Poor dinning room location

[Tonyspad]

We have just returned from our third Disney 3 night cruise, everything was glorious. With the exception of our seating location. We were seated at table #36, whatever you can do stay away from this table. It is located next to the kitchen in every restaurant. All we heard was dishes banging and people yelling. The reason I took exception is that we are repeat cruisers in catagory 4 and on top of it I booked this trip 11 months ago. I do not understand Disney not taking care of their repeaters better, it does not make sence away---------- BEWARE TO ALL STAY AWAY FROM TABLE #36.

 

[Dean]

Did you complain? If so, what happened.

 

[QueenTrident]

We were behind the serving station at each restaurants, couldn't see the shows and were last when the characters cames around at breakfast.

DH didn't care so much, so we didn't complain.

 

[makaylee]

We were also at table 36 I think or atleast one right by it. We were always behind the serving station and the last table the characters came to. We were also crammed into the corner table at Animators, very uncomfortable for the person sitting against the wall. I did not make an issue of it with our head waiter, but if it happens next time I definatly will.

 

[lbgraves]

We sat at table 16. In Lumiere's we were in the rear right corner with a kitchen door near us. In PC we were in the rear right corner. In AP we were in the 2nd row from the rear center. We honestly loved our table & servers. They treated us so well, and our tablemates were so nice that none of us noticed the kitchen door in Lumiere's the first time we ate there.

 

[Mickeyhugger]

Though I was not too crazy about our table location at AP, (I honestly can't remember our table #'s last year,) I didn't request a change because I thought it was too late in the game.

My main qualm about requesting dining changes is the possibility of losing dining companions whose company we enjoy.

Should I call Disney now and request table changes? Does anyone know how they assign everything? Is there priority matching families or seat assignments according to size in parties?

Sorry w/all the questions but if anyone could shed any light on this, I'm sure many would benefit.

Thanks!

 

[QueenTrident]

For some reason we were only ones at a table of 8, even though we were only 3 people. I think that added to the weirdness of it all. Usually, it was just DH and I at a huge table, all the way in the back of the restaurants. I still feel like we missed out on something.

 

[Mickeyhugger]

OOPS! Spelling error above. 'there' should have been 'their.'

 

[Threehearts]

QueenTrident- If my family of 4 had seen your 3 at that big table we would have moved right over to join you. Those pix of little Emily are too adoreable!! Threehearts

 

[Princess49]

I don't mean to be pushy, but I honestly would have asked for my table to be changed immediately. You are paying a lot of money not to be 100% satisfied & I certainly wouldn't want something as trivial as a table locaton to be something I remember about our trip especially if you are at that table everynight!!! & I see how you're all saying it wasn't that big of a deal but at the same time, it made enough of an impact for you to talk about it here. I agree with Tonyspad that they should make all of their cruisers happy. If the table is that bad they shouldn't even have a table there, Disney is all about the magic & it is pretty bad that they would shove a table into an uncomfortable area just to make more seating & have those few people that are left with a bad taste in their mouths. I hope that we don't have this problem but I will definately say something, perhaps it has something to do with he fact that I'm a New Yorker through & through. Happy Cruising !!!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by Princess49
You are paying a lot of money not to be 100% satisfied & I certainly wouldn't want something as trivial as a table locaton to be something I remember about our trip especially if you are at that table everynight!!!

You rotate through three different dining rooms, so your table number isn't in the same location every night. If you get a new table number after your first night, who's to say that the location will be better the second night? Or that your original table number wouldn't be better than your new table number on subsequent nights?

I don't remember our table number. We were against the back wall in Parrot Cay, in a corner in Animator's, and against a side window in Lumiere's.

I was surprised that we were never anywhere near the center of any dining room, but, in the end, it really didn't matter. Our servers were wonderful. And that's what really mattered.

 

[karebear1]

My DH and I are going on our first cruise next January. We are really looking forward to sharing a tbale with someone. Can we request that and request that our tabels be located somewhere in the middle of the Dining Room?

 

[MariettaC]

I agree with Princess49. We had a great table during our 7 night cruise last October. You can rest assured that if we are not happy with our location in June, we will ask to be moved. It's not about making a fuss, rather having a "magical" time through and through.

 

[rae519]

Originally posted by Princess49
fact that I'm a New Yorker through & thorough. Happy Cruising !!!

Oh yeah! We NATIVE NEW YORKERS do have that quality! Even if we are from way upstate!!!!!

If I am paying money for something, I want to be satisfied with what I am getting. And it takes A LOT for me to be unhappy with anything!!!

Rae

 

[markmyboy]

Except for our most recent trip on the Wonder, we always seem to get that table right behind a serving station on DCL!!

The worst table we ever had was on the Carnival pride. Their main dining room is two floors & there is a large opening on the second floor so that you can see down into the 1st level where they put on little shows with the waiters & a piano player....WELL our table was on the second floor , not in a corner, but in a little nook NEXT to a serving station. check out this deck plan,
http://www.carnival4me.com/Ships/PRIDE/carnival_cruises_pride_atlantic_deck.htm
all the way aft & left...the table with the two little circles next to ...that was us. We didn't complain because we had an awesome server & we were with our 7 month old & it was nice to have her in a slightly private location, but if we ever got a table like THAT again, we would be sure to get it changed!!

As bad as some of our tables were in the DCL dining rooms, we have yet to have one THAT bad.

 

[tkd lisa]

We actually had the same table on both of our cruises. It was right outside the kitchen in Parrot Cay, next to a post in Lumiere/Tritons, and against the wall in Animators Palate.

The only location we really couldn't stand was Parrot Cay. It was extremely noisy, and was directly below an air duct too. The first night, I had a migraine, and just couldn't stand the noise. We finished dinner, then asked the head server if there was any way we could sit at a different table in that restaurant only. Since it was a 7 day, we had 2 additional rotations in PC, as well as character breakfast. They worked it out where we bounced over to tables where people were at Palo's, so we never knew where we'd sit in PC, but at least it wasn't next to the kitchen. Most of the time, our servers stayed with us. That was their request, not ours, but it was nice.

If it's really making your dining experience uncomfortable, ask to move. As long as you're flexible, they should be able to find you someplace else to sit.

 

[kcashner]

First, you can make any request you want. In my experience, DCL will try to honor requests. If you are not happy with the table, do ask to be moved.

Secondly, there are lots of serving stations, so it is next to impossible not to be near/behind one of them.

The dining rooms are really too noisy....some sound absorbing materials in the ceilings or columns (or on the serving stations) would go a long way!

 

[Tonyspad]

Our table # stayed the same all three nights. And the location stunk equally. I did not even think to ask for a change in our table location because I did not think the tables would all be in a very bad location for the remaining two nights. Our servers were very nice to my family especially our assistant server by the name of Engleburt. So we just stuck it out, I did have my wife fill in the questionaire with our displeasure on the table location along with our stateroom #. Do they even read those things???

 

[Mickeyhugger]

What would be the solution then? Should DCL eliminate all of the 'undesirable' tables?

I posted last night too, that I didn't like the location of our table at AP, but what is the solution if every table in the dining room is full? Someone has to sit there.

We all pay good money for the cruise, but expecting 100% satisfaction w/every single aspect of your trip is unrealistic.

I would've preferred a better table at Animator's Palate and Parrot Cay, but I didn't want to risk splitting up w/our wonderful dining companions.

I think Disney works hard to please all of their passengers, and if there's a miraculous (sp?) way to please everyone w/the dining arrangements to where no one has to sit next to the door, against the wall, or where it's noisy, they'll accomodate them.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

What would be the solution then? Should DCL eliminate all of the 'undesirable' tables?

Yes, I think they should eliminate the undesirable tables and shouldn't have made any like that in the first place! How unfair for you to pay the same (or perhaps even more than!) others yet it's a "gamble" on whether or not you'll get suitable seating or end up in a horrible seating arrangement for all sitdown meals for 7 days! I'd be livid! Definitely not fair- especially since there's no rotating/moving.... you're stuck in that seating the entire cruise? Not fair at all..