Dining Reservations for large groups

[shainamarie622]

Hi everyone!! We will be getting on the Discovery Princess for the 7- day Mexican Riviera on 2/24/24. Can’t wait!!

 

Does anyone have any experience booking dining reservations for a large group? We have 22 people total going on this trip. I tried making reservations ahead of time but I’ve been told that large groups have to be done in person when we board. 
 

I guess I’m just worried they won’t be able to seat us all together. We are going for my husbands birthday so was really hoping to do a large birthday dinner for him. 
 

Would appreciate any tips/help on how to navigate this. Thanks in advance!

[rebeccac]

There are no tables in any dining venue that will accomodate 22 people (at least not that I can think of).

However, they most likely can put you on several tables near each other.  The time you want to eat will make a huge difference in whether or not this can be easily accomplished.  If you are an official group cruise, you (or your TA) should be able to contact the groups department to have them help you out.  It is possible that you can't do anything in advance (each cruise line handles this differently) and at this point it is likely that it is too late to do anything in advance even if you could have at one point.  

Edited February 17 by rebeccac

[Steelers36]

28 minutes ago, shainamarie622 said:

Would appreciate any tips/help on how to navigate this. Thanks in advance!

Agree with above.  You can be seated in an area that will have a mix of table sizes.  PCL mostly has 8-tops, 6-tops, 4-tops and 2-tops. 

 

Seek out a DR Mgr or DR Host on Day 1 and explain what you want.  If it is mostly for one evening - the birthday dinner - then I am sure they can set you up.  Now, you know the people better than I, but it would surprise me if all of them will want to eat in the same place at the same time every night of the voyage.

[john watson]

I think it unlikely you can all sit at the same table.  Having said that I spent a cruise around Caribbean with my daughter at a table for two but daughter hardly ever wanted to go so I dined alone.  However the next table was a group of over twenty Americans all from the same family or close friends.  They were a bit noisy but this didn't bother me.  The patriarch was just like sergeant Bilko, it was quite amusing.

 

Regards John

[Rick&Jeannie]

1 hour ago, john watson said:

I think it unlikely you can all sit at the same table.  Having said that I spent a cruise around Caribbean with my daughter at a table for two but daughter hardly ever wanted to go so I dined alone.  However the next table was a group of over twenty Americans all from the same family or close friends.  They were a bit noisy but this didn't bother me.  The patriarch was just like sergeant Bilko, it was quite amusing.

 

Regards John

They actually moved tables together to accommodate the whole group?  I've never seen that!

[john watson]

6 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

They actually moved tables together to accommodate the whole group?  I've never seen that!

 

Yes, a massive long table of a big group mainly from Long Island. The cruise was a rare round trip Caribbean out of New York.   This was a fixed dining first seating arrangement.

 

Regards John

[DallasGuy75219]

6 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

They actually moved tables together to accommodate the whole group?  I've never seen that!

 

11 minutes ago, john watson said:

This was a fixed dining first seating arrangement.

Since there is no more first/second seating, they may be less inclined to do this today and more inclined to seat the group at multiple tables in the same area. 

 

One of the problems with moving tables together like this is that every 4-top you push together reduces the MDR capacity by two people (because people can't sit at the two sides that are put together).  At best they may do this at the very beginning or end of service, but not at the 6:30-7:30 rush hour (or whatever the high-demand time is) when they are already short on seats for all the people who want to eat at that time.