Party of 30 - dining room

[texasgingerbread]

How will we be sat together int he dining rooms with a party of 30 people? Will they break us up? Any idea? Thanks.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

How will we be sat together int he dining rooms with a party of 30 people? Will they break us up? Any idea? Thanks.

Chances are you'll be seated at different tables, but in the same server's area. Each serving team serves a 4 top, a 6 top and an 8 top. So that's 18 right there. I'd think they would put you in two different service areas (next to each other).

There is one large table in most of the dining rooms that can seat around 14-16 people, and they can put the smaller tables together to make larger ones, but I'd suggest your group go with multiple smaller tables and switch out where people sit so you can sit with different people each time.

Once you get past about 8 people at a table, it's really impossible to carry on any sort of conversation with anyone other than the people on your immediate right and left. And the service team tries to serve a whole table at a time. Giving them, say, 12 people at one table means trying to coordinate service for that many at once.

Just be sure that all your reservations are linked, so DCL knows you want to be seated together.

 

[m&m's mom]

We have had a couple family reunions on DCL where we had at least 30 people. We were linked so we all sat as close to each other as possible in as big a table as they could do. If I remember correctly- tables of 8-10were the largest. some dining rooms the tables were further away than others.

 

[mmouse37]

Same experience here. We were a group of about 30 or so and had two different serving teams but were seated next to each other. We had a variety of table configurations.

Also, do the MDR's on the Dream and Fantasy have one table that can hold 15? I thought it looked more like 8-12 at a large round table in the center. I know the Magic/Wonder have one of those very large oval tables in each MDR that hold about 15 or 16.

MJ

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Same experience here. We were a group of about 30 or so and had two different serving teams but were seated next to each other. We had a variety of table configurations.

Also, do the MDR's on the Dream and Fantasy have one table that can hold 15? I thought it looked more like 8-12 at a large round table in the center. I know the Magic/Wonder have one of those very large oval tables in each MDR that hold about 15 or 16.

MJ

Royal Court on the Fantasy had one (probably Royal Palace on the Dream, also, but I don't recall):

This cruise they had it set up for 10, but it looked like it could hold up to 14, maybe.

I don't recall a large table in Enchanted Garden or Animator's Palate on either ship.

 

[mmouse37]

Royal Court on the Fantasy had one (probably Royal Palace on the Dream, also, but I don't recall):
View attachment 226991
This cruise they had it set up for 10, but it looked like it could hold up to 14, maybe.

I don't recall a large table in Enchanted Garden or Animator's Palate on either ship.

I think 14 would be pretty tight at that table unless they had different chairs....at least it looks that way!

MJ

 

[wilkeliza]

Royal Court on the Fantasy had one (probably Royal Palace on the Dream, also, but I don't recall):
View attachment 226991
This cruise they had it set up for 10, but it looked like it could hold up to 14, maybe.

I don't recall a large table in Enchanted Garden or Animator's Palate on either ship.

There is one in a room off to a corner that can easily fit 10 to 15 if not more. I only know because we got the displeasure of sitting next to a very loud family that was there. It got so bad the head server came over many times asking them not to chant and whistle as it was disturbing the entire dinning room. It may have been several tables pushed together though.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I think 14 would be pretty tight at that table unless they had different chairs....at least it looks that way!

MJ

I'm going to try to get better pictures on my next cruise. I'll also look around for large (bigger than 8) table in the other dining rooms.

 

[texasgingerbread]

I'm going to try to get better pictures on my next cruise. I'll also look around for large (bigger than 8) table in the other dining rooms.

Thanks!

 

[texasgingerbread]

Thanks everyone. Any reason why we couldn't put all the kids at one?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Thanks everyone. Any reason why we couldn't put all the kids at one?

No reason, as long as one or more adults (at a different table) keep an eye on them and monitor their activities. We've been on ships with "kid only" tables and the parents basically acted as if those kids weren't theirs. Running around the dining room, making life miserable for both other diners as well as the serving staff that's trying to carry large trays full of dinner plates.

Really, "vacation" doesn't mean "stop parenting".

 

[Mushu's Twin]

Royal Court on the Fantasy had one (probably Royal Palace on the Dream, also, but I don't recall):
View attachment 226991
This cruise they had it set up for 10, but it looked like it could hold up to 14, maybe.

I don't recall a large table in Enchanted Garden or Animator's Palate on either ship.

This table is on the Dream in Royal Palace (Table 82) and it only fits up to 10. It's the exact same table on the Fantasy in Royal Court (also Table 82). I know this from experience because we've had 3 cruises seated at this table having a party size of both 9 and 10. When we had a party of 11 one cruise I called shore side concierge to request it, but they said that the table can only hold up to 10. In EG and AP there is no special 10 top table, it's just a normal one.

 

[wilkeliza]

Thanks everyone. Any reason why we couldn't put all the kids at one?

As long as they are being monitored and behave no reason why not. The issues come in when parents decide kids table = thanksgiving style where they aren't watched and nobody cares if they are throwing mashed potatoes or whatever until grandma's china gets broken.

 

[tink1970]

As long as they are being monitored and behave no reason why not. The issues come in when parents decide kids table = thanksgiving style where they aren't watched and nobody cares if they are throwing mashed potatoes or whatever until grandma's china gets broken.

 

[texasgingerbread]

No reason, as long as one or more adults (at a different table) keep an eye on them and monitor their activities. We've been on ships with "kid only" tables and the parents basically acted as if those kids weren't theirs. Running around the dining room, making life miserable for both other diners as well as the serving staff that's trying to carry large trays full of dinner plates.

Really, "vacation" doesn't mean "stop parenting".

What a nightmare! Yeah no. Momma don't play nice when it comes to stuff like that. I would be mortified.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

As long as they are being monitored and behave no reason why not. The issues come in when parents decide kids table = thanksgiving style where they aren't watched and nobody cares if they are throwing mashed potatoes or whatever until grandma's china gets broken.

We sat our four teenagers (from two families) at one end of our 9 person rectangular table and told them the the first time they got to loud, we would change the seating to alternate, kid, parent, kid parent. You've never seen such well-behaved children. Anything to avoid being sat between your parents! LOL. This is the same system we use at Thanksgiving. First kid we hear being loud at the kids table gets banished to the far end of the adult table. Oh the horror! They behave at all costs.

Oh, and for what it is worth, our servers told us that if we adults wanted to go to a specialty restaurant or for any other reason weren't coming to the MDR for dinner, our kids were still welcome to come to the MDR at our normal time and table. I don't know the official age cut-off for this, but it was a nice option to have instead of banishing them to Cabanas or room service.

 

[PurplePencil]

We sat our four teenagers (from two families) at one end of our 9 person rectangular table and told them the the first time they got to loud, we would change the seating to alternate, kid, parent, kid parent. You've never seen such well-behaved children. Anything to avoid being sat between your parents! LOL. This is the same system we use at Thanksgiving. First kid we hear being loud at the kids table gets banished to the far end of the adult table. Oh the horror! They behave at all costs.

Oh, and for what it is worth, our servers told us that if we adults wanted to go to a specialty restaurant or for any other reason weren't coming to the MDR for dinner, our kids were still welcome to come to the MDR at our normal time and table. I don't know the official age cut-off for this, but it was a nice option to have instead of banishing them to Cabanas or room service.

There's not really an age cut-off.
It's when you think their mature. The dining staff goes above and beyond taking care of kids, and in general (obviously not a large group but ie. a 4 person family) inyou have any table mates or families you befriend nearby you can ask them how the kids were the next night