Table mates or no?

[NewYorkcruiser]

We will be doing the late seating on the Fantasy next December. I plan on doing the dine and play some nights for the kids. I will have an 11 y/o boy and 6 y/o girl. If I don't request a table for just the four of us, will DCL try to assign table mates based on finding another family with kids in comparable age? I wouldn't mind having some other adults besides my DH to talk to.

 

[MUN]

We will be doing the late seating on the Fantasy next December. I plan on doing the dine and play some nights for the kids. I will have an 11 y/o boy and 6 y/o girl. If I don't request a table for just the four of us, will DCL try to assign table mates based on finding another family with kids in comparable age?

Probably

 

[monarchsfan16]

Most likely. We sailed last spring as a couple of 29 year olds and we were seated with 3 other couples all roughly the same age as us (+ or - 2 years). And we are not exactly Disney's target demographic and they pulled that off. We had a great time.

That being said, there are a lot of 4-tops, so if it's not a full sailing, you may be seated with just your family anyway.

 

[jrabbit]

none of us in my family are particularly outgoing, but we do enjoy dining with others on the cruise. Our family is usually with each other throughout the day, so having someone else to visit with who had different experiences is nice.

 

[kiford]

Most likely, although there are quite a few 4-top tables. We like meeting new people. On our 2013 Med cruise we were at an 8-top with two other couples and two brothers. We ended cruising in 2015 with one of the couples and the two brothers and there was another couple at our table who had cruised with the first couple a few years ago (and whom they also travel with on other vacations). We've all kept in touch. Both DH and I and the two brothers have gone to WDW several times with that first couple (they live in Florida) and we just cruised with them again in December. We are now planning a vacation with them in Hawaii this year. We ended up at the same table twice with the same couple (also Florida residents) whose company we really enjoyed and we also stay in touch at least 1-2 times per year by e-mail with another couple we met on our 2010 Med cruise. On our last cruise, because we were travelling with the people we'd previously cruised with and our rooms were linked, they put just the four of us together at a 4-top. It wasn't a particularly busy cruise so there were actually a lot of tables for 8 that had only 4-6 people at them. Had it been busier, we may have been at a table for more people which would have been fine too.

I'm not terribly outgoing but, for me, meeting people on a cruise is a lot of fun. We've often run into some of the same people at different activities or lunch and will spend time together or will just end up talking to random people on excursions, in the pool or other activities.

 

[RoseSanti]

Probably, I believe they try their best to make the best match to the kids ages. If no kids then those in the party. DH and I have sailed prior to DS and have been matched once to a table of 8 with married couples all around the same age (we were just newly married, coincidence? ). Next we were matched with a group of people around our same age a couple of girls who were sisters , and newly wed couple from Japan(there was a language barrier there).
When we sailed with DS they matched us with another family of three with a daughter the same age as our DS. After that We have decided to dine single family. Single family just fits our family of 3 better. More or less because DS gets to distracted to eat if there are other kids at the table. He tries hard to make friends even if they ignore him, or plays to much if they give him attention. Plus once DS goes to the Club it make it like an official date for DH and me. Which is something I love.

 

[Garyjames220]

I guess everyone looks at it different but on our first cruise we gave it a go meeting new people and hardly anyone said a word and the guy opposite me was on his phone most the night

So after that we asked for a table for two and always plan in doing it that way from now on

Besides with the work we both do I barely have time to have time with my partner for less new people lol

 

[lorimay]

I'm all about a table for just us.

 

[MrsSmalls]

how do you request a table alone? We have 5 people in our family.

 

[MickeyEarrings]

I think dining with another family teaches kids to interact with others, put down their darned phones, try new foods, and make a friend. I'm all for dining with others.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

My experience seems different than all the others, on our 4 Disney cruises we've never requested to sit alone, but our family of 4 has always had a table to ourselves.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

We have met fabulous people, some nice people and some that didn't even try to chat. We have sat alone and with others. I don't know-when you click with someone a really good time becomes even better. When the other family just doesn't even try, it is ok, not a deal breaker-won't spoil my good time. Thankfully we have never had anyone who has been rude, although from these boards, I have read, it can happen.

 

[cutigress]

Disney paired us up PERFECTLY on our Christmas cruise. Both families had a 9 year old girl, and we even had 2 of the same 3 excursions. They became the best of friends for the entire week, both on and off the ship.

 

[JenPinks]

My preference is to sit alone. I don't really care to sit with people I have never met and eat dinner. Just me. With that being said, I wonder if they will let me request for a family of 3. We had 4 our last cruise and we got our own table.

 

[My2Qtz0205]

3 cruises. The first and most recent cruise my family of 4 had our own table. When we cruised on the Dream, I had to go to the restaurant on board the first day and asked to be moved to Main dining. They told me that was no problem, but we would be seated with another family. I ended up enjoying it, and my kids got to meet a couple of other kids around their ages.

 

[missyp]

Keep in mind they will match the kids up, not necessarily the adults. We have had some good and some bad experiences.

 

[tigger2002]

I think dining with another family teaches kids to interact with others, put down their darned phones, try new foods, and make a friend. I'm all for dining with others.

Exactly. We were seated with a family from China and had a wonderful time. There was a language barrier, they spoke some English and we did not speak any Chinese, but had a very good and educational time.

 

[n2mm]

Keep in mind you can request a table to yourself but don't always get it. I got the request to our own table when celebrating my birthday, but my last two cruises we requested a table for just the two of us and didn't get it either time. We were put with another couple. It worked out fine. We leave next month and we didn't even make a request this time, so assume we will be sharing again.

 

[bobbiwoz]

how do you request a table alone? We have 5 people in our family.

Ask DCL directly or through your travel agent.

 

[anricat]

On our first cruise, we were at a table with another family with a 5 year old girl (my daughter was 6 at the time). They didn't hit it off (despite my daughter's best efforts).

On our second cruise, we sat with another family that we met through a cruise meet group. We hadn't originally intended to sit with them, but we ran into them on embarkation day and I recognized the mom from the group and we started chatting and our girls (DD7 at this point and their DD was also 7) went down the Twist N Spout slide approximately 8,000 times together and we went down to where dining changes are made and they got us a table together. It was great.

On our third cruise (DD was 8), we left it to DCL. At embarkation, I went down to where dining changes are made and asked them who we were seated with (just ages, not specifically who) and we were paired with another family with an 8 year old. Again the girls hit it off and became great friends. They played together so much during the week. It was fantastic.

For this upcoming cruise, my plan is to again go to where dining changes are made and ensure that we're seating with a family with a child similar in age to my DD. If we aren't, then I'll see if we can get a table alone.