??dumb question ???

[postman999]

Hi gang .. a quick question .. I reag Big John's Carnival blog and wonder why so many people ask for a table for 2?? I have been on 15 cruises and we ask to be on tables for 8 or 10. We love meeting all the great (and just a few) not so great cruisers out there.:cool:

[QLUVS2CRUZ]

Personal preference...I like the bigger tables too but it seems we always get a smaller one! Go figure. One time we got a BOOTH for 6 which was a bit weird...I like meeting new people but not brushing legs with them...

[Hotrocker2011]

We will be going on our first cruise for our honeymoon, so we would like a table for 2 for at least one night, we wouldn't mind sharing for the rest of them.

[GayleR]

We will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary and have asked for a table for 2. We usually ask for a table for 2 when we eat in the MDR for breakfast or lunch. Sometimes I just don't feel the need to make small talk....We've also had some bad experiences with fellow cruisers who dominate the conversation.

[cb at sea]

We HATE a 2-top...maybe it's because we eat 99% of our meals together all the time....we ENJOY having others to talk to! If we want to be all alone, we have 22 hours per day to do that...at dinner, company is great! It sure makes dinner more than just a time to feed your face....it becomes a social occassion!

[rybreadsmomshubby]

Personal preference...I like the bigger tables too but it seems we always get a smaller one! Go figure. One time we got a BOOTH for 6 which was a bit weird...I like meeting new people but not brushing legs with them...

Exactly - a matter of personal preference. Many people prefer a little peace and intimacy when enjoying their dinner and cruise experience.

 

As for getting all snuggly with strangers in a shared booth, I've never had that and it just ain't gonna happen.

[firefly333]

Personal preference...I like the bigger tables too but it seems we always get a smaller one! Go figure. One time we got a BOOTH for 6 which was a bit weird...I like meeting new people but not brushing legs with them...

 

I like a rather large table too, though the ten tops can be hard to be heard across.

 

They put us in a booth with just us two, we hated it. Next time I vowed to ask to be moved... last time I was stuck in one of those booths for 6, and the rest of my group was at a table by the window.

 

Id like one of those large tables in the aft by the windows, but have never gotten one. I would love to get to watch the setting sun.

[jayscore]

Cruise before last, we were given a two top, with no request. It was okay, and the location was fine. But, I did miss the interaction with table mates. But, that's just me!:rolleyes:

[lucyintheskywithdiamonds]

i'm glad they have booths for 2.

[buddylover]

We usually cruise with another couple, and have always had a table just for us, and wanted it that way. However, a few cruises back we were seated at a table for 10 and requested a change (on the very first day before dinner). We were told that the dining room was full and to go to that table the first night and the Maitre D' would see what they could do afterwards....WELL, we ended up LOVING the 10 top and we ended up being forced to move, but made friends with several couples at that table and we are even cruising together this December (at the same table this time, and we're NOT moving)!! So, you never know, it could be a great experience...one that we passed up over and over on previous cruises.

[MissDiva1]

I don't know why they ask John either when they can just ask the Maitre d...

[John&John]

I don't know why they ask John either when they can just ask the Maitre d...

 

It's easier to ask John than to have to go see the maitre d and depending on when you get to the maitre d they might not be able to accommodate your request.

 

It's also easier for the maitre d to have the requests ahead of time.

 

Carnival should ask table size preference in the booking process...

[ricew001]

We've been married 19 years in August and on our last cruise in January we ate by ourselves 4 of the 7 days and enjoyed it. We had anytime dining. We struck up conversastions with those around us throughout the cruise so we had our dinner times to ourselves. Maybe our trip was so magical because it was just us two. I am a very social person but I do enjoy private time with my husband. Our trip was incredibly romantic and gave us memories to last forever.

[cmerun]

"I want a table for 2 BC I am on a cruise with my husband who works a lot and I dont get to spend time with. And after 13 cruises I dont want to meet new people. I am not unfriendly but I have friends at home and if I want friends on vaca I will bring them:)

[S.S.Oceanlover]

We HATE a 2-top...maybe it's because we eat 99% of our meals together all the time....we ENJOY having others to talk to! If we want to be all alone, we have 22 hours per day to do that...at dinner, company is great! It sure makes dinner more than just a time to feed your face....it becomes a social occassion!

 

my wife and i prefer eat alone as we cant do that at home since i have always worked nights while she works days.

 

Bill

[luvmysox1]

my wife and i prefer eat alone as we cant do that at home since i have always worked nights while she works days.

 

Bill

 

I can relate to this. I work like this too.

 

I don't always want to eat with other people. I like the anytime dining because most of the time it's just two of us unless we want to be with others.

[golfadj]

We like to meet people and always will ask for large table.

 

Curiously very often we do get table for 2. If so always ask MD for larger table.

[Jolimont]

In Europe one reason why people ask not to be seated with others is the language barrier. I'm happy to struggle along in Spanish or Italian, I speak English and French fluently, but German just stops me dead in my friendly tracks ;-) so sometimes the conversation is really short! I still prefer to sit with others, but I understand why not everybody does.

[gobucks_43228]

We also enjoy sitting with new people. Our honeymoon we had a booth with one other couple and it was nice. We still keep in contact and have met up with them once since cruising.

Last year when we took our son we sat at a table with 2 ladies/sisters and a teen daughter. They were very nice to chat with but it was a little awkward for my husband not having any guys to chat with.

I guess on my cruises we have been lucky.

[maldenmusic]

On our first cruise my husband and I were seated at a table for 10 and both times we went we were the only ones at the table...maybe no one wanted to sit with us! :D

[uppitycats]

Personal preference. We'll always go for anytime dining, which gives us flexibility. We would always choose to eat by ourselves than get stuck with a tableful of strangers (we've had several uncomfortable experiences in the past, with traditional dining). We generally will find people on the cruise with whom we're compatible, and will eat with them, when possible, so anytime dining allows that.

[Warm Breezes]

Vacations, for us, are a time to reconnect with each and with our family if we are traveling with them. Dinner is an excellant time for conversation to catch up on what is going on in our lives. We prefer to do it together rather than with a bunch of people we do not know. We do not cruise to socialize and connect with strangers. That, quite frankly, is awkward and uncomfortable for us and not something we want to do on vacations. On vacactions we want to do is relax, reconnect with each other, and have family fun. It is this family together time that is most precious to me on a vacation... We currently always ask for a 4 top since we always cruise with the kids, but I am positive that once the kids have moved on, DH and I will be asking for a 2 top too. We are prefer each others company over spending time with people we don't know. That's just the way we are.

[Duanerice1]

We do not cruise to socialize and connect with strangers. That, quite frankly, is awkward and uncomfortable for us and not something we want to do on vacations. On vacations we want to do is relax, reconnect with each other,

 

Agree. Not that we don't like to meet people, we do and usually have a good time. Heck, even with a table for 2 you are pretty much at a 4 or 6 top with how close they are.

 

Our least favorite part of a cruise is the MDR. We do go 5 out of 7 nights because we like a good meal and am too cheap to go to a specialty restaurant :) This is one reason we were so happy to have anytime dining. It also seems to speed up the meal so I don't have to sit there for 2 hours.

 

Shoot, we are just the opposite of the OP. I would have asked why people request a large table with strangers. Just doesn't make sense to me. For us, the MDR is tolerable but to others it makes the cruise. One of my good friends at work would never cruise without a big table, same with my mother-in-law. To them, that is the best part of the cruise. To me, it is OK, let's eat and get on with my vacation.... But that is the great thing, we can both have exactly what we want out of the same cruise.

 

enjoy,

Duane

[sparkscruiser]

We have been seated at anywhere from a booth for 4 to a 10 top. We actually prefer the larger tabels as we have met some great folks this way. We reconnect in other ways.... LOL. We had one cruise where I started the roll call here and had met such great folks that by the time we boarded we determined we wanted to sit together at dinner. We had such fun! We are cruising again with one of those couples (who have a new addition!) in November and have had our PVP make a note we would like a large table.

[elcuchio24]

If you are a couple doing anytime dining, you can have a two top every night if you want. That's what we do, no problem. If you have traditional seating, you will probably be but at an 8 or 10 top with other couples.