guests to be happy!

 

[joshua121301]

Does anyone have suggestions of a good table, as in a number?

 

[nuke]

Last cruise our table was right behind the serving station. It was annoying to me as well plus you couldn't see anything without standing up. I think I will request a window table for our next cruise.

 

[Jsme]

Well if you still have your KTTW Cards they should have the old table numbers and the rotation listed on them. Also I would just book a table at Palo's everynight. They way you are sure to have a great table everynight!



Joel

You can not go to Palo's evrynight unless you ae conceirge. And we are not.

 

[Jsme]

We were just on the Magic July 30th cruise and had a horrible table as well, literally right next to the kitchen. My Dad complained to Ronald and we were switched with no problems. He even gave us a table by the window at Lumineres All it takes is to mention it if your not happy, if they can accommodate you they will ... DCL wants their guests to be happy!

Our table was next to the kitchen as well. One wall was the wall the kitchen was on.

I just called the CC # and spoke with a very nice lady about the problems with our table last year. She put in a request for a window seat. She also told me to see someone in the diningroom upon embarkment to make sure we get a good table. So send us some pixie dust for luck!

 

[kcashner]

As to tables next to the serving station--there are a lot of serving stations scattered throughout the room. It is almost impossible not to be near one.

The bottom line is, as always...if you are not happy with anything about your dining assignment--table location, table mates, servers, etc. just talk to the head server. They will do as much as they can to meet your requests. If you are cruising off season and the ship is not full, that could be easy. If you are on the repo cruise next week, it's going to be a little more difficult.

You may have to be flexible. It may be that they can give you a better table location on a different rotation. If you change table mates, it will probably be on a different rotation or even a different seating so that you are less likely to run into your old group. You may have to decide whether you want a "crummy" table on your old rotation or a "better" table on a new rotation. Or ditto with servers....

 

[AspiringCindy]

I got lucky and got a good table on our first cruise.

Its a table for 6 and is in a nice location, and a window seat in Parrot Cay.

Since then Ive noted this request on my reservations and got the same table.

What was the table #...I need a table for 5/6 and would like to request it on our Nov. 6th cruise? You can PM me if you don't want to post!

 

[glindamood]

kcashner offers good advice - if something on your cruise needs changing of fixed, speak up - they are always gracious, understanding and very willing to accomodate. In our 6 trips we have been pretty lucky, tables have been pretty good - but we have had some interesting tablemates but that is what makes cruising so fun.

 

[lbgraves]

We have enjoyed both of our tables the last two cruises. We realized that we were next to the kitchen door in Lumiere's the second night we were there. We had been so busy talking & enjoying everything the first night to even notice. Once we noticed the door, it was like oh well. We have been against a back wall most nights. I don't really see why this matters. I thought that it was nice because we weren't surrounded by tables to have anyone walk into our chairs. It may have helped the noise situation as well since we didn't notice any of the "loud kids" that some have posted about. We were at table 16 on the first & 21 on the second. At PC we were behind a station but that made it easier for our wonderful servers to take care of us. I honestly don't care where we sit in the dining rooms as long as we are with our friends & have great servers to take care of us for the week.

 

[sjreed]

I have to agree with ibgraves. Our table at PC was against the back wall and behind a serving station....not ideal, but it certainly did not interfere with us having a wonderful dinner. Our table at Triton's, on the other hand, was a window seat which was terrific. And our table at AP was pretty much right in the middle, excellent!! So just because it may not be in a great location in one restaurant doesn't mean it will be bad in another restaurant. And it's still the same great food and the same great service!!

 

[tvguy]

It's a Disney cruise, is something isn't up to your expectations, let them know, they want everyone to be as happy as they can be. That's true for every one of the 5 cruise lines I've sailed with.

Not sure requesting a specific table number is going to guarantee a good table because the table numbers change from cruise to cruise.
Basically, almost all the tables physically seat 4, they just push them together to allow them to seat more as each cruise dictates.
Not sure how many people are in each dining room, but lets say 400.
If everyone requests a table for 4 you'll have 100 tables (table numbers 1-100). But if everyone requests a table for 10 you'll have 40 tables (table numbers 1 to 40). Not sure what if any logic there is to their table numbering, but I suspect they number from one side to the next. So in the first example, table 40 could be in the middle of the dining room, and in the second example it could be up against a wall. So requesting a table by number is usless. Just go the first night, and ask for changes if there's a problem.

 

[AspiringCindy]

Thanks for the advice!...Once on board, I will check to see where we are sitting! On our last DCL cruise, we didn't have such a great table location. I guess right after embarkatiom, I will run over to PC and see where we are!

 

[vossjemi]

So, do all 3 restaurants have "window seats"? I wasn't aware you could put in a "window seat" request? Have lots of people done this? Not sure if I should or not...we have a TA. Or, would it be better to just wait, and see where we are upon boarding (assuming the dining rooms are open for wandering through) before doing/saying anything?

 

[NCRedding]

Animators Palate does not have windows; Parrot Cay and Tritons do. I've never put in a request for a window seat. Our last cruise, we were seated by the window. It was nice, but not something I'd have to have again. We sailed 4 other times without a window table.

 

[lbgraves]

Sorry, but all of these requests just ruin the whole idea of a relaxing vacation IMO. First people wanted to get a certain rotation. Some first time cruisers want names of servers to request that other people liked. Now there is talk of requesting tables & more specifically...window seats. Enough already! Just what do you think that you will see during dinner....it will be dark outside!!!

This is when the boards are more of a bad thing. Planning out every detail of your cruise experience so it will be just like so and so's trip report or so and so's post. I do enjoy planning our vacations so that we can enjoy ourselves but this is taking it to the extreme. RELAX! This is a cruise. Your cruise is what you make of it. You can have a great cruise if you are not in Lumiere's for formal night. You can have a great cruise if you are not next to a window during dinner. Go to the dining rooms for lunch & request a window seat...much easier to get BTW if you are there when they open.