I was wondering what type of seating arrangements most of you get while on your cruise.
Let me explain.
On our first cruise, my DH, DS and I went with 5 other family members so we were a group of 8. We all sat at one big happy table and had a blast. It was probably the most fun dining experience I've ever had.
On our next cruise, it was just the 3 of us. When I booked the cruise I asked to be grouped with a table that had another family with a teen (didn't have to be a couple and the teenager part was for our DS). We ended up alone at a table for 4. Now there's nothing wrong in eating alone (I love my DH & DS), but we do that at home all the time and this trip was about adventures. We asked if we could be switched to another table. We ended up at a table with another couple and their son who turned out to be the same age as ours. We had a great time. The kids didn't socialize after dinner, each had made their own group of friends on the ship, but they had a good time eating together, as did my DH and I.
When I booked our last cruise, I made it very clear with my Carnival rep that we did not want to sit alone but with another family, hopefully again, one that had a teenager. If there wasn't a family available, we would take another couple or singles, didn't matter, we just wanted to have the experience of meeting new people. On the first night, we were escorted to a beautiful window table that seated 6. We were all excited to see who our table mates would be. We waited and waited before ordering so that we might all eat together. Well no one showed up the first night so we ate alone. When no one showed up the second night, I went to find out why. Turns out that no one was ever assigned to our table, it was just us. I didn't want to make a big deal out of it and it was a beautiful table with a beautiful window view, so we ended up eating by ourselves, watching groups of people all around us discussing their days and having fun. I really feel that we missed out on a big part of the cruise. It didn't stop us from having a great time (which we did) but I really would have liked to have had a dining experience different from what we have at home every night (you know what I mean).
So what's been your experience? Are you, as a couple or group of 3, always put alone? Do you only travel with a large group? Is this something that we should expect on all of our future cruises?
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Renee - The better half of RobRen :-)
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My first cruise, we ended up at a booth, with the 3 of us..Like you, I feel, we can do that at home..I always ask for a large table..preferably for 8, we find 10 is too big, and never a rectangle table, too hard to socialize. One of my delights, on a cruise, is to meet new people, and at dinner, chat about our day, with people from around the world.
I also, instigate a rotation of seats, so we can all get a different view of the dining roon, and our tablemates.
I have always said, I learn something on each cruise, that I take to the next one..I learned to ask for a large table:)
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Our first cruise was on Royal Carib. and we were on the ship thats in America's next top model.. The room where they get booted out is where we ate! We were with a young couple, they must have hated us cuz they only showed up for dinner twice.
Our last cruise we were in a booth with the most DISGUSTING mother/son duo ever.. I didn't know we could just ask the maitre'D to be moved--I wish I had!! Fortunately, they hated the food and only came a couple of times.
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Liberty 11/07
Triumph 06/07
Adventure Of The Seas 06/06
The lovely Mrs. Jones (Vita) and I always ask for a BIG table, and early seating. We too love the interaction between lots of interesting people, and we've always been totally happy with the folks at our table,,,,,except once. One time we were seated with a family of 6,,,,,and us. We were absolutely the odd ones out, so we asked to be moved, and wound up with another great group.
How do you ask for what type of table you want? Do you ask before the cruise? Do you ask the cruisline directly or your travel agent? Do you ask the first night at dinner or do you stop by the dinning room earlier.
Also, when do you find out what your dinning time is? Do you find out when you show up for the cruise or do you find out before the cruise. I have never been on a cruise before but will be going on one next year.
on our frist cruise my mom and i seat with table of eight we had a
grest time your seond cruise it was just a table for two it was not
as fun a the frist cruise you run out of things to talke about when
we cruise next time were going to ask about geting a biger table
we like to meet new people
Our first cruise the seating arrangement wasn't exactly what I wanted. My husband and I cruised alone and we were seated with 4 other young couples. Although we aren't "seasoned" (I was 27 and my dh was 38) I felt so out of touch with this group. They were all either in college or just out of college. All of our friends are at least 35+. I am just more comfortable with that age group!
We did have a good time, I wish we would have known we could have asked for different seating arrangements!
This time we are cruising with our family and we have a group of 7 going, it will be interesting to see how are seating arrangements work!!
I'm 25 and will be 27 when I go on my first cruise. My finacee who will be my wife then will be 24. I hope they don't seat us next to young couples because I get a long a lot better with older people. I'm very conservative and mainly like to talk about business and politics.
How do you ask for what type of table you want? Do you ask before the cruise? Do you ask the cruisline directly or your travel agent? Do you ask the first night at dinner or do you stop by the dinning room earlier.
Also, when do you find out what your dinning time is? Do you find out when you show up for the cruise or do you find out before the cruise. I have never been on a cruise before but will be going on one next year.
Tell the agent when you book. However, dining is by request and never guaranteed so check your Sail & Sign card as soon as you get onboard. It will list your dining time and table #. I always go to the dining room some time that first day to find my table. The matre'd is always available during embarkation day, generally 1-3 or 2-4pm for change requests. Same thing if you are travelling with other cabins and requested to be seated together... if it doesn't happen, this is the best time to try and get it corrected.
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I'll be sailing on the Valor in early March. I booked the trip myself through Expedia and was given the choice of the 4 dinner seatings, but not table size. Will I be randomly assigned a table? I'm traveling with a friend and we'd prefer to be at a large table or a table by ourselves. Should I contact Carnival or wait until embarkation day?
Our first cruise we asked for a table of 2 and got it...We just did not know how many meals we would eat in the dining room and felt this was the best way to go..ANYWAY our cruise in Sept we will be a group of 6 and I am looking forward to going to the dining room each night..
Kelly
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The last cruise I was on I was seated at a table for 8, 7 of us were friends/family and the eighth person was an outsider - the first night she didn't come to dinner, the second night she came and we tried our hardest to include her in conversation and make her feel comfortable - guess we tried to hard!! she never came back and if you spoke to her during the cruise or on an excursion - she looked at us like we were aliens! We still to this day don't know what we did wrong!!
HAHA, I would feel really bad if we had an extra person seated with us. I guess that if we are at a table of 8 we might just have that happen. I hadn't even thought about it!
My MIL swears like a sailor! We all have our inside jokes with each other and heaven forbid that any of us have alcohol in our systems... it will be 1000 times worse!
I guess we will just wait and see
Its not hard at all just ask your Maitre'd on the day of boarding when they say he is available. I believe someone in another post said it is between 1-3 and another time. They make an announcement. They really try hard to do what whatever it is to make you happy.
I am a divorced parent and travel with my daughter. On several of our cruises they have seated us with single/div men traveling with a child. Other times it has been larger tables with different ages and one cruise we were seated with a couple with 2 children and another div female with two children and as we talked we discovered all three of the females were nurses...not sure if that was planned or just coincidence. As far as I know they have no idea of your occupation.
Also, if you change tables you need to check and see who the other people are you will be seated with. When I tried to change our seating when we did not get the time we asked for last time they were moving us to a table of people of all 70 and older.....nothing wrong with that age but I wanted my dtr to be with at least one younger person at the table so we just kept the first asssigned seating.
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On 3 of the 5 cruises I have been on I was seated with members of my group. On the other cruises when I was solo I always asked for one of the big round tables that seat eight. I always find the social interaction fun and enjoy meeting new people from all over.
Now that I am planning my first cruise with my finance' and think I will ask for a big table again on most nights and a table for two when we go to the supper club.
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Joe
Imagination 1996
Sensation 1997
RCI Monarch of The Seas 1998
Ecstasy 2000
Carnival Miracle 9/24/07
Upcoming Fascination 11/5/09
All of our cruises have been with friends or family. Carnival has always put us at tables that just fit the size of our group, 4, 6, or 8 so we've only set with other people at lunch or breakfast.
On the Truimph our table for 4 was close enough that we were able to have a nice visit with the people on either side of us.
The first thing we do when we board is go to the dining room and check out our seating assignment. They have been happy to change us in the past before the first dinner if necessary.
I stongly endorse the idea of changing seats each night at dinner. With a table of 8 or 10, you get to know everyone that by the end of your trip have become your shipboard family.
I'm traveling in April with 3 dear female friends who are all single (I'm happily married). I'd love to sit at a big table where they could meet some nice men (40 - 60 age range). Yes, I'm playing matchmaker okay Can I ask for that now with my Carnival rep or just ask for it when we check in? Thanks for the advice.
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Your Dining Room Seating Assignments
- Steph
!!
Thanks for this post. I just thought you had a thing for younger men!!
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