Please explain the dinner seating thing....

[msh8675]

Ok, someone please ellaborate on the dinner seating thing.....
I am cruising myself and DD6. It says on my booking I have a LARGE table for the LATE seating.
Now large meaning there are say maybe 8 or so other people (maybe less/more) at the table with us I know.
Now, do I eat with the same people every night?
Is this ONLY for dinner or for all meals??
Is late seating just for dinner?
If so, is there a schedule for other meals or is it buffet stlye come as you wish?
Ok, what is the whole 'rotation' thing now?

 

[praisehisname]

Yes, you will eat dinner with the same people each night, if you eat in the dining room. You can always order room service, or do counter service or buffet.

For breakfast and lunch, you are on your own. You can choose to eat in the dining room, but you wouldn't be sitting with your dinner tablemates. You can also do the buffet or room service for breakfast and lunch.

I'm still trying to get the whole rotation thing down myself. We did a 4 night in February, but I understand it's different on the 7 nighter.

Denise C. in MD

 

[KaitlinsMom]

Large table will be 6-8 people (probably 8)

You will eat with the same people every night (unless they or you are dining at Palos)

This is only for Dinner

Late seating is for dinner - although, it also determines what time your character breakfast is as well as what time to show up for breakfast on the last day.

There is a schedule for other meals - but food is available 24 hours through room service - There is also places open to get pizza, hot dogs, chicken, veggie burgers etc. by the pools -

Rotation thing is what dining room you will eat at on each night - There are 3 dining rooms and you rotate around each dining room for a different dining experience.

Hope that helps!

 

[hydster]

I'll try to help you....

Usually a large table is 8-10 people. It may be several small families or a few big famiies. You and everyone at your assigned table will move from one restaurant to another together for DINNER! You have the same table number in all 3 restaurants and the same waitstaff as well..just a different room to dine in. The breakfast and lunch in the dining room is you just go in and sit down and whomever they put with you is who you dine with. It could be anyone which is why hubby and I usually eat at the buffet's with the kids or room service on the balcony because you eat with these people once and that's it. Now if you have found some friends like say maybe your table mates and you all want to do lunch together you could all go in together and get sat at a larger table all together and chances are it would just be you. When we went to tritons for lunch one day it was almost empty and we asked to be seated alone (with my inlaws) and we were accomodated. The hours are usually from like 8-9:30 in Lumieres for Breakfast and then lunch is in Lumieres from 11:30 - 1:30 and in Parrot Cay from 12-2. These are all open seating meaning you dont usually sit at your same exact table and you probably won't have your wait staff from dinner for breakfast or lunch.
If you go to http://www.castawayclub.com/ and click on Navigators to see what times breakfast and lunch are and where (towards the bottom pages under dining) and you can also see the menu from the restaurants for lunch and dinner if you look under menus on the main page.

HTH
Heidi

 

[TheWog]

Your servers will follow you from restaurant to restaurant for dinner, which is really nice. If you want to skip any of the dinners make sure it is NOT the first Animator's Palate seating. That is the one you want to see with the show and color changes during the meal. Ask your server for more information. If I remember correctly, the morning after your Animator's Palate dinner (if you are on a 7 night) is your character breakfast. With a DD6 you do not want to miss that. It is a lot of fun and you eat with your tablemates there, we had ours in Parrot Cay. Does that help or make you more confused.

Late seating also applies to breakfast on debarkation day.

 

[msh8675]

Extremely helpful thank you!!
Glad i asked!

 

[CruisinWKids]

Great question/answers...I have a related one...

We haven't received our papers yet, so forgive me if it's in there, but when /how do you find out on which nights you will eat in which dining room?

We are trying to decide what to pack, and it would be helpful to know the rotation in advance to know whether it's one or two nights in Triton. Also would be helpful so we can make spa appt and arrange Nursery reservations upon embarkation for the more formal night.

Thanks
Michelle

 

[hydster]

Michelle

You get your dinner rotation when you check in and receive your Key To The World Card which is your cabin key, dinner rotation, dinner table number, charge key and you use it to get on and off the ship at ports with it. I dont think anyone knows their rotation ahead of time. I'd just bring a few nice sundress type things and your formal dress if you have formal night and you should be fine! I wish we knew our rotation as well ahead of time..it would be easier to plan Palo reservations...oh well...we'll just play it by ear!

Heidi

 

[feenie]

Just curious....
How did you find out that you have a large table?

 

[msh8675]

Per email from my travel agent....it says something like this...

Cruise Line: DISNEY CRUISE LINE
Trip Departure Date: 05/08/04
Sailing: DISNEY MAGIC 05/08/04
Itinerary: CARIBBEAN - WESTERN
Dining: SECOND Confirmed
Table Size: LARGE - "No Smoking" Table Requested


I assumed that was given info....

 

[scottygirl]

Table Size: LARGE - "No Smoking" Table Requested

Please tell me that the dining rooms are all nonsmoking! Do I have to request a nonsmoking table?

 

[msh8675]

I have no idea...I did not request either way it just said....

 

[tkd lisa]

All dining rooms are non-smoking. The only smoking areas are in the bars (I think one of them is non-smoking, not sure which), and on the open decks like 4 (outside only), 9 and 10. You can't smoke in any stateroom, but you can smoke on the verandah.

It looks like your travel agent requested a large table for you. Some people do this, some people request small table. As always, a request is not a guarantee.

However, if you really don't want to eat with other people, you can request a small table. There are no tables for 2 (except at Palo which is adult only). I'm guessing your TA thought you wanted to meet people, so requested this.

 

[msh8675]

Oh i dont' mind either way, although I would prefer to meet other people at a larger table.....

 

[bobbiwoz]

Does there seem to be a rhyme or reason about seating assignments? We're empty nesters traveling alone, are we likely to be with other couples, or other families?

Bobbi

 

[kellib36]

Does there seem to be a rhyme or reason about seating assignments? We're empty nesters traveling alone, are we likely to be with other couples, or other families?
Bobbi

OH, yea, there's a reason, all right!! ;-)

Here's OUR story......last Jan was Keith's and my first cruise "alone"...we'd done 2 group cruises where we were with people we knew. We were seated with 2 other couples. Great people,we had a great time chatting about different areas of the country, Disney parks, rides, ports of call, etc. The subject of DVC came up and we were the only NON-DVCers at the table. We chatted about it a couple times, and the more we talked, the more I was SURE it wasn't for us. Maybe in the short run, but not after the next few years. I had a spa treatment scheduled when the DVC presentation was scheduled, so I sent Keith. He went and told me later that he got to talking with the guy who ended up sharing a table in Studio Sea. Turns out he and HIS wife are sitting at a table with 2 other couples, and THEY are the only NON-DVCers at THEIR table. Coincidence? I think not. I think Disney does a LOT of research on tablemates.

But to answer your question, I understand they don't sit too many families with adult parties.....anyway, that's our story.....I'll post again after our trip next week!

Kelli

 

[mmouse37]

kelli....just trying to understand...no flames please...but your take on it is that DCL purposely seated you and that other couple with DVC'ers in the hope that you too would become a DVC member? I guess its possible.....but to me it sounds like it was just a coincidence.

After 10 DCL cruises we have found DCL to be pretty good at seating like parties together....it can never be perfect because there are just so many tables and people, but they do try.

MJ

 

[Nick@ VB+OKW]

Originally posted by bobbiwoz
We're empty nesters traveling alone, are we likely to be with other couples, or other families?

Bobbi

On our 4 night cruise in Feb, it was just Cindy and I and we requested a table with no more than 2 other adults. We had a table for 4.

It wans't that bad, and besides on 1 of the 4 nights we went to Palo's and the other couple went to Palo's another night.We only sat with the other couple two nights out of the 4.

 

[kellib36]

kelli....just trying to understand...no flames please...but your take on it is that DCL purposely seated you and that other couple with DVC'ers in the hope that you too would become a DVC member? I guess its possible.....but to me it sounds like it was just a coincidence.
After 10 DCL cruises we have found DCL to be pretty good at seating like parties together....it can never be perfect because there are just so many tables and people, but they do try.
MJ

No flames, no problem! ;-) And I truly don't "know" one way or the other, but it sure gave 2 tables something to talk about for a couple days.........and I've told that story a couple times, and it leaves people scratching their heads....

Kelli

 

[Nick@ VB+OKW]

Originally posted by kellib36
...just trying to understand...no flames please...