Second dining time, advantage or not?

[SL6827]

Do you stand a higher chance of getting a table to yourself with second seating verses first seating if you are a smaller party say of four?

 

[Annabell]

Not sure about the chances but we are a party of four and we usually do first seating. We have always been given a table for ourselves when requested.

 

[DCL58]

We have been on multiple cruises where people were moved to second dining to get a private table. We have second dining every cruise and always get a private table. Even on sold out cruises.

 

[bbn1122]

I have always done 2nd Dining and of 11 cruise only twice I could not get a private table.

I love 2nd seating, it gives you so much more time during the day. No rush to shower and get ready for dinner. More time for fun.

It is also great for riding Aqua Duck or Mouse. You go during 1st seating.

 

[sponica]

I don't remember if I requested a private table on my last cruise, but we were a party of 4 and had our own table....although the tables were so close we might as well have been a table of 12 with the 2 4 tops next to us.

 

[SL6827]

I don't remember if I requested a private table on my last cruise, but we were a party of 4 and had our own table....although the tables were so close we might as well have been a table of 12 with the 2 4 tops next to us.

Oh lawd!!!

 

[MinnesotaDisneyFan]

I think getting a private table at second dining is getting harder to get as it has become a "hack" that almost everyone has caught on to. But still more likely than first dining. Except on one cruise we were on when we found out that early dining had private table availability after we had been denied a private table at late dining. While this was probably an anomaly I always tell people to make sure you make it clear you are willing to go to either dining time when double checking on-board about a private table (if you are willing to go to either dining).

 

[vakamalua]

The tables on DCL are so close together, they might as well be family style! “Private” is a gross exaggeration…

 

[Makdex71]

I requested a private table for our trip on the Treasure last week and got it. Most of the tables were private tables that I could tell around us. However we do usually prefer the 2nd sitting as there are less kids and closer to our Pacific Time Zone dinner time. Also cant pass up later afternoon meals while all the food places are still open on deck.

 

[Skittlesmom]

Second seating is your best bet for a private table. More families prefer an early seating, so they can get kids to bed or watch a performance after dinner. We prefer an earlier dinner seating, so we don't eat too late and have the evening for ourselves. So far, we haven't had issues with getting a private table, but I assume second seating would have better odds.

 

[SL6827]

I am really reconsidering 2nd dining now. It might just be better for us on the Fantasy. Ill just wait and see if I get off the 1st dining waitlist.

 

[Joanna71985]

I sailed solo in Feb, and I was able to get a private table

 

[brandtb]

We have always done the second seating and all six times we got a private table whether it has been just my wife and me, or with our son joining us (college kid). As others have said, sometimes the tables are so close together that it doesn't always feel private.

We find that there are fewer small children at the second sitting as many families want the first seating so that they can get their kids to bed. Your mileage may vary.

 

[MinnesotaDisneyFan]

I think one data point that is missing that complicates this is how full a sailing is. I’m a teacher and always sail during the most peak, holiday times. Other than one cruise after the Covid resume, I don’t think I’ve ever sailed on a Disney cruise that wasn’t at-capacity. And consequently I have found it more and more difficulty to get a private table.

I usually travel as a party of 2, which I feel is the most likely to need to request a private table as larger parties usually would get their own tables regardless of request. BUT, I have friends who are a family of 5 who got seated with another family at a large table. So no matter your party size it seems you’re always potentially going to be grouped with others.

And I 100% agree about how close the tables are together. But even a table an inch apart from another table at least feels slightly more private.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

We've had 4 cruises, 3 were late seating, we got a private table for 4 on all trips - both early and late seatings. Of the 3 cruises with late dining, 2 were definitely full cruises at spring break, and one was late April/early May and not full. Our early seating cruise was in February and also not full.

 

[jimmymc]

Usually second seating is less crowded and gives your table requests a better chance. Mediterranean and some Alaska cruises see more demand for late, but most cruisers request early.

 

[71 Truck]

Of the fourteen cruises we have done most have been in the slower season.
With that said we have always done the second seating and have always gotten a table for two, of course there are no guarantees.

My guess it also depend on how full the ship is.

I have heard most people will try to get the first seating for dinner making it more crowded.

 

[SL6827]

I can't remember the tables being that crowded on the Dream, but we were a party of seven then so we had our own table. Is the tables being so close an issue on all the ships?

 

[tvguy]

We were a party of four and had late seating and did NOT request a private table but got one. Our kids were kind of disappointed as they liked interacting with others at dinner on the cruise.
We are always late seating folks. We were West Coasters on an East Coast time zone cruise and we never really switched time zones. So 8:30 pm second seating was really 5:30 pm for us, and with two kids active in after school sports, that was eating early for us. During the school year we were rarely even home to start fixing dinner until at least 7 pm. Kids got out of school at 3 pm, sports usually started at 3:30 pm so the trip from school to sports usually included changing clothing in the car and having a granola bar as a snack.
Back to our Disney cruise, some how all our excursions were late morning or Noonish, so we were asleep 1 am to 9 am, had breakfast, did our excursion, had lunch about 3 pm, and dinner at 830 pm. Only exception was the morning that some parents allowed their kids to be running and screaming in the hall at 5:45 am on a SEA DAY! Don't get me started.

 

[brandtb]

When we travel as a couple or bring our college-age son, we always prefer the second seating for dinner. We've never had a problem getting a private table for the two or three of us, depending on the cruise. We have the perception (and probably a lot of truth) that you will get fewer families with small kids as they generally prefer the earlier sitting so they can pack off the little ones to bed. That doesn't mean small kids aren't there...just fewer of them.

It never hurts to make your requests. Ask for your private tables, preferred dining rotations, and even a preferred waiting staff. The worst that they can say is "no" and you're still going to get great service and great food. Ask for them ahead of time, and then ask again when you get to the port and check in.