Dining for family of 5

[TwinCruiserMom]

How do they usually seat a family of 5 in the dining rooms? (kids are 17, 12 and 12) We would really like to eat at a table alone. My kids are well behaved but I doubt that most adults would find their conversation stimulating :)

 

Is it possible to request a table for 5? Would they seat you at a normal table for 4 or a table for 6? Could a single cruiser get seated at our table if it is a 6 person table?

 

We are past final payment (July CB) and still waitlisted for traditional 1st (#63) so I doubt if we will clear the list. Should I just request my preferences from the maitre d' after embarktion? I was hoping for traditional (same table, same waitstaff) and it would be even better for us because our rooms are on the plaza deck.

 

Thanks for the advice!

[Pia1913]

How do they usually seat a family of 5 in the dining rooms? :)

 

At a table for six

 

Is it possible to request a table for 5? Would they seat you at a normal table for 4 or a table for 6? Could a single cruiser get seated at our table if it is a 6 person table?

 

Highly unlikely that a solo cruiser would be seated with a family of five

 

We are past final payment (July CB) and still waitlisted for traditional 1st (#63) so I doubt if we will clear the list. Should I just request my preferences from the maitre d' after embarktion? I was hoping for traditional (same table, same waitstaff) and it would be even better for us because our rooms are on the plaza deck.

 

I wouldn't push for traditional. You will probably be happier with personal choice.

 

Thanks for the advice!

 

Have a great cruise

[Colo Cruiser]

Should be by yourselves, probably an oval table. :)

[keener]

We cruised this past March (Crown) with our family of five(17,13,13). We chose anytime dining for the flexibility it gave us for eating, activities/excursions.

I wanted the kids to feel like they were on holidays too and have a choice when to eat.

As far as the table goes, we never had a problem with a table for five and rarely waited to be seated.

 

Relax and enjoy your cruise.:)

[gambit57]

Your kids aren't that young. I started cruising a little before your youngest two. Always had traditional then (only choice back then). Still prefer traditional. Got a kick at the waiters learning my eating habits and then serving me accordingly. Didn't get such great service as a kid so I thought it was a hoot.

 

Anytime waiters usually don't see you often enough to give as good service.

 

Cruise ships (especially Princess) still schedule most of their activities around the traditional dining schedules. Never had a problem doing excursions and getting back in time for dinner. Shows start right after dinner too. There's a reason why traditional times have such long waiting lists.

[geniesue]

Hi, We had a round table that sat 6, for our family of 5. It was by a window and very nice! Although it could sit 6, it was only set for 5. The wait staff was wonderful!

[TwinCruiserMom]

Thanks so much for the replies!

 

I will hope for traditional but since we are so far down the list we will probably get anytime and it sounds like we will be happy either way. I am just very happy to know that they will seat us at a table for 6 but will leave the other seat empty. I was picturing a single person sitting with our family and thinking about how I would make that person feel comfortable with our family and the "interesting" conversations that have been known to materialize!! It will be a lot more relaxing to just be on our own.

 

A family of 5 is such an odd number, isn't it? Difficult for hotel rooms and cruise ship cabins. Can anyone else relate?

[Miss Me Too]

We were on the Crown last week, and our family of three requested a table for "just us." We were seated at a four-top, from which the wait staff removed the fourth place setting. We never had a wait, and we did this every night, in anytime dining. No problem!

 

Cheers--

Teri

[jaynak]

We are a family of five just like you - three teens aged - 13, 15 and 17. Last month we were placed at a table for traditional dining with a couple in their 80's!! We had a MARVELOUS time! This dear couple had cruised over 200 days in their life and at the last meal they told us this had been one of their most special cruises. They made us feel like their own children - we'll keep in touch with them for the rest of our days :)

 

So you see - anything can happen :)

 

Jayna K

[cruznon]

We had a family of five. We were put at a table for six--only 5 of us. The line in all probablility would not put a lone cruiser with a family. Ask for a table for six.

[SilentTraveller]

It can and does happen. While traveling solo on a B2B on the Crown last year I was seated at a table for 6 with families of 5 for both weeks. The experience the first week was wonderful and I enjoyed my tablemates. The second week, however, was a horrible experience and I did not return after the first night. This was due to them showing up late on the first night (just as I was being served my main course). Then proceeding to make a very big deal about having "reserved" a table for just themselves and not expecting to share. Rather than ruin their vacation, or mine, I decided to spend the remaining nights trying the alternate dining rooms.

 

I always sail solo and have always been seated in early traditional at a table for 10. This experience on the Crown has soured me on the traditional dining experience. I could have asked to be reseated. There were a large number of tables empty during the first seating for both weeks. But after the first week being such a great experience, it wasn't worth the effort for the second week. On all future cruises I will check on my table seating when I board and request a change if I am booked to a small table. Even if I were willing to take the risk for it to turn out to be pleasant, I don't think the other parties would be happy with someone at their table. I think most people would expect to have the table for their own family group and having one lone person mixed in is awkward.

[Zimomiller]

We have cruised annually with our three kids since they were 3 years old. (They were born to cruise as they were all cruise souvenirs...)

 

They are now 16, 14, 14.

 

We usually ask for tables of 6 for the same reasons, but every now and then we have had a single cruiser join us. Generally someone who was retired.

 

We were always more concerned for the single cruiser that joined us. ie would our family antics ruin their meals and therefore ask to be moved.

 

That never happened.

 

In fact, in every instance, they were wondefrful additions to our daily meal routines. Different life experiences, different perspectives were brought with them and it made for great conversation, even for the kids.

[Shelly97060]

There are four of us, so our situation is a little different, but sometimes only 3 of us want to eat or maybe it is just DH and I... We like anytime because of this.

 

When we ask to be seated we have always let the Maitre de know if we wanted to be seated with others or at a table for "just us" and have always been accommodated. That should reduce your concern about a single diner joining your table.

 

Have a fun trip!

[flarad]

We were on the Crown in March and had a family of five, - four of us plus my Dad. We had Personal Choice dining and loved it. We never had a wait. We tried both dining rooms. We found a wait staff we liked but in order for them to serve us we were seated at a table for 8. This table was just too large since they didn't seat anyone else with us. It was awkward to talk. The rest of the time we were at tables for 6. We made reservations several nights so we could have the same wait staff and enjoyed this. My daughter and I did breakfast in the dining room several days and were seated with others. Including several solo travelers. I loved this. It was fun to get to know other people and talk about their travel experiences.