Genuinely curious about wanting a private table

[HeatherLassell]

Things I wish I could request in good conscience:
1) Tablemates with accents. Especially British or Aussie. I just like listening to them talk. Texas might work too. And any place with idioms that don't match ours.
2) Celebrity tablemates.
3) Horrible people. The kind that would say things that would allow my husband and I to compete to see who could keep our faces straight the longest before breaking, and then give us plenty of fodder for funny stories later.
4) People with totally unconventional jobs. Not corporate.... like a zoological vet and an iceberg researcher or something. Unfortunately, they'd probably be bored by us.
5) People that fight spectacularly with lots of personal information, and/or ask us for advice on extremely convoluted scenarios. I love other people's drama.
6) A friend for my introverted husband. Someone who would be like "dude. We need to ditch these ladies and go to the pub." Please... ditch me... (I'll console myself with a book and a glass of wine overlooking the ocean )
7) Super perfect kids that would show our children perfect behavior that our kids would pay attention to.

finally... and more reasonably... a nice table of three that would include a 3 year old boy or girl that would totally click with my youngest and play with him all week in the kids clubs so he wouldn't always feel like a tag-along with his older twin sisters Ideally with accents of course.

OMGOSH I totally wish we could make requests for our tablemates! I love your list. lol Except maybe for #3!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Things I wish I could request in good conscience:
1) Tablemates with accents. Especially British or Aussie. I just like listening to them talk. Texas might work too. And any place with idioms that don't match ours.
2) Celebrity tablemates.
3) Horrible people. The kind that would say things that would allow my husband and I to compete to see who could keep our faces straight the longest before breaking, and then give us plenty of fodder for funny stories later.
4) People with totally unconventional jobs. Not corporate.... like a zoological vet and an iceberg researcher or something. Unfortunately, they'd probably be bored by us.
5) People that fight spectacularly with lots of personal information, and/or ask us for advice on extremely convoluted scenarios. I love other people's drama.
6) A friend for my introverted husband. Someone who would be like "dude. We need to ditch these ladies and go to the pub." Please... ditch me... (I'll console myself with a book and a glass of wine overlooking the ocean )
7) Super perfect kids that would show our children perfect behavior that our kids would pay attention to.

finally... and more reasonably... a nice table of three that would include a 3 year old boy or girl that would totally click with my youngest and play with him all week in the kids clubs so he wouldn't always feel like a tag-along with his older twin sisters Ideally with accents of course.

Like your list, although I'm not sure about #3 & 5

 

[bbel]

My family don't cruise but my cousins do.
The only reason they'd request a table to themselves is because they'd rather sit in silence with each other, than have small chance of having to force fake conversations every night.

For them it doesn't really have anything about being on vacation and wanting to spend time with each other, they say if they were that desperate they'd already have made time for that in the day by dinner. When they're all/whoevers home they all eat together.
They'll get on with everyone and talk to anyone and usually laugh with everyone, but they don't want others to feel as though they've been forced to sit with them.

 

[TavieP]

I'm an introvert, and so's my boyfriend. Although capable of making small talk and pleasantries with strangers, doing it for every meal exhausts me. Not fun vacation vibes.

When I was young and used to go on cruises with my family, having to share a table with others was pure agony for my teen self, mostly because my dad has some undiagnosed social disorders that make him talk obnoxiously over strangers for hours at a time, causing extreme discomfort both for the strangers and his family. Whenever possible, my mom would get us a private table for that reason. Why let my dad ruin other peoples' vacations?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Both my husband and I are fairly introverted people. That's why we like having a large table with tablemates. Disney does such a good job at matching people (really don't know how they do it), that for the first couple of nights we tend to let others take the lead on the conversations, and join in when we can. We enjoy "talking" with others and hopefully we're not too much of a "downer" for them.

 

[lklgoodman]

My dh travels a lot for work so we spend many days, sometimes weeks without seeing each other, so having a table for just us is a special treat. Besides, when we go to a restaurant on land we don't sit with strangers at a shared table, so I don't see any reason to do so on the ship.

 

[lorimay]

We just enjoy sitting alone together, when were are finished we can get up and leave without feeling rude.
Its just not a comfortable situation for me.
But as others have said the tables are so close together, 99% of the time we chat with our neighbors. On our cruise in April we sat next to 2 women, who I chatted with every night. But I was happy we had our own tiny bit of space...KWIM?

Our first 2 cruises we were with neighbors , so we sat together with just the 8 of us in 2002 & 2003.
When we cruised with our kids and grandkids (2012) we were 8 total so of course we had our own table. But there was a table of 3 couples next to us, this one man ran his mouth nonstop every single night, bragging about himself and his spectacular life. I felt bad for the others at the table.
We were like "yeah no, never" so I always request a private table.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

when we go to a restaurant on land we don't sit with strangers at a shared table, so I don't see any reason to do so on the ship.

Yes! I was actually going to say this as well! But then my Biergaarten restaurant memory came to me; not how I want to spend vacation time or money!!! To each his own, why do people get so wrapped up in what they think should be the norm? If you want to sit with others, please do! I'm not keeping you from doing that, so why do others care that we want to?

ETA: Not you, the colloquial "you'.

 

[Dug720]

Our first cruise when I was in 6th Grade was on the Emerald Seas and there WERE no private tables - everything was shared. My sister and I were nervous about eating with "strangers" but as my mom pointed out "They are only strangers the first night. Then we know them and they aren't strangers anymore." And it worked out fine - we were placed at a table with a family who had an only child and she was right between mine and my sister's ages, so we did a lot together - even seeing a movie where they told us everything they had on board and we got to pick and they opened the tiny theater just for us. It was a fun way to close each day on vacation. (Of course my parents made it a point for us to have dinner together at home as much as possible - easier before the days of "OMG I MUST BE OCCUPIED AT ALL TIMES AND IN A ZILLION ACTIVITIES!!!!", granted, but still it was something they made a priority and so it was most of the time.) But yeah - the beauty of assigned tables is if you're seated with others, they are only truly "strangers" for that first night.

My experience...

Our first DCL cruise for some reason none of us get because we are SOOOOOOO not "please spoil me" people my dad booked us concierge so that we had our own table. That didn't stop the dad at the table all of MAYBE 6 inches from us in Royal Whatever's on the Dream (they are all the same thing - just different names, let's be real) decided our tables were actually supposed to be together and started talking with us.

My second DCL, my sister was working and had gotten permission to eat with me, so we got our own table so that she wouldn't have to spend the whole dinner answering questions as she had to wear her night whites.

My third DCL sis was on her vacation, so I was totally solo and left it up to chance. BIG MISTAKE. They did a "solo dump" from what I could tell and the two guys were so alike and so opposite of me in every way possible the first night was miserable and luckily I was able to get switched (and had the best service team ever!!).

My fourth was this past Feb and was told that due to my gluten-free status we would have our own table and we did. I'm hoping the "due to gluten-free status" was in fact true because I really DON'T want to deal with another solo dump on the Wonder this next year.

On HAL and my first RCCL cruise I was with a group and our group escort did a round robin thing so that we all rotated and we all each had one night to dine with one of the group leaders. Usually ok as we were all runners of some type or another so there was that to chat about, but even that was VERY awkward one night when some tablemates started displaying very homophobic views which made me extremely uncomfortable as they continued to dominate the conversation with more and more ultra-conservativeness, homophobia, and other stuff. It was NOT a fun way to have a last night of the cruise.

My second RCCL cruise I had My Time Dining so I had a table to myself - but there was a small group of us in that area who had fun chatting with each other each night AND having some time to not chat - which can be done without being rude.

Now fathom was "open seating" but in all but one case I felt pressured into sitting with others and it was NOT fun. First two nights I got stuck with this woman who drove me batty. Other nights I'd be the odd person out at the table - like it would be a group of 4 or 5 and me. AWKWARD. The only reason I didn't go up to the buffet was their gluten free options were VERY limited and I couldn't always get something up there.

So bottom line - I don't *MIND* it as a rule - as long as people can remember to keep politics and religion and sexuality OUT of dinner conversation. But once that enters the picture, GET ME OUTTA THERE.

 

[RedSox68]

Besides, when we go to a restaurant on land we don't sit with strangers at a shared table, so I don't see any reason to do so on the ship.

Very good point. If I don't have a choice and know ahead of time about the seating -- like the family dining at Biergarten or the family-type dining restaurants in Lancaster, PA -- then we make the most of it because we know that's how it is set up and we go with the flow. But even in those instances, I can't tell you how many times we have experienced families being brought in and immediately saying no way about sitting with others and leaving.

 

[AquaDame]

We honestly have found that Disney does a great job at matching people and have made some life long friends with some of our table mates. So that leaves me wondering why so many are so insistent, even at lunch and character breakfasts.

That right there is why... you have had good experiences, some of us not so much. Personally after one especially bad experience we will do (almost) anything to have our own table at dinner. Lunch and elsewhere I don't mind as much since you rotate people but risking having every evening be awkward? No thanks!

 

[RedSox68]

That right there is why... you have had good experiences, some of us not so much. Personally after one especially bad experience we will do (almost) anything to have our own table at dinner. Lunch and elsewhere I don't mind as much since you rotate people but risking having every evening be awkward? No thanks!

On our last cruise for breakfast and lunch in the MDR, we never had a problem getting a table for three. And you are so right -- if you have bad tablemates from the first night, who wants to go back and experience that every single night.

I mentioned this on another thread last year -- we had gone for years without tablemates and joined our dining with "friends" who signed on for the same cruise we had in 2015. It was a birthday cruise for my daughter and I -- both of us born in December. These "friends" showed their true colors -- berating the servers on a nightly basis, complaining about everything, and making it all about them to the point that the servers and head server were bowing to them to be sure (I guess) they still got their gratuities and our birthday celebrations got completely forgotten about. It was such a miserable experience that we have not had any further contact with them -- and they with us. I don't think they liked the fact that one night they caught us talking to the wait staff and apologizing for their behavior. We spent every dinner being a go-between to keep them from yelling at the servers. Worst cruise ever for us.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I'll just point out it's extremely do-able to change tables after meeting your dining companions the first night, if things don't look good for being "comfortable" with them.

 

[AquaDame]

I'll just point out it's extremely do-able to change tables after meeting your dining companions the first night, if things don't look good for being "comfortable" with them.

I also didn't want the awkwardness that arises from this... I mean, what does the head server tell them and what do you say when you continue to run into them all week? You are completely right though - I need to get thicker skin really!

 

[moremouse]

I am extremely introverted. My husband would LOVE strangers to talk to. He knows how I feel though. He's so sweet.

My problem is not with other people. It's with me worrying about what people think about how picky I am. I like things really plain and tend to eat off the kids menu some nights. I feel really embarrassed, and have had strangers comment on it. I can barely ask the SERVER to do it much less have people talking about it.

My husband and I have plenty to talk about while on the cruise. There are sometimes though that we just enjoy people watching and not talking at all. It's comfortable. It would seem rude to sit at a table and not speak.

We always ask for our own table and have always gotten our request. I really think that if we couldn't, we'd just eat at Cabanas every night. It would be a shame though. One of my favorite parts of the DCL is rotational dining.

I enjoy watching all the families and large groups interact though.

 

[RedSox68]

I am extremely introverted. My husband would LOVE strangers to talk to. He knows how I feel though. He's so sweet.

My problem is not with other people. It's with me worrying about what people think about how picky I am. I like things really plain and tend to eat off the kids menu some nights. I feel really embarrassed, and have had strangers comment on it. I can barely ask the SERVER to do it much less have people talking about it.

My husband and I have plenty to talk about while on the cruise. There are sometimes though that we just enjoy people watching and not talking at all. It's comfortable. It would seem rude to sit at a table and not speak.

We always ask for our own table and have always gotten our request. I really think that if we couldn't, we'd just eat at Cabanas every night. It would be a shame though. One of my favorite parts of the DCL is rotational dining.

I enjoy watching all the families and large groups interact though.

I've ordered off the kids menu many times just because I was sick of the fancy fare on the menus. It shouldn't be up for conversation at the table how you order or what you like -- some people just have no filters on their mouths or brain! Those are the people I always find myself thinking "boy, I'd hate to be their kid"!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I also didn't want the awkwardness that arises from this... I mean, what does the head server tell them and what do you say when you continue to run into them all week? You are completely right though - I need to get thicker skin really!

IF (that's a big "if") they were to ask, I'm sure the answer would be "They preferred a table (near the door, or window, or in the back)" whatever makes the new table different than the old.

Chances are, even if you were to run into them again, they wouldn't ask. But, if they did, what's wrong with being up front - "we weren't comfortable at that table"?

 

[Dug720]

I also didn't want the awkwardness that arises from this... I mean, what does the head server tell them and what do you say when you continue to run into them all week? You are completely right though - I need to get thicker skin really!

When I changed after the horrific solo dump experience, I really didn't care what the guys thought after their behavior the first night (totally ignoring me and continuing in their conversation all about stuff I knew nothing about) - but honestly I doubt they even noticed (see the previous parenthetical remark - I'm not sure they even knew I was there the first night once they got going). I say one of them in Skyline once, but it's dark enough in there and I was talking with a couple of the servers and/or just chilling so I didn't really feel the need to say anything. He either didn't notice me, didn't recognize me, or didn't care as he never approached me either. The ship is small but not THAT small.

As for the servers... I was still in the same head server's section and when he came to check on me the third night (night 2 I was in Palo) I asked him to please let the servers know that I did NOT change because of them. He smiled and said "I'm pretty sure they already know. We all saw how awkward the first night was. But I'll tell them." I saw my initial assistant up in Cabanas one morning and chatted with him briefly and he said "We were sorry to lose you at the table, but we don't blame you AT ALL."

 

[janiebubble]

I have been open to being seated with other people always hoping to get these great matches people have talked about. After shared tables being a total mismatch every time we've been seated with others (4 out of 6 times) I may start requesting a table of our own. The mis matches were not so bad that we requested a change but it made every dinner awkward for everyone as we tried to find something to talk about and since our eating styles were so different in one case it made for a lot of waiting we wouldn't have had to do if we were by ourselves.

That was exactly our experience on our last cruise. Our fourth cruise, our first shared table. No great match, although the other 3 couples were probably more similar than us.

 

[lorimay]

I am extremely introverted. My husband would LOVE strangers to talk to. He knows how I feel though. He's so sweet.

My problem is not with other people. It's with me worrying about what people think about how picky I am. I like things really plain and tend to eat off the kids menu some nights. I feel really embarrassed, and have had strangers comment on it. I can barely ask the SERVER to do it much less have people talking about it.

My husband and I have plenty to talk about while on the cruise. There are sometimes though that we just enjoy people watching and not talking at all. It's comfortable. It would seem rude to sit at a table and not speak.

We always ask for our own table and have always gotten our request. I really think that if we couldn't, we'd just eat at Cabanas every night. It would be a shame though. One of my favorite parts of the DCL is rotational dining.

I enjoy watching all the families and large groups interact though.

When we cruise with our grandkids, I always take a peek at their menu, just incase I see something. I have tried a few things on that menu. If thats what you like, its your cruise do it!!!!