Waitlisting the first seating

[squirk]

I just booked a cruise for March '19, and found that we were assigned second seating because the first seating was full.

My TA put us on the wait list for the first seating, and assured me that we would get it. I don't want to pester her with meaningless OCD questions, but I am wondering why she is so sure. I don't doubt her, but I am curious as to the logic.

Perhaps the assumption is that some people who currently have first seating will drop off when final payment is due, giving us room to move up?

Or do they traditionally "hold back" tables in main dining to accommodate late-booking parties that include young children (as ours does)?

Any thoughts on why us getting bumped up to first seating is a given?

 

[DCLPrincess]

You can never be certain but all the times I've been on wait list it's been changed. I actually just got an email last week that I was moved to early seating for my November cruise and I had booked that more than a year in advance.

 

[Belle2002]

I’m pretty confident you will get the seating you want. Your cruise is a long way off and people will cancel. I also suspect they hold seating times. We had the reverse situation. We wanted late seating but it was full so had to take the early seating. We wait listed and it came through for us well before our cruise.
They also give people opportunities to change seating once you board as well.

 

[squirk]

You can never be certain but all the times I've been on wait list it's been changed. I actually just got an email last week that I was moved to early seating for my November cruise and I had booked that more than a year in advance.

Thanks. That actually answers one of my follow-up questions about whether or not you will get an email notifying you that you've been moved up.

I’m pretty confident you will get the seating you want. Your cruise is a long way off and people will cancel. I also suspect they hold seating times. We had the reverse situation. We wanted late seating but it was full so had to take the early seating. We wait listed and it came through for us well before our cruise.
They also give people opportunities to change seating once you board as well.

Thanks, as well!

 

[DCLPrincess]

Since you booked through a TA you might not get an email but you can always log into your account to view your dining assignment.

 

[squirk]

Since you booked through a TA you might not get an email but you can always log into your account to view your dining assignment.

Thx. DCL would at least notify the TA then, no? I am sure she would, in turn, notify me if she received an e-mail on my behalf.

No matter. I will indeed be logging into my account on a regular basis, even though there is nothing for me to do between now and PIF date. Again, OCD.

 

[DCLPrincess]

Yes the TA should get an email. Don't worry I log into my account all the time, it's normal.

 

[squirk]

Don't worry I log into my account all the time, it's normal.

I wish they would add something to the site or the app to pass the time. I don't know what. DCL-branded games, maybe. More in-depth videos. Something.

 

[SuJo]

I waitlisted for first seating on my previous cruise but never got it. Once on board go to guest services and ask where you can change your dining time. The dining staff is usually located in one of the restaurants or another location on the ship where you can ask to be moved to first seating. It was really easy to do this once on board but I would go there first.

 

[FSU Girl]

For my first Disney cruise we booked a Christmas cruise and were assigned second seating. I called them about moving to first and it was no issue. And that cruise was packed. I think your chances are pretty good to be moved up.

 

[xQuizx]

We booked a cruise 2.5 months before sail date and were wait listed for 1st seating, and we were moved the week before sail date. This was for a party of 5.

This year we booked a cruise nearly a year out and were wait listed for 1st seating, but we were moved to 1st about 6 months before. I found out when I was checking my reservation info online. This was for a party of 10.

You will most likely be moved to 1st seating.

 

[Chrispy97]

We had a similar experience for a party of 5; moved last month for an August cruise.

We were especially concerned because we were second seating for an Alaska cruise and coming from the east coast. We thought that might make the first seating harder to get into, but we still were able to get in off the wait list for first seating.

 

[dvcdisney]

We've only had to waitlist once and it was our first cruise. I was also nervous about it so when I spoke to the DCL, she said that a lot of guests do waitlists for early seating all the time and she said most do get it. She told me that if I don't see a change in the waitlist, I should speak to to dining team when I board and she was sure they would be able to accommodate my request.

One week later, I checked and it was changed. I didn't receive an email, so it could have change earlier.

As others have said, there is no guarantee but it seems like they do try to fill the waitlist. It could be that they do hold tables for this reason or they just need to rearrange when they plan the seating.

 

[GPaLarry]

We have been/are going through this twice, once with just a party of 7 that worked out fine, and now with a party of 12. We booked the second one late (next March, 5-day out of San Diego) and are on the waitlist. We'll see how it turns out. We did not use a TA to reserve, but were promised by DCL rep. that we were on the list.

 

[FigmentSpark]

I just booked a cruise for March '19, and found that we were assigned second seating because the first seating was full.

My TA put us on the wait list for the first seating, and assured me that we would get it. I don't want to pester her with meaningless OCD questions, but I am wondering why she is so sure. I don't doubt her, but I am curious as to the logic.

Perhaps the assumption is that some people who currently have first seating will drop off when final payment is due, giving us room to move up?

Or do they traditionally "hold back" tables in main dining to accommodate late-booking parties that include young children (as ours does)?

Any thoughts on why us getting bumped up to first seating is a given?

We booked last year in June for a March spring break cruise. I was "waitlisted" for first seating and given it almost immediately. Check your reservation on the DCL site. If you've been given it, it will say "main seating".

 

[MomOTwins]

We got off the waitlist for main seating a little more than two months before the cruise, for a party of 5. Seems to be fairly common.

 

[Sytrace]

I just booked a cruise for March '19, and found that we were assigned second seating because the first seating was full.

My TA put us on the wait list for the first seating, and assured me that we would get it. I don't want to pester her with meaningless OCD questions, but I am wondering why she is so sure. I don't doubt her, but I am curious as to the logic.

Perhaps the assumption is that some people who currently have first seating will drop off when final payment is due, giving us room to move up?

Or do they traditionally "hold back" tables in main dining to accommodate late-booking parties that include young children (as ours does)?

Any thoughts on why us getting bumped up to first seating is a given?

There a couple of reasons why she might be confident.
1. People who have main dining might cancel before paid in full date and you get moved up the waitlist.
2. The earlier you book and get put on the waitlist the better your chances to move up
3. If you don't get moved before sailing, you can request again on the ship and that is a good way of being switched as well.

I would not really worry about it at this stage in the game, but your chances do increase the earlier you get put on a waitlist.