Requesting table size

Did you all have assigned / fixed seating for early or late dining ... or did all of you sign up for "Your Time Dining"?

 

With assigned seating at either early or late dining you should have been given the same tables every night. On our last CCL cruise there was a group of 20 with late assigned seating. They had the same 2 tables - 10 tops- every night.

With Your Time Dining with a large group it's my understanding it works pretty much like at a restaurant where you get seated when tables for your group are available unless the maitre'd will work with you to be seated together with prior arrangements.

We all had assigned late seating in the aft dining room. And still the Maître d did not provide us with anything close to what I would consider proper group seating. We never sat at the same table or section during the cruise. We followed all the protocols including calling Carnival in advance of our cruise to have all of our bookings linked. And even spoke with the Maître D on embarkation day as soon as we boarded.

I was a little taken aback by the unorganized free for all on the second night as soon as they unlocked the solid outer doors leading to the dining room entry. People at the front of the crowd were literally running into the dining room to snag tables. We had people in our group with disabilities so we walked at a normal pace as were relegated to a back corner.

This was in stark contrast to the first night when they seated group by group at the Maître d stand and would t even seat us until everyone arrived.

We’ve never done a cruise with such a large group. Is this normal?

On MSC last year when we cruised with 8 we had the same table and same servers every night. And we didn’t have to go through the hassle of linking bookings and talking to the Maître D ahead of time.

We all had assigned late seating in the aft dining room. And still the Maître d did not provide us with anything close to what I would consider proper group seating. We followed all the protocols including calling Carnival in advance of our cruise to have all of our bookings linked. And even speaking with the Maître D on embarkation day as soon as we boarded.

 

I was a little taken aback by the unorganized free for all on the second night as soon as they unlocked the solid outer doors leading to the dining room entry. People at the front of the crowd were literally running into the dining room to snag their tables. We had people in our group with disabilities so we walked at a normal pace.

 

This was in stark contrast to the first night when they seated group by group at the Maître d stand.

:(Sorry to hear it was such a problem. Dinner is one of the highlights of our day:(

:(Sorry to hear it was such a problem. Dinner is one of the highlights of our day:(

Dinners are usually the highlight of our groups day as well. We routinely get together at our local restaurants and always have a wonderful time talking and joking over meals.

The way the Maître d on the Victory handled the aft dining room seating was unlike anything I’ve ever seen on a cruise.

It was like being at a Walmart when they opened on Black Friday.

We all had assigned late seating in the aft dining room. And still the Maître d did not provide us with anything close to what I would consider proper group seating. We never sat at the same table or section during the cruise. We followed all the protocols including calling Carnival in advance of our cruise to have all of our bookings linked. And even spoke with the Maître D on embarkation day as soon as we boarded.

 

I was a little taken aback by the unorganized free for all on the second night as soon as they unlocked the solid outer doors leading to the dining room entry. People at the front of the crowd were literally running into the dining room to snag tables. We had people in our group with disabilities so we walked at a normal pace as were relegated to a back corner.

 

This was in stark contrast to the first night when they seated group by group at the Maître d stand and would t even seat us until everyone arrived.

 

We’ve never done a cruise with such a large group. Is this normal?

 

On MSC last year when we cruised with 8 we had the same table and same servers every night. And we didn’t have to go through the hassle of linking bookings and talking to the Maître D ahead of time.

If you had assigned seating, those other people were "running" to their assigned tables. They only seat you the first night unless you are unable to find your table.

Yes, once you have an assigned table, that is the table you go to every night, whether you are in a hurry or not.

I'm sorry there were problems with those that were trying to get to the table that had disabilities.

It may, or may not work, but I just emailed the Maitre - d, about the size of a table we wanted. I don't want to be there on the first day of the ship, checking to see if it is the table we need, and if not, then that night, I have to request for the change.

If I don't hear back, that is OK too, as we'll make it one way or another.

The windowside tables just to the left of the entrance that we were seated at by the Maitre D the first night were occupied by the rush of passengers the second night. We ended up in the back right corner at two tables instead of the three tables the first night. On the final night we got two large round tables just inside the door in the center of the dining room.

If the tables were preassigned why were people in such a hurry to get there when the doors opened?

And if people took tables that weren’t assigned to them why didn’t the servers or maitre d intervene?

I can only talk about MY experience in ONLY the MDR on the ships, and not other dining rooms. From the first night of the cruise, till the last night, unless we were unhappy and ask to have another table on the first night, we always went to the same table. Yes, people do hurry to get to the table, but once they get there, normally they have to wait until the rest of the people show up, as the waiters don't want to take part of the orders, until everyone is there.

With the switching of tables, it sounds to me like you were NOT in the MDR, but the other dining room that takes people on a first come, first serve basis, at different times. We do not do that.