Seating for Dining

[Tawnyafitz]

I will be traveling with my best friend for a cruise in October. It will be just the two of us. Will be seated with other couples? I would prefer not to be if possible. Thanks!

 

[clten]

Chances are that you will be unless you have your reservation noted that you would prefer a private table. The request is just that -- a request. They will not guarantee that you will have no one else at your table (smallest table is a table for 4) but they usually try to honor requests when they can. If you are late dining, it usually helps in getting this request honored.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I will be traveling with my best friend for a cruise in October. It will be just the two of us. Will be seated with other couples? I would prefer not to be if possible. Thanks!

Call DCL and have the request to be seated alone placed on your reservation. They might give you the whole "it's only a request, yada, yada, yada....", but just agree and ask for the request to be put there.

Most cases the request is honored. Sometimes not.

 

[Dug720]

Traditionally cruise seating is with others.

You can request a table to yourselves, but it is only a request and is not a guarantee. There are only so many small tables and there is only so much space available in the dining rooms. The tables tend to be pretty close together anyway - probably in some cases because tables intended to be pushed together have been separated to accommodate as many people who want to eat "alone" as possible. I'm talking waiters could not even walk between some of the tables in the section of Royal Palace on the Dream close.

 

[AU Dre]

Glad you asked that reminded me to email our travel agent to request the separate seating as well. We did that on the last cruise and enjoyed it. Made it easier for us to eat at our own pace and not have to wait for another family at our table.

 

[jubjubrsx]

typically you'll be in a group sometimes with just one other couple sometimes you'll get 3 others (tables are meant for 4 or 8)

first cruise me and the wife had a 8person table
second we had a 4 person (people were great)
third we had an 8 person table, but I guess 2 of the couples didnt like us so left and the other couple we ended up becoming good friends (facebook friends even)

so I guess I'm saying why not meet new people?

 

[DisneySunPrincess]

typically you'll be in a group sometimes with just one other couple sometimes you'll get 3 others (tables are meant for 4 or 8)

first cruise me and the wife had a 8person table
second we had a 4 person (people were great)
third we had an 8 person table, but I guess 2 of the couples didnt like us so left and the other couple we ended up becoming good friends (facebook friends even)

so I guess I'm saying why not meet new people?

Is it really always 4 or 8? When I sailed on the Magic last year, we were a family of 6, me, DH, DS, DD, and my parents. We were the only 6 at our table and there was not room for two more. Maybe it was because I was on one of the classic ships, but we always had a 6 seat table.

 

[Dug720]

Is it really always 4 or 8? When I sailed on the Magic last year, we were a family of 6, me, DH, DS, DD, and my parents. We were the only 6 at our table and there was not room for two more. Maybe it was because I was on one of the classic ships, but we always had a 6 seat table.

My guess - and it is only that - is that it was an 8-top but they just removed 2 of the chairs to spread things a little since they seem to try (at least with families) to match up demographics in terms of ages of kids and family make-up. They probably felt it would be awkward for a single parent to be put at a table with a family of 6.

Again, just a guess.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Is it really always 4 or 8? When I sailed on the Magic last year, we were a family of 6, me, DH, DS, DD, and my parents. We were the only 6 at our table and there was not room for two more. Maybe it was because I was on one of the classic ships, but we always had a 6 seat table.

Each service team serves a 4 top, a 6 top and and 8 top. There may be a few variations, if parties require moving tables together. As a couple we've been seated at 4 tops with one other couple, 6 tops with two other couples, and 8 tops with 3 other couples. We've never been seated alone (but we've never asked for it).

When there were 5 or 6 of us, we've always been seated at our own 6 top table.

 

[DisneySunPrincess]

Each service team serves a 4 top, a 6 top and and 8 top. There may be a few variations, if parties require moving tables together. As a couple we've been seated at 4 tops with one other couple, 6 tops with two other couples, and 8 tops with 3 other couples. We've never been seated alone (but we've never asked for it).

When there were 5 or 6 of us, we've always been seated at our own 6 top table.

PrincessShmoo, you have all the answers! LOVE YA FOR THAT! LOL That makes sense. Not that I mind sharing a table with people, but when we are a family of 6, which we usually are, I would think a couple would feel out of place.

 

[wilkeliza]

Each service team serves a 4 top, a 6 top and and 8 top. There may be a few variations, if parties require moving tables together. As a couple we've been seated at 4 tops with one other couple, 6 tops with two other couples, and 8 tops with 3 other couples. We've never been seated alone (but we've never asked for it).

When there were 5 or 6 of us, we've always been seated at our own 6 top table.

Oh how I wish we would have been sat alone with our 5. We usually love sitting with others and have been on a cruise with a 6 top so 2 other couples and then a 4 top where the other couple never showed. So on our 3rd and engagement cruise we didn't think to ask because heck we didn't know 8 tops were a standard we thought they just pushed two 4 tops together if 8 was needed. Low and behold we got 8 with the most awkward group I've ever experienced. Our group of 5 still talks about it over a year and a half later. Every night they would sit on the same side of the table. So half the time our group couldn't even talk to each other if we wanted to. It would have been one thing if we meshed with the older couple and their daughter but later 20s sitting with over 60 crowd and it was hard to pull at conversation. They weren't even Disney fans! That is the only thing I wish I could change about that trip is that we would have asked to move. It now just is a great laugh when ever anyone brings up that cruise.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

PrincessShmoo, you have all the answers! LOVE YA FOR THAT! LOL That makes sense. Not that I mind sharing a table with people, but when we are a family of 6, which we usually are, I would think a couple would feel out of place.

I will point out that once, when we were a party of 3, we were seated at an 8 top with a party of 5.

While, in theory, the seating works out for the most part (being seated with other parties of the same make up as yours), there are times when the "fit" isn't quite as good, and some randomness does occur.

 

[JW9DVC]

I will point out that once, when we were a party of 3, we were seated at an 8 top with a party of 5.

While, in theory, the seating works out for the most part (being seated with other parties of the same make up as yours), there are times when the "fit" isn't quite as good, and some randomness does occur.

I find it weird when the group always decides on how it should go, I prefer to sit next to my family or across, did they give you two seats across and two next to each other? Or was it all in a row of three? Leaving the people on the ends having to talk through the middle person?


Just Wondering

 

[Scrappysquirrel]

Call and request a table for just the 2 of you. Once you get on the ship, go to the restaurant where dining changes are being made to see if the request was honored. My husband and I aren't antisocial, but we recently cruised to celebrate our 20th anniversary and weren't interested in dining with others. We were very excited to learn that our request for a private table (late seating) had been honored. We had so much fun! I'm glad we didn't have to make small talk with others over dinner.

 

[n2mm]

We requested a table for 2 our last two cruises this year, but it was NOT granted and we were seated with another couple. They were fine. Last year we requested a table to ourselves (celebrating a milestone birthday) and it was granted. It really depends on ship and which seating you have. In February we had a late seating, but our requested was not granted. We were on the Magic and it was not crowded, so was surprised. We did not see any tables seating two on that cruise. Maybe because we were on a smaller ship. On the Fantasy last September we did have a table for two, but again, it was a celebration cruise too for us, so maybe that's the reason. When we cruise with 6, we've always been kept at the 6 party.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I find it weird when the group always decides on how it should go, I prefer to sit next to my family or across, did they give you two seats across and two next to each other? Or was it all in a row of three? Leaving the people on the ends having to talk through the middle person?


Just Wondering

Well, we were usually the first ones there. And we've always established the first night that we like to move around the table, giving everyone a different view every night. The time we were 3, we usually sat two across from each other and one next to one of those at one end or the other of the table. Mostly because one of the party of 5 was a high chair and the servers would set it up on one end of the table or the other (different sides), each evening. But we still would be in different seats every night.

I think we've only had one cruise in all the cruises we've take (DCL or otherwise) that we actually sat in the same seats every night of the cruise. And that was at at 4 top with another couple. They preferred to sit next to each other all the time on the same side of the table.