Seating My Party of 26?

[grammie12]

We will be on the Fantasy next June with our large family of 26. We want to make a seating chart ahead of time, so when we get in the dining room, we’ll know who’s sitting where. I was hoping someone could tell me how the tables will be set up for our group?

 

[JWelch62]

I'm not sure that is completely knowable. You will be seated by room, and if you have your reservations linked you may get two rooms at the same table. But other than that, I don't think you can know where everyone will be. You could even be at opposite ends of the restaurant. I have never seen, or determined, how DCL assigns tables.

I have heard that the very large tables have been removed. But that may just be a COVID thing.

 

[tvguy]

I think even before covid they would have had to split your group up. I don't recall the exact limit per server team, but I am almost certain it was less than 26.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I think even before covid they would have had to split your group up. I don't recall the exact limit per server team, but I am almost certain it was less than 26.

Pre-COVID, typically each serving team served a 4 top, a 6 top, and an 8 top. With some minor variations if there were large groups that wanted to be seated together.

 

[tvguy]

Pre-COVID, typically each serving team served a 4 top, a 6 top, and an 8 top. With some minor variations if there were large groups that wanted to be seated together.

That sounds about right to what I recall.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

That sounds about right to what I recall.

If I were in a large group, I'd ask for tables no larger than 8 tops. When you get to 10 and over, you basically can only talk to the people on either side of you, since it's typically so noisy in the MDRs anyway.

In a larger group, with separate tables, they could rotate around (make up their own configurations) and be able to talk to others during the the time of the cruise.

 

[Tired mom of 3 boys]

We've had tables as large as 14-15 on the Wonder and Magic. I think that our largest table on the Fantasy was 12....

 

[MickeySwirl]

We did a group of 15 on the Wonder. It was a really long table, so you really only spoke to the people nearest you as @PrincessShmoo mentioned.

I think it will depend on what the Covid protocols are as well. We just got off the Wonder this past weekend and the tables were spaced far apart.

 

[Intr3pid]

We had a table of 16 on Wonder and were seated pretty much in the front center of the room with all else arranged around our long table. This was in Alaska before COVID.

If your party has kids and adults who can re-group within the larger group, there are a couple of perks of a big table.

We were assigned some of their most experienced servers, and the chef would offer to make a special dish or two every now and then. The characters would also spend more time at the table. The head server would drop by often. Very well organized the whole thing and we tipped well.

 

[grammie12]

Thank you all so much for the insight! I guess it’s likely just a guess at this point depending on what they do with Covid. I’m thinking there’s no way we can actually plan a seating chart for us all ahead of time. We’ll just have to decide each night who wants to sit with who!

 

[Geomom]

I would contact DCL when the cruise is closer, maybe 30 days out? In general people will be placed with whoever else is in their room, especially now with Covid protocols. Each person's account will have them assigned a table number, so it won't be that easy to just switch up seating the day of, especially if you have multiple serving teams.