Place saver sign for Lido restaurant

[bunnyette]

Dinner you can always find a table but breakfast not so much!

 

 

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[NoName]

OP, I agree that you can't enjoy your meal together, if one of you is alwawhen the other returns. Even though posters here claim they would rip up the sign, or would sit at the table regardless.....bravado from behind keyboard is easy, confrontation face to face is much harder and most will walk away to avoid it.

 

Regardless, many seem to take offense at this idea. so, probably the best option would be to go get your drinks and tableware, leave a personal item or two at the table and go get your food together. Space is really only a premium at breakfast and lunch, usually dinner is mostly empty.

 

Personally, I like the idea of a little placard that says, "still eating...please don't bus our table...." or, "Round two...brb!" "hitting the buffet hard...brb!" However, it appears we are in the minority on this one.

[marshhawk]

The only time we have ever had a problem finding a table is when we first boarded, and we solved that by getting FTTF. We have never had a problem getting a table at dinner, and if the tables are full at lunch, we also have never had a problem asking if we could share a table-when there are 2 people at a table for 4. As far as breakfast, we get up early, get coffee and a pastry and later fully enjoy a decent breakfast in the MDR. I hope you have a great cruise, but since I too have a DH with disabilities, he would feel insulted if I thought I could hold a table for him. Issues or not, he has his pride.

[BlerkOne]

I have seen a reserved table at Lido with a sign similar to what they put on the accessible row in the main theater. It was for a nearly 100 year old frequent cruiser who needed it.

[Micahs Grandad]

We use a jacket or a book or even my hat

[siestakeys04]

If I saw I reserved sign, I would assume it was reserved for me.

 

Funny!!!!

[Tiger0613]

Even though posters here claim they would rip up the sign, or would sit at the table regardless.....bravado from behind keyboard is easy, confrontation face to face is much harder and most will walk away to avoid it.

 

It is not keyboard bravado. I have no problems confronting someone when necessary. I am not afraid to stand up for myself.

 

I've had to stand up for myself and my needs for at least 18 years. No one stood up for me or protected me from bullies in middle school. The school and the district didn't do anything about it. They violated the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act in the process. My parents had to hire a lawyer and get the Office of Civil Rights involved.

 

I am bipolar. That is why I said it depends on my mood.

[LatinaInTexas]

Call me dense but how is putting a personal item or such to hold a table any different from a sign? Regardless what item you leave the end result is the same, a table being saved until someone in your party plants their butt there.

[sunonfire]

OP, I agree that you can't enjoy your meal together, if one of you is alwawhen the other returns. Even though posters here claim they would rip up the sign, or would sit at the table regardless.....bravado from behind keyboard is easy, confrontation face to face is much harder and most will walk away to avoid it.

 

Regardless, many seem to take offense at this idea. so, probably the best option would be to go get your drinks and tableware, leave a personal item or two at the table and go get your food together. Space is really only a premium at breakfast and lunch, usually dinner is mostly empty.

 

Personally, I like the idea of a little placard that says, "still eating...please don't bus our table...." or, "Round two...brb!" "hitting the buffet hard...brb!" However, it appears we are in the minority on this one.

 

Thank you. That was what I was thinking - my sign was just going to say that we were coming back. On one cruise my table was cleared and reset and I had told the server we were not finished. I just stepped away from the table and it was reset. It was not busy and there were many tables. We never had an issue at breakfast and lunch but I did not know about dinner service. That was why I asked! The end!!!

[dmdiver]

We usually travel in a group of 4, so someone just sits at the table until one of the others comes back. We select the table prior to going through the lines, since there would be no way of knowing who finished getting there food first & where they went. If I were alone, I would probably put my hat/sunglasses/book on the table if I weren't finished with it. If I had a bunch of stuff to carry, I would need to put it somewhere so I could get my food if it wasn't all in a backpack. And I don't know why, but it doesn't bother me to see someone's personal items at a table, but I think it might annoy me to see a reserved sign. Even though it's actually a really good idea when I stop to think about it. In fact, didn't they used to do that at Home Town Buffet to insure you would have a place to sit when you headed back with your tray of food?

[maryred]

Maybe it's just my viewpoint about sailing but as part of my fare I paid to be served meals, not get my own. I'm sorry but I don't understand this need (unless you very impatience kids) of eating of every meal at the Lido buffet day-in and day-out, especially if one member of the party suffers from mobility issues. (I can have mobility issues myself, bad knees affected easily by weather and when this acts up I would prefer to avoid the buffet lines when possible and will have crew get me the food when force to eat there, instead of trying to balance a large plate or tray while using a cane.) I can understand the occasional off the MDR schedule trip to the buffet to calm hunger pains, but by the same turn the gratis Room Service menu is enough at times too.

Except for embarkation day and port day lunch, there's always a gratis service restaurant available on a cruise during popular meal times. Also from my cruising experience, the buffet tends to have inferior food (since it needs to be in chafing dishes it's either soggy or dried out) to similar items offered plated in the MDR (except on NCL, the MDRs were lousy compared to the Pub offering and buffet). The odd exception being Carnival's Guy's Burgers and Blue Iguana Cantina, as even when the MDR offered something similar it wasn't quite like what these venues do (practically fresh make in front of me). I also like on Carnival that some of the speciality restaurants (JiJis and Cucina) offer a gratis lunch choice, on ships with those restaurants.

All cruise lines these days have open seating for breakfast, brunch, and lunch, gone are the days of early dinner seating = early breakfast or first lunch seating. If your worried about long drawn out traditional dinner service or being sat with others, opt for whatever open seating arrangement a particular cruise line offers, be it called Anytime, My Time, or Choice Seating. Each night you can dictate what table arrangement or even service personnel you want. Not only that but you can tell your waiter how you want to be served, ex. wanting your soup served with your salad or the next course immediately after you finish the plate in front of you.

[skyeman27]

Some people hold a table by playing cards or board games, when they finally get hungry or the lines go down they eat...

[geckoaz]

Can you imagine if Everyone used reserved table or chair or theater seats? Of course not bad tables but primo like next to windows. I am not wheelchair handicapped but i get irritated at folks who remove handicapped placards on some seating or sit at handicapped tables. They have right to sit there with family and friends. :cool:

[Coolcruise02]

I don't understand why her sign is any different than a book, sweater, hat, sunglasses etc. left on a table.

Those of you that said you would throw away her sign, what would you do if a book or bag was on the table?

I guess, in the past, when I've seen personal items on a table, I move on. No problem for me.

If hubby or I get up for seconds or dessert I leave something on the table. Is this wrong?

[Elaine5715]

I'm not OP, but I'm traveling solo. Hard to "plant a butt in it" if you need to get up and get something and you're by yourself.

Yep, I do it every cruise. Never have an issue

[watermelonqueen99]

Maybe it's just my viewpoint about sailing but as part of my fare I paid to be served meals, not get my own. I'm sorry but I don't understand this need (unless you very impatience kids) of eating of every meal at the Lido buffet day-in and day-out, especially if one member of the party suffers from mobility issues.

 

Several reasons for us. The food in the MDR is not good. We never eat that amount of food in one sitting at home and can't stand feeling stuffed. The MDR takes far too long. We never eat that late at home, especially in that quantity. We never eat in the MDR. We have our bigger meal at brunch or lunch and something lighter in the evening.

[Tiger0613]

I don't understand why her sign is any different than a book, sweater, hat, sunglasses etc. left on a table.

Those of you that said you would throw away her sign, what would you do if a book or bag was on the table?

 

I wouldn't throw away a book or bag. If I decided to ignore those items, I would just push them aside and sit down.

[kona_wahine]

Call me dense but how is putting a personal item or such to hold a table any different from a sign? Regardless what item you leave the end result is the same, a table being saved until someone in your party plants their butt there.

Right? There are ALOT of mean people here. I guess it’s best to just place a personal item at the table and HEAVEN FORBID, not a sign. :rolleyes:

[Ziggy7]

 

Personally, I like the idea of a little placard that says, "still eating...please don't bus our table...." or, "Round two...brb!" "hitting the buffet hard...brb!" However, it appears we are in the minority on this one.

Our buffett restaurants here have those signs so you are free to get food, seconds or more drinks!.

 

OP I say make and use your sign (saying getting seconds or more food) to hold your place! No different than a book or sweater!. You paid for your cruise too and your table is still occupied when getting another drink or more food! It does not require your butt to be present at all times!

[sanmarcosman]

Call me dense but how is putting a personal item or such to hold a table any different from a sign?

That's a good question and from reading the whole thread it occurs to me it's a matter of perception. I think people view a homemade " computer printed " sign as an act of entitlement. The leaving of a few personal items on the table to mark one's spot is commonly done in the U.S. and people are used to seeing it and accept this better. That's my .02 cents.

[PhillyFan33579]

I did a search and could not find any postings. I am thinking about bringing a computer printed sign to hold our table at the Lido Restaurant. In the past we have had to take turns getting food which is a pain. We have also had our table cleared by the bussers even though we had only gone for dessert. My husband has back issues so he wants to sit as soon as he gets his food. He hates having to look for me or a table. So I would prefer to pick out table before getting our food. We normally eat early to avoid the crowds. I know guests leave books to save a table. I just thought a sign would be better. Any thoughts?

 

Anyone who has cruised on Carnival before knows you can’t do this and would most likely ignore it. I know if I saw a sign like that I would simply push it aside and sit there. Of course that is assuming the wait staff hasn’t already removed the sign, which they would do if they saw it. I can relate to your husband because I have a bad back that forced me out of the military and limits my ability to work, but I would never consider trying what you are suggesting. I would recommend sticking to your plan to eat early to avoid crowds.

[Uhfolks]

Realistically, you could print a sign that simply said, "We're still here, just getting more food. Please don't clear our table :)"

 

There's nothing you can (or should) do to prevent other cruisers from simply taking the table since it's not occupied if both of you are up. But at least the sign may prevent staff from clearing the table. I've had that happen to me a couple of times & it's mildly frustrating. But the way I see it, I can just go back & get fresh food/drinks if mine are cleared away.

[Slugsta]

To me, the difference between what the OP suggests and putting personal items on chair/table is down to how many spaces they want to save. Personal items save 1 seat (at most!). The way the OP spoke, the sign was to reserve the whole table. Now, I admit I have never sailed with Carnival, but none of the lines I have sailed with have had tables for 2 in the buffet.

[marshhawk]

To me, the difference between what the OP suggests and putting personal items on chair/table is down to how many spaces they want to save. Personal items save 1 seat (at most!). The way the OP spoke, the sign was to reserve the whole table. Now, I admit I have never sailed with Carnival, but none of the lines I have sailed with have had tables for 2 in the buffet.

 

Carnival does have tables for two at the buffet. Not a lot, but they do.

[schazzy]

Several reasons for us. The food in the MDR is not good. We never eat that amount of food in one sitting at home and can't stand feeling stuffed. The MDR takes far too long. We never eat that late at home, especially in that quantity. We never eat in the MDR. We have our bigger meal at brunch or lunch and something lighter in the evening.

 

On our last cruise we discovered the Lido is better for us at dinner, the food was good, we can get as much or as little as we like, and like you said, it just takes too long to get through a dinner in the MDR, and I personally don't like sitting at a dining table for over an hour. We still enjoy brunch in the MDR though :)