Eating with strangers

[donaldsc]

What are your best and/or worst experience dining at a table full of strangers?

 

You should think of it as eating with potential friends, not eating with strangers.

 

DON

[celticd1]

Strangers are just people you haven't met yet, could be your future best friends!

 

 

I couldn't agree more, yet-to-be-met friend! :D

[LemurCat]

On the third night, this man questioned aloud how was I, a black blue collar woman able to afford to sail on the ship. I was shocked and refuse to eat dinner at that table after that.

 

Wow. Just wow. That's so appalling, I don't even want to offer a pithy response.

[justlovecruisin]

Had lots of up and downs with people at our table. Some people just like to complain for no reason at all. On our last cruise at a table for 8 four of the 5 nights we were by ourselves. The one night the others showed up was formal night and 2 of them were so drunk I don't think they knew what they were eating. No one came back. The assistand Matre de sat and visited with us instead :)

[Rob&Bonnie]

But had one 'gentleman' who proceeded to tell us all about how terrible war was (who likes war?) , and how the military were all bad.

 

We were celebrating the safe return of our son from Afghanistan, and the other 3 couples at the table were retired military families. Needless to say, it was NOT comfortable.

 

The wife quickly ate and pushed the man out of the dining room. They did not join us for the rest of the cruise.

[TheTravelista]

Whoa....BOOTHS in a cruise ship's dining room? Is this right, and is it typical for Carnival? I've never spotted a booth on a cruise ship except for Johnny Rockets!

 

This has actually prompted me to call CCL RIGHT NOW and INSIST we do NOT be seated at a BOOTH! Sorry, but a booth on a cruise ship sounds really tacky.

 

***EDIT - called PVP and she said "no, there are no booths in our main dining area" so now I begin to wonder how did you get assigned a booth??? They are however found in the Lido, which is ok with us. Just not the MDR, oh please!

 

Wow, PVP's really don't know anything...that's disturbing.

 

There are definitely booths. My family of 4 has been seated in them twice. Hate it! I much prefer the long tables for 8 by the windows or the big round tables for 10.

[NEWORLEANSCRUISER1]

Wow, PVP's really don't know anything...that's disturbing.

 

There are definitely booths. My family of 4 has been seated in them twice. Hate it! I much prefer the long tables for 8 by the windows or the big round tables for 10.

I was assigned a booth on the conquest. I think a couple of rows were all booths maybe fifty or so booths on both sides of the ship in MDR

[cruisinthree]

What are your best and/or worst experience dining at a table full of strangers?

 

We've done six cruises and have enjoyed our tablemates on all but the first cruise. That was the Disney cruise on their first ship, The Big Red Boat. Our table consisted of three families, all of us there with one small child per family. One of the guys was from England, and one night at dinner, he preceeded to insult America and called American's 'stupid and uneducated', while all the time bragging about living in Florida and running his own computer company, I lost all control and told him exactly what I thought of him! I blame it on the two glasses of wine I had with dinner! However, this guy had it coming and he had pushed my buttons all week, and when he and his family left the table, our other tablemates congratulated me for setting this guy straight! Ever since then, we've had great tablemates...and I stay away from wine at dinner!!

[erinmarie424]

Had traditional dining our first two cruises, then switched to Anytime on the Legend. About the fifth night we were seated with three other couples at an eight-top, and one of the gentlemen there went around the table asking the men only what they did, passing the women right by. So, I chalked it up to a generational thing (although he appeared to be only in his late 50's) or a personality quirk. Until dessert, when he loudly asked "What do y'all think of the health care bill?" - yeah, that's a good subject to bring up at a table of strangers. We ate dessert pretty quickly that night and excused ourselves, and prayed when they walked us to our table the last two nights that we would not end up with them again!

[KNowme1st]

we have always had good experiences withthe dining and met some nicc people. last cruise we invited a single mom and her son to join us. we had a great time. its what you make of it. Just rememebr they are nervous also. just go for it, meet new people from differant places and walks of life.

[jaxcruiser23]

I rather prefer a booth.Just my opinion,i don't like sitting with people i don't know,and rude people.If it came down to it i would rather sit with my family,instead of people complaining about there food or day.I rather enjoy my food than listen to a bunch of snob's.

 

Just like one time i was on a cruise this lady complained about everything, how much money she won or made in the casino or back at home.I found it really annoying,wanted to choke her,but i didn't.When it was time for dinner she didn't show up, niether did her mother or her granddaughter,thank goodness i really got tired of them.They would not talk to us or acknowledge us.We would say hello but all we would get is a "knod".

l

So i would rather sit with my lovely DW and inlaw's than a bunch of snob's or stranger's.

[STEVENJAN]

We now always ask for a table for two.

 

Yes, we have met some very nice folks, but have also been stuck at tables where one of the men was a "blowhard know-it-all" Not pleasant!

 

As opposed to a female Know-it-all? That could never happen I suppose? Condescending is even worse then being a blowhard!

[SeeJennyCruise]

On two cruises we sat with people we did not know before the cruise. We even sat in the "tacky" booth, although, I did not think it was tacky. I have visited many four and five star restaurants with booths upholstered in fine fabrics. It can be romantic to have a spot where you can sit directly next to your partner. The booth in the MDR is not a tacky, sticky diner seat.

 

On my first cruise with my Mom and aunt, we sat at a table with a male solo passenger and an older couple from Oklahoma with a lot of cruise experience. We all meshed well together. Someone in the group offered to pray over the meal for the whole table. I don't recall if it was the solo passenger or the couple and we all bowed are heads. The older couple took a picture of our little group and mailed it to us a few weeks later. Very nice.

 

Another cruise my DH and I were seated with a younger couple at a booth for four. We weren't together every night. Both couples went to the supper club on different evenings and the younger couple missed a port night in the MDR. We had friendly conversation the couple of nights we were together.

 

We have enjoyed conversations with people we met at breakfast and lunch in the MDR. I think I prefer this to a table where we are likely to be seated each night with the same group in the MDR. We'll see. :rolleyes: Our next cruise we are signed up for the early seating.

[mumofsons]

On a cruise we had taken my mother on, we sat at a table with the five of us and a family with the Grandparents, mother and two teens. The grandmother was pretty much drunk most of the time and complaining about how slow the service was as she needed to get back to the slots. The teens were not there much and the Grandfather proceeded to tell us one day about the idiot Canadians that came to Myrtle Beach every year in March and swam in the cold ocean water. My then ten year old very respectively told him, that he should be careful of what he complained about as sometimes you don't know who you are talking to. (My mum and I are Canadian). When DH and I have cruised by ourselves we have dined with other couples but for some reason even though I am a very social person I prefer to dine just the two of us.

[KarenMF]

Originally Posted by yogimax View Post

We now always ask for a table for two.

 

Yes, we have met some very nice folks, but have also been stuck at tables where one of the men was a "blowhard know-it-all" Not pleasant!

 

As opposed to a female Know-it-all? That could never happen I suppose? Condescending is even worse then being a blowhard!

 

Condescending indeed - LOL. I took this to mean that the OP experienced EXACTLY what they said - that on more than one occasion a man at the table was a blowhard know-it-all - not that he/she was excluding the fact that women couldn't be.

[STEVENJAN]

Condescending indeed - LOL. I took this to mean that the OP experienced EXACTLY what they said - that on more than one occasion a man at the table was a blowhard know-it-all - not that he/she was excluding the fact that women couldn't be.

 

Being of the Blow-Hard bombastic crowd, I have of course met enough fellows of either sex to be capable of this behavior. Also, I have met enough drunks of either sex to know what to avoid.

[KarenMF]

Originally Posted by KarenMF View Post

Condescending indeed - LOL. I took this to mean that the OP experienced EXACTLY what they said - that on more than one occasion a man at the table was a blowhard know-it-all - not that he/she was excluding the fact that women couldn't be.

 

Being of the Blow-Hard bombastic crowd, I have of course met enough fellows of either sex to be capable of this behavior. Also, I have met enough drunks of either sex to know what to avoid.

 

That's fine - but you were chastising the OP for only saying they had encountered MALE blowhards.... I was just saying that you assumed wrongly that they were singling out men. I wasn't denying that there are female blowhard know-it-alls. I avoid those types no matter what gender they are myself.

[katiel53]

We have been on many, many cruises. When my husband and I travel alone, we ask to be seated at a table with many others. We have had great experiences and some of the people we became friends with on a cruise are still friends today.

 

Other times we travel with my dad, my sister and brother-in-law and usually ask for a table for ourselves as it is difficult for others to sit with a whole family. One of our Royal Caribbean cruises another couple was seated with us. We tried to not talk about our day as a family with them and did our best to include them in our chat. The husband was very nice, but the wife was totally self-impressed. She did most of the talking and was only talking about herself. She went on and on about her jewelry and how she bought this and that herself and how she was sooooooooo much younger than her husband etc. (Really, she is about 10 years younger but he looks far better than she does, lol.)

 

The night of the last formal dinner, as the photographer came to our table, he asked us all to sit near each other and for the couple to stand behind us. The wife was totally miffed and told the photographer "I don't know these people well enough to have my picture taken with them." I almost fell off my chair laughing (to myself) I have never met such an egomaniac. I think her husband was embarrassed, but nice guy that he was, he didn't comment. I have to add she had her picture taken every opportunity possible. I am sure she never met a camera she didn't love.

 

That was our only "bad" experience and if that's as bad as it gets, we are truly blessed.

[dan40]

What are your best and/or worst experience dining at a table full of strangers?

 

 

Once you've done it for a few years in the military, cruise ships are not a problem.

 

Sometimes the weird ones are the fun ones!! Sometimes they're not. Just like life.

[Cruiser@Heart]

I love sitting at a table with others. I look at it as sort of an "adventure". It is always interesting to see what kind of table companions I end up with. Most of the time, it has been a great match. Some times, there has been a miss, but those are the ones that have made my dining "unique"...LOL!!! My friend and I still laugh about a couple we dined with on our first cruise years ago. We never knew what was going to happen during our meal. It was like our own personal dinner show. :eek:

 

On my last cruise, I had the BEST group of people at my table. We loved coming to dinner each evening and oh my, there was so much laughter. People around us thought that we were traveling together.

[momof4boys]

We have always cruised with our own tables--each time we have had 9-12 family and friends with us. So our dining room meals have always been outstanding.

 

However, on our second cruise, we let our kids sleep late and 4 of the adults went to the MDR for breakfast. We were seated with 4 of the most obnoxious women ever. They complained loudly about the food, the service, how they did not put lemons in the water, how they have never had food served this way, ...... blah...blah....blah!! YIKES! :eek: I was so embarrassed. I kept wanting to say, "These women are not with us, we don't know them!" to everyone around us and the waiters!

 

I know that it is supposed to be great to eat breakfast and lunch in the MDR, but I just can't do it. Lido omelette station for me. :)

[fi'fi]

We also ask for a table for two  I do not mind meeting new people, but fir dinner I like just my hubby and I to eat together.

[davex100]

We always choose a large table and so far we have been lucky enough to meet some fantastic people who we now call friends

[Mermaid from NJ]

What are your best and/or worst experience dining at a table full of strangers?

 

 

Fortunately, I haven't had any bad experiences sharing a table with strangers and I've shared a table with others on 2 or 3 cruises. I'm very funny about other folks' bad habits, so I was nervous. However, I never had to contend with anyone coughing or sneezing without covering or feeling up the bread or rolls in search of one they liked. Once for lunch, my group of 4 shared a table with a woman and her two young daughters who kept arguing with each other. However, I love kids and I'm a kid at heart so I had a good time laughing at them. The fact that the mother was so embarrassed added to how funny I found the whole situation...

[Mermaid from NJ]

One time I was sitting with a woman who had to tell everyone at the table that she was "very special and very rich" (whatever! She was also very fat, but she failed to mention that! :p). She told us that she cruised constantly, stayed in owner's suites, and the kitchen always made her special order food. She proceeded to order her "special" food and, to be nice to the rest of us little folk, said she would share her vegetable dish with the rest of us. I ate as quickly as possible that night and made sure I never sat at that table again (she said it was her "special table" and she always got to sit there).

 

 

LOL @ "One time I was sitting with a woman who had to tell everyone at the table that she was "very special and very rich" (whatever! She was also very fat, but she failed to mention that! :p). "