Dining Room Table Anxiety

[LA_CA_GAL]

Damn, and here was me thinking it was my post signature that gave it away ;)

 

Funny.

 

I bet most posters are like me, hardly ever even look at the sigs.;)

 

Maybe I will check them out in the future.;)

[SeaBaby]

We've had the good (most), the bad (some) and the ugly (rare)! So lately, we request a table for 2. I e-mail Royal Caribbean Dining about 2 weeks ahead of the cruise, and they confirm back. In fact, I received an e-mail confirmation today for our back to back on Jewel later this month which included the table number, the floor plan and where our exact table is located for both cruises! There are so many other venues where you can chat with folks on the ship, I don't feel we are missing anything. The last thing I want is to stress over dinner!

[BillOh]

Damn, and here was me thinking it was my post signature that gave it away ;)

 

I hadn't gotten that far down yet. :o

[BillOh]

We've never had *bad* table mates.

 

Neither have we. On our 2013 Allure cruise we had a guy and his father who ordered every appetizer, entree, and dessert on the menu so they could try them all. They were nice people, it just slowed things down quite a bit. Glad it was 2nd seating and we weren't in a hurry.

 

I see some really awful people (in the way they treated the wait staff) at a table next to us once. Our wait staff was the same duo, so we got great service!

[BillOh]

Funny.

 

I bet most posters are like me, hardly ever even look at the sigs.;)

 

Maybe I will check them out in the future.;)

 

I usually look down if I want to see how their cruise history might have influenced their opinion.

[trev71]

It varies our cruise in 2011 , it was our honeymoon cruise and they sat us all with people our age and others on their honeymoon.

 

After that we always were put with people our parents age which is ok since we talk to anyone. The last cruise we sat alone and kind of enjoyed that :)

So booked a table for two again next cruise

[bigque]

The best table mates we had was on Freedom. Our Roll Call had a pre cruise meet and greet at Rusty's Seafood in Port Canaveral and we were at a table with two other couples whom we really hit it off with and befriended. The six of us all had early seating, so we decided to go right to the MDR after we boarded the next day and get a table for the six of us. It was done with no problem starting on the very 1st night and we all had a blast the entire week! :cool:

[peteukmcr]

We are in the same position as the OP and although on the whole we've been lucky with tablemates, we have had a couple of bad experiences which was obviously down to our sexual orientation. One time when sharing a table with a police officer from Denver and another with an English family which included children.

 

So, when MTD came along we embraced it wholeheartedly. It works for us with a table for the two of us.

 

To be fair, the tables in MTD are so close together, you can still chat with those around you but you don't have to if you don't want to.

 

However, when we sail with friends (which we have done on our last 4 sailings) we dine at larger tables.

 

The only time I will not share a table, is at breakfast in the MDR. I will always insist on a table for 2 (unless with friends) as I really dislike the method of sitting you with on average 6 or 8 strangers. I'm not that talkative at breakfast and the whole process for 8 people takes far too long in the MDR.

[Grandma Petania]

I have a relatively small circle of friends, don't care much for gatherings with people I don't know well, and I really cherish the time I get to spend with my grown daughters, their partners, and my young adult grandson.

 

On the two Oasis cruises with my DD, DSIL, & DGS, the four of us sat together, and really enjoyed our own company. We felt free to talk about our menu choices, and to offer each other sample bites or split desserts. We are accustomed to dining at home together every night, and discussing our different events of the day, etc.

 

I sailed once with my other DD. We wound up eating two meals with a couple we met at the Meet & Mingle, and we didn't enjoy those dinners as much as the ones where we ate alone. I only get to see this DD 2 or 3 times a month, so we made the most of our time together on board. We're booked on the Oasis again in 2016, and I imagine we will do the same.

 

Whether I'm sailing with 2 or 4 family members, my biggest quest is to be seated with our favorite waiter, which we've managed on all three of our Oasis cruises so far. She is such a delight that she adds more to our dining experience than any table mates could.

 

Good thing there are different options for different tastes.

[twoontheisle]

We have had amazing times with our table mates. Once, it was all coordinated through CruiseCritic that four couples would share a table as we had enjoyed the "planning and chatting" sessions so much on CC that we chose to share the evening meals together. We are still in touch with the other six people. It truly enhanced the cruise to the point that I have even forgotten where we went!!

HOWEVER, on the flip side: On our second cruise, we were seated with 3 straight couples who were traveling together. We, as a non-straight couple were very cordial and tried to engage into the conversations as appropriate. Someone asked if we were "brothers" and I said "No, we have been a couple for 15 years"...(now it's more than 25 years). Upon hearing that, the main character of the group picked up his chair and turned his back to us literally, and faced his wife for the rest of the meal. It was awkward, but the next day we asked to be moved to a different table and our wish was granted. Lovely accepting people, as are most. THEN.......a bottle of White Zinfandel (?!!!) arrived at our table from the "Colonel", with a note that said "so glad you left". 😔. As the days moved on, several of the people traveling with said "colonel" approached us to apologize for his behavior. One of them said "we should have sent HIM away with his cheap assed bottle of wine, because you guys are a lot more fun than HE is"! At least we could laugh about it at the end of the cruise.

[Big_G]

We've always asked for a large table and had great tablemates but then we had two consecutive cruises where we were the only ones that showed up the whole week. After that we tried MTD an haven't gone back.

[jc24cruiser]

I can't even remember dining on the first couple of cruises I went on as a teenager, but I can only assume it was with a larger group as MYD wasn't about then.

 

My only time being seated with others was in 2005 and we were sat with 2 other couples of a similar age, we got on well and met with one of the couples outside of meal times :)

 

The last few cruises I have been on the traditional dining was always fully booked (in fact when I just booked the latest cruise, I found it weird that I had an option!). We have always say as a table of 2 in MTD, but as others have said...as the tables are so close we always get chatting to others around us.

 

We always request the same wait staff each night, so pretty much get the same table....and on the last couple of cruises we have found that others have done the same too so there were some familiar faces each night :D

[tallnthensome]

I've had great and awful MDR experiences. The bad was on HAL a few years back with my DW. We were on our Baltic/Russia cruise. She was in her late 20's and I in my early 30's. We were the youngest couple BY FAR on the ship and it was a pricey cruise. The ship was 95% silver foxes which I expected and it didn't bother me. First night in the dining room at a table of ten with 8 older people. The minute we sat down the pretentious eye rolling began, the snaring. We knew we youngsters weren't welcome at "their table". I tried so strike up conversation about the cruise and past experiences and all I got was one word replies. By night 2 my DW and I were alone at the same table. We didn't mind and found it comical in a way that they were all at different tables. We paid our money just like they did and are by no means crazy cruise goers. They felt we must have belonged on Carnival on not "their' Holland line. Oh well ...... There's more to the story if anyone wants to hear about an old lady geting a scary earful on the same ship from myself ........

Edited April 7, 2015 by tallnthensome

[tserface]

These kinds of stories make me kind of angry. Not because of "you", but older people making younger people feel out of place. I'm getting older (well hopefully we all are), but I love being on cruises with all ages and sitting at tables with all kinds of demographics. Diversity is what makes cruising really special. There are two things I read into the statement "weren't welcome at their table". One you quoted already. What makes it their table? The second is the idea that anyone would not be welcome anywhere (well maybe we could reserve our cabins for ourselves).

 

I've heard it said that cruising is for the "newly wed and nearly dead". Maybe it's attitudes like ones you experienced that make the newly weds wait so long to try cruising again.

 

Some of my fondest cruise memories are from meeting younger people. On our Freedom cruise last year we met a young couple that we still converse with on Facebook. We had a blast and they made the cruise really memorable and special.

 

I'm with Jimmy Buffett on these lyrics:

 

"I'm growing older but not up

My metabolic rate is pleasantly stuck

So let the winds of change blow over my head

I'd rather die while I'm living than live while I'm dead"

 

Tom

 

I've had great and awful MDR experiences. The bad was on HAL a few years back with my DW. We were on our Baltic/Russia cruise. She was in her late 20's and I in my early 30's. We were the youngest couple BY FAR on the ship and it was a pricey cruise. The ship was 95% silver foxes which I expected and it didn't bother me. First night in the dining room at a table of ten with 8 older people. The minute we sat down the pretentious eye rolling began, the snaring. We knew we youngsters weren't welcome at "their table". I tried so strike up conversation about the cruise and past experiences and all I got was one word replies. By night 2 my DW and I were alone at the same table. We didn't mind and found it comical in a way that they were all at different tables. We paid our money just like they did and are by no means crazy cruise goers. They felt we must have belonged on Carnival on not "their' Holland line. Oh well ...... There's more to the story if anyone wants to hear about an old lady geting a scary earful on the same ship from myself ........

[BopRN]

We have had really good luck with RCCL matching us up with good tablemates....except for 1 time. We were on the Serenade....had a table for 8 right beside the Captain's table under the big chandelier...loved the location. However our tablemates were a bit different for our taste in table guests. One couple was fine, although we really didn't have anything in common with them...but the other 4 people were 2 men who claimed to be father and son (which was a stretch in my imagination)....and 2 women whom, we weren't sure by things they were saying, if they were just friends or were a couple. The 4 of these persons started bantering back and forth with a lot of goofiness and silliness while the other 4 of us looked on. By the end of the first evening's dinner (keep in mind we are front and center on the first floor of the MDR where everybody can see us), the one woman got up from the table and said "When in Rome....." and went over and FRENCH-kissed the one guy!! We were kind of in shock. The 2nd evening, the same thing happened, only with the other guy...and THIS was the behavior we were having to endure. While sitting there totally bored and wondering how we ended up there, I looked up and spotted a former tablemate from another cruise.....so we tracked them down later and they graciously included us at their table for the rest of the week.

So after this experience, we also have anxiety, but at the same time, really enjoy meeting new people. We have been put at a table for 2 and missed the fun and comraderie that the other tables were experiencing. You can only talk to your spouse so much! :-) Plus the photographer never took our picture; the waiters, although attentive, didn't interact much with us.

[BARNET]

Our first cruise back in Oct 2002 DW and I decided to renew our wedding vows due to the fact that I suffered a heart attack in the July of that year, we where sat at a table for six a older couple and a couple who where a few years younger both couples had cruised before but made us fell very welcome, on the second night we where all chatting and it was mentioned by us that we where renewing our vows by the end of the third night we had some new friend to attend the service with us. We are still great friend with the older couple.

[PositiveLad]

Oooh eck!

 

I don't think anyone was trying to invade on anyone else's dinner, or expect babysitting services for free. Just a misunderstanding ;)

[cincicruisers]

a couple of years ago we (DH and I) both nearing fifty were seated with a young family with three young children. My Initial reaction was oh boy not sure about this. It was one of the best Traditional dining we had. the kids were very well behaved and mom and dad were great. I will say there son and two daughters were better dresses than half the diners on formal night. :D

[pseudoware]

The first thing I do after boarding is seek out the maître d and ask for a table just for us. I don't want to dine w/strangers, unless we're guaranteed to get someone who will buy the wine each night. With the odds against us, I'm OK with not even trying. That said, I could very well be "that guy" that causes others to request a different table after the first dinner. And this way, I don't risk having to possilbly put up with someone's judgement as I enjoy my steak or seafood in a comfortable pair of shorts and a t-shirt (or dress jeans and a polo if formal night).

[GiggleBee]

I have quite bad social anxiety, so have never ate in the main dining room, on the past 4 cruises I've been on we've always ate in the windjammer but I'm hoping to gain the confidence and try the main dining room on our transatlantic crossing next year!

[P&O Lynn Knickers]

I do hope that you try the MDR on your next cruise.

It is very nice,

At least try it and if it doesnt work out, well the WJ is there for the next dinner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[perditax]

Heh. "Dress jeans".

[PositiveLad]

I have quite bad social anxiety, so have never ate in the main dining room, on the past 4 cruises I've been on we've always ate in the windjammer but I'm hoping to gain the confidence and try the main dining room on our transatlantic crossing next year!

 

You'd always be welcome at my table GiggleBee :)

[P&O Lynn Knickers]

You'd always be welcome at my table GiggleBee :)

 

 

That is a lovely thing to say.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

[GiggleBee]

You'd always be welcome at my table GiggleBee :)

 

Aw thank you :)

 

I am definitely going to have to try it next time, I think it's not knowing what to expect which is worrying me and also I guess I'm scared I'd make a fool of myself with other people round the table!