Requesting a separate dining table dilemm

[n2mm]

I have requested a table to ourselves and have sometimes gotten them and sometimes not! It is just a request. We had good tablemates when we have not gotten a request.

 

[kamgen]

We have cruised and NOT asked for our own table, and they still put us alone. We are a family of 4. We thought we would for sure be with other people.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We have cruised and NOT asked for our own table, and they still put us alone. We are a family of 4. We thought we would for sure be with other people.

You can always request to be seated with others. One question - were you sailing Concierge? The default seating for Concierge is to be seated alone.

Everytime there were only 2 of us, we were seated with others - sometimes at at 4 top, other times at 8 tops. When there were 5 of us we had our own table. When we were a party of 3 we were seated with a party of 5 at an 8 top table.

 

[anricat]

How many people are in your family? There are tables for two, four, and I believe 8, but maybe ten.
If you are any number other than these you will most likely be seated with other passengers.

There are also 6 person tables. Our family of three with a DD age 7 was seating with another family of three with DD age 7.

 

[anricat]

Thank you so much for all the wonderful replies. They've been really helpful and I'm now convinced that dining alone as a family will be preferential for us and I'm also more confident that it won't look strange or anti-social.
So I'll put in a request to DCL and we'll have a wonderful time whether or not they are able to grant it!
X

It's also possible to change tables! On our last cruise, our DD met another little girl the same age on embarkation afternoon. The girls were FAST friends at the pool - going down the slide together and playing together. At one point the mom excused herself to head down to where they were making dining changes because they had requested second seating and were somehow assigned main seating. We also had second seating and I asked if we might want to see if we could be seated together. We went to Lumiere's (we were on the Magic) and asked and it was no problem and they put us at a table of 6. The other family was very nice and we had a great time each evening speaking with the adults and the girls had so much fun. We're still friends on Facebook.

So, you never know. If you find your kids are hitting it off with some other kids the first day, you might be able to request a table with them.

 

[Vijoge]

There are also 6 person tables. Our family of three with a DD age 7 was seating with another family of three with DD age 7.

Yeah, I wasn't sure of the sizes. Just that unless your family fills a table there will likely be others seated with you.

 

[phinz]

We are Concierge again in November, so we are of course defaulted to our own table, but we're wondering if we should request to be seated with others since my father is coming with us and he enjoys meeting other people. He's charming, gracious and downright lovable (when you're not his son who made him angry. ) and might enjoy the interaction.

I guess I should just ask him.

 

[peachypie]

Sorry if this is a dumb question but, how does one put in a request for a private table?

 

[cruisehopeful]

Sorry if this is a dumb question but, how does one put in a request for a private table?

It's easy. If you use a TA, they will put in the request. If you booked direct through DCL, you call and put in the request. They say they cannot guarantee it. It's not big deal. When you get on board, go to wherever the dining changes are taking place (should be inside one of the restaurants, it will be listed on the navigator) and ask them to check on your request.

 

[peachypie]

It's easy. If you use a TA, they will put in the request. If you booked direct through DCL, you call and put in the request. They say they cannot guarantee it. It's not big deal. When you get on board, go to wherever the dining changes are taking place (should be inside one of the restaurants, it will be listed on the navigator) and ask them to check on your request.

Thank You!

 

[Twilight Terror]

I am thinking of doing this. We are a group of three adults (mum & daughters), and on our last cruise we were seated with another party of three female adults. I can see where DCL where going with their pairing of our two parties, especially when we had working for Disney in common. However, that was where our similarities ended. It was not a good mix at all. We had issues with our server, and they dealt with the situation in a very different way to us... Long story short they ended up elsewhere and we remained where we were with a different server. So the rest of the time we were on our own table, and that worked much better for us, especially as we have dietary requirements.

My question is: when I phone to request our own table, can I:
1) request that it only be us (no single cruisers)
2) log our dietary requirements
3) request which dining room to start in (so we avoid a repeat of the one room we definitely don't like)

Or does each of these require a different telephone number and person to talk to? Thanks!

 

[disneyholic family]

Hi, currently wondering whether or not to request a separate table in the dining rooms for our upcoming cruise - we just can't decide what to do for the best!
On one hand we are very happy as a family spending time just us together. We love each other's company and have fun. We are also a bit shy and have to make an effort with conversation, we aren't naturally chatty types.
On the other hand we would love it if our children made friends in the trip and it seems likely we would get seated with other families with children. I also feel that we make look anti-social and a bit aloof if we are sitting alone.
So then I think that maybe it would be for the best to share a table....but then I remember reading about nightmare table mates!
My thoughts are going round in circles- should I put in a request to be seated alone or not???

we have always preferred eating just with the family..
we go on vacation to be together, not with strangers (who can be very strange indeed....as we probably seem to them)..
as for kids making friends, our kids made friends in the teen club...

 

[disneyholic family]

I am thinking of doing this. We are a group of three adults (mum & daughters), and on our last cruise we were seated with another party of three female adults. I can see where DCL where going with their pairing of our two parties, especially when we had working for Disney in common. However, that was where our similarities ended. It was not a good mix at all. We had issues with our server, and they dealt with the situation in a very different way to us... Long story short they ended up elsewhere and we remained where we were with a different server. So the rest of the time we were on our own table, and that worked much better for us, especially as we have dietary requirements.

My question is: when I phone to request our own table, can I:
1) request that it only be us (no single cruisers)
2) log our dietary requirements
3) request which dining room to start in (so we avoid a repeat of the one room we definitely don't like)

Or does each of these require a different telephone number and person to talk to? Thanks!

for dietary requirements, read the FAQ on the DCL website - it has the phone numbers to call (depending on your situation - allergies, sensitivities, vegan, vegetarian, kosher, etc.)
https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/faq/dining-food-beverages/dietary-requests-allergies/

..

 

[RedSox68]

It really is up to you what experience you want to try. We did the sitting with others our first four cruises and then started asking for a table alone for the three of us. Only once did they not give it to us, but it was remedied by the second night. We have 50/50 as far as good and bad experiences. Now that my daughter is older and likes to do her own thing during the day aboard, we like dinner time to catch up and just be together and aren't interested in meeting other people or trying to get to know someone. We don't even like the family style dining at Lancaster Amish restaurants because they seat you at tables of eight!

Heck, we just sailed in 2014 with (what we thought) were two good friends that happened to book the same cruise -- so we linked dining. They made our dining experience a nightmare each night with their demands to the waiters and tantrums about things not being brought quick enough. That just cemented the fact that never again with anyone else -- friends or strangers!

 

[sambycat]

Just go. Don't request anything. See what happens!

 

[VFG]

We are a family of 3 and I requested our own table due to my son's allergies and we were seating with another family of 3. They had a daughter who was similar in age to my son. This is just a reminder that it is only a request.

 

[2Bnºoºt2B]

We've always had a good experience with dining at large tables ... meeting new people and sharing experiences is always a hoot. But we've also enjoyed dining by "ourselves" - still made friends with parties on each side of us - you just can't get away from meeting people on a cruise . If the chemistry is not there which you can pretty well tell after the first night, then there is no problem in requesting a table change. We had one cruise where we and the others at our large table noticed these two young ladies sitting with an elderly group of individuals not exactly having "fun". So we invited them to join our table ... no hard feelings from the other table and voila - we all had a great time. Just go with what you feel comfortable with ...

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I am thinking of doing this. We are a group of three adults (mum & daughters), and on our last cruise we were seated with another party of three female adults. I can see where DCL where going with their pairing of our two parties, especially when we had working for Disney in common. However, that was where our similarities ended. It was not a good mix at all. We had issues with our server, and they dealt with the situation in a very different way to us... Long story short they ended up elsewhere and we remained where we were with a different server. So the rest of the time we were on our own table, and that worked much better for us, especially as we have dietary requirements.

My question is: when I phone to request our own table, can I:
1) request that it only be us (no single cruisers)
2) log our dietary requirements
3) request which dining room to start in (so we avoid a repeat of the one room we definitely don't like)

Or does each of these require a different telephone number and person to talk to? Thanks!

The dietary requirements are something separate. You contact the special services department, I think.

As to the others, you can certainly make the request at the same time/place. Call DCL and have the requests placed on your reservation.

I'd like to ask why don't you like one dining room? Is it the menu? If so, the menu is different each time you are in that dining room. You'll always get the Signature menu ( typically the first time you are in any given dining room), but subsequent nights, the same menu is served in all dining rooms (for example - Prince & Princess, Captain's Gala, or Till We Meet Again).

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

On our 12 night cruise last week the Signature menus started on night three.