Freedom Dining query

[SquishTheWhale]

3 hours ago, the english lady said:

For us on a table for 2 we eat at our own speed. Towards the end of the cruise i may be down to 1 or possible 2 courses (sometimes) I don't wish to sit there while someone munches their way through 4 or 5 courses. Never have coffee or cheese and biscuits. We like to eat and be gone.

 

Totally agree with this- we do freedom dining because we want to be on our own schedule, not have to wait around for others to slowly eat cheese and biscuits or drink a bottle of wine. Some nights we may skip dessert in order to make a show or ask for speedy service so we can make it. I'm sure if we did that on a shared table we'd be accused of being terribly rude.

 

20 hours ago, Harry Peterson said:

That's actually a rather good photo in that it shows clearly the reality of the 'table for two' - they're so close together that in reality it's a table for 4 or 6 with a tiny space between.

 

You'd have to be very rude indeed not to talk to your fellow diners, so I still struggle to see what you're actually gaining?

 

Now that's just being a bit dramatic isn't it? Just because a table is close to another one does not mean you are rude if you don't talk to the people next to you. You are not sat at the same table and there's no way you should feel obliged to act as if you are.

 

In fact, I would assume that (like us) those who specifically wait for a table for 2 do not want to make small talk with strangers over dinner and therefore it would be rude to impose yourself on them! My parents complained how they had a table for 2 for breakfast in the MDR and the couple next to them spent the whole time moaning how awful they were finding the cruise. Surely that's far more rude than ignoring each other and minding your own.

 

In continuing the discussion regarding if more tables for 2 are needed, if there's never a wait for a large table but always a long wait for a 2, then surely that says there is an excess of large tables and a shortage of 2s? So its just addressing the balance and won't impact negatively on those who prefer a large table.

[grapau27]

4 minutes ago, daiB said:

Well being of an age that when we started cruising there was only club dining as they now call it, we have got used to the pleasure of having set meal times. We are approaching our 50th cruise and have ever had a bad table. We have had some better than others and a good number which have been great. We have made many friends on these tables and communicate with them and have had meet ups.

 

We have tried freedom and we were not that enamoured. Too much movement ‘churn’ , turbulence. People constantly on the move. However it does allow us to try out the other restaurants without disturbing our table companions.

When we started cruising in 2003 we went as a family of 6 and always had club dining.

When FIL died in 2008 Pauline and I took MIL on 6 further cruises and still did club dining up to her last cruise in 2012 for her 90th birthday on Ventura.

On this cruise a couple of men got into a very heated argument about Northern Ireland on our table which upset MIL and that's when we decided to avoid large tables.

 

 

After this we sailed predominantly on Royal Caribbean and loved the flexibility of My Time Dining.

 

[Eglesbrech]

13 minutes ago, daiB said:

Well being of an age that when we started cruising there was only club dining as they now call it, we have got used to the pleasure of having set meal times. We are approaching our 50th cruise and have ever had a bad table. We have had some better than others and a good number which have been great. We have made many friends on these tables and communicate with them and have had meet ups.

 

We have tried freedom and we were not that enamoured. Too much movement ‘churn’ , turbulence. People constantly on the move. However it does allow us to try out the other restaurants without disturbing our table companions.

Your right, it used to just be “dining”, everyone got early or late and there were very few tables for two so conversing with others was the norm.

 

It’s funny to think that in a few years time if things keep going they way they are the old club style dining might die a death and only us dinosaurs will remember it Dai.  I hope P&O retain the choice for all preferences.

[grapau27]

7 minutes ago, SquishTheWhale said:

 

Totally agree with this- we do freedom dining because we want to be on our own schedule, not have to wait around for others to slowly eat cheese and biscuits or drink a bottle of wine. Some nights we may skip dessert in order to make a show or ask for speedy service so we can make it. I'm sure if we did that on a shared table we'd be accused of being terribly rude.

 

 

Now that's just being a bit dramatic isn't it? Just because a table is close to another one does not mean you are rude if you don't talk to the people next to you. You are not sat at the same table and there's no way you should feel obliged to act as if you are.

 

In fact, I would assume that (like us) those who specifically wait for a table for 2 do not want to make small talk with strangers over dinner and therefore it would be rude to impose yourself on them! My parents complained how they had a table for 2 for breakfast in the MDR and the couple next to them spent the whole time moaning how awful they were finding the cruise. Surely that's far more rude than ignoring each other and minding your own.

 

In continuing the discussion regarding if more tables for 2 are needed, if there's never a wait for a large table but always a long wait for a 2, then surely that says there is an excess of large tables and a shortage of 2s? So its just addressing the balance and won't impact negatively on those who prefer a large table.

I Absolutely agree with all your comments.

[Eglesbrech]

3 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

When we started cruising in 2003 we went as a family of 6 and always had club dining.

When FIL died in 2008 Pauline and I took MIL on 6 further cruises and still did club dining up to her last cruise in 2012 for her 90th birthday on Ventura.

On this cruise a couple of men got into a very heated argument about Northern Ireland on our table which upset MIL and that's when we decided to avoid large tables.

 

 

After this we sailed predominantly on Royal Caribbean and loved the flexibility of My Time Dining.

 

I think in a situation like that when people were arguing rather that discussing I would  be blunt and ask them to tone it down or to stop, particularly if it was upsetting an elderly lady. That is indeed bad manners.

 

 

 

 

[grapau27]

4 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

I think in a situation like that when people were arguing rather that discussing I would  be blunt and ask them to tone it down or to stop, particularly if it was upsetting an elderly lady. That is indeed bad manners.

 

 

 

 

We got up and left to avoid this as it was getting very heated between a Catholic and Protestant.

It was first night so we were able to get a table just for the 3 of us in a different area of the restaurant.

[Eglesbrech]

1 minute ago, grapau27 said:

We got up and left to avoid this as it was getting very heated between a Catholic and Protestant.

It was first night so we were able to get a table just for the 3 of us in a different area of the restaurant.

Good that they were able to accommodate you with a different table.

[Sarah1974]

20 hours ago, grapau27 said:

You highlight a problem of sharing a larger table and I can't understand why anyone would complain about 2 single ladies sharing their table.

 

18 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

 

Quite agree.  We have shared tables with single ladies and a single man.  What's the problem?  Nothing.

 

My friend and I found we were excluded from convserations around the table and received a few frosty looks - maybe other diners thought we were husband stealers!!

[grapau27]

1 minute ago, Eglesbrech said:

Good that they were able to accommodate you with a different table.

The maitreD was excellent.

MIL was in her wheelchair and I explained the cruise was for her 90th birthday.

[Harry Peterson]

1 hour ago, SquishTheWhale said:

 

Now that's just being a bit dramatic isn't it? Just because a table is close to another one does not mean you are rude if you don't talk to the people next to you. You are not sat at the same table and there's no way you should feel obliged to act as if you are.

 

In fact, I would assume that (like us) those who specifically wait for a table for 2 do not want to make small talk with strangers over dinner and therefore it would be rude to impose yourself on them! My parents complained how they had a table for 2 for breakfast in the MDR and the couple next to them spent the whole time moaning how awful they were finding the cruise. Surely that's far more rude than ignoring each other and minding your own.

 

In continuing the discussion regarding if more tables for 2 are needed, if there's never a wait for a large table but always a long wait for a 2, then surely that says there is an excess of large tables and a shortage of 2s? So its just addressing the balance and won't impact negatively on those who prefer a large table.

I'd still see it as extremely rude to ignore people sitting at a table just a few centimetres to your right and left - and these tables really are that close together. Are people really that anti-social?

 

As for addressing the balance, your proposal would create more problems than it resolved - simply because the tables for two use a very limited space much less efficiently than the larger tables. Meaning a smaller number of diners.

 

 

[SquishTheWhale]

1 minute ago, Harry Peterson said:

I'd still see it as extremely rude to ignore people sitting at a table just a few centimetres to your right and left - and these tables really are that close together. Are people really that anti-social?

 

As for addressing the balance, your proposal would create more problems than it resolved - simply because the tables for two use a very limited space much less efficiently than the larger tables. Meaning a smaller number of diners.

 

 

 

Perhaps- I've never bothered to sit around trying to work out how many tables for 2 you can get into the same space as a table for 8. But as you point out they cram them closely together so maybe it wouldn't make a difference to number of bums on seats.

 

If you never sit at a table for 2 then I'm not quite sure how you know what the etiquette is. We have on occasion had some small chit chat with the table next to us if we end up next to them repeatedly. But as someone who sits in a 2 every meal I can assure you from experience most people keep to themselves.

 

Isn't the whole point about options- you have your large table and talk to people and I have my private one with my husband and we are both happy in our own ways?

[Harry Peterson]

1 minute ago, SquishTheWhale said:

 

Perhaps- I've never bothered to sit around trying to work out how many tables for 2 you can get into the same space as a table for 8. But as you point out they cram them closely together so maybe it wouldn't make a difference to number of bums on seats.

 

If you never sit at a table for 2 then I'm not quite sure how you know what the etiquette is. We have on occasion had some small chit chat with the table next to us if we end up next to them repeatedly. But as someone who sits in a 2 every meal I can assure you from experience most people keep to themselves.

 

Isn't the whole point about options- you have your large table and talk to people and I have my private one with my husband and we are both happy in our own ways?

I've sat at the tables for two on the odd occasion,  which is how I know how uncomfortably close together they are.

 

However we both found it such a weird experience (rows of people seated very close together but largely ignoring each other) that we never repeated it.

 

As you say though,  we're all different.  We like the company of others. Some don't. 

[grapau27]

12 minutes ago, SquishTheWhale said:

 

Perhaps- I've never bothered to sit around trying to work out how many tables for 2 you can get into the same space as a table for 8. But as you point out they cram them closely together so maybe it wouldn't make a difference to number of bums on seats.

 

If you never sit at a table for 2 then I'm not quite sure how you know what the etiquette is. We have on occasion had some small chit chat with the table next to us if we end up next to them repeatedly. But as someone who sits in a 2 every meal I can assure you from experience most people keep to themselves.

 

Isn't the whole point about options- you have your large table and talk to people and I have my private one with my husband and we are both happy in our own ways?

I agree.

We prefer a table for 2 and often speak to people either side of us but we don't feel obliged to make conversation like on a big table.

We rarely have a desert or coffee and on a table for 2 we have flexibility to do what we want when we want.

[grapau27]

17 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

I've sat at the tables for two on the odd occasion,  which is how I know how uncomfortably close together they are.

 

However we both found it such a weird experience (rows of people seated very close together but largely ignoring each other) that we never repeated it.

 

As you say though,  we're all different.  We like the company of others. Some don't. 

I don't think anyone is saying they don't like the company of others but some of us like to eat our dinners quickly which is not an option on large tables.

The number of couples carrying buzzers was an indication that a lot of people prefer tables for 2.

 

Edited September 12, 2019 by grapau27

[jeanlyon]

Do you know, we have always had a table for 8 until trying Freedom Dining on our upcoming cruise.  I very rarely had more than a first course and a main, not a dessert lover anyway.  Don't have cheese and biscuits either.  But I have never found we have to sit around waiting for others.  In fact on a couple of occasions, we just said we wanted to go to the show and would they excuse us.  It was never a problem.  As for politics and religion, that's a no-no at any dinner surely?

 

Dai, that's interesting to hear.  We may well return to Club if this doesn't work.

[SquishTheWhale]

57 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

I've sat at the tables for two on the odd occasion,  which is how I know how uncomfortably close together they are.

 

However we both found it such a weird experience (rows of people seated very close together but largely ignoring each other) that we never repeated it.

 

As you say though,  we're all different.  We like the company of others. Some don't. 

 

It's probably just what you're used to! If you're used to big shared tables I can see how it's weird for you to sit very close by other people and not chat.

We never cruised before freedom dining was a thing so we've never been forced onto large tables and fixed sittings, so for us its normal to just be by ourselves.

[AndyMichelle]

We keep changing our mind about what we prefer. 

We like our own company and also the freedom to leave early without offending anybody, but our last couple of cruises, we have been on large tables with absolutely fantastic people where we have become friends and had some great boozy evenings with, enabling us to get to know some very diverse characters. 

We have chosen freedom on our next cruise, but only because we want to experience more select dining as we feel we are letting our companions down by not attending most evenings on club. 

Each to their own but we enjoy both. 

Andy

 

 

[Clodia]

On 9/12/2019 at 5:03 PM, AndyMichelle said:

We keep changing our mind about what we prefer. 

We like our own company and also the freedom to leave early without offending anybody, but our last couple of cruises, we have been on large tables with absolutely fantastic people where we have become friends and had some great boozy evenings with, enabling us to get to know some very diverse characters. 

We have chosen freedom on our next cruise, but only because we want to experience more select dining as we feel we are letting our companions down by not attending most evenings on club. 

Each to their own but we enjoy both. 

Andy

 

 

That is another advanatge of Freedom dining. I really enjoy the select dining venues and use them more and more. If you're on a club dining table it can seem rude just not to turn up on several evenings because you make a last minute decision to eat elsewhere, whereas with freedom there are no worries.

[ToxM]

I’m going to have to find the sweet spot for finding tables for two on our two upcoming cruises as Marital Unit really won’t like sitting with others, and gets antsy if he has to wait.

 

So I am guessing 8.30ish or maybe 7.45? Or does anyone have specific findings of ties that seem unpopular. Both out upcoming cruises are November time to colder climes on Aurora so guessing the average age will be a bit higher and maybe people will eat earlier. 

 

It will be an interesting experiment anyway. As for tables being close together - I will talk, hubby much less likely to, he’s not the most social animal out there. 

 

Interested in people’s experiences of good times to try for the magical 2 top with least waiting time 🙂

[terrierjohn]

They fill up very quickly at opening time, with long queues wanting tables, so I imagine they will finish in good time for the theatre, start times normally 8:30.

In which case 7:30 should be a good time.

[kenhem]

In our experience there is no consistent magical 2 top time unless you leave it as late as possible. What works one night is no guarantee it will work another night. But generally the wait seems to be anything up to 30 minutes, so enough time to have a relaxing drink first.

[P&O SUE]

Those tables for two are so close. Recently we’ve been lucky to get a table for two on its own so noted it’s number and requested it often!

i often find people don’t talk much on those long lines of twos. On Sapphire Princess this year which is the same layout we found our dinners took ages as the people next to us did chat a lot!

[the english lady]

We started out on  the larger tables, never had a bad one..Usually me who does the talking. Gradually we started to request a table for 2 on 2nd sitting, which we usually got. Then we started asking for the same table for 2 on future cruises ,and got that. First night usually the limit is good evening. 2nd night a little bit more, 3rd nigh a few shared chats before the meal starts, but it leaves us free to eat at out own pace. 

If you are used to larger tables and can't cope with not talking i guess a 2 top close to another 2 top you would find the need to talk to the left /right, even if the others didn't require it. Like ships we all like different things.

[trams]

Could this business of the number of diners at a table have anything to do with the society in which we now live as it is often deemed "odd" if we speak to strangers in the street or in shops. This is most prevelant in big cities particularly on public transport, the London tube being a case in point, whereas more rural communities are much tighter knit.

Before anyone goes off on one I am not sugesting that all city dwellers are anti social.

We are often told that these days families rarely sit down together for a meal so people are just not used to dining with a number of othe people.

[Harry Peterson]

9 minutes ago, trams said:

Could this business of the number of diners at a table have anything to do with the society in which we now live as it is often deemed "odd" if we speak to strangers in the street or in shops. This is most prevelant in big cities particularly on public transport, the London tube being a case in point, whereas more rural communities are much tighter knit.

Before anyone goes off on one I am not sugesting that all city dwellers are anti social.

We are often told that these days families rarely sit down together for a meal so people are just not used to dining with a number of othe people.

I think you may have a very valid point there. We live in a village where everybody talks to everyone - at bus stops, in the street, walking, everywhere. You wouldn't dream of passing someone without at the very least saying hello.

 

I find the idea of people sitting cheek by jowl at those weird tables for two without talking to neighbouring tables three inches away just incredibly rude and unfriendly.

 

Maybe it's city dwellers who feel otherwise.