Obnoxious table mate says he doesn't need CC

[cruiser1961]

We have always travelled as a couple, without family, and are quite open to "small talk" with strangers. As a result, we have met many very interesting people during our travels. At first, we seem to find neutral topics to discuss, i.e., how was your day in port, how many cruises have you been on, where are you from, what do you do back home, etc.

 

Politics, religion, and other "touchy" topics do come up during our conversations, and hopefully some common ground has been established beforehand so we can agree to disagree if it comes to that. I agree with Bill that you can always learn something during these types of discussions when both sides are respectful of the other.

[Thoth]

This thread is interesting and makes me a tad nervous about what we'll get for our early dining option. Having our 4 year old with us will be a good distraction from unpleasant table mates, ;) but I'm sure hoping we get a good mix.

 

You should have great table-mates. Most cruise travelers tend toward being gregaroius.

I loved just about all of my new friends. Out of 11 journeys, I can think of only two that crossed the line.

[spacewoman]

Our first cruise we had flirty guy. Hubby was busy talking to our other tablemates and this guy was getting a little too friendly. We try to get our own table these days.

 

 

 

There was a guy who did that on NCL Dawn recently. Except that he did it with a teenager. While in Bermuda Port. Got himself arrested and thrown off the ship.

[arom729]

Too bad, Jan! Knowing first-hand how nice and helpful you are, I'm sure this was not a great experience.

[anniversarycruisin']

We had one of those table mates on a couple of cruises. We sat at a table for 4 and with a couple who could barely speak English. She came right out and asked how we paid for our cruise "How you pay for cruise?" DH was not comfortable with the question, so being the wise acre that I am, I responded "oh we're janitors by trade and we collect aluminum cans and plastic bottles throughout the year to pay for our cruise." The look on their faces were priceless! Then more personal questions came forth in broken English and I kept coming up with the most outlandish responses. DH sat there stoic trying to keep from laughing. Needless to say, they weren't at our table the rest of the cruise. :D

Too funny! I agree, questioning how you paid for your cruise is kind of an odd (and way to personal) question. Sounds like you had fun answering them though! LOL

[anniversarycruisin']

Too bad, Jan! Knowing first-hand how nice and helpful you are, I'm sure this was not a great experience.

 

Abby is soooo right..........Jan and her DH are perfectly wonderful people to know (and have dinner with I might add!).:)

[Thoth]

One drawback to "polite society" is not knowing where one stands. Give rude people credit, at least they are honest.

Sometimes I get fed up with asking myself....." do they actually like me or are they simply being polite" ?

[Pee-ah]

Table mate stories anyone?....

[platinum.wannabe]

back to regularly scheduled programming... ;)

[InverStone]

back to regularly scheduled programming... ;)

 

 

Haha, sorry. Was unintentionally hijacking.

 

Note to self...anonymous internet forum, stay on topic...debates in person only.

 

Inver

[SailBabySail]

We had one of those table mates on a couple of cruises. We sat at a table for 4 and with a couple who could barely speak English. She came right out and asked how we paid for our cruise "How you pay for cruise?" DH was not comfortable with the question, so being the wise acre that I am, I responded "oh we're janitors by trade and we collect aluminum cans and plastic bottles throughout the year to pay for our cruise." The look on their faces were priceless! Then more personal questions came forth in broken English and I kept coming up with the most outlandish responses. DH sat there stoic trying to keep from laughing. Needless to say, they weren't at our table the rest of the cruise. :D

 

Priceless :D

[bigtoeswim'n]

I'm sorry to hear that. I've been lucky to have wonderful tablemates on all but one cruise. My son and I were once seated with an older couple. The wife was intent on finding a way to bring religion into our conversations. After successfully ignoring her attempts at this, I finally told her outright that I was an atheist, to which she replied,

"Well, that is just terrible!" I informed her that it was not in fact terrible and I had to flat out tell her that I was not interested in debating my beliefs with her and that we would not be having any more discussions about the subject since I didn't feel that I could persuade her to "my side". Of course, she found this incredulous. She couldn't fathom that I would even consider saying something like that because, after all, SHE was the one that needed to convert ME! Ha ha. She did give up and I'm sure she's praying for me to this day. Other than being close-minded, the couple was nice enough, especially the husband. I think that I'm probably the only atheist that they had ever met and they seemed surprised that my young son was behaved and well mannered and that we actually have morals. Too bad it wasn't the Halloween cruise where I dressed as a devil with 666 on my forehead!

 

So enjoyed reading this post. The DH and me are very devoted to our religious beliefs, but over the years, I have waned much, especially after my first-born son (now an adult) is agnostic at best. To keep the peace with him, I have mellowed out quite a bit and enjoy learning how he thinks. I, too, am totally amazed when someone freely admits to being non-god believing, yet have good morals, well-behaved children and are volunteers in their community. My blood relatives are mean and nasty, some are criminals, church goers, which caused me to turn to God.

 

On one of our cruises, there was a couple very proud of the fact that they go on mission trips. After they said that, DH and I knew the talk was gonna be swayed to that vein, so we opted for MTD (but we planned to do that anyway).

 

On last cruise, the MTD tables were sooo close together, that it was really hard not to notice the couple next to us not talking to each other and the guy kept looking at my hubbie, hoping to start a conversation. We really like to enjoy our food and have our own conversation about food and/or our excursions. Don't mind after dinner conversation with cruisers, just not during meals. So, we opted to eat most meals in WJ.

 

We had great conversations soaking in the jacuzzi or swiming pool or at the bar, sipping coffee.

 

I'm enjoying the thread. Have a great day, all.

[bigtoeswim'n]

It is quite possible that the people who "could barely speak English" may not have understood how personal those questions were or even that they were asking how you paid for the cruise. Lord knows I've said all kinds of wild stuff attempting to communicate in other languages, but I've never had anyone blatantly make fun of me to my face like that about it. Just sayin'

 

As for bad table mates, I once traveled with some colleagues, one of whom walked around with the Cloud of Doom with the attitude to match. I felt really sorry for the 2 people at our table who were not with our group. The rest of us were polite to them & they were nice, but Ms. Doom & Gloom just would not let up. Had she sat nearer to me, I would have stabbed her with my fork. :mad: That's how obnoxious she was. Needless to say, we never saw the nice couple again. :(

 

I have some neighbors here in my 'hood from an Asian country. I enjoy speaking with the one long-time neighbored lady, married to an American. She frequently asks, "How much you paid" for this and that. Finally, after many, many years, I told her nicely and politely: "I will tell you but Americans think that type of question is rude." She was shocked. I felt bad. She never asked me that question again. I also just freely just tell her what I spent. Sometimes I don't.

 

We had new neighbors move in across the street from us, from the same Asian country. After we had our new roof put on, the lady of the house yelled from across the street to my husband that same question. "How much you paid for roof?" He stopped, walked over to her and told her how much bc he is a sweetie-type guy. He came into our house, and we had a good laugh over it. She really wanted to know bc she needed a new roof. I'm sure she doesn't know Americans consider that rude. In the end, her hubbie and his Asian guy pals put on her new roof.

 

I very much enjoy this tread. I like learning how other people handle flaming. It is educational.

[LemurCat]

I have some neighbors here in my 'hood from an Asian country. I enjoy speaking with the one long-time neighbored lady' date=' married to an American. She frequently asks, "How much you paid" for this and that. Finally, after many, many years, I told her nicely and politely: "I will tell you but Americans think that type of question is rude." She was shocked. I felt bad. She never asked me that question again. I also just freely just tell her what I spent. Sometimes I don't. [/quote']

 

This is very common in a lot of Asian cultures where haggling is the norm.

[Razman69]

"...Finally the last night of the cruise, someone asked me what I did for a living. I told them I was a prostitute. I almost wet my pants trying not to laugh at their shocked looks. They asked all kinds of questions and I just lied with sincerity. I never told them anything different either.:p "

 

...and... you could have added...

 

"From all the business I've been getting over the last few days, this cruise has paid for itself! Also, I'm not sure, but do this pair of underwear belong to your husband?"

 

 

:D:D:D

[Dirkgun]

I finally told her outright that I was an atheist, .........Too bad it wasn't the Halloween cruise where I dressed as a devil with 666 on my forehead!

 

 

Just an observation...? But what exactly is 666 to an atheist? lol. Sounds like a great shock value line and that would have been priceless. I hate judgemental people.:eek:

[bigtoeswim'n]

Same thing with politics.

 

We were seated with a family a few years ago who, (once they learned we were from TX,) they nicely said.."Oh, where President Bush is from?" Naively thinking they were being sincerely nice, we said "Yes." Then they proceeded to get on a political rant, blasting him. My husband and I just remained silent. We didn't join in the conversation, but just looked at each other. I think they got the message (yes, we're Bush supporters.) For the rest of the cruise, they became the obnoxious know-it-alls too, dominating every conversation.

 

People have their own political and religious beliefs. They should be respected, and the best way to do that, is not to initiate either topic.

 

 

On our very first ever cruise, we were at a table for four in the MDR. It was amazing how much the four of us had in common. Both parents of sons, pretty new at cruising, strong sense of God/faith, pro military, etc. We share a lot.

 

Then later during the cruise we met this couple at tea time. They were seating with the ship's comedian. We were invited to join them by this off-duty comedian who was having tea too. Talk about Mr. Know It All. It was hard to get a point in on anything. This guy talked a mile a minute about anything and everything to do with himself. In truth, he was an interesting fellow with a good heart, but didn't allow for others to talk.

 

He then began to pontificate about the Iraq War/anti Bush stuff. It was painful to watch the other couple as their son was in Special Forces in the Army and was over in Iraq. His life on the line for his country. Hubbie and I didn't know how to respond, neither did they. How thoughtless of this CCL employee to do this, but he was on his free time. We chalked it up to his being young.

 

Sure wish I had someway to shut people down like that. One reason I visit CC board. He is entitled to his opinion. At the end of tea time, hubbie and I told the other couple good-by and nice meeting them again and said nothing to Mr. Motor Mouth. I felt bad only for a sec or two.

 

Us four never mentioned that guy over dinner. No sense giving him our energies. Sure wish people would keep religion and politics to themselves and/or stop talking about it if other oppose. One reason we have switched over to MTD.

[InverStone]

^^^

[lulubell]

we had one of those table mates on a couple of cruises. We sat at a table for 4 and with a couple who could barely speak english. She came right out and asked how we paid for our cruise "how you pay for cruise?" dh was not comfortable with the question, so being the wise acre that i am, i responded "oh we're janitors by trade and we collect aluminum cans and plastic bottles throughout the year to pay for our cruise." the look on their faces were priceless! Then more personal questions came forth in broken english and i kept coming up with the most outlandish responses. Dh sat there stoic trying to keep from laughing. Needless to say, they weren't at our table the rest of the cruise. :d

:d:d:d:d:d:d:d

[GlendaleCruiser]

Has this thread been hijacked?

[Cruisin'Trooper]

We sat with another couple once that turned out to be friends for a lifetime. However, on a cruise last year the table mates were so obnoxious, crude, and rude that we skipped the MDR the rest of the cruise so that our son would not be subjected to that. I'm a cop and can rumble with the best of them, but I dont appreciate it in front of my wife and son. Since that cruise, we have done YTD to eat with ourselves or another nice family we meet ont he cruise.

[NoLandInSight!]

Just an observation...? But what exactly is 666 to an atheist? lol. Sounds like a great shock value line and that would have been priceless. I hate judgemental people.:eek:

 

666 is simply funny b/c it's meaningless and really freaks people out!

[NoLandInSight!]

We do YTD because I'm just not into the eating with strangers thing. But I wouldn't mind sharing a table with you guys! :D

 

Thanks!

21 MORE DAYS FOR ME--YEAH!!