Table Mate From Hell?

[Briitini]

Anyone ever have a table mate(s) from hell? If so share your stories. We are currently on a cruise and are fearful of our table mate's well being and our safety. More later...

 

 

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Edited September 20, 2016 by Briitini

[stevenr597]

Once, my family quietly got up from the table, went over to the Maitre'D, and requested a table change. No problem, problem solved.

[ryano]

Pretty vague. I will be tuning in for the "more later" as curiosity is killing me. If you are in fear of your safety, you need to say something to someone. Never had "tablemates from Hell". I generally choose ATD now though and dont have tablemates other than our party

Edited September 20, 2016 by ryano

[Briitini]

So last night (3rd night) a man finally showed up to our table that we were sharing with another couple we know and then 2 other random couples that were together. This man is traveling solo and sits down and starts talking to us like we've known each other for 20 years. However, there is something clearly "wrong" with him and he started getting offended that we weren't really talking back that much and having our own conversations. We were NOT ignoring him or being rude etc. The other two couples weren't at the table last night, so he picks his plate up and water and moves down a seat slamming the plate down and grabbing his water while he was at it. He starts mumbling and talking under his breath saying stuff like, "y'all enjoy your dinner don't let me bother you". Then he started getting more awkward and basically creating a problem when there wasn't really one. My spouse could sense him getting worse and more angry, again for no reason at all. The guy then moves to the furthest chair away from us and is just acting so weird!!! Thank god the waiter picked up on all this, got him his food quickly so he would leave. The guy was saying stuff like, "y'all are going to know my by the end of the cruise". Etc etc.

 

I've never had anything like this happen[emoji15]

 

 

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Edited September 20, 2016 by Briitini

[Briitini]

We definitely said something to waiter as well as maitre de

 

 

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[First and Ten]

Anyone ever have a table mate(s) from hell? If so share your stories. We are currently on a cruise and are fearful of our table mate's well being and our safety. More later...

 

 

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OK, I need to bite on this....I can understand the loud obnoxious tablemate. That would be the tablemate from hell....I also get maybe having to sit with someone with less than stellar table manners, that could be hellish....You have a tablemate that I can only guess you are suggesting he/she is mentally unstable? That doesn't go to etiquette, that goes to literally an emergency and you shouldn't be talking about it here, you should be talking to an officer on the ship if its as serious as you seem to portray it is

Edited September 20, 2016 by First and Ten

[Briitini]

The waiter actually held his back to us while he moved along with the guy as he left [emoji15][emoji15][emoji15] it was just very very very strange

 

 

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Edited September 20, 2016 by Briitini

[drerickson77]

Sounds like it was all resolved.

[cmukid87]

Our's wasn't anywhere near yours or from "hell" at all but extremely awkward. They were on their honeymoon and were sat at a table for 8. 4 couples. 3 of the 4 couples were very outgoing and enjoyed each others company. They tried to keep up but you could tell they were just completely different personalities than the rest of us.

 

We saw them in the airport in Tampa too and they pretty much ducked their heads and avoided us.

[sapper1]

A number of years ago we were on a seven day cruise to Bermuda and were seated with another couple at a four top. Up until then our dining experiences while cruising had all been positive but these two hated the president of the US and hoped someone would shoot him. We tried and tried to redirect the conversation but they were relentless for the whole cruise. We did get a break for a few nights in the Pinnacle but at the end of the cruise I was wondering if we should contact the FBI.

 

Now that we are more savvy cruisers we either have a table to ourselves or dine with friends.

[wwcruisers]

Britini -- As long as the maitre'd and the waiter know that the gentlemen in question is not to be seated at your table again, the problem should have resolved itself. You said this man was traveling solo -- is it possible that he is associated/traveling with one of the other couples (who were absent that evening)? That could account for him acting like he knew you.

 

The other obvious question is: was alcohol involved? Maybe he'd been 'dumped' by his traveling companions, and was just spoiling for a fight. Either way, I wouldn't want to sit with him again, and I'd keep a "weather eye" out for him around the ship. Don't hesitate to call security if he shows up somewhere else and starts making a scene.

 

Most important: DO NOT let this ruin your cruise!

[adriennerm]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1613689

 

I posted something similar a few years back. These are some funny stories

[Sequim88]

Never had a situation like the OP but did have a semi-awkward set of table mates on our first Transatlantic. My wife and I were assigned to a table for 10 and everyone else was related. Two brothers and their sister and spouses (or significant others) and the adorable five year old daughter of one couple. But... they were all Cuban Mariel Boat Lift refugees as children and spoke mostly Spanish - which we don't. They all spoke great English and we did have nice conversations with them (very interesting stories about life in Cuba) but unless speaking directly to us they stuck to Spanish which was the awkward part. Very successful business owners (import businesses) and very polite. Nice people really but the language thing and not being part of their family bugged us a bit.

 

To the OP's situation... there may be reasons the solo diner was cruising solo. Possibly personality related. The spectrum of social skills (or lack of) is pretty wide. Hard telling what a person's expectations are for a cruise experience but sounds like theirs were not matching their pre-conceived ideas. Probably better if they got moved to a 2-top.

[coevan]

Once, my family quietly got up from the table, went over to the Maitre'D, and requested a table change. No problem, problem solved.

 

 

Us too, the guy was wearing a tank top and baseball cap, unacceptable to my wife and myself. A few days later we ran into him on the lido deck and he asked why we changed tables. We told him the truth and he said "that's cool"

 

We also had a political situation at breakfast. We all agreed to disagree and peacefully changed the topic to cruising and ports of call, problem solved

[Briitini]

Britini -- As long as the maitre'd and the waiter know that the gentlemen in question is not to be seated at your table again, the problem should have resolved itself. You said this man was traveling solo -- is it possible that he is associated/traveling with one of the other couples (who were absent that evening)? That could account for him acting like he knew you.

 

The other obvious question is: was alcohol involved? Maybe he'd been 'dumped' by his traveling companions, and was just spoiling for a fight. Either way, I wouldn't want to sit with him again, and I'd keep a "weather eye" out for him around the ship. Don't hesitate to call security if he shows up somewhere else and starts making a scene.

 

Most important: DO NOT let this ruin your cruise!

 

 

 

He was not with the other table mates :) thank you for this we made it aware that there could be a problem if he was there again.

[ronandannette]

Our's wasn't anywhere near yours or from "hell" at all but extremely awkward. They were on their honeymoon and were sat at a table for 8. 4 couples. 3 of the 4 couples were very outgoing and enjoyed each others company. They tried to keep up but you could tell they were just completely different personalities than the rest of us.

We saw them in the airport in Tampa too and they pretty much ducked their heads and avoided us.

 

This is a case where it sounds like it would have been a kindness to explain to them that they could request a table change. If they were young newlyweds it's very likely they'd never cruised before and didn't know their options. A cozy table for 2 sounds like it would have been much more appropriate.

Edited September 20, 2016 by ronandannette

[navybankerteacher]

We have generally been fortunate in winding up with interesting, and sometimes really delightful, table mates. One time we were seated with two other couples - one of the husband was clearly drunk and angry with his wife, the other seemed simply frightened of him - we went to the maitre d' after dinner and got reassigned - and had a delightful group.

 

The only other time was on a Celebrity sailing from Bayonne - we were seated with three Quebecer couples who could speak Englsh but chose to chat among themselves. By the time we got to the maitre d' he had already been advised by our waiter and immediately placed us at another table for the balance of the cruise.

 

Shared dining on a cruise is somewhat similar to a repeating dinner party - because most people you are seated with have chosen assigned rather than any time or free style, they are likely to similarly appreciate having a group with which to meet each evening - the "want to eat alone" sort select themselves out, so the odds of having a compatible table now are much better than when assigned dining was the only option.

[paul929207]

We always get Anytime dining, so at least we only have a problem for one night.

 

A number of years ago (probably 8 0r 12), we were cruising during the US election season. We had a table for 8 one night with us (from the US) and three other couples, one each from the UK, Canada and Australia. One of the others went on and on about one of our candidates. However, he mixed up the candidates positions on various issues. To make matters worse, the cruise would end after election. So either we voted before we left home or we would not be able to vote.

 

This guy did not seem to care about that. Finally, I turned to the woman next to me and asked what she did in whatever port that day. This got most of us off the election and shut up the one guy.

[alexspepa]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1613689

 

I posted something similar a few years back. These are some funny stories

 

Oh my gosh I remember your thread and the story about the "let's keep the table dry" bores...

[hel0013]

We definitely said something to waiter as well as maitre de

 

It's possible this gentleman was suffering from a medical condition?? i.e. Diabetic with low blood sugar

[spookwife]

From Hell itself? Not quite. But definitely from the neighborhood. First was a couple who only showed up for formal night, got mortally offended when we offered to share our bottle of wine with scandalized tones of "we're Mormon and do not believe in drinking" like we had just set the tablecloth on fire. She then promptly knocked over her glass of water all over my husband, broke her plate and didn't even thank the waiter who raced over and swiftly took care of things, which involved totally resetting the entire table. The never came back and we were grateful.

 

Second was a couple who acted like we completely ruined their entire cruise every time we saw them out and about and had the audacity to say 'hi'. At the table neither one of them were remotely interested in polite conversation. ( if ya don't wanna conversate the for Pete's sake just ask for a 2 top)

 

Those were our first two cruises. Yeah on cruise 3 we went to MTD. Now when we eat with others it's because we hooked up ahead of time

 

 

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[champagne123]

Our couple from hell was: (and I swear on my children) this is no lie.

 

Before there was MTD, we always chose the late dining. We were sat at a 10 top. There was one couple with their 22 (?) year old son. Everyone at the table was very nice, very social.

 

Night two...the couple with the son had the same clothes on. All of them. We thought that perhaps their luggage was lost? Did not know.

 

Night three. SAME CLOTHES...now looking pretty bad and started to smell.

 

Night four....YUP.....

 

Night five....ugh, smelled soooo bad, that we got there first that evening and did not sit in our regular seats.

 

Night six....one of our table mates finally asked if their luggage was lost. RESPONSE: "No, we always bring a carry on with us and purchase new clothes at each port we visit" WHAT???????? None of us said a word.

 

Night seven and night eight.......we ate in the Windjammer.

[GUT2407]

Once, my family quietly got up from the table, went over to the Maitre'D, and requested a table change. No problem, problem solved.

 

Simple isn't it.

[GUT2407]

So last night (3rd night) a man finally showed up to our table that we were sharing with another couple we know and then 2 other random couples that were together. This man is traveling solo and sits down and starts talking to us like we've known each other for 20 years. However, there is something clearly "wrong" with him and he started getting offended that we weren't really talking back that much and having our own conversations. We were NOT ignoring him or being rude etc. The other two couples weren't at the table last night, so he picks his plate up and water and moves down a seat slamming the plate down and grabbing his water while he was at it. He starts mumbling and talking under his breath saying stuff like, "y'all enjoy your dinner don't let me bother you". Then he started getting more awkward and basically creating a problem when there wasn't really one. My spouse could sense him getting worse and more angry, again for no reason at all. The guy then moves to the furthest chair away from us and is just acting so weird!!! Thank god the waiter picked up on all this, got him his food quickly so he would leave. The guy was saying stuff like, "y'all are going to know my by the end of the cruise". Etc etc.

 

I've never had anything like this happen[emoji15]

 

 

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Sounds like you were his table mates from hell.

 

"we weren't ignoring him" just engaging in our own conversations, sounds to me just like ignoring.

[tip]

We are veteran cruisers (twenty-six cruises on six lines) and up until four years ago always opted for late traditional dining. For the most part we have had some very interesting table mates. Once when we were with our two daughters, we had a trio of Russians and only one spoke English, but we very much enjoyed their company. On another occasion we had a family from Canada and all I can say is that the male head of the household seemed irritated that we had the nerve to be assigned to "his" family table.

 

What took the cake was four years ago on a HAL ship. My wife and I were seated at a table for eight. There were two other couples who were excellent table mates and we enjoyed their company. To this day I still wonder if Colin Powell was one of them and if not, he certainly has a double!

 

And then there were the two sisters who sat with us at the same table. They drank wine like water and were feeling the effects of their pre-dinner wine each time they arrived. They kept reminding us that they were sisters and nothing else. Really, who cares? They kept asking us why we did not go to the Neptune Lounge and we finally said that we did not have a suite and that it was only our sixth cruise with HAL, thus we were not yet upper tier. Each night they kept talking about their "huge" balcony and repeatedly asked us about the size of ours. The real frosting on the cake was the evening after our port stop in Aruba. One of them was scoping out a resort there for a business conference that her husband's firm was arranging in the future. For the next several nights, they constantly reminded us that they were not paying for the cruise and that the business was footing the bill and that it would all be a tax write-off!

 

We have had many cruises since them and always do the unassigned dining with a table for two. I would much rather be with my bride of forty-three years!