Carnival main dining room seating

[marylandfan20794]

Will Carnival seat you with guests you are not traveling with when you have scheduled dining?  I know you can request a table with just your travel companions when you have any time dining. Curious how they are managing distancing if at all when dining.

[AHS123]

That depends, smoking or non-smoking?

[Joe817]

31 minutes ago, marylandfan20794 said:

Will Carnival seat you with guests you are not traveling with when you have scheduled dining?  I know you can request a table with just your travel companions when you have any time dining. Curious how they are managing distancing if at all when dining.

Yes they will, and they can. And on our cruise last August, we were sat next to a '4 top' with on about 4" of separation between the adjoining tables. But it didn't bother us in the least. We enjoy getting to know who's around us. And they were around us for the entire 7 day cruise. To add: we had no travelling companions cruising with us. 

[kctwinmommy]

Yes, they will potentially seat you with other people. And everything is pretty much back to normal, so there isn't any real distancing. I'm not sure if you can request that to only have a table for your party or not. Or do anytime dining and request it that way.

[fshepinc]

I was on the Radiance last week, and they absolutely refused to seat me with any other people, even though I requested a shared table (I was traveling solo). They said it was absolutely against their policy, and I was relegated to a table for two by myself for the entire cruise. That was my tenth cruise with Carnival -and also my last!

[kelkel2]

They do, but I’ve always been asked what I prefer. My husband and I really don’t like to do that so we’ve always asked for a 2 top. You may wait longer, but we’re ok with that. 
Yes the tables are close, so even if you have a private table, it’s likely close to others.

[Jelly_Toast]

There is a place in the hub app where you can state your preference of sitting with other guests or your party only.

[Bostwick girl]

10 hours ago, AHS123 said:

That depends, smoking or non-smoking?

There is no smoking in any of the dining rooms. Hasn’t been for years.

 

[AHS123]

19 minutes ago, Bostwick girl said:

There is no smoking in any of the dining rooms. Hasn’t been for years.

 

No kidding, you must have missed the other thread by the OP about smoking in the casino.

[Bostwick girl]

15 minutes ago, AHS123 said:

No kidding, you must have missed the other thread by the OP about smoking in the casino.

I guess I did! I thought they were talking about smoking in the dining room, not the casino.

 

I do go back to that post about the smoking in the casino. I actually made a comment about my recent experience on Liberty. 

 

Edited June 27, 2022 by Bostwick girl
Additional info.

[jsglow]

So maryland, let me try to answer your question.  IF you are scheduled for Early or Late fixed time dining, the likelihood that you be assigned to dine with others is largely dependent on the size of your party.  Large tables are actually at a bit of a premium (for those large extended families traveling together) so the typical family of 4 usually gets assigned to a booth or 4 top designed for that number. When we traveled as a family 15 years ago, that's what always happened.  A husband/wife traveling solo is more likely assigned to a larger table with strangers.  It is possible, but far from guaranteed, that a solo couple can arrange a table for 2 for the week.  This must be arranged onboard and there is no guarantee whatsoever.

 

YTD folks can always select the option to 'dine alone' or 'dine with others' on their App.  That how we always travel as a couple these days.

[fshepinc]

Toggling the preference in the hub app makes no difference, Jelly_Toast. I did it every time. I spoke with the maitre'd and he confirmed it is the ship's policy to not seat people of different parties together, "at this time." 

 

Yes, the tables are close together, but only at one meal was any table near me occupied at the time I was there. (I was given "your time" dining -no other option.)

 

As bad as the policy is (people have never been forced to share tables -it's a choice -how is this protecting anyone?), it was the bad attitude from the staff that really got to me. I was basically told that since I was traveling alone, I had no right to expect socialize with others!

[farjar]

On the Panorama in January we had an assigned table for two the entire cruise.  The problem was the table was very small and the table next to us was only about 4" away.  It was like that for four tables so basically it was a table of 8.  There was not enough room between tables for the wait staff to walk so all the serving was done over your head or you had to lean to one side so they could put your food in front of you.  Fortunately we were one of the ends but the people in the middle were bumping elbows with those on both sides to them.  Very uncomfortable!  Hated it.

 

It was a totally different experience on the HAL Koningsdam in May.  Our table for two had plenty of room around it for the wait staff and you didn't feel as if you were eavesdropping on you fellow cruisers' conversation.

 

 

[LatinaInTexas]

During recent cruises I saw people being led to the cramped, tiny 2 tops and people refusing to sit there and getting reseated. I don't think anyone gets forced to sit where they don't want to sit.

[Hoosierpop]

4 hours ago, fshepinc said:

Toggling the preference in the hub app makes no difference, Jelly_Toast. I did it every time. I spoke with the maitre'd and he confirmed it is the ship's policy to not seat people of different parties together, "at this time." 

 

Yes, the tables are close together, but only at one meal was any table near me occupied at the time I was there. (I was given "your time" dining -no other option.)

 

As bad as the policy is (people have never been forced to share tables -it's a choice -how is this protecting anyone?), it was the bad attitude from the staff that really got to me. I was basically told that since I was traveling alone, I had no right to expect socialize with others!

That must be a ship to ship thing. My wife and I were sit with random people for dining way more than we sat solo. And we don’t mind that at all.

[Saint Greg]

Varies by ship. On Glory they always tried to seat everyone close together so at dinner I always had people on both sides of me. On Splendor they spread people out more. I always have the share a table option off but once on Splendor they tried to seat me at a big table. I told them I wanted to be seated alone and they moved me.

[ChuckF]

When just my wife and I cruise, we generally get seated with strangers.  Only once were we assigned a table by ourselves.  This past April on the Miracle we sat at a table for 6 with another couple we did not know. The table mate dilemma is always a bit stressful on that first night.  For the most part it has worked out well.  Only once had table mates that made us not look forward to dinner.