Private Table

[Lilsia]

We have always shared a table with another family or 2. They pair you up with similar aged kids, etc. Some people we spoke with more often and some we just greeted and we each enjoyed our own meals. It is never awkward and you can decide if you want to converse with the others or not. When I go solo I just bring my nook to read while eating in case the conversation does not flow.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We have always shared a table with another family or 2. They pair you up with similar aged kids, etc. Some people we spoke with more often and some we just greeted and we each enjoyed our own meals. It is never awkward and you can decide if you want to converse with the others or not. When I go solo I just bring my nook to read while eating in case the conversation does not flow.

Dining changes can be set up in different places. Most of the time it's in the same place, but (for whatever reason) it can change. Where/when this is will be noted in the Navigator you get in the terminal when you check in.

 

[Lilsia]

Dining changes can be set up in different places. Most of the time it's in the same place, but (for whatever reason) it can change. Where/when this is will be noted in the Navigator you get in the terminal when you check in.

Oh, I know. But I am happy where ever I am. Unless the people that I am sat with are completely outrageous and gross, then I am not going to bother Disney staff with moving me. I am there to eat, as long as I can do that then I don't care what my table mates do.

 

[cloud7cruise]

It is good that I found this thread. It will be our first time traveling on Disney Cruise later this year. We don't talk much even with each other so having stranger at the table will be super awkward. I will be calling my TA to put in a request for a private table. Hopefully the request will be granted.

 

[3minis]

But to be sure on embarkation day we always go and verify we have the table we want after lunch. It is worth standing on line to make sure.

Where do you go on the ship to see what table you have?

 

[doublesided]

glad I saw this thread, requested our private table. We are fast eaters, prefer to just get it done and move on. Plus we have severe treenut allergies and we would not sit with anyone eating Nutella or open treenuts right next to us. Glad we have an option!

 

[laceltris3]

glad I saw this thread, requested our private table. We are fast eaters, prefer to just get it done and move on. Plus we have severe treenut allergies and we would not sit with anyone eating Nutella or open treenuts right next to us. Glad we have an option!

I wanted to point out that you should make sure that DCL knows about your allergies in advance. We have always requested a private table, mainly due to my youngest son's food allergies (peanut, tree nut and sesame), and it has always been granted.

 

[Angie_T]

I’m a newbie. My first DCL Cruise will be in June. My TA said that Disney does not combine families and we will be able to have our own table for my family of 5 without having to make a special request. Is this bad info? If so, how do I make such a request?

this is absolutely not true. We are a family of 5 and we were seated with a family of 3 on our most recent cruise. While we were wondering at first what we could ever have in common, we ended up getting along quite well and even hanging out on a couple of excursions. Also, it was nice to have someone else to talk to after a frustrating day with the kids...LOL

 

[Angie_T]

Where do you go on the ship to see what table you have?

Your table number and dining rotation are printed on your KTTW card.

 

[anjuan]

For two of our cruises it has been just my daughter any myself. For the first cruise we were seated with another mom and her daughter around the same age. The girls actually ended up hanging out for some of the cruise. For the other cruise we were seated with a family of 3 and my daughter ended up doing the 5k with the other girl. So it has been a pretty good experience for us having table mates!

 

[su_A_ve]

Pretty much any conversation has to go through the TA.

Actually, DCL is very accommodating to note down requests directly, even if you booked with a TA. You can call them for almost anything (not like WDW CRO). The only thing they can't do is any modifications where monies are involved. We always use a TA (for the extra benefits/OBC/cash cards) but I'm always calling DCL directly for birthday/anniversaries or table requests. I've even have them give them actual pricing for category changes, specially prior to PIF, which prices already went up. Some TAs would give you the price based on the current rates, when they should attempt to make the change in stateroom and able to see the actual price difference. DCL did that for me when a TA (long ago) wouldn't (didn't know how to) do it.

 

[su_A_ve]

I’m a newbie. My first DCL Cruise will be in June. My TA said that Disney does not combine families and we will be able to have our own table for my family of 5 without having to make a special request. Is this bad info? If so, how do I make such a request?

They have 2/4/6/8/12 tops - not sure if they make bigger than that. And for 1st seating, it is possible you get assigned a family of 3 on an 8-top. Note that in general, they do try to match the kids ages so there is something for them in common.

Be sure to put in a request, if you want to sit on your own. But if it's for 1st seating, it may be harder to accommodate.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Your table number and dining rotation are printed on your KTTW card.

How can you tell if you are with another family by table number?

 

[Dug720]

How can you tell if you are with another family by table number?

You can't. You find out when you get there the first night.

 

[Marc D]

How can you tell if you are with another family by table number?

You can’t. If you do not want to wait until diner time to find out, you can go check when you board. There are head waiters available in a dining room (or sometimes a lounge) that can inform you of your table composition and some details about your table mates.

 

[Bonnie1222]

Where do you go on the ship to see what table you have?

Last cruise on embarkation day right after lunch I went to Royal court and waited on line to confirm it was a table for 2. I just read a recent Navigator and it said it was Animator's palette now. Just check the navigator you receive when you check in at the port for where to Change Dining Assignment.

 

[Marc D]

Last cruise on embarkation day right after lunch I went to Royal court and waited on line to confirm it was a table for 2. I just read a recent Navigator and it said it was Animator's palette now. Just check the navigator you receive when you check in at the port for where to Change Dining Assignment.

A few years ago, it was in the Promenade Lounge, then they moved it to the central dining room. They probably had to move to AP since they started doing an embarkation lunch for Concierge guests in that MDR on the entire fleet.

 

[lizzyb]

We always request our own table and have always been accommodated.

 

[lovingeire]

We have a group of 8 for my parent's anniversary so I requested our own table. I'm not opposed to table mates, but my mom has requested that the one thing we do together each day is dinner so I'd like us to be able to focus on hanging out then. I'm sure we'll see them plenty of other times, but with the kids club and our oldest being a teenager I'm sure the kids will be coming and going too so dinner is an important part of the experience together for us.

 

[Lilsia]

We have a group of 8 for my parent's anniversary so I requested our own table. I'm not opposed to table mates, but my mom has requested that the one thing we do together each day is dinner so I'd like us to be able to focus on hanging out then. I'm sure we'll see them plenty of other times, but with the kids club and our oldest being a teenager I'm sure the kids will be coming and going too so dinner is an important part of the experience together for us.

I can completely see a larger family like yours having their own table with no problems, especially since a lot of the tables seat 8. I think it would be much much harder to seat a bunch of smaller families all at their own tables at first seating on the busier cruises. After all the dining rooms are not set up like that.