Main Dining Room new cruiser questions

[Rala]

Please speak for yourself. My wife and I would much rather dine by ourselves.

 

Bill

...but then you won't have a fun dinner. ;p

[ray98]

I would not call preferring to enjoy a meal with your spouse without the awkwardness of forced interaction with strangers antisocial. Me and my wife prefer to not to be seated with strangers, and we are not antisocial. We just like to choose when we have social interaction and meals are not that time for us. Nothing wrong if you enjoy making new friends over dinner, and nothing wrong with those of us who don't.

 

Yup. Just like when I strolled into Longhorn last night I didn't request to be seated with strangers. If I did could you imagine the look I would get. How is that perfectly normal but on a cruise it would make me 'antisocial'?

 

It is the normal way we live our lives.

[Kamloops50]

We prefer to eat by ourself as well tables of 6 or larger take to long to eat. We also don’t like to have small talk with people we don’t know.

[riclop]

I'm a first time cruiser with a couple of questions that I'm sure have been answered before so I apologize for the redundancy. Also, these aren't really important just more of being curious. We have 6pm assigned dining in the main dining room. When do we find out what table we've been assigned to? Do I go ask the maitre d when we get on board what our table number is? Then, when it's time for dinner, do we just walk in and go to our table or do we have to wait to be seated like at a land restaurant? I realize there'll probably be a line so we can't just walk right in, but I think you understand what I'm asking. Thanks for the info.

It will be on your sail and sign card.

[splash_in_the_water]

That's right! Hopefully you will have tablemates....it makes dinner so much more fun! Your dinner will likely change to 5:45pm....most of the time, Main seating is earlier than 6...but no worries...it takes a bit to order, get drinks, etc...

 

If you want a drink with dinner (cocktail, not water)....stop at a bar BEFORE dinner and pick up your drink of choice....it can take quite a while to get that 1st drink nowadays. Better to have one with you, and order another when you're seated.

 

good ideas here. dining room bar service is rather slow. Also beware of the traveling waiter with the shots. You get to keep the shot glasses but I think we paid something like $20 for the 2 shots with the shot glass. barely worth it. They didn't bother mentioning the cost of the shot glass, etc....

[pacruise804]

good ideas here. dining room bar service is rather slow. Also beware of the traveling waiter with the shots. You get to keep the shot glasses but I think we paid something like $20 for the 2 shots with the shot glass. barely worth it. They didn't bother mentioning the cost of the shot glass, etc....

 

Since you get to keep the glass, it probably isn't covered with Cheers either.

[Toofarfromthesea]

Not everyone is antisocial. It must be difficult cooped up on a ship with 3000 other people!

 

A pox on both your houses. People who criticize others for how they like to cruise are just weird. It is not a one size fits all world.

[Toofarfromthesea]

Thanks for the info everybody...much appreciated.

 

As you can see right in this thread, you might run into people who believe that their way of cruising is the only correct way and will criticize or look down on you because you deviate from their ways. The best response is to disregard them and learn how YOU like to cruise.

[ParrotRob]

A pox on both your houses. People who criticize others for how they like to cruise are just weird. It is not a one size fits all world.

 

But it's ok for YOU to criticize other people for their opinions that don't agree with yours. Got it.

[BookDragon]

This thread is also a perfect example for why my husband and I would prefer our own table. Some people are just rude...online and in person.

[RenoNanaOz]

this thread is also a perfect example for why my husband and i would prefer our own table. Some people are just rude...online and in person.

 

like!

[TEXSUN46]

There's nothing wrong with that, but isn't that kind of the textbook definition of antisocial?

 

So you believe choosing to have private conversation with your spouse over dinner is being antisocial? I am sorry but I enjoy the company of my wife, and find what she has to say or think about things to be very interesting, and do not wish for a distraction.

[RenoNanaOz]

We have done large 10 person table (too many personalities), we got lucky with a 6 person table and a 4 person booth which we thought would be awkward but the couple was extremely nice and we had a great time. The last two cruises we have dined alone and really enjoyed that. I think it is a personal preference not to be judged by anyone on this site. I suppose someone could find fault for only wanting to dine with a large group and not alone with your spouse hmmmmm.

[jsglow]

To our wonderful Blue Card OP. Don't worry about the ongoing 'fight' about group vs. table for 2.

 

Couple things: As others have said, that first night you will be escorted to your table so you get to know where it is. After that it's important to show up promptly, mostly for the benefit of the very busy wait staff. 5-10 minute window (max) around your 6p seating. And while not 'fine dining', there's a smidge of etiquette appropriate for all guests in terms of apparel, manners, etc. Nothing 95% of the public doesn't immediately understand.

 

Enjoy your first cruise. Simply love the Blue Cards. Hope you get hooked. :)

[ParrotRob]

So you believe choosing to have private conversation with your spouse over dinner is being antisocial? I am sorry but I enjoy the company of my wife, and find what she has to say or think about things to be very interesting, and do not wish for a distraction.

 

That's fine, but then maybe a ship with 3000 other people isn't the right vacation for you "privacy" lovers.

[Toofarfromthesea]

But it's ok for YOU to criticize other people for their opinions that don't agree with yours. Got it.

 

Yeah, my opinion that he should do it his way and you should do it your way and neither of you should be criticizing each other is EXACTLY what you were doing when you said his way of cruising was anti-social.

[ParrotRob]

Yeah, my opinion that he should do it his way and you should do it your way and neither of you should be criticizing each other is EXACTLY what you were doing when you said his way of cruising was anti-social.

 

Except I never said that. I said it was anti-social. Which it is. You advice-giving people need to learn to read what's actually written and stop inferring from there.

[crusinpsychRN]

This thread is also a perfect example for why my husband and I would prefer our own table. Some people are just rude...online and in person.

 

Exactly!

[crusinpsychRN]

Except I never said that. I said it was anti-social. Which it is. You advice-giving people need to learn to read what's actually written and stop inferring from there.

 

No, it's not antisocial. There are pages written in psych texts about this and choosing to eat with a significant other isn't one of them.

[ParrotRob]

No, it's not antisocial. There are pages written in psych texts about this and choosing to eat with a significant other isn't one of them.

 

Whatever you say. Well-adjusted people don't have a problem with strangers.

[Crusin Hogs]

To the OP who is a new cruiser, this was said tongue in cheek. The rules state that those things are not allowed in the MDR, yet some people still wear them and it offends some cruisers.

 

We always just wander into the MDR as soon as we board and look for our table. There is usually someone in there that will help you find it. That way on the first night, we just walk right to our table or booth and get out of the way of the people still looking for theirs.

 

Hope you have a great cruise and don't be surprised if you're hooked on cruising.

 

shorts and t-shirts are fine in MDR except elegant night ..

[crusinpsychRN]

I'm considered well adjusted and have had problems with strangers at meals. They have no manners at times, arrive late, slurp their drinks and food, talk about unpleasant things, complain about everything and so on. Used to eat with strangers on ships but had so many "strange" experiences I now eat alone.

[RenoNanaOz]

I'm considered well adjusted and have had problems with strangers at meals. They have no manners at times, arrive late, slurp their drinks and food, talk about unpleasant things, complain about everything and so on. Used to eat with strangers on ships but had so many "strange" experiences I now eat alone.

I completely agree with you. My husband and I happen to enjoy each others company and don't feel the need to dine with a group. That is our time, doesn't mean we don't like people, we have meant lovely people at the Pool, Bars and even on excursions. ;)

[mz-s]

Since you get to keep the glass, it probably isn't covered with Cheers either.

 

The liquor in the glass is covered by Cheers. You just have to pay for the glass.

[Toofarfromthesea]

Whatever you say. Well-adjusted people don't have a problem with strangers.

 

Now people who don't do what you do are both anti-social AND not well-adjusted. And I'M the rude one. LOL.