Table mates

[PrincessShmoo]

Some of the factors that DCL probably uses are birthdates (which you supply when you book), family make-up (how many adult/kids in each group), and the info that people supply as to celebrations onboard (anniversary, wedding, birthdays, etc).

 

[cleophus12]

We have always had good luck with tablemates. But I will say the option of speciality restaurants has made a difference in recent years. Some nights we may wind up at the table alone while others are dining elsewhere. Usually, someone will let us know if they aren't going to show or will tell the waiter at the very least. Still, it's no fun to show up to a table for 8 and dine alone for the evening. I try not to take it personally!

 

[EWL]

Would like to just stress that you can indeed (and SHOULD!) ask to change if you find yourself at a table that just isn't working out.

On our last Magic cruise, we were at a table with a family with a very young child, much younger than DD at the time-- so she was terribly disappointed, and it was a real struggle to make even basic conversation (one word answers, no common interests, no return questions, etc.) It was SUCH an unpleasant meal, we agonized afterwards over what to do. On the one hand, we really felt badly about asking to change, like we were somehow deserting our tablemates; but on the other, none of us were looking forward to the next meal. We decided that it was our vacation too and that dining should be at least pleasant (maybe even fun!), so we spoke to the maitre d' and switched to another table that turned out just great. Others took our places, and while we felt a bit badly when we'd run into our old tablemates, we were so glad we moved and didn't "suffer" through it.

I think our experience tends to be the exception, but wanted to pass this along just in case.

 

[bmahokie]

On our June cruise we were matched up perfectly based on the criteria mentioned so far: Both families from same state, both had sons around 13, daughters around 8. The only slight issue: the other family's adults didn't drink at all, while my wife and I drank A LOT! Actually the other couple was "cool" about it, but I felt like a lush. Didn't stop me though! Maybe DCL should put alocholic consumption preferences on a questionnaire!

 

[Beth D]

We too got matched up with a great family! The magic continues...

It was myself, DH, DS age 7, and my parents (5 in our group) We were matched up with another couple and their son, also age 7 to fill an 8 top. The boys got along great and we had lots of great conversation and common interests among the adults.

We ended up going to shows most nights together and did the movie theater and some other activities as a group too!

 

[kgoldenh]

first cruise we sat by ourselves. I vaguely remember talking to the TA about it. So maybe there was a request. we had a ball recapping the day - planning tomorrow, getting to know servers etc.

Read several stories on here about tablemates and thought what we had was perfect. and to be perfectly honest it seemed odd to me that so many people made life long friends sharing meals.

Along comes 2nd cruise and we are seated at an 8top. the other family's son and daughter were a year younger than our son and daughter. It was magic. They had been stationed in our area and we had worked in the same buildings. kids got along and we hung out at castaway cay the last day. That family just was restationed back to our area and we are supposed to get together soon. I was a cynic but am a believer now.

k

 

[poohssmum]

On our first cruise in 2003, our family of 4 was seated with another family of 4. We both had sons around the same age 5/6, they had an older daughter (8) and we had a younger son (3). I thought Disney put us together because of the boys being of simiar ages. As we got friendly with them during the week, we realized that we'd both booked the cruise kind of last-minute using the same Travel Agency AND the same agent! They were a lovely family and we actually hung out with them a bit during the day later in the week.

We've only done 1 other cruise where we were not travelling with close friends. We were seated at a 4 top by ourselves on that trip. I'm interested to know what will happen when just the 4 of us travel again on the Magic in a few weeks again without our friends.

 

[Bear3412]

.... we realized that we'd both booked ... using the same Travel Agency AND the same agent!

It appears DCL has a sense of humor. I support this.

I'm interested to know what will happen when just the 4 of us travel again on the Magic in a few weeks again without our friends.

Well that depends on which TA you used. Couldn't resist.

 

[Kuiska2009]

I will say, I think tablemate matching is one of the neat things about cruising. Now, I've never done a Disney cruise (so excited for my first!) but I have done two Carnival cruises and I think they must just use demographics to match you up.

1st cruise: Me, my mom, and my younger sister. We were matched with two families. The other familes each had a mom, dad, and a son around my sister's age (she was in heaven).

2nd cruise: Me and my sister. We sat with two families. The other families had a mom traveling with her daughter and both girls were around my sister's age.

I think demographics worked out a little better for my mom and sister, seemed like the focus was more on matching parents/kids, so as a twenty-something it's kind of luck of the draw. I probably would have been better matched if I had been by myself or with friends.

 

[goofy370]

On our first disney cruise we sat with my parents. There were 6 of us in all. On our second cruise we did a member cruise and had one other couple seated with us. We had never met them before, and by the end of the first dinner the wait staff thought we had known each other for a long time. We would be talking and laughing so much we would close the restaurant. Good thing we had the second seating

 

[niknakk]

DBF an I are going on the Dream to the Bahamas for 4 nights on Dec. 9th I am 19 and DBF will be 21. I hope they seat us with people who will match us but now I am worried there won't be many people in our demographic and we will be seated with families with young children. Don't get me wrong I have nothing against families but would rather be seated with people like us. Any younger adults been on the dream before? What's your epxoerence

 

[mama2ellie]

We have been on 4 Disney cruises. 3 we were concierge, and always had our own table. The non-concierge cruise, we were seated with another family with 3 children. The older two were the same age as our older two. The interesting part is the youngest child was a girl with food allergies and special needs. Our youngest has food allergies and special needs. I didn't specify her special needs (and neither did they) in our reservation. Both families had cruised before--I wonder if Disney makes notes on the kids?

 

[Bear3412]

We have been on 4 Disney cruises. 3 we were concierge, and always had our own table. The non-concierge cruise, we were seated with another family with 3 children....

Is this normal procedure to place concierge at their own table?
Do most concierge request to eat alone?
Weird.


DCL is a serious data miner for details related to table matching.

 

[design_mom]

I will say, I think tablemate matching is one of the neat things about cruising. Now, I've never done a Disney cruise (so excited for my first!) but I have done two Carnival cruises and I think they must just use demographics to match you up.

On our Disney cruises (2) we've gotten a table by ourselves, but my experience with other cruise lines has been similar -- based on demographics. Sometimes it works wonderfully, sometimes less so.

DH and I went on our first cruise (on Carnival) the first summer after we were married. We were seated with three other couples who were either honeymooners or newlyweds. Although we were all pretty different, we had a great time together and it was fun to meet new people.

Our second cruise (on RCCL) was DH and me with my sister and BIL. (My sister married DH's best friend.) I was excited to see who we'd be seated with. I was expecting that they'd put us down as two couples traveling together and seat us with other couples. However, I think they must have put us down as "family" traveling together. We were seated with another family -- mother, aunt, two adult daughters. All four of them were looking to drink and hook up. It wasn't a particularly good match.

 

[dday2022]

For 5 of our Disney Cruises we've had remarkable table mates, DD still maintains communication with one of her friends she met 27 months ago. Most of the time it has been similarly sized families with children approximately the same age as our daughter.

The one time my DW and I cruised as a couple only was a little unusual. There were 3 other couples at the table with us.

One was a typical honeymoon couple, we didn't see much of them.

One was a stereotypical couple from Japan, it seemed they spoke limited english and wanted to photograph every plate put in front of them.

The third couple was a nice enough couple that had an unusual quirk, only one of them spoke, and he would refer to his partner in the third person. We would ask how their day was and the one who spoke would say "We did [whatever] and he didn't care for it, or he really liked it". I don't think that we discovered the partners name until the final night of the cruise, it was like being seated with Penn and Teller, except it was Penn and "He".

It's going to be interesting to see how seating this cruise works out with DD 10 and DS 2.

 

[kristie03]

You all are very encouraging to let my family be "open" to having tablemates assigned to us again.

On our last cruise before we started cruising Disney we were put with, shall we say, a very incompatable couple for our tablemates, and on our subsequent Disney cruises we have requested 4-tops (except when travelling with friends).

I should have known Disney magic would come into play here and so now i will set upon convincing my DH to try this out again!

 

[SCMouseFans]

On our first cruise, on the Dream in November, we were a family of 3 (me, DH and our son who was almost 2). We were seated with an older couple traveling with their 3 1/3 year old granddaughter. They were very nice, and my son was fascinated with their granddaughter and she enjoyed being the "big girl" at the table. Her grandparents were veteran cruisers and told us about many fantastic ports they've seen. We really enjoyed talking to them.

On our most recent cruise, the Fantasy last week, we were intially seated at an 8-top table, and would have been seated with a family of 5. About ten minutes into dinner, when that family had still not arrived, the restaurant manger approached us and offered us a 4-top table which we accepted and we were immediately moved. That family was consistently 20-30 minutes late to dinner every night, so I'm glad we were moved.

 

[aymekae]

One cruise so far, one excellent set of table mates! Well, there were 3 couples including us, and a brother/sister we didn't see or hear from all that often (the sister was often drinking or "sleeping it off" according to her brother! Why she chose Disney for her booze cruise is beyond me, but she did choose it herself!)

But we found so many similarities between us 3 couples it was uncanny. 2 of us have so far been unable to have kids. All the wives had some sort of social anxiety that makes it hard for us to make new friends, but once we established that, we were all totally fine! 2 husbands were in law enforcement, and my DH wanted to be (he just got a job as a security officer for a federal agency, so pretty close). They were also the charismatic side of each relationship. We all had geeky aspects that we all could relate to. One couple lives only a few hours from us, and we've already met up with them once since last December. I could go on. We were instant friends the first night, and loved catching each other up on our days and getting to know each other. We even pre-booked the same excursion as one. We had second seating, so we'd all go to the adult shows afterwards together, and had a blast. We keep in contact on FB, and we're trying to coordinate our next cruise together, and other possible visits.

Anyway, there was so much similar between us that we often wondered at Disney's methods in table mate matching. We decided that A) their website must have installed spyware on our computers and B) the cruise document package must have had a hidden camera/microphone.

Or I guess it could be Disney's MAGIC.

 

[xiphoid76]

As a gay couple I was very nervous about meeting potentially bad table mates.
I don't know how Disney did it, but at our table were 2 lesbians celebrating their honeymoon and a very liberal heterosexual couple that we are still friends with and meeting up in Disney again in January.
I am hoping for the same kind of magic in January on our next cruise!

 

[DVCNuts]

I couldn't agree more. We went on the MR cruise in April without kids. We wound up at a table with a gay couple and a very interesting guy traveling solo. The guys we met were so fun. We enjoyed dining with them and the conversations were great. Admittedly, we're very socially liberal. If this is something that concerns you, I don't believe it would be inappropriate to let DCL know. We are actually do that for the opposite reason.