Dinner Seating -- Will they Combine Family of 4 with Another?

[Cinderelli]

Hi!

 

We are a family of 4 -- with 2 kids (14 and 10) -- who will be sailing on the 8/29 Conquest out of New Orleans. Some of our best cruise experiences have been when we've shared a table with other families, and really got to know others who have kids. We are a very gregarious family.

 

Will Carnival uusally seat us with another family with like ages of kids? Do we have to request it? Or do they put you solo?

 

I was very surprised that on our last cruise on the Disney Magic that we were seated as a 4-some. Nice, but we made friends with neighboring tables -- that's our style.

 

What's your experience?:o

 

Thanks!

[Cotton]

Y'all sound like a fun family! Probably what you need to do is, as soon as your're onboard, go to the dining room shown on your Sign and Sail card. Check on your table, and if it's not a 8-10 top, locate the Maitre d' and request that you be changed to one. Like you, I love being with more folks at dinner, much livlier conversation.

[dawnp]

on Fantasy they sat us (family of four - 2 kids, 9 and 16) with another family of four - 2 kids, 10 and 15. The kids had instant friends for the rest of the cruise...worked out great.

 

Dawn

[trixiefan]

We were on the Conquest in June. We are a family of five, me, hubby and three kids, ages 16, 13 and 8. We were seated at a table for 8 with a father and his two daughters, ages 13 and 8. They were very nice and it really made dinner enjoyable to visit with them. I don't know if Carnival plans it that way, or coincidence, but it's nice for families with children to be seated together. My 8 yo son got bored during the long mealtime, so it was nice to seated with someone that might understand how children get, rather than sit with someone not traveling with children.

[Mike A]

We were on the Conquest in June. We are a family of five, me, hubby and three kids, ages 16, 13 and 8. We were seated at a table for 8 with a father and his two daughters, ages 13 and 8. They were very nice and it really made dinner enjoyable to visit with them. I don't know if Carnival plans it that way, or coincidence, but it's nice for families with children to be seated together. My 8 yo son got bored during the long mealtime, so it was nice to seated with someone that might understand how children get, rather than sit with someone not traveling with children.

When our family went on the Ecstasy in 1997 I was with my wife, daughter (12 at the time) and my wife's parents. We were placed at a table for 10 with a family that had the mother, father, one daughter the same age as mine as well as the fathers's parents. In fact they lived in the town next to mine. I asked the Matre D if they placed us together on purpose and he said absolutely. He told me that they try to pair like families together

[luvsunandfun]

When I was with my family three years ago on the Paradise, they gave us a booth to ourselves. My kids were 7 and 10 at the time.

[tjohn159d]

The Matireds try to seat like ages together. Our last cruise was with our 16 yo dughter. They seated us in a 6 person booth with another couple and their 18 yo daughter. The cruise before when it was just the 2 of us he seated us at a table with another couple the same age as us. He said they try to match up by group (example 2adults 1 child with 2 adults 1 child ) first. They then check ages, etc, on down a list I suppose they have. :)

[CruiseCATnMACK]

On the Pride in December we sat at a booth. Because it was the first cruise with the kids we were happy with the arrangment.

[mpffls]

Mike........

noticed you were on the bergansfiord in 65.........I think that was the yr we were on her.........my parents never did forgive the captain for teaching me about fresh caviar..........my step-father traveled from US to Norway on the origanal........

what fun those old grand dames were.........

we went thru the canal..........where did your cruise take you!!!!!!!!!

trish

[GottaLuvCruising]

We sailed on the Spirit in May. We were very disappointed that the majority of tables seat only four or six guests. We strongly prefer a larger table (for precisely the same reasons given by the original post) and always request a large table. We were assigned a table for four and asked to be changed. They ended up moving two tables for four together. It solved the problem. But why are they configuring the dining room with more small tables??? The older ships we've enjoyed always had many 8 and 10 tops...hard to find on the Spirit. :(

[Bakmmo]

We were on the Imagination last year, we are a family of 4 2 gilrs and were seated with anothe family of 4 with 2 girls similar ages. The girls got along great.

[soccermommie]

Unfortunately, we did not have good luck with Carnival's attempt to match us with another family; although, I don't really fault Carnival for the unpleasant experience.

 

We were matched with a family with kids of similar ages as ours; however, the entire family spoke very limited English and we don't speak any Japanese. It made for a very awkward dining situation trying to make conversation with them. On top of that, they apparently did not understand that dinner in the dining room is not a come whenever you choose affair. On the entire five night cruise, they were never less than twenty minutes late arriving. In addition, they didn't even show up together then. The father would come in, then five or ten minutes later a couple of the kids would come in followed by the mother and the remaining kid(s) five to fifteen minutes after that! Needless to say, dinner times were very chaotic, and we didn't appreciate being held up on our courses while our waitstaff tried to catch them up to us. Our children were fairly young at the time, and the long delays and very drawn-out meals made for a most unpleasant and stressful dining experience for us because we are very conscientious about our children behaving appropriately for the place and situation and not disturbing others.

 

If we're assigned anything other than a table solely for our family on our upcoming cruise, we will be speaking to the maitre'd to request other arrangements. Not worth the potential hassle in our books. It's a family vacation, and we would prefer to spend it focusing on our family anyway.

[Mike A]

Mike........

noticed you were on the bergansfiord in 65.........I think that was the yr we were on her.........my parents never did forgive the captain for teaching me about fresh caviar..........my step-father traveled from US to Norway on the origanal........

what fun those old grand dames were.........

we went thru the canal..........where did your cruise take you!!!!!!!!!

trish

Trish,

 

I sailed with my family on the Bergensfjord to Norway from New York on June 4, 1965 to see my grandparents,for the one and only time. I was 9 years old. It was my first time on a ship and I became hooked for life. Since this was a transatlantic voyage it was like a 6 night cruise to nowhere. The first stop was Bergen and the we moved on to Stavanger where we left the ship. We returned to New York on the July 29th sailing of the Oslofjord from Stavanger and stopped in Bergen before sailing to NY. On that voyage picked up a sailor from another ship who had been stabbed in a fight. As a result we sped to NY and got in a day early where we sat below the brand new Verazanno Bridge in NY harbor for a full day. The trip was highlight of my childhood and I have been hooked on crusing ever since. BTW my father came over from Norway on the Stavangerfjord, the younger sister of the original Bergensfjord.

[momofmeg]

Last December we went with our daughter who was 19 at the time and friends, a couple in their mid thirties. We were assigned to a table of 10 with a family of 5; a husband and wife, thier 16 year old son and their 22 year old son and 22 year old daughter-inlaw. I thought they matched us pretty good. we really enjoyed thier company and our daughter really hit it off with their daughter inlaw-I think they still exchange e-mails.

[BillnBobbi]

We sailed on the Spirit in May. We were very disappointed that the majority of tables seat only four or six guests. We strongly prefer a larger table (for precisely the same reasons given by the original post) and always request a large table. We were assigned a table for four and asked to be changed. They ended up moving two tables for four together. It solved the problem. But why are they configuring the dining room with more small tables??? The older ships we've enjoyed always had many 8 and 10 tops...hard to find on the Spirit. :(

 

I believe they are configuring tables with smaller sizes, because that is what the customers are preferring based on requests given. While some folks prefer meeting new people on a cruise at mealtime (spec. dinner), and like to carry on conversations, others simply want to be left alone and to themselves.

 

Moreover, meeting new people in a structured situation such as at dinner can cause anxiety to some folks who are not comfortable in making acquaintances that way. Some prefer a more informal way to meet such as at poolside, on an excursion, in a lounge, etc.

 

One of the things that makes NCL so popular with those who cruise that line is their "freestyle" concept in the dining rooms. If you want a table for TWO ONLY, that is what you get. They will never sit you down with total strangers is that is not what you like.

 

We have had experiences on cruises, (old time) where there were four or six couples at a table who did not know one another and on more than one occasion it turned out to be a disaster because of some crude bore or other.

Since this experience was not a singular phenomenon, and the dinner seating became a deal breaker for many, when cruising was one of the travel options, the industry responded to the demands. Another outgrowth of this has been the alternative restaurants on board many ships as well.

 

BnB

[CaribbeanCruisesRock]

Maybe, you might get put with a table of ten, who knows? you can always request a private table but you don't always get it.

[ChardonnayKJ]

On our recent cruise we (my husband, myself and my daughter 9yo were seated with a nice family of 5. Their daughter was 7 and even though their sons were in there late teens we had a nice dinner experience. I noticed quite a few newlyweds seated by themselves.