Dining Room number of guests per table

[finnkle]

I will be cruising in November on the Caribbean Princess with my wife and 2 young kids. We are cruising with another family of 4 and the potential for another family of 4. In the main dining room, will they accommodate a table of 12? We are 6 adults and 6 kids ranging from 1 to 7 years of age. TIA!

[JimmyVWine]

I think the typical setup of large tables (round) is for 6. You will have to speak with a Dining Room manager to arrange a 12-top. If they can do it, it would probably be 6 consecutive tables for 2 pushed together, or a row of 2-tops and 4-tops in a row, pushed together. Could be tough with Dine My Way staggered dining, but you won’t know until you ask. 
 

[Steelers36]

20 minutes ago, finnkle said:

I will be cruising in November on the Caribbean Princess with my wife and 2 young kids. We are cruising with another family of 4 and the potential for another family of 4. In the main dining room, will they accommodate a table of 12? We are 6 adults and 6 kids ranging from 1 to 7 years of age. TIA!

I think they only have shown tables up to 10 persons.  I am not sure if they don't have the ability to have a table for 12 in a DR.  I am trying to think back to a large group that was not far from our table back in 2019.  There was the head and the foot and how many along each side?  Not sure if it was 4 or 5 - or perhaps 4 on one side and 5 on the other. 

 

What you might get - or rather have - is two 6-tops and you can mix it up each night so different folks sit together. 

 

You should get into the MC App and setup the other bookings as Travel Companions.  Then, use DMW to add all the extra bookings as Dining Party members.  Once you have all 8 (or 12), book whatever time you want for the full voyage and elect a PRIVATE table.  If you try it with 12, you might get a message that your party will be at SPLIT tables.  

 

For now, I would gather up the eight going for sure and make a Private booking.  If the other four come along later, you can re-book.  Then, I would suggest having two organizers.  You as the first organizer add five plus yourself to a Dining Party.  Again, book a private table.  Have someone else setup a Dining Party of the other six and do the same thing.

 

Now, DMW won't know anything about you, so the two bookings will be separate and not necessarily placed in proximity.  Make sure all cabin reservations are cross-linked with Princess.  As soon as you board - or as soon as DR's open that night - speak to a manager about your reservations and see if they cannot co-locate the two tables.  I am pretty sure they will work to accommodate you.  There is just no guarantee with DMW. 

 

ETA:  Note that if you try and book all 12 at once and get assigned SPLIT tables, there is no way to know the number of splits, the table sizes, not the locations.  You still need to speak to DR mgmt.

Edited July 25, 2022 by Steelers36

[prmssk]

We had a table for 8 on the Caribbean Princess last month.  I don't recall if I saw bigger tables than that.  They should be able to at least put tables close together.

[KreinKrunker]

I have only seen tables for 10.  We were on the Caribbean in May and had a party of 14.  We had a table for 6 and one for 8 next to it.  A number of years ago we did have a table for 12 on the Coral.  They added two seats to a table for 10.  It was a bit crowded, but we had a ball.

[PacnGoNow]

59 minutes ago, finnkle said:

I will be cruising in November on the Caribbean Princess with my wife and 2 young kids. We are cruising with another family of 4 and the potential for another family of 4. In the main dining room, will they accommodate a table of 12? We are 6 adults and 6 kids ranging from 1 to 7 years of age. TIA!

There were two areas when we were in in March that they had a party of 12 in the middle of the Coral DR, I believe it was 10 and they squeezed in 2 small children. It was square tables pushed togethet.

 

Also, our waiter said he had a party of 12, back in the middle, straight back against the wall, but that was 2 six top rounds

next to each other.  
 

So it can be done.  That was the Coral midship 6.  DRO is Alex if he’s on when you sail.  See him at lunch, embarkation day or dinner 1st night.  

[arizonaperson]

On 7/24/2022 at 5:48 PM, finnkle said:

I will be cruising in November on the Caribbean Princess with my wife and 2 young kids. We are cruising with another family of 4 and the potential for another family of 4. In the main dining room, will they accommodate a table of 12? We are 6 adults and 6 kids ranging from 1 to 7 years of age. TIA!

If you have a travel agent they may be able to advise how to set up this large table or call Princess.

Are you sure all 8 of you or all 12 of you want to eat together every evening at the same time? Maybe not all of you will want the d.r. Every night. Which makes Dine my way possibly feasible for you?

Maybe  one family will want the buffet, one or two nights.Maybe kids will eat early at pizza place and then go to kids club.Maybe the one year old  or Adult needs a nap after a long day in port and the large table you set up for say 6pm goes empty.

You may want to all dine together now,but once onboard in November,too many variables?

Edited July 27, 2022 by arizonaperson

[masterty]

Table of 10 is the biggest single table I have seen and sat at.

EDIT: Oops! While looking for a photo I took of the dining room table charts I ran across this photo I took on the Sky. 10 person is all that was offered to our group on the Grand and Star Princess. Clearly this photo I shot on the Sky Princess 01/20 grabbed my attention. 

Edited July 27, 2022 by masterty

[suekel]

We traveled with a group of 14 one time.  We had 2 tables next to each other, one 8 one 6.  We rotated around every night, it worked out fine.  

[nini]

We have been seated at large oval tables but I do not recall the number of people... Maybe 10-12?

[donaldsc]

What is the point of a table for 12.  The people at one end will not be able to talk to the people at the other end so you might as well be at separate tables.  The person who suggested 2 tables seating 6 each with people switching from night to night had the best idea.

 

DON

[ldubs]

11 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

What is the point of a table for 12.  The people at one end will not be able to talk to the people at the other end so you might as well be at separate tables.  The person who suggested 2 tables seating 6 each with people switching from night to night had the best idea.

 

DON

 

We do that when all adults. But with children ranging from 1 to 7, I think a single big table is likely better.   

[donaldsc]

17 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

We do that when all adults. But with children ranging from 1 to 7, I think a single big table is likely better.   

 

You have 6 kids.  Three at each table.

 

DON

[ldubs]

7 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

You have 6 kids.  Three at each table.

 

DON

 

That could sure work depending on the age ranges and parent split.  But, as I said before, with the mix of children, I would go for a table of 12.  We have in fact done that with all adults on another cruise line.  I'm thinking the OP will likely be accommodated if they make the request.  

[finnkle]

Thanks everybody for the tips and advice!

[Roberto256]

On 7/26/2022 at 10:28 PM, masterty said:

Table of 10 is the biggest single table I have seen and sat at.

EDIT: Oops! While looking for a photo I took of the dining room table charts I ran across this photo I took on the Sky. 10 person is all that was offered to our group on the Grand and Star Princess. Clearly this photo I shot on the Sky Princess 01/20 grabbed my attention. 

 

Back in the old days, when I had to eat with strangers...

 

Some rube would often use MY bread plate.

 

I think the corners of that table just about guarantee it.

 

 

[wheezedr]

Medallion App would not allow me to book a table for 12 on my upcoming cruise on the Ruby, so I did 2 sixes.  After a recent cancellation I was able to go back and book a 10 top on the app.  Interestingly it would only take six nights of the seven day cruise.

[Coral]

I have seen a table of 12 but why do it? Just do (2) tables of 6 and switch people around. The people on the one end can't hear the people on the other end. It just doesn't make sense and it takes the servers longer to serve these long tables.

[candy4040]

Just an aside - I've found that the more people in a group the more time it takes to be served.

 

 

[MissP22]

22 hours ago, Roberto256 said:

 

Back in the old days, when I had to eat with strangers...

 

Some rube would often use MY bread plate.

 

I think the corners of that table just about guarantee it.

 

 

The absolutely worst seat of the oblong tables for ten is at the end.

It allows only enough room for your own plate and if the other people pull their chair in all the way, you can't even get close to the table. 

Been there once, never again. 😒

 

[Roberto256]

On Emerald, they had some oblong plywood tops that they could pull out and  make an 8 or 10-top.

 

In the dining room, most of the tables are bolted to the floor, and can't be pushed together to make larger tables.

(you can see this when they hold a silly sale in the dining room)

 

Most of the 2-tops, especially a row where one side is a bench seat can be pushed together.

 

The disadvantage of large tables is that usually, the meal progress at the pace of the slowest diner.

 

[MissP22]

3 hours ago, Roberto256 said:

The disadvantage of large tables is that usually, the meal progress at the pace of the slowest diner.

That also means you'll be a little late for seats in the show lounge. It's hard to excuse yourself from the conversations. 

[retrembl]

On 7/24/2022 at 8:48 PM, finnkle said:

I will be cruising in November on the Caribbean Princess with my wife and 2 young kids. We are cruising with another family of 4 and the potential for another family of 4. In the main dining room, will they accommodate a table of 12? We are 6 adults and 6 kids ranging from 1 to 7 years of age. TIA!

We useually sit at a table of 8.  I know there are tables of 10, but I haven't see a table for 12.  My suggestion is to ask your TA.