Mdr...will they put others with my family?

Hi there...we are seasoned cruisers on several lines

Carnival once put my family of 6 with a father and young son making it a table of 8 and everyone was uncomfortable. We tried to interact but they ignored us and that made us uncomfortable and therefore we weren't comfortable even as a family group. Difficult to laugh and reminisce when 2 at the table are clearly ignoring you plus it was a round table which made it worse

Carnival once put my family of 6 at a 6 top and it was a great family memory maker

Disney sat us at a 6 top

Princess did the same

Ncl of course has anytime dining and sits you with just your party and we have been cruising ncl exclusively the past several years primarily for this reason as well as price and itin

We have found that eating with just our travel group is best so...

We are considering rccl because of great price and an awesome itin for next cruise and will cruise as a group of 4 definitely but perhaps 5 or even all 6 of us again! Yeah!!!

It's our 1st rccl cruise so how can we expect to be seated in the mdr?

Please say rccl will be savvy enough to just sit us alone. We love to chat together at dinner and it's really not great if there were others at the table. They would be uncomfortable I'm thinking and we wouldn't be able to interact like a family with others there

Love chatting with other pax of course just prefer dinner to be just us

Thanks

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Royal has always honored what I have asked for in the past in the MDR. When we have asked for a table for two or four we get that when asked for larger tables 8 plus and open seats they have grouped people.

But if they try to put you with a group just decline and wait for what you want.

Oh I thought with the assigned times that you had an assigned table and wait staff? Is it just assigned time only? Not table?

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You do at dinner Breakfast and Lunch is open. Dinner then you have a fixed time they also assign a table and size. So You request a table for your size group.

When do you request it? Onboard like some lines do or is there a way to request it at booking? I know in the "old" days you could see the maitre d after embark to try to arrange your own table if you wanted to eat alone even if you were assigned to eat with others. That's seems so unusual to do nowadays though. Especially on the mega ships. Lots of work that could be eliminated by arranging this at booking

Or are you saying that when we walk up to the mdr the 1st night we just say a table for our party size and will be assigned one? And a specific water for the duration?

I'm planning on booking directly with rccl via telephone and not online because the website is not up to par imho

Freestyle dining has spoiled us and honestly I'm having difficulty wrapping my head around eating with others or having to ask a maitre d to rearrange onboard. I will ask of course and it's not a deal breaker but I'd like to know how others have been seated as well

Thanks

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If it was my booking I would make the request with Royal over the phone at the time of booking, try to confirm with them at least get the requested noted. Then once one the ship I would check with the dinning room. I would do this close to boarding so changes can be made if needed.

When do you request it? Onboard like some lines do or is their a way to request it at booking? I know in the "old" days you could see the maitre d after embark to try to arrange your own table. That's seems so foreign to do nowadays though.

 

I'm planning on booking directly with rccl via telephone and not online because the website is not up to par imho

 

 

 

 

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If it was my booking I would make the request with Royal over the phone at the time of booking, try to confirm with them at least get the requested noted. Then once one the ship I would check with the dinning room. I would do this close to boarding so changes can be made if needed.

Oh so it's like the "old days" then?

Not guaranteed I'm guessing?

Anyone have experiences to share?

What has your personal experience been?

Thanks

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You could always do My Time Dining - that will almost always get you your own table.

For fixed dining, yes. It's only a request.

We always request a table for 2 as we have had many so so experiences in the past, eg: table mates not showing, etc.. E-mail your request at rcldining@rccl.com and they will accommodate you.

We sailed on Adventure a few weeks ago as a family of 4, me, my husband, 7 year old daughter, 9 year old son. We did not make a seating request ahead of time. As soon as we arrived we went to check and they indeed had us at an 8 top with another family. I was told we would have to sit there the first night, but the next day we would receive a notice in our stateroom of our new table, if they were able to move us. We ate at Giovanni’s the first night, and the next day got the notice we were moved to a table for four. Not complaining, but it was a terrible location. Right when you walk in along the path everyone has to use to get in and out. We constantly has to scoot chairs around to let waiters and others pass through. So, I would maybe make a request ahead of time if you’d like to sit with just your family 😀

Hi there...we are seasoned cruisers on several lines

 

Carnival once put my family of 6 with a father and young son making it a table of 8 and everyone was uncomfortable. We tried to interact but they ignored us and that made us uncomfortable and therefore we weren't comfortable even as a family group. Difficult to laugh and reminisce when 2 at the table are clearly ignoring you plus it was a round table which made it worse

 

Carnival once put my family of 6 at a 6 top and it was a great family memory maker

 

Disney sat us at a 6 top

 

Princess did the same

 

Ncl of course has anytime dining and sits you with just your party and we have been cruising ncl exclusively the past several years primarily for this reason as well as price and itin

 

We have found that eating with just our travel group is best so...

 

We are considering rccl because of great price and an awesome itin for next cruise and will cruise as a group of 4 definitely but perhaps 5 or even all 6 of us again! Yeah!!!

 

It's our 1st rccl cruise so how can we expect to be seated in the mdr?

 

Please say rccl will be savvy enough to just sit us alone. We love to chat together at dinner and it's really not great if there were others at the table. They would be uncomfortable I'm thinking and we wouldn't be able to interact like a family with others there

 

Love chatting with other pax of course just prefer dinner to be just us

 

Thanks

 

 

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If you have traditional (fixed) dining, make your table preference request to rcldining@rccl.com about 3 weeks before the cruise.

We always request a table for 2 as we have had many so so experiences in the past, eg: table mates not showing, etc.. E-mail your request at rcldining@rccl.com and they will accommodate you.

Thank you!!!

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If you have traditional (fixed) dining, make your table preference request to rcldining@rccl.com about 3 weeks before the cruise.

As I'm new to rccl I was only seeing traditional dining for my cruise. Wasn't sure if my time dining was available for my cruise

I thought perhaps they decided based on ship

But I will email thanks

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As I'm new to rccl I was only seeing traditional dining for my cruise. Wasn't sure if my time dining was available for my cruise

 

I thought perhaps they decided based on ship

 

But I will email thanks

To my knowledge, My Time Dining is an option on all RC ships. It could be that it was full at the time you made your booking. If you want to switch to My Time, you may be able to get on a wait list now. Failing that, you could go to the dining room right after you board and try to switch there.

You Can do either My Time dining and make a specific time reservation each evening, or just show up with your family. They will seat you as a group. Or, you can do traditional dining, either early or late seating, and request ahead of time, or when you board, for a table of a specific size. If you do traditional dining I would suggest checking out your table (number is on your Seapass car door), in case you don't like it, or not the correct size. You can then hopefully get it changed prior to dinner.

Also, breakfast and lunch in MDR are open seating. However, if you request a specific size table they will accommodate you. There is a hostess at the entry to the dining room asking how many in your party.

I am pretty sure "table size" is a question in the booking process.

It is on my invoice, but I go through a TA. Not sure of the RC site.

We used to site with big groups and it was great. The last time was over 10 years ago. Since then it changed. After that most of the people never showed up the entire trip.

We had us 4 and another couple at a table of for 14.

Than like the OP, they stuck our family of 4 with 2 woman(older mother & daughter who were not fun). It was awkward but only lasted 1 day because we never saw them again.

The next time it was our family and a young couple who refused to sit down. They were moved.

Since then we just get a table for 4.

Yes, in traditional dining RCCL has combined my family group with others (our party of six with another couple several times).

Thanks for all this info. I'm not booking this second because I need to sit with my gang and see who will be coming. Looks like 4 def and even 5. Issue is my dh as he has asthma and I want to check out the smoking situation a little more as well. If he joins us we will be 6

He has stayed home the last few cruises as they were on the Breakaway class on ncl with that smoky open air casino

That leads me to the next question....how open are the casinos? Does the smoke infiltrate other common areas? Also can most venues be reached by easily going around the casino?

I'm looking at FOTS or NOTS for April 2019

X is really overpriced imho and the jewel class ncl ships with hidden casinos are not good itins

Always wanted to try rccl and still hoping to

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T ... That leads me to the next question....how open are the casinos? Does the smoke infiltrate other common areas? Also can most venues be reached by easily going around the casino?

 

I'm looking at FOTS or NOTS for April 2019 ...

On Freedom and Navigator, you can go around the casino on the outside promenade. Otherwise you would have to go up one deck and walk trhough the Royal Promenade.

It will be easier to get your requested table at late seating. Not as crowded.

On Freedom and Navigator, you can go around the casino on the outside promenade. Otherwise you would have to go up one deck and walk trhough the Royal Promenade.

Is the casino multi level by any chance? If we go the royal pro made route we can avoid the casino? That's great if possible

I'll be looking at deck plans very closely this weekend

Thanks.

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With MTD, you are seated only with your own party...just like in any restaurant. If you have traditional seating, you can request that your party be at a table by yourselves. They want you to be happy and will do their best to make it so.

Is the casino multi level by any chance? If we go the royal pro made route we can avoid the casino? That's great if possible

 

I'll be looking at deck plans very closely this weekend

Thanks.

No, not multi-level, though there is a stairway into the casino in the middle of the Royal Promenade. You can smell smoke from that occasionally.

It will be easier to get your requested table at late seating. Not as crowded.

But not so good when sailing with children.

We always make our table size request, and our bed setup request, when we first book the cruise.