Any luck requesting a private table for dining?

[ember1205]

Make the request. If it's granted, you're done.

If it isn't, you always have the option of eating in Cabana's if you don't like your tablemates.

 

[JecHec]

Yes, I also have requested a table for the four of us. (My job involves talking to people all day..want a vacation from that too). My DD is also on the spectrum and gets very nervous with strange people. Wouldn't be a vacation if she isn't enjoying herself. And finally, this is the time where we are actually all together during the day and we talk about what has transpired during the day. I enjoy the time with the family. Definitely, call and try..

 

[cwis]

First cruise in the Bahamas last year, we were 2 in the second seating, called and requested a private table, though we ended up sharing a table for 4 with two other cruisers. For reference, we didn't ask while on the ship, we might have gotten a private table if we had really wanted.

 

[ironz]

We used to request a private table for the 3 of us after a bad experience with a shared table. After a few cruises though, we decided to let fate match us up again with another family and about 10 cruises ago we got matched up with another family that also was from central Florida and also had a DD the same age as ours (their birthdays are 1 day apart). We most definitely hit it off and had a great time with them.

They have become our best cruise friends and we have 3 upcoming cruises with them in the next year. (we have taken 4 with them so far). We both cruise in concierge now and always split a cabana. We sit together at dinner and our girls love sitting together at the show each night.

I am not saying everyone will make cruise friends on board but we definitely did and it all started with a random seating assignment one spring cruise on the Wonder a couple of years ago.

We made great friends on our last cruise as well! All because of some random seating assignment. DCL matched us perfectly with another couple, near our age, traveling without kids. We are currently planning another cruise with them!

We had tablemates on our first cruise-- didn't completely bond with them, but it was fine. I actually do wish I had gotten contact info from one of them, as his daughter had some medical challenges and I have often thought of them and hoped she was doing well. Our 2nd cruise, we linked to people that we had "met" on a social media cruise group, and it turned out we got along with them quite well, and cruised again with some of them on our 4th cruise. On our 3rd cruise, we were going to meet up with some of the friends from the Alaska cruise, but they had travel issues due to weather and didn't make it, so we had a private table. Which was fine, but we missed our friends. And then our 5th cruise-- mentioned above-- awesome tablemates!

Which is not to dismiss people who have reasons for wanting a private table... but for us, having tablemates has mostly been a good experience!

 

[BlueRibbon]

Guess I never knew you had to request your own table! On our first cruise, we were a party of 10, and stands to reason why they wouldn't stick anyone else with us. Our second cruise, there were 7 of us, and for similar reasons, we sat at our own table.

Going on another cruise in August, and it'll just be my wife and I. We never even thought to request our own table, but we'll see how it turns out!

 

[Sparky47]

We were on the April 13 7-night western cruise on the Fantasy (week before Easter). We are platinum but booked the cruise in February; I was able to snag Palo brunch and most of the excursions we wanted but no drink tastings and we were assigned late seating. We were a party of 4 (2 staterooms/2 adult each). I called and requested early seating and a table for 4; I was wait listed. Upon boarding, we split up to tackle different tasks. We were able to switch to early seating with NO issue and we got a table for 4 (if we stayed with late seating, we also would have been at a table for 4). We were also able to sign up for 3 separate drink tasting classes, add on a Palo dinner [we already had Palo brunch scheduled] and sign up for the Castaway Cay 5k....all within 10 minutes of boarding.

 

[Lilsia]

To each his own. I personally don't think enjoying Disney cruises is unique enough to make other people who also enjoy them "like-minded". Just reading & posting on these boards has shown me how completely different people with similar vacation preferences can be...

I'm an introvert and look forward to relaxing and talking with family at dinner. I really don't want to have to spend it making small talk with strangers who I will never see again after the cruise.

I hope DCL takes note of all of the private table requests as they design their new ships. It would be nice if that could be an automatic option rather than something you have to beg for.

The thing is, you don't have to make small talk with the other family/families. My girls and I have been on 7 Disney cruises and have always shared a table with others. Sometimes 1 other family and a couple of times with 2 other "single" parents and their kid/kids. After the initial, "hi, how are you?" we all just talked with our respective families. Nothing has ever been awkward. Maybe we have been extremely lucky and been put with other "normal" people.

 

[Lilsia]

yeah. typo, my bad
I meant we always get 2nd seating, which I hate and always have to fight to get 1st seating.
we've only been assigned 1st sitting on our first cruise when our DD(now13) was 4yo.
On every other of our next 7 cruises we've been assigned 2nd and have I've requested change to 1st every time via email and phone.
I've only been able to be changed on two and that was when we boarded real early and headed straight to the place where they try to accommodate your dining requests.

Huge inconvenience from DCL imo.

The earlier you book your cruise, the better the chance that you will be able to get first seating. I will be going on my 9th cruise next month and have always been able to sign up for 1st seating.

 

[swooshbear]

It's been hit or miss for us on table mates. Our first cruise was awful, our second cruise we had a table for four but our tablemates never showed up and we made new friends when we had shared a table with two other couples. We made a request for a private table for our next cruise but I wouldn't be bummed if we had to share a table (as long as the other people are cool).

 

[PTX]

Is there an optimal time to put the request in for a private table? Our cruise is over 6 months away.

 

[Elle23]

I’m just curious....why even have shared seating on cruises? If so many people prefer private tables, why not just have all private tables?

(I’ve never been on a cruise, so am probably missing something, but was just wondering!)

 

[Dug720]

I’m just curious....why even have shared seating on cruises? If so many people prefer private tables, why not just have all private tables?

(I’ve never been on a cruise, so am probably missing something, but was just wondering!)

In traditional cruising, tables were shared. Private tables were unheard of or at least extremely rare. When Disney built its ships, it initially wanted to keep the traditional model and so the MDRs have a certain number of square feet. As more and more people are wanting their own table, they separate them as much as they can, but sometimes there is very little space between them simply because the rooms were not designed for all individual tables.

I do find it kind of ironic how many people are all about FE groups and getting to know people online before the cruise on social media, etc. and yet it never seems to occur to them that they could link reservations for dining with these new "friends" they have met online. Just an observation I've made recently.

 

[Dug720]

Make the request. If it's granted, you're done.

If it isn't, you always have the option of eating in Cabana's if you don't like your tablemates.

Cabanas is not open the first or last night of the cruise.

 

[Doingitagain]

I do find it kind of ironic how many people are all about FE groups and getting to know people online before the cruise on social media, etc. and yet it never seems to occur to them that they could link reservations for dining with these new "friends" they have met online. Just an observation I've made recently.

We tried that once, but then our reservations were linked for everything, including booking excursions, checkin, etc.

 

[Dug720]

We tried that once, but then our reservations were linked for everything, including booking excursions, checkin, etc.

You still should have each been able to do your own thing with all of those. But another option would be to wait until all that is completed and then link the reservations.

 

[Doingitagain]

You still should have each been able to do your own thing with all of those. But another option would be to wait until all that is completed and then link the reservations.

I thought of that too, but I wasn’t comfortable with the lack of privacy with people I had never met in person. If we had cruised together before, I may have been more comfortable.

 

[DisneYE]

Is there an optimal time to put the request in for a private table? Our cruise is over 6 months away.

the optimal time is as soon as you can. - either email or call DCL.
Not guaranteed you will get it, but the sooner the better. If that fails, go to guest services or MDR crew desk upon embarking (usually they will tell you at GS where it's located)

 

[sunmoon620]

There will be a table for dining request on the day of boarding.Location is dependent upon the ship Each time we have requested it, it was not a problem.

 

[Elle23]

In traditional cruising, tables were shared. Private tables were unheard of or at least extremely rare. When Disney built its ships, it initially wanted to keep the traditional model and so the MDRs have a certain number of square feet. As more and more people are wanting their own table, they separate them as much as they can, but sometimes there is very little space between them simply because the rooms were not designed for all individual tables.

That makes sense. Thanks for the explanation!

 

[Dug720]

That makes sense. Thanks for the explanation!

You're welcome!

Perhaps seeing the trend of more people wanting their own tables, the new ships will be designed with larger MDRs to accommodate more individual tables with more space between them.