Main Dining Room - How do you get seated with friends?

[flyawayca]

My husband and I will be on the Dream next month and are cruising with friends. Usually my aunt handles this stuff but this time I'm cruising without her.

 

How do I make sure that I am seated with our friends who are also on the same cruise? We all signed up for early dining. Is there a way to connect reservations to be seated together? Can I email someone? Or is this just something we should wait to request after we board the ship?

 

Thanks!

[Valor2005]

The last time we did it, we called Carnival to request linking the reservations. We gave them our info and the names of friends we wanted to be linked to. Then our friends called and requested to be linked to us. It was no problem.

[Lottacruises]

Go to the dining room the first day and have them linked.

[Ehpride]

Call Carnival and link the bookings. Make sure you both have same dining time.

[SadieN]

Call Carnival or your travel agent. You’ll need names and confirmation numbers. Get it done before you get on the cruise.

 

 

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[flyawayca]

Thanks everyone! I'll give Carnival a call and do it that way. :)

[riclop]

Cross link the reservation #.

[Micahs Grandad]

Call Carnival or your travel agent. You’ll need names and confirmation numbers. Get it done before you get on the cruise.

 

 

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Thinking you need booking numbers but probably same thing

[Motegi]

Yes.

 

You need each cabin’s BOOKING NUMBER.

 

We just did this with 14 of our friends and family in February. You need to call Carnival customer service line and have them LINK the booking numbers. You cannot use cabin numbers, names, confirmation numbers, or anything else. Only the BOOKING NUMBERS.

 

Even after linking the numbers you will need to talk to the maitre d at the main dining room when you board and ask to have a table for your group.

 

Also if your party is larger than 10 you will likely be broken up into two tables.

 

Good luck!

[flyawayca]

This is the most difficult process ever. I'm so annoyed with Carnival right now. I'm trying to make this easy for my friends who have not cruised before.

 

I called Carnival having their booking numbers in hand. They refused to link the reservations because I could only verify booking numbers and names. I didn't know their individual birth dates so I was not allowed to link. I was told that each friend has to call Carnival themselves and give Carnival my name, booking number, date of birth, and PIN that I had to create in order to link reservations. So annoying! :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

[siestakeys04]

I would think they only needed booking number and pin not DOB. Just have them call with your info don’t let it keep you upset. You’ll have a great time.

[Motegi]

I didn’t need PIN numbers when I did it in February for 8 cabins. Just booking numbers. Although it required multiple calls. You might try talking to a different agent.

[flyawayca]

One of my friends just called and they did require her to know my name, PIN, DOB, booking number, and cabin number. Then she was also required to know my husband's DOB so luckily I had my phone on me when she texted asking for it. But supposedly it worked and I'm linked with her.

[Valor2005]

This is the most difficult process ever. I'm so annoyed with Carnival right now. I'm trying to make this easy for my friends who have not cruised before.

 

I called Carnival having their booking numbers in hand. They refused to link the reservations because I could only verify booking numbers and names. I didn't know their individual birth dates so I was not allowed to link. I was told that each friend has to call Carnival themselves and give Carnival my name, booking number, date of birth, and PIN that I had to create in order to link reservations. So annoying! :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

 

That's why I said to have them call. They have all that information. It's done for a very good reason. I wouldn't want someone else making changing to my reservations, dining times, etc. I've even had the other couple in the same room and they still had to get the information from them.

[RWolver672]

 

Even after linking the numbers you will need to talk to the maitre d at the main dining room when you board and ask to have a table for your group.

 

Also if your party is larger than 10 you will likely be broken up into two tables.

 

Good luck!

 

You do not need to see the Maitre d. When you get your Sail and Sign cards, it will have your table number on them. Just compare with your friends to see if you are all at the same table/s.

 

Did you book through a PVP or a Travel Agent? They can do it for you too.

[grammymarcia]

This is the most difficult process ever. I'm so annoyed with Carnival right now. I'm trying to make this easy for my friends who have not cruised before.

 

I called Carnival having their booking numbers in hand. They refused to link the reservations because I could only verify booking numbers and names. I didn't know their individual birth dates so I was not allowed to link. I was told that each friend has to call Carnival themselves and give Carnival my name, booking number, date of birth, and PIN that I had to create in order to link reservations. So annoying! :mad::mad::mad::mad:

I just did this last week for our group of 5 couples. I did it through the diamond desk. I had set up a pin for me a few cruises ago, I have my sisters pin, 2 others in our group haven't set up a pin so theirs was easy, I did have to have at least one birthdate per cabin, and booking numbers. The last cabin was booked through a TA so the TA has to call Carnival with my pin and booking number to get linked to us. More involved then when I did it last year.

[elklemi]

I emailed my PVP with our booking #'sand she took care of it no problem.

[ULCajunCruiser]

I understand your frustration, it is a little more difficult than it could be. Just did this myself for my cabin and 4 other couples traveling with us. If you have the booking #'s, and each couples pin, it should go smoothly. If they don't have a pin (didn't book through a PVP) then you may also need some of their personal information (like name, DOB and address).

 

While it seems to be a royal pain, I appreciate Carnival's caution when it comes to my booking. If they are truly your travel companions, that info should be easy for you to get, and the process will get done!

 

Happy Cruising!!

[FijiFlip]

Linking the rooms is easily done by calling carnival. One person in the group can do it but you will need information for each cabin:

1 - names of people traveling

2 - birth dates for each person traveling

3 - booking number for each cabin

4 - PIN number for each booking



We have 16 on the magic in November. All 7 bookings are linked. We are expecting to be split between 2 (10 person) tables for dinner. This is the second large group we have traveled with reservations linked Iike this. They did a good job keeping the group together last time.

[HarborHermit]

Thanks for this topic. I booked with a group of friends the last two times I sailed, but this time my usual cruise roommate wasn't going, so I booked separately in a 4J cabin. The travel agent couldn't get me the 4J. My friends booked with the travel agent, but I'm still riding to Galveston with a couple of them and wanted to eat dinner with them. I called Carnival and explained the situation. I still had the group booking number, so I guess that's why Carnival didn't give me any trouble.

[xDisconnections]

You can also email the Maitre d’.

[beshears]

I don't have time to read all the responses, and someone may have already mentioned this, but I contacted the "M" or Manager of the dining room about the table size, etc., and I received a reply right back.

[LPYRCRUISER]

5 hours ago, beshears said:

I don't have time to read all the responses, and someone may have already mentioned this, but I contacted the "M" or Manager of the dining room about the table size, etc., and I received a reply right back.

I've always read, the best time to email your maitre'd is a few days before you board your ship.  This is when he is doing the seat assignments for your sailing.  But, no, you will not hear back from him.  I always check in once onboard, to be sure our group is seated together.

I finished paying for our February cruise on Monday and on my docs it shows all our booking numbers linked.  we booked with a PVP.

[dmdiver]

I had to link 2 reservations before & provided booking numbers & date of birth.  My friends had not set a pin number, so I set one for them.  

[djb78]

Or just do anytime dining and ask for a table for 14. I was just with a group of 13 on Magic and it wasn't a problem. On some days we had fewer people because others were eating late or at specialty dining, so we got a smaller table, which is better than a big table that's only half full.