Requesting table size

I booked our cruise through a TA for March of next year.

I don't know if anyone has ever thought about this, or how did you go about doing it? I had ask my TA (I believe up till recently, the TA was able to do this) if she would request a large table, with both men and women there. She said she is not able to do this, but we have to wait until we get on the ship and ask the "Head Waiter." Have you ever done this, or can it be done "before" getting on the ship?

You can email the Maitre'd of your ship prior to. No guarantees but we did request a booth for 4 once and it was granted.

I booked our cruise through a TA for March of next year.

 

I don't know if anyone has ever thought about this, or how did you go about doing it? I had ask my TA (I believe up till recently, the TA was able to do this) if she would request a large table, with both men and women there. She said she is not able to do this, but we have to wait until we get on the ship and ask the "Head Waiter." Have you ever done this, or can it be done "before" getting on the ship?

Huh? VS what?

If you selected early/late, you will most likely be seated with others. You can go to the dining room once on board to see your table size/location but it will not be until dinner time before you see who you are seated with.

There is no need to contact anyone prior to boarding. Maitres are never required or expected to return emails.

how do you email the matre'd

how do you email the matre'd

**maitred@carnival.com (** is the abbreviation of your ship)

FA = Fantasy

FS = Fascination

EC = Ecstasy

SE = Sensation

IS = Inspiration

IM = Imagination

EL = Elation

PA = Paradise

SP = Spirit

PR = Pride

LE = Legend

MI= Miracle

DE = Destiny

TI = Triumph

VI = Victory

CQ = Conquest

GL = Glory

LI = Liberty

VA = Valor

FD = Freedom

SL = Splendor

DR = Dream

MC = Magic

BR = Breeze

SH = Sunshine

Huh? VS what?

If you selected early/late, you will most likely be seated with others. You can go to the dining room once on board to see your table size/location but it will not be until dinner time before you see who you are seated with.

There is no need to contact anyone prior to boarding. Maitres are never required or expected to return emails.

As I said they don't return your email but they do honor your request if available.

thank you!!

As I said they don't return your email but they do honor your request if available.

They are more likely to honor it if you visit with them in person since they do table assignments right before your cruise and have a better idea of guest counts.

Email the maitre 'd within two weeks of your cruise. The week before your cruise they are working on the seating for your cruise. The times I have done it I have received a reply, even if it was just to say 'noted'. It should be easier to arrange it then, than after you board and they have to shuffle someone else around to suit you. EM

Just a note to add that John H actually prefers people do not email the Maitres D. He says it all the time on his page - they are busy and not required or expected to read guest emails. They might do but they are not required to. Best bet is to see them on embarkation day during the hours they are available for these things. Just go to MDR and get in line.

Email email email... we have never found success waiting till the day of the cruise

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With email sometimes they will do it and sometimes not. Best to visit DR embarkation day.

Never understood why you could not just include your preference in reservation.

I am not sure if a travel agent can do this, however the best way to do this is to link all the reservations (booking numbers) together and they will be assigned same time and same table or tables depending on how big the group is. I have done this a few times, but always with a Carnival PVP. Did everybody use the same Travel Agent? If not, your next best thing is with at least one person in each cabin must find the maitre'd as soon as you board.

You will need to be in TRADITIONAL seating (assigned seating), and you can request a LARGE table. They will try to match couples with couples, families with families,, and singles with singles.

Who cares what John H says or does. I don't.

When reservations are linked we’ve always been seated together. I’ve never had to request it. Getting seated by yourself when in a small group is more of an issue.

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I've always e-mailed the Maitre D requesting a table for 2 or 3. I've requested a particular table as well. The table # is on the sign and sail so I didn't have to search the dining room to see where I was sitting.

I get a response within a day or two. Never a problem.

So far, it's worked out great!:)

Next time its just 2 of us I will try that. Having to sit at a table full of strangers was enough to make us stay in the Lido for dinner. On our first cruise alone we got stuck with one of those loud guys that brags to everyone about his money and asks everyone else what they do for a living[emoji849]

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does anyone have experience asking for table for 1 person? going solo later this year, me time, not sure i want to make chit-chat w/strangers. doing fixed dining time

does anyone have experience asking for table for 1 person? going solo later this year, me time, not sure i want to make chit-chat w/strangers. doing fixed dining time

Yes, just did it this week for 4/8

E-mailed the MaitreD (Desmond on Pride) and requested the same table I had in March. Great spot for one in a good location. Early dining.

He got back to me within an hour with a confirmation.

Email email email... we have never found success waiting till the day of the cruise

When I had to email I did so on day 2 of the cruise before ours. That way the maitre'd was done adjusting them and ready to work on our cruise.

The don't always respond in email but do try to honor requests. Like I said - I email - then when we board I check the MDR right away. If it's not corrected then I go to the maitre'd stand to see what they can do for me.

Yes, just did it this week for 4/8

 

 

 

E-mailed the MaitreD (Desmond on Pride) and requested the same table I had in March. Great spot for one in a good location. Early dining.

 

 

 

He got back to me within an hour with a confirmation.

Thx for reply

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We contacted Carnival on our last cruise and had 18 of us linked. It requires that you have each persons booking number to do this. And getting to the right person who has access to this at Carnival is a whole other game in and of itself. We were told that once we were linked we would be seated together for dinner in the MDR. Unfortunately what we were told and what we encountered on the ship were completely different. I went to the maitre d on the afternoon of embarkation and tried to confirm with them. They said we would have to just arrive as a group in the dining room at our assigned time and they would seat us together if available. We arrived before the dining room opened and they had us wait until every single person had arrived. Then they broke us up into three tables. The second night they held everyone in the landing area between the aft elevators until 8:15. There were probably 200 people crowding the space and was definitely a safety hazard as the crowd was backed up along the stairwell and people continued to empty from the elevators. Once the doors opened there was an uncontrolled stampede as apparently the maitre d decided the tables were first come first serve unlike the first night. It was similar to what I remember from a Black Friday mad rush. We ended up at two 8 seat tables in the back. The last night we got two 10 seat tables in the front. So I don’t think that “linking” or talking to the maitre d had any effect whatsoever. It’s a free for all.

We contacted Carnival on our last cruise and had 18 of us linked. It requires that you have each persons booking number to do this. And getting to the right person who has access to this at Carnival is a whole other game in and of itself. We were told that once we were linked we would be seated together for dinner in the MDR. Unfortunately what we were told and what we encountered on the ship were completely different. I went to the maitre d on the afternoon of embarkation and tried to confirm with them. They said we would have to just arrive as a group in the dining room at our assigned time and they would seat us together if available. We arrived before the dining room opened and they had us wait until every single person had arrived. Then they broke us up into three tables. The second night they held everyone in the landing area between the aft elevators until 8:15. There were probably 200 people crowding the space and was definitely a safety hazard as the crowd was backed up along the stairwell and people continued to empty from the elevators. Once the doors opened there was an uncontrolled stampede as apparently the maitre d decided the tables were first come first serve unlike the first night. It was similar to what I remember from a Black Friday mad rush. We ended up at two 8 seat tables in the back. The last night we got two 10 seat tables in the front. So I don’t think that “linking” or talking to the maitre d had any effect whatsoever. It’s a free for all.

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.

Who cares what John H says or does. I don't.

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