Hosted tables

My wife and I just returned from a wonderful cruise on the Quest in Canada, up the St Lawrence. The ports for this cruise - other than Quebec City - were pretty boring. (Maybe it hurt that we were on a leaf peeping cruise a few weeks too early).

But we loved the cruise anyway, primarily because of the ship and the crew and the other passengers we met.

We had the joy of attending four hosted dinners during the 10 day cruise (and we had to turn down two others because we had other plans). They became some of the highlights of our cruise. We had dinner with the Assistant Cruise Director, The enrichment speaker, the comedian and three singers from the show. Each dinner was also attended by 3 to 6 other passengers. The conversation at dinner was wonderful and, by the end of the meal, we had several new friends - both crew and guests - who we later would spend time with around the ship and on shore.

I would be interested in others' experiences with these invitations. I am sure there are ones that don't work out like ours. But I would encourage other Seabourn guests to take advantage of these dinners.

We will soon be at 200 days on SB (Dec 2016) and have been at many hosted dinners over the years. Those of us that go back to the little sisters know that the passenger/passenger/crew interaction has changed. I am not saying we don't like the new larger ships, we do. The smaller ships had fewer places to hide, less entertainment options, and smaller public areas. People actually talked to each other, all the time... Most of the people that are frequent travelers on SB have traveled extensively, very fun/informative to talk with. We travel with our adult kids and friends, but most trips its just us two. When it is just us two, we get invitations to hosted dinners almost ever night. There are a few that we just do not turn down, the HM,CD, and of course the Captain. These dinners allow you direct input into your current cruise, and future cruises, they do listen. Furthermore, you will get great input on future travel destinations from crew and passengers.

I do want to say that we turn down many of the innovations, don't feel obligated, they will not be insulted. SB understands that you travel for quality time/experiences with friends and family, but a hosted dinner night can be a nice break on a long cruise. Cheers...

We will soon be at 200 days on SB (Dec 2016) and have been at many hosted dinners over the years. Those of us that go back to the little sisters know that the passenger/passenger/crew interaction has changed. I am not saying we don't like the new larger ships, we do. The smaller ships had fewer places to hide, less entertainment options, and smaller public areas. People actually talked to each other, all the time... Most of the people that are frequent travelers on SB have traveled extensively, very fun/informative to talk with. We travel with our adult kids and friends, but most trips its just us two. When it is just us two, we get invitations to hosted dinners almost ever night. There are a few that we just do not turn down, the HM,CD, and of course the Captain. These dinners allow you direct input into your current cruise, and future cruises, they do listen. Furthermore, you will get great input on future travel destinations from crew and passengers.

I do want to say that we turn down many of the innovations, don't feel obligated, they will not be insulted. SB understands that you travel for quality time/experiences with friends and family, but a hosted dinner night can be a nice break on a long cruise. Cheers...

Agree.

We often turn down invitations when we're travelling together, also I travel solo quite frequently and on shorter cruises I usually prefer to not join the hosted tables. I reply to invitations as soon as I can and even when I offer up a 'no thank you' it's not been a problem.

For me it does depend to an extent who the invitation is from, rare to turn down an invitation from Captain or CD. Whenever I've joined a hosted table it's been a very pleasant evening. So far!

JPH - did you dine at The Grill? How was it? What are the menus like?

We have been to a few hosted dinners over the years ( depends who the host is)

but now we often do not take up the offer mainly because they are often quite drawn on and go on too long. This is generally what we have found in the MDR

-on busy nights you are there for ages with long delays in-between courses and depending where the 'table' is it can be quite noisy to socialise with other passengers.

Happy sailing.

Kind regards,

Tony

Agree.

 

We often turn down invitations when we're travelling together, also I travel solo quite frequently and on shorter cruises I usually prefer to not join the hosted tables. I reply to invitations as soon as I can and even when I offer up a 'no thank you' it's not been a problem.

For me it does depend to an extent who the invitation is from, rare to turn down an invitation from Captain or CD. Whenever I've joined a hosted table it's been a very pleasant evening. So far!

 

JPH - did you dine at The Grill? How was it? What are the menus like?

We were lucky enough to eat in the Grill 3 times on a 10 day cruise. The first night we had pre-booked prior to embarking. I had a wonderful rib eye steak with Hollandaise while my wife had a filet. The first course was a tableside prepared Caesar salad - very good, nice presentation but nothing special (a Caesar salad is a Caesar salad.). I know we had a dessert, but can not recall. They also gave us some real good chocolate chip cookies to take with us to the room. Sides were good - we had some very creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach

The second night, was the Chef's dinner in the dinning room. We really did not like the looks of that menu ( a lot of fish and neither of us are into fish) so we were able to get a later reservation (8 PM) in the Grill. I had a very nice "wedge" salad (lettuce, blue cheese and bacon) . They offered a rack of lamb for two, and I am a big eater (and lamb chop portions are notoriously small) so I asked for the double portion for myself. It was cooked using the Sous Vide method (look it up) and finished on the grill. Wonderful! My wife had another steak. More cookies for dessert.

The third night we went with another couple (Peter and Monique) who were in a penthouse suite so I guess they had some pull - it was their fourth visit. Peter had actually arranged for him and me and my wife to meet with Thomas Goetter the afternoon before. Thomas was the head chef in the Grill - a 28 year old "kid" with a fabulous resume. We talked with him for over an hour about cooking. He is the Chef in charge of bringing the Thomas Keller recipes on board. He described the process of the Grill's roast chicken The secret is in brining the birds, air drying them, then spraying a coating of clarified butter before roating. So all four of us ordered it for dinner. I can not believe I would go to a steakhouse and order the chicken, but it was beautifully done!. Crisp skin, very moist meat served with a simple but flavorful au jus. Outstanding! This night - being formal night and we were all dressed up - we decided to go to the dining room for dessert and after dinner wines.

Service was excellent. Other menu items that I recall were Lobster Thermador, and Dover Sole but we did not try them. We did buy up a nice bottle of wine for each evening, even thought he house wines were offered.

We have got to the stage where we say 'no dinner invitations please' at the Square when we board - partly because we are both rather deaf, and also because we also have found that it can be an overlong evening, when some people turn up late (or even not at all) and others order a great many courses.

I am certain that generally the inviter does not know who is going to be asked to their table, so there is no embarrassment in refusing, but please always reply as soon as possible - if you refuse the staff can ask someone else. (Sometimes via a phone call at 6 p.m., in my experience, when you can say you have already made other arrangements). But if you really want to meet other passengers, it is a good way to do it. In my experience most people will get several invitations each cruise.

I am one to delight in invitations to hosted tables; they are usually very pleasant experiences, and one gets the opportunity of meeting more guests than those one usually meets in public spaces. My one rather odd experience was when, before dessert was ordered, the host (a well known lecturer) got up and said "I don't think we need dessert, let's all go to the show". Most guest tentatively got up and followed, but we stayed with another couple and enjoyed our dessert. A bit unexpected, but the overall experience was very good.

I haven't had much luck with hosted tables, so now I rarely accept an invitation to one unless I have a good idea of who the other diners will be. (Even that could prove dangerous, due to last minute substitutions...)

This reminds me of a funny story told first-hand to me by a solo traveler who

gets invited to hosted tables all the time, despite her instruction to the (young, inexperienced, and french) dining hostess to stop inviting her anymore. One night, she received yet another invitation and for some reason accepted... to, yet again, a hosted table with mostly single ladies. Afterwards, as she was walking out of the MDR, the hostess graciously asked her how it went, and she responded succinctly with a single word, "Disgusting!"

We do the occasional hosted table but not very many of them. It really depends who is hosting and if we like them. Downside of a hosted table is that they are generally too large to talk to everyone, you are usually sat apart from your better half and it can be hard to follow conversation because the table is large.

Our general preference is a table for four so that we can meet another couple - or people traveling together (pace Jeni :D). We like to meet people but we also like to be able to get to know them over dinner. Hosted tables make that hard.

I am certain that generally the inviter does not know who is going to be asked to their table, so there is no embarrassment in refusing, but please always reply as soon as possible - if you refuse the staff can ask someone else.

FWIW, I think this varies. On my last sailing we were invited to dine with the Assistant Cruise Director one evening and the Hotel Director another. Both times I knew from that individual that I was being invited before the invitation actually appeared. Apparently they can request specific guests on the night they are hosting. (I had also been told by entertainers in the past "oh, I asked for you to be invited...but this was the first time I've had the host mention it to me in advance!)

I too have gotten somewhat selective about which invitations I suggest. I generally will always refuse the magician or comedian just because I find those awkward! Never will refuse certain officers or the cruise director/assistant cruise director.

And I usually find that the entertainers can be very fun. I've only had one awkward entertainer - the singer with the band who I'm convinced had an eating disorder as she did not take a single bite of food the entire meal but instead pushed her food around her plate to make it look like she had tried it - she seemed miserable the entire meal and discussed how she missed her boyfriend back home. (She lasted exactly one contract and I heard from another entertainer later that she lost a considerable amount of weight while on board which had caused others to worry about her health.)

I quite agree with lincslady.

We have also experienced passengers arriving late ( when on the invitation it says 7.30pm ) or not at all. Also the passenger mix is important.

Last year on a hosted table a pleasant American spent the whole dinner session talking to me on American politics and his wife who was on my left, interjected when she could on numerous questions on Downton Abbey. It was very difficult to converse with anyone lease as it was too noisy. The service was very slow and from arriving at 7.30pm we left the MDR at 10.10pm-too long.

Kind regards,

Tony

I am a great supporter of Hosted tables. They are an excellent way of meeting the on board team and other guests. There are a few golden rules in my book:

1 The host needs to work the table ensuring all guests are included in the conversation

2 Guests need to put in as well as taking out

3 It is just rude for guests to arrive late or inebriated.

4 The host needs to ensure that proceedings are curtailed in good time for the show.

Just returned from Quest trip and enjoyed the hostings' but at all the golden rules were broken on at least one occasion. The best table was hosted by the truly excellent Handre CD

We accepted one invitation to a hosted table. ( the Doctor's) We find the tables for 10, very large and talking to everyone is not possible. On that evening one guest did not arrive on time, and he was so late our host decided we should start ordering. Eventually, he did turn up but I am sure he did not have any idea it mattered what time he came, and he did not apologise to either his host or the other guests.

By the way I sat next to Hugh Grant that night!!!!! Sadly not THE Hugh, although my table companion was probably nicer........

I am a great supporter of Hosted tables. They are an excellent way of meeting the on board team and other guests. There are a few golden rules in my book:

1 The host needs to work the table ensuring all guests are included in the conversation

2 Guests need to put in as well as taking out

3 It is just rude for guests to arrive late or inebriated.

4 The host needs to ensure that proceedings are curtailed in good time for the show.

Just returned from Quest trip and enjoyed the hostings' but at all the golden rules were broken on at least one occasion. The best table was hosted by the truly excellent Handre CD

Handre is one of the 'hosts' that we would always accept.

Thanks for the intel on The Grill. We are booked Athens-Dubai on the Encore December 4th. I KNOW, WE COULDN'T WAIT....only time it worked into our sch. We will be happy guinea pigs as long as the Sky Bar, shower, and toilets work. We have not been on a ship with the TK Grill and are looking forward to it. We greatly enjoyed the TK menu in May on the Odyssey, Athens-Athens. The wrapped Foie Gras mouse was amazing!! We plan on eating at The Grill a few times. I will try and do a short review when we get back, but may be after the holiday's. Cheers...

The wrapped Foie Gras mouse was amazing!! We plan on eating at The Grill a few times.

No wonder people are complaining about TK. I'd complain too if I were served a mouse, even if it were wrapped in foie gras! :D

Seriously though... you may be in for a disappointing moment if you are expecting the TK dishes you had in The Restaurant to be served in the TK Grill... different concepts entirely. The Restaurant TK dishes remain in The Restaurant, even on the refurbished/new ships.

I am a great supporter of Hosted tables. They are an excellent way of meeting the on board team and other guests. There are a few golden rules in my book:

 

1 The host needs to work the table ensuring all guests are included in the conversation

 

2 Guests need to put in as well as taking out

 

3 It is just rude for guests to arrive late or inebriated.

 

4 The host needs to ensure that proceedings are curtailed in good time for the show.

 

Just returned from Quest trip and enjoyed the hostings' but at all the golden rules were broken on at least one occasion. The best table was hosted by the truly excellent Handre CD

Hi. Which cruise were you on? We disembarked in Boston on Sept 21.

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Funny....Sorry for not proof reading my post. Guess I need a vacation.... Cheers...

First: always accept: and be there on time! But, if you have discovered that a fellow passenger(s) is particularly unlovely and you’ve found out their name (as you need to), be prepared: and go down properly dressed to the dining room at 7:00 when the staff are just standing around at the entrance and ask where the table is and they will always tell you and go there and have a look at where the place-cards are and if you don’t like where you are: move ‘em! Done it countless times: and always to good effect. The crew love it because they know it’s for the eventual good. One bad placement can ruin a table. But: protocol is that you can’t move the host and you can’t move a female away from a male host.

Second: yes, there are some difficult customers; but isn’t that a test of your life-skills? One night, I sat next to a totally deaf 85yo Aus male on my left and a pissed, loud-mouthed, male, 60's, Bourbon-drinker on my right. So, the RHS was out: it was getting worse by the sip. The LHS: I decided that if I couldn’t speak to him and have him hear me, then I could, well, listen. Over the next 30 mins I discovered he was an unknown power in the land in my own country who really did know everyone and during the rest of the night I got wonderful gossip to-die-for. All I had to do to get it was: say naught. And, because I was so socially skilful (by doing nothing), an invite to the Owner’s Suite for pre-dinner drinks the next night ensued, etc.

Third: you get to know who you really don’t need to say ‘Good Morning’ to.

I am not sure it is ever good manners to move the place cards.

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I don't understand the 'first rule always accept'.

I definitely don't always accept. I may have made other plans, I may want to dine a deux instead, I may want to slum it in my suite with room service. ;)

Did you mean to say 'always reply' to invitations? I do that but more often than not it's to decline them. Depends who it is from and if I've made other plans!

I feel sure they meant always reply, and you should do so as quickly as possible, so that if you refuse the staff have the chance to invite someone else. If you ever get a phone call in your suite at around 5 or 6 p.m.,it could be a last minute invitation. Do not feel obliged to accept if you do not want to, just say you have already made other arrangements! Or do as we do, and let the Square know you do not want any invitations. If someone like Handre wants to ask you to dine, they will, personally - and we have dined with him and would never refuse.

As with everything, some of us enjoy meeting others and hope to have a good evening, some of us prefer to stick with people we know we will enjoy dinner with.

As an occasional solo cruiser I find the hosted tables can be a godsend. It's an excellent way to meet other pax and while it can be a bit of a lottery I've only had a couple of duds - one was very drunk and incoherent and the other loved the sound of his own voice way too much boasting about his wealth and asking everyone else impertinent questions about their net worth. Our host tried valiantly to steer the conversation into safer waters but Mr Vulgar wouldn't be diverted. We all skipped dessert that night.

The large tables can also be a challenge as the poor acoustics in the centre of the MDR mean that sound tends to be absorbed upwards so it's sometimes hard to hear people at the other end of the table or to make oneself heard.

And yes, if you get an invite you don't want to accept for any reason, please let them know so they can make the necessary adjustments.

This is one aspect of SB I think they do particularly well.

Rusty, I don't understand why cruisers, solo or non-solo, would need the "godsend" of a hosted table to be able to dine with others. Almost always except with late evening arrivals when we have gone to the MDR on SB the MD or other staff has asked if we want to dine alone or join others, so we have that option every day and do not need a hosted table to do so. Or is the idea to have someone from the crew neutral "moderating" in case it is a bad match? I think it may be more likely to be a bad match if you go to a hosted table, where there may be some people just keen on figuring out if they could get something special by meeting someone from the crew, vs. joining people who spontaneously wish to meet other strangers without any likelihood of tangible benefits.

On SS I have also sat at a hosted table where it was pretty clear after a bit of wine that the host, a non-American who was an "enrichment" speaker, looked down his nose at crude American cruisers he assumed were less educated and less cultured than HE was ( regardless of whether or not it was true), even if they were affluent, and resented them for affording to cruise as pax, whereas he had to "work" by giving talks. Then there are some officers who are tired and bored that they have to be polite even at dinner with pax, entertaining them with banal pleasantries, whereas they would prefer to have a peaceful dinner with other officers.

And on SB last year sitting with the CD I thought the attempt at routinely involving everyone at the table was too pushy, too prying into personal things so early in a "relationship," putting reserved people on the spot, though with big toothy smiles to show no harm was meant.

But usually I will try and accept invitations, as you never know who will turn up and the psychodynamics can be interesting, part of the cruising exploration adventure, and it can be fun to laugh about later on.

I haven't had much luck with hosted tables, so now I rarely accept an invitation to one unless I have a good idea of who the other diners will be. (Even that could prove dangerous, due to last minute substitutions...)

 

This reminds me of a funny story told first-hand to me by a solo traveler who

gets invited to hosted tables all the time, despite her instruction to the (young, inexperienced, and french) dining hostess to stop inviting her anymore. One night, she received yet another invitation and for some reason accepted... to, yet again, a hosted table with mostly single ladies. Afterwards, as she was walking out of the MDR, the hostess graciously asked her how it went, and she responded succinctly with a single word, "Disgusting!"

Do you know what in particular was "disgusting?" Was it something to do with politics, or was someone drooling ( or both :))