Group of 50 - Dining Seating Question

[ssolomon56]

A large group of about 50 (mostly cousins and their families) are boarding the Elation on March 6th. The travel agent was able to put us all faily close to each other's staterooms....but I was wondering about dinner seating. Have any of you had a similar experience? Obviously we couldn't all fit at the same table, but do they typically assign us to 5 tables or so near each other...or should we expect to be spread around?

[firefly333]

Did all 50 pick early or all pick later or all pick any time dining?? If all early or late, they may try and put you all near each other, but they dont have 5 ten tops they are going to give to you, only have a couple, and chances are against you getting them all. You will probably be a little spread out .... assuming all the bookings are correctly linked.

[suebart112]

I'm not positive but I think if all your reservations are linked together, they would know (or at least try) to sit you all together. Obviously if everybody booked seperately this might be a problem.

[ssolomon56]

Did all 50 pick early or all pick later or all pick any time dining?? If all early or late, they may try and put you all near each other, but they dont have 5 ten tops they are going to give to you, only have a couple, and chances are against you getting them all. You will probably be a little spread out .... assuming all the bookings are correctly linked.

 

We all booked through the same travel agent as a group. She put us all as early seating.

[Traveler353]

If the bookings are all linked they will try to seat you all in one area if possible. I have seen several large groups such as yours and they seem to have seating close together.

[Tbay-eh]

We all booked through the same travel agent as a group. She put us all as early seating.

 

then just have her link your bookings and you will be seat near each other but certainly not altogether. Also, if you think you want to switch around everynight so you all get to sit with each other at some time consider your waiter/s - not that you can't do it but the waiter will not get to know you on a more personal level as they like to do.

[firefly333]

We all booked through the same travel agent as a group. She put us all as early seating.

 

... and hopefully she linked all the booking, not processed them separate and not linked them. Only your TA knows.

 

You may or may not sit together, thats a large group for them to find that much space for all together, no guarantees.

 

When you board, your table numbers will be on your card they give you when you check in ... and the name of your dining room. Then you can go see how close you are and talk to the maitre d' if not satisfied.

 

Your muster station is also on the card now when you check in.

[MikeM]

Only can tell you our experience. We were part of a group cruise of 28 couples and we were placed at a series of tables from 6 to 10 tops in the same area. All were at the early seating also. We were linked by our TA with no guarantee and it all worked out fine.

[LornaT]

For Pride's Panama Canal sailing there were a bunch of us linked together for Late Dining (3 tables of 8 and 1 table for 10) and just to be certain I sent an e-mail to the Maitre'D at prdining@carnival.com (try eldining@carnival.com) noting how many and gave my booking number so they could see the linking.

 

Pride has an Annex (side) Dining Room and we were all set up in there when we boarded. Had got an e-mail back confirming that was were we would be seated too. Try, can't hurt to ask, but definitely make sure your TA linked all the bookings.

[Muumuu]

The side dining rooms are only on the spirit class.

Daughter and I were assigned there once and loved it.

[summergal]

Our group of 100+ was all seated early and within general proximity of each other. We were able to move about from table to table if we needed.

[cruiseco]

What we would do with groups like this is have the "lead" person of the group -- whoever has been the main contact with the agency -- make up a seating chart assuming it will all be tables for 8.

 

That person will know that Aunt Martha doesn't get along with Cousin Bill, keep Uncle Fred away from Sue's husband, etc. After that is done we fax the chart to the ship's group coordinator and also to the ship's dining room manager. Nine times out of ten they are able to accommodate the request exactly as submitted AS LONG AS it is submitted early. Don't delay until the last minute.

[RKinNC]

With our group, we completed a dining request form with the tables and individuals at each table. We have only had them to call once asking if one of the tables could be switched from a 10 to a 6 & 4 and wanted to know who to assign to each table.

[yogi2929]

What we would do with groups like this is have the "lead" person of the group -- whoever has been the main contact with the agency -- make up a seating chart assuming it will all be tables for 8.

 

That person will know that Aunt Martha doesn't get along with Cousin Bill, keep Uncle Fred away from Sue's husband, etc. After that is done we fax the chart to the ship's group coordinator and also to the ship's dining room manager. Nine times out of ten they are able to accommodate the request exactly as submitted AS LONG AS it is submitted early. Don't delay until the last minute.

 

For our group we have listed who wants to sit with whom. On the Paradise there are areas of round tables of 10 with a tables of 6 and 2 in the same area. Similar on the Elation. It's possible that you will end up here. Once tables are assigned you are able to move among your assigned tables.

 

They do a good job of keeping groups together. Do it now as they are getting ready to do our table assignments.

 

See you onboard in 9 days!

[lawskool10]

We'll have around 80 or so in my group. On our past cuises together, we had late seating and we were placed in tables close each other.

We had "assigned" seating at each table, meaning families were together and friends were together.

[NavarreCruiser]

We were a group of 48 last Feb. They sat us in the same area, told us which tables were for our group, then said we could sit anywhere within that area. It worked out great. Lynda