Odd dining room conversations...

[cruiserguy11]

if I dont feel like talking, I just smile politely and say "f$#* off!"

 

works everytime.:D

 

HAHAHAHAHA.... love it.

[lappy22]

if I dont feel like talking, I just smile politely and say "f$#* off!"

 

works everytime.:D

 

 

 

Im kidding!! lol:p

 

Greatest response ever! Too funny.

[pambud96]

Ok, not an odd MDR convo experience... but I swear they do background checks on some people before assigning tables... our uncle that we cruised with is a retired pilot and they sat us with another retired pilot and his son who was an aspiring pilot! Made for great dinner conversations! :)

 

I have always thought this too. There are only so many times it can be a coincidence that you have so much in common with your table mates.

 

We only have done Anytime once and are going back to assigned dining because of the interaction with the people and the waiters are more personable IMO.

[gottacruise@juno.com]

Sky - I'm with you. I enjoy the small talk at the tables and meeting new people. This thread started with breakfast and lunch in the MDR. If a person doesn't want to do the small talk, ask for a table for two.

[MsTabbyKats]

There are many other opportunities for small talk on a cruise....pretty much all day long.

 

I find that if I'm doing something I enjoy...small talk comes easily with a stranger. (For example...sitting next to someone at the slot machines...)

 

But small talk with a random person over a meal...unless we click (and I know if we click within seconds) is just not my thing.

 

And then there's the accent issue....not good for chit chat about nothing

[MSRussell]

On the same subject, but veering off a little, what was the most wrong interpretation of what you asked your waiter?

 

I asked mine on the cruise last week, if they were going to have Bitter and Blanc tonight. He said "No, tonight we are wearing things on our head and dancing."

 

Another time I asked another waiter if he could get me a double order of garlic bread. He brought me a double order of Frog's Legs.

I don't mind the mixups, its kind of cute.

 

 

[Pee-ah]

Can I offer you a Midol?

 

I'll drink that kool aid:D

[momof3cruisers]

On the same subject, but veering off a little, what was the most wrong interpretation of what you asked your waiter?

 

I asked mine on the cruise last week, if they were going to have Bitter and Blanc tonight. He said "No, tonight we are wearing things on our head and dancing."

 

 

 

oh my goodness, too funny!

My college roommate and I went on a cruise for our Sr year spring break. We were seated with a mom and her college age daughter. We loved them. One night, a waiter type person came up and asked me something. NO idea what. He asked again...I looked at the others but they had no idea either. He went away and came back with a bottle of sparkling wine. Had a card from our travel agent. Phew! Mystery solved.

 

No. He asked a question again. Hmmmm.....Finally, I just said yes. No idea what I was agreeing to! He then opened the bottle and gave us 4 glasses. Eventually we figured out he was asking if we wanted it at dinner or in our cabin. Good thing it wan't an expensive question!

[CruiseHealing]

When I sit with people I do not know, I am usually pretty quite the first night and listen to them. I love to see what makes them tick and find their hot buttons. One of my previous cruises we sat with two other couples, both about 10 years older than us, when we were in are early 40's. The two older gentlemen were all about dollars and cents. Business this and business that. On the second night they finally got around to asking me what I did for a living. I said, "well, nothing now. You see", I told them, "I started a small technology company out of my house in the late eighties specializing in GPS mapping and that I just sold it for $25 million and we were on the cruise to celebrate the sale" These two idiots jaws hit the table. It turned out to be a big mistake, because these guys would not leave me alone the rest of the cruise. Luckily, it was a short cruise. DW wasn't to happy with me, because these morons became our shadows, and their wives were just as annoying.

 

Well, the next year we took another cruise, and this time our table mates must have been their the previous couples twins. Once again, I watched them play "one up-ya". They asked what I did for a living and my wife looked at me knowing I was going to do it again. But this time I said I was in the lawn mowing business and we won the cruise off of a radio station contest. I started talking about the new technologies of mower and leaf blowers, and they ignored us the rest of the cruise. It was the most peaceful cruise we have ever been on. Now we just ask for a table for two and laugh about those two cruises.

[Vanessa L]

Well that's all well and good. For YOU. Why can't you imagine that some cruisers are not social butterflies? You LOVE the small talk, that's great, but some of us don't. It doesn't mean our way is wrong, or that your way is wrong.

 

Reminds me of the time I was sitting on a couch in one of the lounges, it was during the day when nothing much was going on there so I sought out a quiet spot to read. My husband was directly across from me in a chair, also reading. Guy comes in and plops down on the couch right beside me and attempted to make small talk. I answered his questions politely, but didn't expand on them. He finally got a clue and moved to one of the many empty couches/chairs in the room.

 

Some of us don't cruise to make friends. We cruise to enjoy the cruise itself and the company of the person (s) we're cruising with. Why is that so hard to understand?

 

You nailed it!! I absolutely loathe small talk, ESPECIALLY in the mornings--I am NOT a morning person. DH and I cruise for peace and quiet, mostly. Because we both work with the public, NOT having to deal with them when we cruise is wonderful.

 

OTOH, we have made numerous friends while cruising, but they have all been while we were on shore excursions together. The one exception was our table mates on the Fantasy in 2009. We are still friends with them to this day, and in fact, spent an awesome time site seeing and going out to eat in San Juan (where they live) after the Victory cruise last month. Out of 40 or so cruises, one line got it right in our selection of table mates. I don't like those odds, so mostly, we just request a table for 2.

 

I happen to know that does NOT make me an "isolationist". What is makes me is picky about who I communicate with. Sorry, but I also happen to know that that makes me no better or worse than someone who talks to anyone. It just makes me different than them.

[cruise all the time]

Their answer: We're gonna get a taxi and go to Walmart and buy some Tupperware containers...we really don't feel like cookin when we get home.' I was speechless!!

 

HAHA, may be a joke. However I have seen everything in my live... could be true :)))

[golfadj]

We love to meet new people on cruises and have had some of the most delightful conversations ever.

 

Usually they match us up with dinner companions very well.

[Flick]

On our second cruise we were paired with a dermatologist who spent every evening yelling at us about being out in the sun and he would be seeing us in his office! Seem he didn't want to be on a cruise ship (his words) but rather "laying in the sun bareboating in the Virgin Islands." Apparently the sun is different on a sail boat........

Otherwise we have always asked for large tables so we can interact with other passengers.

[thompsongunner06]

My (hot) wife is from Russia and we always get the "how did you meet" question,,so we made up a story that I was working with a guy named Charlie Wilson in the mid 80s and I saw a beautiful Russian prisoner held by Talaban Rebels,,,so I traded 4 camels and 6 goats and a case of AK-47s and secured her release,,,and then I brought her to the US for more info on the Russian government and then married her,,,,people go wow and think I am telling the truth! Its hard to keep a straight face but we have fun with it! I think people love the story and it makes their trip(to meet a CIA member and a spy). By the way I tell them its a secret so they are sworn to secrecy!!

[Vanessa L]

My (hot) wife is from Russia and we always get the "how did you meet" question,,so we made up a story that I was working with a guy named Charlie Wilson in the mid 80s and I saw a beautiful Russian prisoner held by Talaban Rebels,,,so I traded 4 camels and 6 goats and a case of AK-47s and secured her release,,,and then I brought her to the US for more info on the Russian government and then married her,,,,people go wow and think I am telling the truth! Its hard to keep a straight face but we have fun with it! I think people love the story and it makes their trip(to meet a CIA member and a spy). By the way I tell them its a secret so they are sworn to secrecy!!

 

LOL! Anyone with one grey cell of sense would know that if it TRULY was a CIA secret there is no way on earth you'd actually be talking about it. Much less at dinner on a cruise ship. :eek:

[babyher]

LOL! Anyone with one grey cell of sense would know that if it TRULY was a CIA secret there is no way on earth you'd actually be talking about it. Much less at dinner on a cruise ship. :eek:

 

 

 

 

Ahhhhh but there is the rub.....they have to have that one grey cell of sense. *LOL*

[crusinpsychRN]

My youngest son loves Subway sandwiches and every port we go to, he wants a his picture in front of the Subway shop. Now, I don't let him eat there, he just likes to record the places where there are Subway shops. Maybe the Burger King people are the same...

 

On a European trip a young man went to every McDonalds and had his picture taken.

[Perrys100]

I love to chat and love the stranger seating thing. On a an alaska cruise our tablemates became our friends and we all did things together, karoke and pub crawls made for a lot of fun.

 

On another cruise my pal dan and I took... from the moment we boarded and I joked...Hey dan this could be our wedding photo! He was freaked...so you can imagine how he felt when the entire week we were selected to be with the gays. NOt THAT THERE IS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT!! gay tablemates gay cabin next door...etc etc..

Turns out I booked this with my travel agent pal..at her new job..Destination weddings...LOL destination weddings made our arrangements...not rocket science here....pretty funny!!

 

one last note....In the elevator I met 2 russian ladies, stepped off and was assked a question by two young irish travelers, turned around and saw the lovely ladies from Mexico city that we had enjoyed breakfast with...We are from ND and don't get to hear accents of the world much....one of the reason I LOVE TO CRUISE...

 

It takes all kinds :)

[cruzinlisa]

We were seated at dinner on one cruise with a lovely couple. We were close in age and got along well. They did talk some about their church and being Sunday school teachers so we made sure we stayed away from any controversial topics since they seemed a bit more conservative than we are, but we enjoyed dinner every night with them. About 5 or 6 nights into the cruise, they told us how glad they were that they finally took a cruise and how much they enjoyed it. And how their usual vacations were nudist camps. :eek: It was the LAST thing I expected them to say. Nothing against nudists, not my thing personally, but just not what I was expecting to hear from them!

 

I almost spit soda out when I read this. So funny. :eek:

[Gone Fishing]

When I sit with people I do not know, I am usually pretty quite the first night and listen to them. I love to see what makes them tick and find their hot buttons. One of my previous cruises we sat with two other couples, both about 10 years older than us, when we were in are early 40's. The two older gentlemen were all about dollars and cents. Business this and business that. On the second night they finally got around to asking me what I did for a living. I said, "well, nothing now. You see", I told them, "I started a small technology company out of my house in the late eighties specializing in GPS mapping and that I just sold it for $25 million and we were on the cruise to celebrate the sale" These two idiots jaws hit the table. It turned out to be a big mistake, because these guys would not leave me alone the rest of the cruise. Luckily, it was a short cruise. DW wasn't to happy with me, because these morons became our shadows, and their wives were just as annoying.

 

Well, the next year we took another cruise, and this time our table mates must have been their the previous couples twins. Once again, I watched them play "one up-ya". They asked what I did for a living and my wife looked at me knowing I was going to do it again. But this time I said I was in the lawn mowing business and we won the cruise off of a radio station contest. I started talking about the new technologies of mower and leaf blowers, and they ignored us the rest of the cruise. It was the most peaceful cruise we have ever been on. Now we just ask for a table for two and laugh about those two cruises.

 

I hope we meet up someday on a cruise. It would be a laugh riot.

Next time feel free try Porto Potty tycoon, I love to go on and on about how I started with small construction sites and then grew my empire to include concerts, festivals and movie sets. Oh the stories I could tell... All the big names use my potties... ;):D LOL

[GRAMMYTAN]

Any one who has ever cruised and has been seated with strangers at breakfast in the main dining room on a port day has been asked this same question: What are your plans for today?

 

On our last cruise, I asked that question of a young couple on their first cruise. Their answer: We're gonna get a taxi and go to Walmart and buy some Tupperware containers...we really don't feel like cookin when we get home.' I was speechless!!

 

The distance they had to travel in a taxi (cost), the cost of the food containers....they could have eaten out all week when they returned home!

 

Makes me wonder if they were planning on filling those containers at the buffet and take them home for meals the next week. LOL

[ekatiel]

When I sit with people I do not know, I am usually pretty quite the first night and listen to them. I love to see what makes them tick and find their hot buttons. One of my previous cruises we sat with two other couples, both about 10 years older than us, when we were in are early 40's. The two older gentlemen were all about dollars and cents. Business this and business that. On the second night they finally got around to asking me what I did for a living. I said, "well, nothing now. You see", I told them, "I started a small technology company out of my house in the late eighties specializing in GPS mapping and that I just sold it for $25 million and we were on the cruise to celebrate the sale" These two idiots jaws hit the table. It turned out to be a big mistake, because these guys would not leave me alone the rest of the cruise. Luckily, it was a short cruise. DW wasn't to happy with me, because these morons became our shadows, and their wives were just as annoying.

 

Well, the next year we took another cruise, and this time our table mates must have been their the previous couples twins. Once again, I watched them play "one up-ya". They asked what I did for a living and my wife looked at me knowing I was going to do it again. But this time I said I was in the lawn mowing business and we won the cruise off of a radio station contest. I started talking about the new technologies of mower and leaf blowers, and they ignored us the rest of the cruise. It was the most peaceful cruise we have ever been on. Now we just ask for a table for two and laugh about those two cruises.

 

OK, now I want to know what you really do for a living!!! Not sure I'd get a straight answer, though ;). --Katie

[crusinpsychRN]

At the Chef's Table I was seated at one end next to a woman who talked for 3 1/2 hours about renting a houseboat in Paris. Same thing over and over. Her husband seated across from her never said anything. BORING!

[Loves_Dogs]

LOL that's kinda funny, if it was a joke! And you can always ask for a table for 2 or how many are in your party~ We've done that when we wanted to just sit and chat amongst ourselves~!

 

Don't always count on that because we have asked for a table ALONE at breakfast a few times only to be seated alone, and then low and behold here comes another greeter / host with others that they seat at the table with us. Has happened a few times. What can ya say?

[cmptrwiz]

People don't make a lot of small talk with my wife and myself when at dinner. At first they do, but when it comes around to what I do for a living and I tell them I work for the IRS in the auditing department everything becomes pretty quiet for the rest of the cruise. If they get very yacky I just ask for their social security number and that shuts them up for good!

 

When I fly somewhere and I sit next to someone and maybe I don't feel like making small talk I just tell them where I work and no more talky talky.

 

Wiz