Table for two

[NewMrsSwan918]

DH and I sail on Empress 3/29.  This is our first vacation without our kids in 10 years. 🤗 We would prefer a table for two in the MDR this time.  Do I need to reach out before embarkation via email to make this request?  Or just go to the MDR upon embarkation?  Thanks! 

[Ourusualbeach]

5 minutes ago, NewMrsSwan918 said:

DH and I sail on Empress 3/29.  This is our first vacation without our kids in 10 years. 🤗 We would prefer a table for two in the MDR this time.  Do I need to reach out before embarkation via email to make this request?  Or just go to the MDR upon embarkation?  Thanks! 

Contact rcldining@rccl.com 3 weeks before your cruise.

[NewMrsSwan918]

1 minute ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Contact rcldining@rccl.com 3 weeks before your cruise.

Thank you!  That is exactly what I needed to know.  

[ATC cruiser]

16 minutes ago, NewMrsSwan918 said:

DH and I sail on Empress 3/29.  This is our first vacation without our kids in 10 years. 🤗 We would prefer a table for two in the MDR this time.  Do I need to reach out before embarkation via email to make this request?  Or just go to the MDR upon embarkation?  Thanks! 

My wife and I did the same thing in October. When the travel agent asked if we were celebrating anything special I said, yes, this is out first cruise without the kids. 🥳

[suesnake2002]

I have my TA note it on my reservation when I book cruise

[mskaufman]

We've had My Time dining and it has never been a problem.

[boscobeans]

In more than 20 years we have ALWAYS been seated at the table size we requested when booking.

 

Have your TA or your RCCL representative make that request. 

 

Double check when you get your table number upon boarding and make any change at that time.

[Norwich Cruiser]

13 hours ago, NewMrsSwan918 said:

Thank you!  That is exactly what I needed to know.  

When you email them.

Probably stating the obvious but.

Include.

Passenger names

Reservation number

Ship

Sail date

Stateroom number.

Table size required,

Plus which sitting you are on.

Probably all of the above isn’t necessary but that’s what we do and have never had a problem.

[blueridgemama]

34 minutes ago, Norwich Cruiser said:

When you email them.

Probably stating the obvious but.

Include.

Passenger names

Reservation number

Ship

Sail date

Stateroom number.

Table size required,

Plus which sitting you are on.

Probably all of the above isn’t necessary but

that’s what we do and have never had a problem.

 

Do you usually get a response?

[Norwich Cruiser]

Yes we send an email about two weeks before the cruise and normally get a reply confirming our request has been granted with two or three days.

When we board we always go and check out the table and position .

If you don’t happen to be happy with the table position the person who is on duty at the dining room normally from about 13.00 does there best to change you.

[DaniDanielle]

We have never had a problem getting a table for two for MTD.

[ONECRUISER]

Many times last 30+YRS on Royal request threw agents request was not granted. Every time I've emailed, 2-3 weeks, before to rcldining@rccl.com got what asked for. Dont send sooner as request can get lost. About 1/4 time they didnt reply but as said got my table/location...

Edited February 4, 2020 by ONECRUISER

[gatour]

On 2/3/2020 at 7:55 PM, NewMrsSwan918 said:

DH and I sail on Empress 3/29.  This is our first vacation without our kids in 10 years. 🤗 We would prefer a table for two in the MDR this time.  Do I need to reach out before embarkation via email to make this request?  Or just go to the MDR upon embarkation?  Thanks! 

Are you doing set time dining (early or late seating) or My Time dining.  If it is the latter (My time Dining) then you should be okay.  They just assume you want a table for just the two of you.  For "set time" dining then do as others have suggested. 

[NewMrsSwan918]

3 minutes ago, gatour said:

Are you doing set time dining (early or late seating) or My Time dining.  If it is the latter (My time Dining) then you should be okay.  They just assume you want a table for just the two of you.  For "set time" dining then do as others have suggested. 

We have set dining at 8 pm.  DH isn’t crazy about it, but we’ve always done late seating on past cruises, so I assumed he wanted that again this time when booking.  Silly me for assuming anything!  😂

[blueridgemama]

21 hours ago, blueridgemama said:

 

Do you usually get a response?

 

Just to update. I sent an email request yesterday and received an email this morning confirming that "my request was forwarded to the vessel"

[Norwich Cruiser]

1 hour ago, blueridgemama said:

 

Just to update. I sent an email request yesterday and received an email this morning confirming that "my request was forwarded to the vessel"

That’s excellent service.

Trust you get your table.

[Starry Eyes]

23 hours ago, Norwich Cruiser said:

When you email them.

Probably stating the obvious but.

Include.

Passenger names

Reservation number

Ship

Sail date

Stateroom number.

Table size required,

Plus which sitting you are on.

Probably all of the above isn’t necessary but that’s what we do and have never had a problem.

You do not need to give your stateroom number.  I have successfully emailed my dining request before we received cabin assignments when we had guarantee cabins.  

 

In fact, the last time we had a gty the dining team confirmed our table request on an attachment that included a cabin number.  Several days later that same cabin number appeared in “My Cruises”.  Funny way to find out my cabin assignment😀

[Norwich Cruiser]

41 minutes ago, Starry Eyes said:

You do not need to give your stateroom number.  I have successfully emailed my dining request before we received cabin assignments when we had guarantee cabins.  

 

In fact, the last time we had a gty the dining team confirmed our table request on an attachment that included a cabin number.  Several days later that same cabin number appeared in “My Cruises”.  Funny way to find out my cabin assignment😀

The dining room were extremely switched on then that’s good to hear.

Yes a funny way to hear but at least all got sorted.

[LB_NJ]

We did mytime dining on Empress and always got a table for 2.  Usually the same table with the same waitstaff which was very nice.

 

If I remember correctly they had piano player at times during dinner.  Ask for a table as forward as possible.

 

My one pet peeve with Empress is that they only washed the dinning room windows at embarkation so they get a little dirty after a few days.

[Colorado Babe]

Did you book with a travel agent or directly with RC?  

 

Either way, If you booked with a TA, they  can go in the system and annotate that you want a table for two.

If you booked with RC, you can call them directly and they will annotate it in the system as well.

[Starry Eyes]

2 hours ago, Norwich Cruiser said:

The dining room were extremely switched on then that’s good to hear.

Yes a funny way to hear but at least all got sorted.

Oh, absolutely.  For many cruises the  Dining Dept has often given me wonderful service by granting emailed my table requests.   Disclosing my cabin assignment too, well, that’s service above and beyond😀.  I know it was probably just a timing fluke, unlikely to repeat, but still funny.

 

I just wanted to assure other people with gty bookings (or people thinking of changing cabin numbers or upgrading) that they need not include cabin number to dining request email. 

[Starry Eyes]

13 minutes ago, Colorado Babe said:

Did you book with a travel agent or directly with RC?  

 

Either way, If you booked with a TA, they  can go in the system and annotate that you want a table for two.

If you booked with RC, you can call them directly and they will annotate it in the system as well.

Yeah, it’s in the system.  I still email dining before my cruise.  Squeaky wheel theory.

[Colorado Babe]

4 hours ago, Starry Eyes said:

Yeah, it’s in the system.  I still email dining before my cruise.  Squeaky wheel theory.

Awesome. We have never had an issue.

[ThirstyCruiser]

Realize that many tables for two are 12" away from each other. You are closer to the person next to you then across from you. If you want a two top for privacy, ask for one that isn't side by side with another.

 

[LB_NJ]

32 minutes ago, ThirstyCruiser said:

Realize that many tables for two are 12" away from each other. You are closer to the person next to you then across from you. If you want a two top for privacy, ask for one that isn't side by side with another.

 

 

Yes that is true although not exactly sure you are closer to the person next to you, never actually measured.  There is a benefit in that you can have a conversation with the table(s) next to you if you want to without feeling obligated to engage in a conversation that happens at large tables.  Depends on what you want.