requesting seating in mdr

[jsarratt]

Hello,

 

We are sailing on the Freedom in a few days. Can we ask to be seated at a larger table than just a 4 person. Can be awkward at a 4 person table.

 

Thanks.

[firefly333]

Once you are onboard, I go to check my table, and if I didnt like it, I would go to the maitre d' at about 1 pm when he opens to do changes the day you board and ask to get changed.

 

If you are platinum it helps.

 

I guess you could email him before the cruise, but that seems a bit like asking for special favors to me. .. but I have heard of folks emailing him.

[jsarratt]

Thanks. Where do I find his email?

[cruisenanny]

Thanks. Where do I find his email?

 

it is frmaitred@carnival.com

 

Give him your sail date, booking # & cabin#.

I don't think it is asking for special favors, it is the same favor you will ask the day you board if he chooses not to respond to your email..

[jsarratt]

thank you

[jsarratt]

that email did not work

[cruisenanny]

that email did not work

 

Odd. Maybe they have changed the email addresses but I can't imagine that..

Maitre d's emails have always just been the first two letters of the ship plus maitred@carnival.com. Same for the steakhouse, first two ship letters plus steakhouse@carnival.com.

[firefly333]

Carnival used to allow you to select table size in the MDR, and stopped allowing it.. so they dont want you to do this ahead of time .. (why else would they have stopped allowing it and removed it from the booking form).

[cruisenanny]

Carnival used to allow you to select table size in the MDR, and stopped allowing it.. so they dont want you to do this ahead of time .. (why else would they have stopped allowing it and removed it from the booking form).

 

True, but they do allow you to note a "request" for table size on your reservation when you book. The maitre' d can choose to respond or not. If I'm him I would rather deal with an email at my leisure than stare at another face in that dreaded line each week.

Seems like a moot point anyhow, since the address didn't work for her..:(

[finsupcruiser]

Our TA has been able to request table for 4 for our 2013 cruises.

[firefly333]

True, but they do allow you to note a "request" for table size on your reservation when you book. The maitre' d can choose to respond or not. If I'm him I would rather deal with an email at my leisure than stare at another face in that dreaded line each week.

Seems like a moot point anyhow, since the address didn't work for her..:(

 

Our TA has been able to request table for 4 for our 2013 cruises.

 

Writing a note on a booking is just that .. one of many many notes on my bookings. If the maitre d is looking at each booking to see if there are notes, then he must not have enough to do on the current cruise.

 

You can request all you want .. but Carnival no longer has this as a request on the booking form the last few years. So, thats why I wait until Im onboard and LOOK at my table and see if its fine.. its almost always what I want anyway, a large table.

[SOMBRERO6]

I have been working today on arrangements so all 8 of us can be seated together. I contacted our PVP and he said he will make a note of it, but once we are onboard to go to the MaitreD to make sure of it. Carnival Guest Solutions emailed me and said they do not honor requests for table size....I don't care if there are extra people at our table, we just want to dine together! I just emailed the Valor MaitreD, so we will see if I get a response. Thanks for everyone's help!

[firefly333]

I have been working today on arrangements so all 8 of us can be seated together. I contacted our PVP and he said he will make a note of it, but once we are onboard to go to the MaitreD to make sure of it. Carnival Guest Solutions emailed me and said they do not honor requests for table size....I don't care if there are extra people at our table, we just want to dine together! I just emailed the Valor MaitreD, so we will see if I get a response. Thanks for everyone's help!

 

Link all the bookings, and if they can seat you together they will.

 

what Guest Solutions told you is the same as I've been trying to say nicely.

[SOMBRERO6]

Would our group of 8 be better off doing My Time Dining? I wasn't sure about how long the wait would be........we have 2 kids in our group. Thanks!

[cruisenanny]

Link all the bookings, and if they can seat you together they will.

 

what Guest Solutions told you is the same as I've been trying to say nicely.

 

No one is doubting you & you did say it nicely:)

If a request were guaranteed to be honored it wouldn't be a request, but I can guarantee the maitre'd will see the email someone might send & he can respond to it as he sees fit.

If we weren't supposed to contact our ships maitre'd there wouldn't be an email address for him. Who is to say what is an ok reason to contact him & what is considered "asking for special treatment"?

I looked at it as doing him the favor of not standing in his line on embarkation day & making him listen to the the SAME story he has heard literally thousands of times.

Btw, we just do anytime dining now with Carnival, to avoid this whole mess, and it is great!