Dining Table, criteria

zebra · July 3, 2006

Many have said that the first thing they do when getting on board is check their dining table. What criteria are you checking and what is important to you about the situation, size etc? Also what would make you change your table on embarkation (presuming you haven't met your table mates yet)?

JoeyandDavid · July 3, 2006

We like to ensure a table for two and hopefully not located right next to the wait station..

Suzila · July 3, 2006

Now that we travel without children, we like to have late seating...makes us feel more like 'adults'! It gives us more time to relax after a day's excursions before rushing to dinner. We have asked to change our reservation to late seating when we were scheduled for early in error.

We also request a large dining table...we like to meet as many people onboard as possible. We've had large, mid-size (just 6 people), and a small table for just two of us. We prefer large.

schatje · July 3, 2006

I will be checking from now on because we were seated at table located right next to a revolving door that was quite a distraction on our last cruise. It was a table for 8 and we were the only people on the table for 2 nights. We asked to switch but they wouldn't let us switch so I made sure I sat with my back to the revolving door so I wouldn't have to see the waiters carrying all the trays walk past me. I'm not a picky person but this was really a distraction. Since we are going to be on a back to back in December I want to make sure I am happy with the location.

KeithnRita · July 3, 2006

We always request late dining, however we've only requested table size once. That was for a table for two for our anniversary. We do check our table location right after we board, just for the heck of it.

hazelson · July 3, 2006

Don't really care as long as its late seating. We would make do with whatever else we got and have a great time to boot.

JohnG · July 4, 2006

One time , when we didn't know better, we were seated with two dreary couples from New York that didn't converse much, ate the same thing every night, and thought we were crazy....wife bubbly and both of us enjoying wine every night. We didn't know we could have gone to the Maitre D' the first night and arranged a change for the rest of the cruise.

It is easier to get a table change before the first dining night than later in the week.

We always request a table for two, unless we have our two teens with us, and if that isn't what we are assigned, I have the change made the first afternoon.

zebra · July 4, 2006

We never want a table for 4 again. On our first cruise Carnival we sat with a couple who were on the cruise to work things out in their marriage. By the end of the first evening they were fighting at the dining table, the next evening they never said a word to each other the entire evening and thereafter they never came to dinner again. This is why we like a table for 6 or 8.

JoeyandDavid · July 5, 2006

and see thats why we do a table for two.. that way each one of us knows we will like our dinner companions :grin:

jacketwatch · July 5, 2006

:cool: We prefer late seating and a table for 6-8. So far we have never had any issues w/ tablemates though once there was an eccentric guy who was very fussy, complained alot AND the airlines had lost his luggage so he wore a tux with gym shoes everynight. That was a site. At heart he was a nice man I think. Conversation with other vacationers is fun usually because we are all there to have a good time. Also its fun to compare port excursions after a day of being out. You can also get some good tips too especially if the other travellers are experienced and if you enjoy travel like most of us do then you will be with people from other states or countries which I find pretty neat. On our Med. cruise we were seated with a couple from tiny Gibraltar of all places and it was fun to compare living styles driving, shopping, taxes, etc. :cool: