Second dining time, advantage or not?

[Kwami]

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

That's not always true. On my most recent cruise aboard the Treasure, the tables were very close together and the guy at the table next to ours never stopped complaining about it. But on the cruise before that one, aboard the Wish, we had a fantastically private table for two! There weren't any other tables right next to ours in any of the restaurants and we had a great view of the stage for the Frozen dinner show.

Besides, there's more to a private table than just space. I don't want to share my bread with forced tablemates. I don't want to have to order and eat on their schedule. I don't want to talk to them. A private table, even if it's right next to another table, prevents those things from happening.

 

[NAB]

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?

It’s the new ships that the tables are really close . Wish, Treasure and Destiny.

 

[SL6827]

It’s the new ships that the tables are really close . Wish, Treasure and Destiny.

That was what I was thinking.

 

[Kwami]

It’s the new ships that the tables are really close . Wish, Treasure and Destiny.

The closest private table that I ever had was on the Treasure a few weeks ago. The second closest was on the Magic.

 

[SL6827]

Sounds like Disney had no regards for the guest and cut the main dining rooms short on the newest ships to make room for something they deemed more profitable?

 

[Kwami]

Sounds like Disney had no regards for the guest and cut the main dining rooms short on the newest ships to make room for something they deemed more profitable?

I don't think so. The restaurants on the Wish seem just as big as the restaurants on the Dream. If the tables are closer together (and they aren't always), then it's probably because of the show stage and higher crowd levels.

I previously wrote that the second most crowded dinner seating I was part of occurred on the Magic. That was on a repositioning cruise from NYC to San Juan. The ship was just over half full, so they combined the two dinner seatings into a single seating at 6:30. That meant very crowded tables. Ours didn't even have the usual table number decorations because they had to make up new table numbers!

Besides, I'm not sure what you think they're making money from instead of more restaurant space. The layout of the newer ships is totally different, but the restaurants are pretty much still in the same place as before. The only change is that there's a restaurant on deck 5 instead of on deck 2 because they moved the (free!) kids clubs.

 

[SL6827]

I don't think so. The restaurants on the Wish seem just as big as the restaurants on the Dream. If the tables are closer together (and they aren't always), then it's probably because of the show stage and higher crowd levels.

I previously wrote that the second most crowded dinner seating I was part of occurred on the Magic. That was on a repositioning cruise from NYC to San Juan. The ship was just over half full, so they combined the two dinner seatings into a single seating at 6:30. That meant very crowded tables. Ours didn't even have the usual table number decorations because they had to make up new table numbers!

Besides, I'm not sure what you think they're making money from instead of more restaurant space. The layout of the newer ships is totally different, but the restaurants are pretty much still in the same place as before. The only change is that there's a restaurant on deck 5 instead of on deck 2 because they moved the (free!) kids clubs.

I just haven't heard of this complaint with DCL until these newest ships have come on board. How many more passengers do these ships carry verses the Dream and Fantasy? I was thinking it wasn't a huge difference? I just figured they might have crammed more people in a smaller space to make way for an extra bar or sorts.

 

[Goofy1932]

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?

Yes. We went on the Wish last month and had 8:15 dining. We went to Luna to see about a private table and were told that it was already granted. Everyone I have spoken to says that you have a much higher chance of a private table with late dining.