Tablemates Match up

[suzyed]

I don't care who we sit with as long as they don't discuss politics.

We and three of our friends were on the QM2 and the first night of the cruise we get to our table in the dining room and one of our friends was already seated with a "help me" look on her face! LOL! She was sitting with two ladies from the UK. Almost as soon as we sat and they heard our American accents, they proceeded to trash the candidates running for president at the time and were saying the most outrageous things! We asked where they got their information and they said, "from the newspaper"!! So my DH says, "oh and we know everything in the newspaper is true, right?"

When the matre'd came over to see if we needed anything, we said, "Yes! A different table!" While he wasn't able to move us that first night, we had a new table the next night! LOL! We weren't going to put up with those old biddies trashing America and it's politics for the next 6 nights!

[suzyed]

Do you wanna hear my story of being seated with a Canadian couple and the husband called me a *itch? We have almost 50 cruises and lots of stories. :halo:

LOL! I believe it!!

[suzyed]

One of the most interesting people we ever shared dining with was also probably one of the oldest people we ever shared dining with. One never knows...

Exactly! You just never know who you are going to hit it off with.

 

Many years ago (not on Princess), DH and I sailed with our son and daughter and were seated at a table with another couple with a son and daughter of similar ages and another couple (both male). We had absolutely NOTHING in common with the other family...they came drunk or stoned to dinner every night (the adults, not the kids)! They hardly talked at all!

We loved our other dining mates and in fact are still friends with them since 1999!!

Edited June 26, 2018 by suzyed

[elliair]

LOL! I believe it!!

 

Funny thing about it, I got to eat my dinner and he didn't!;p

[capriccio]

I don't care who we sit with as long as they don't discuss politics.

 

Or religion. [emoji4]

 

Or how much they paid for the cruise.

[suzyed]

Or how much they paid for the cruise.

Oh what kind of cabin they have...

[julie3fan]

Oh what kind of cabin they have...

Or what their loyalty status is!

[WVBill]

On our first cruise in 2012 to the Caribbean, we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary with an Renewal Of Vows ceremony. We were in our 60s. We had Early Traditional dining and were seated at a table with two Canadian couples in their 30's and another couple our age. We had a great conversation with all of them and became such good friends with the Canadian couples, they asked if they could come to our ROV and we've stayed in touch with them.

Since then, our table-mates in TD have been varied in age. We're switching to ATD this next cruise because it's port intensive and our excursions would make it very difficult to make an Early TD seating. We'll arrive at six-ish and ask for a large table and see how it works out.

[DnA2010]

So to update, I booked us traditional dining, currently late seating...will report back on who our tablemates are :)

[weedpindle]

Out of 41 cruises, I have moved from a table once due to table mates.. Always traditional early with a table for 6. Perfect size, found that 8 or 10 is too big to talk across to others at table, no banquet on Regal/Royal, round only. When there are four or more in a group at the table, they tend to converse only with each other.

[suzyed]

Out of 41 cruises, I have moved from a table once due to table mates.. Always traditional early with a table for 6. Perfect size, found that 8 or 10 is too big to talk across to others at table, no banquet on Regal/Royal, round only. When there are four or more in a group at the table, they tend to converse only with each other.

I agree...6 is the perfect size.

[terry&mike]

When you book, your travel agent (or Princess rep) can request your preferred table size from 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10. I always recommend that couples request a 6 top table, that way, if one couple is a dud, you have a better chance of the other couple being interesting. In tables of 4, you can be stuck with a dud, in tables of 8 or 10 the group is generally too big to connect so you just converse with the couple seated closest to you. Tables of 2 are rarely granted, and you may miss meeting some very interesting people.

Keep in mind these are requests, and not always accommodated, but most of the time are met.

Several of the Princess ships that sail the dedicated Asian markets, such as Diamond Princess in Japan, don't offer Anytime Dining, only 2 Traditional Dining times.

Something to note, in some cultures, asking financial questions is not considered rude anymore than asking if you have brothers and sisters, or any other mundane topic, so my guess is the table mates above were not trying to be rude but to make small talk conversation in a 2nd language.

[cb at sea]

When we travel as a "couple", we've been seated with other "non-families"...so they do try to "match" that part of the equation. However, we've been seated with those younger AND older...and it's all been good! We really enjoy tablemates!

[voljeep]

When we travel as a "couple", we've been seated with other "non-families"...so they do try to "match" that part of the equation. However, we've been seated with those younger AND older...and it's all been good! We really enjoy tablemates!

 

 

have you ever changed tables, or someone else change tables because of the

"couple match" ?:confused:

[jasbo49]

We've only signed up for traditional dining twice on Princess, and both times felt like we had great matchups.

 

The first time was primary election season 2016, and the 8 of us stayed safely away from politics the first six nights of a Mexican Riviera cruise. By the last night, we had all kind of sussed out who we were with and someone felt comfortable to say that he found one presidential candidate repulsive. It turned out everyone at the table felt the same way and couldn't believe some people actually liked that candidate. I'll leave the name out, but the point is, we sure were like-minded on a lot of stuff.

 

The last time we had traditional dining, we met a couple who we've stayed in touch with via email and may someday take another cruise or land vacation with.

 

Jim

Edited July 1, 2018 by jasbo49

[jasbo49]

have you ever changed tables, or someone else change tables because of the

"couple match" ?:confused:

We did once, but it was on Carnival. We shared a table for four with a miserable drunk and his wife. The poor woman spent most of the first night apologizing for her mess of a husband, who kept insisting that my wife have a drink.

 

After suffering through one night, we went to the head waiter and asked for help. Got a table for two the rest of the way, which was great because it was our 30th anniversary cruise.

 

Jim

[suzyed]

When you book, your travel agent (or Princess rep) can request your preferred table size from 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10. I always recommend that couples request a 6 top table, that way, if one couple is a dud, you have a better chance of the other couple being interesting. In tables of 4, you can be stuck with a dud, in tables of 8 or 10 the group is generally too big to connect so you just converse with the couple seated closest to you. Tables of 2 are rarely granted, and you may miss meeting some very interesting people.

Keep in mind these are requests, and not always accommodated, but most of the time are met.

Several of the Princess ships that sail the dedicated Asian markets, such as Diamond Princess in Japan, don't offer Anytime Dining, only 2 Traditional Dining times.

Something to note, in some cultures, asking financial questions is not considered rude anymore than asking if you have brothers and sisters, or any other mundane topic, so my guess is the table mates above were not trying to be rude but to make small talk conversation in a 2nd language.

Table for 6 is the best in my opinion. My daughter and I had a table for two on our recent Caribbean Princess sailing (no problem getting one) but the tables for two are placed so close together you almost feel like you are eating with the couples on either side of you! Kinda funny and sometimes uncomfortable...you don't know if you should talk to them or not!

And we never had the same couple on either side of us for two nights in a row!

 

As far as financial, cabin, status, etc questions and comments, most we have experienced are from people of the same culture as we are from. I don't think anyone is necessarlily trying to be rude.....borish maybe, superior maybe....but then again, I'm sure THEY don't think they are doing anything wrong.

Edited July 1, 2018 by suzyed

[suzyed]

have you ever changed tables, or someone else change tables because of the

"couple match" ?:confused:

Yes, as mentioned above, we changed tables after being seated with two ladies from another country who thought it was a good idea to give the rest of us their opinions on our politics. ;p:rolleyes::o

[jagsfan]

Those tables for 2 separated by 6 inches from the next tables are a little weird. We always request a table for 6. We got three tables in a row. One couple moved after the first night. A lovely elderly lady and her adult daughter sat at the table next to us and it was great. The daughter had come to Florida to take her mom home to PA after getting her house ready for her. It was all good and we had 9 lovely dinners. The last night DD mentioned she had thrown out her mother’s pots and pans and bought her new ones.

WWIII erupted right next to us and the little old lady pulled the tablecloth with everything on it onto the floor. I was very happy our table was separate from theirs, even by just 6 inches.

 

 

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[rentlady]

We were assigned a table with two other couples about our age, 50s. One of the gentlemen was a Gastrornterologist. The other man at dinner proceeded to share in graphic detail his digestive issues and most recent colonoscopy! I was waiting for the camera from the tv show “What would you do?” To appear!

[susancruzs]

I've changed tables once after some 30+cruises, 6 different cruise lines. I ask for a large table, so far it has worked well. Half my cruises have been with Princess, they do very well. Years ago on NCL, seated at a table for 6, 2 couples, 2 singles, other gal found friends, I was with people who wanted to talk about their lives, kids, condo community, left me out. They should have been at a table for 4!

[geoherb]

One of our best tables was a table for eight on a Celebrity cruise. We dined with two Canadian couples traveling together and a British couple who lived in Florida. The Canadians split up. Sometimes each couple would sit opposite the other. Sometimes the wives sat together and their husbands together. It worked out great because we got a chance to talk with everyone.

[cdngrl]

don't most of you move seats each night? i've only done traditional a handful of times but i moved seats each night to change my view.

[caribill]

don't most of you move seats each night? i've only done traditional a handful of times but i moved seats each night to change my view.

 

So do we, but if we are the last to arrive we have to end up in the two seats that are still vacant.

[drsel]

Doesn't a group dinner take much more time? Doesn't the waiter have to wait until each and everyone (6--10 people), has finished a particular course, before serving the next course?

Edited July 4, 2018 by drsel