I was so worried about potential cracking on the surface or the connection point, but it turned out to be unnecessary.  The table was well-packed so even when there's a hole through the outer box, the inner pads were able to keep the table from being damaged. 

The table itself feels sturdy and beautiful.  While I would prefer it to be slightly darker, staining shouldn't be hard to do.  The table was even more stunning after applying a protective coating.  The quality feels good and hopefully it will last for a while.