Cancelling a February cruise

[mrsgoggins]

47 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

We got up to leave and I had turned back to get my glasses, just in time to hear a woman say that she thought he was very rude for ignoring everyone. I told her that he wasn't rude  he had a hearing problem, but if she wanted to see what rude actually did look like, to look in a mirror. I've never told Frank about it, it would have embarrassed him, but we've had a table for two ever since.

Avril

 

 

Good for you Avril!  Often people at the side of us on our table for 2 will start up a conversation and I'm never one to miss an opportunity to chat, but eventually I find myself saying 'I will tell my husband what we have discussed later because his hearing is poor and he will have missed much of it.  I've still met interesting people this way too.  We just adapt.

[Dermotsgirl]

1 hour ago, Adawn47 said:

I could have written that myself, it's the same reasons we have  now have a table for two. Frank used to feel very uncomfortable because it was difficult to join in the conversation.  The last time was at breakfast when on Aurora. We had our meal and Frank had chatted a little but finds it frustrating when voices are coming from all sides. We got up to leave and I had turned back to get my glasses, just in time to hear a woman say that she thought he was very rude for ignoring everyone. I told her that he wasn't rude  he had a hearing problem, but if she wanted to see what rude actually did look like, to look in a mirror. I've never told Frank about it, it would have embarrassed him, but we've had a table for two ever since.

Avril

 

I'm a little bit deaf in one ear, and in noisy environments it can be really difficult to tell what direction sound is coming from.  As I've got Meniere's Disease, my hearing level can fluctuate.  Six years ago, when my hearing was a lot worse, I was really surprised at the amount of people that mumble into their boots or put their hand over their mouths when they are talking.  Most of the time, I felt like bellowing' For God's sake, speak UP' !! 

 

Both my husband and myself are quite socially reserved with people we don't know, my husband even more so than me.  Therefore in shared table situations, I have to do most of the talking, and I'm not entirely in my comfort zone either. So we just prefer tables for two where we both can be completely relaxed.   Having said that, on occasions when we've had to have shared tables on club dining, we have generally met nice people and enjoyed their company.  Also, when we've had larger tables on freedom dining, we've been with people who would make the dining experience a real downer for two weeks.  

 

Tables for 2 work better for us on many levels. 

Edited September 7, 2020 by Dermotsgirl

[Adawn47]

2 minutes ago, mercury7289 said:

Pardon!😎

 

We actually like a table for 6 or 8 at dinner have met some wonderful guests and have had lot,s of laughs.

 

Lunchtime is somewhat different, guests seemed to rushing about need to go somewhere. We at lunchtime and at dinner prefer to chill, no problem if table companions need to leave, we will sit and talk to our waiters, and finish our bottle of wine. White always with lunch but we tend to have red with dinner, we do not try to marry it the our food, which is our choice, we always have an evening wine package, and choose our wine the night before, so it is always on our table at arrival. Never look at menu until we sit down.

The lunchtime bottle normally gets raise eyebrows around the table, which makes me smile, and also ask for a wine bucket.

 

 

Why 'pardon' Mercury?  I don't understand.

You have been lucky with your table companions, I'm sure I'm not the only one hasn't been. I want to make sure that both Frank and I have a relaxing and enjoyable holiday, and so we have a table for two in the MDR for all meals. Other than that we socialise around the ship and in the bars. We still enjoy each others company, and after being together for nearly 60 years that's a bonus. Ahh, ain't love grand?🥰

Avril

[terrierjohn]

22 minutes ago, mrsgoggins said:

 

Good for you Avril!  Often people at the side of us on our table for 2 will start up a conversation and I'm never one to miss an opportunity to chat, but eventually I find myself saying 'I will tell my husband what we have discussed later because his hearing is poor and he will have missed much of it.  I've still met interesting people this way too.  We just adapt.

It seems that age related deafness affects more men than women, I am losing my hearing but I still prefer a table of 6 or 8 although I now find I miss quite a lot, especially you ladies who politely speak in hushed tones. However I would miss the sociability of a large table if they do away with them, or my hearing gets worse.

[mercury7289]

3 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

Why 'pardon' Mercury?  I don't understand.

You have been lucky with your table companions, I'm sure I'm not the only one hasn't been. I want to make sure that both Frank and I have a relaxing and enjoyable holiday, and so we have a table for two in the MDR for all meals. Other than that we socialise around the ship and in the bars. We still enjoy each others company, and after being together for nearly 60 years that's a bonus. Ahh, ain't love grand?🥰

Avril

Avril,

Pardon referred to hearing, as mentioned in your post.some fell on stoney ground! Sorry bad attempt at humor!

 Emerging from 175 days together, in lock down tomorrow, we must also have the same commitment as you! 47 years.

We do not tend to socialise around the ship, other then pre and post dinner Anderson,s the East Bar and also the Blue Bar which we disliked.

We always do our own thing in port, private tours or nice restaurants for a decent lunch.

On ship, we have a real dislike, to the the organised shows etc and. being asked to give a round of applause for, or to give it up, what ever that means and wave your hands, feel totally embarrassed.in that situation, love people, love company but please do not ever attempt to organised me! or tell me what to do! Avril life is more then grand, had three cruises cancelled this year, and all monies returned, so much more grand, then that.

 

Give it up!

 

[mercury7289]

8 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

It seems that age related deafness affects more men than women, I am losing my hearing but I still prefer a table of 6 or 8 although I now find I miss quite a lot, especially you ladies who politely speak in hushed tones. However I would miss the sociability of a large table if they do away with them, or my hearing gets worse.

Are you saying that Ladies that speak, louder then hushed tones, are not bring polite!😅😎😐😇.

 

Jesting!

[Adawn47]

8 minutes ago, mercury7289 said:

Emerging from 175 days together, in lock down tomorrow, we must also have the same commitment as you! 47 years.

Married 55 years Mercury, but we met 3 years earlier. It will be 56 years in January.

Avril

[Adawn47]

23 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

It seems that age related deafness affects more men than women, I am losing my hearing but I still prefer a table of 6 or 8 although I now find I miss quite a lot, especially you ladies who politely speak in hushed tones. However I would miss the sociability of a large table if they do away with them, or my hearing gets worse.

Frank has been deaf in one ear since he contracted measles when he was 6, so it's not a gradual hearing loss, he can't hear if anyone speaks to him on his right side.

Avril

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, Dermotsgirl said:

I'm a little bit deaf in one ear, and in noisy environments it can be really difficult to tell what direction sound is coming from.  As I've got Meniere's Disease, my hearing level can fluctuate.  Six years ago, when my hearing was a lot worse, I was really surprised at the amount of people that mumble into their boots or put their hand over their mouths when they are talking.  Most of the time, I felt like bellowing' For God's sake, speak UP' !! 

 

Both my husband and myself are quite socially reserved with people we don't know, my husband even more so than me.  Therefore in shared table situations, I have to do most of the talking, and I'm not entirely in my comfort zone either. So we just prefer tables for two where we both can be completely relaxed.   Having said that, on occasions when we've had to have shared tables on club dining, we have generally met nice people and enjoyed their company.  Also, when we've had larger tables on freedom dining, we've been with people who would make the dining experience a real downer for two weeks.  

 

Tables for 2 work better for us on many levels. 

We still chat with people either side of us when we have a table for 2 but it is different people each night which means we don't get tied to the same people every night because most of the time on board we prefer to be just the 2 of us.

My hearing is okay but not perfect and I have Tinnitus so in noisy surroundings I don't always hear everything clearly.

Loud Westlife concerts at Newcastle Arena caused Tinnitus.

Edited September 7, 2020 by grapau27

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, Adawn47 said:

Why 'pardon' Mercury?  I don't understand.

You have been lucky with your table companions, I'm sure I'm not the only one hasn't been. I want to make sure that both Frank and I have a relaxing and enjoyable holiday, and so we have a table for two in the MDR for all meals. Other than that we socialise around the ship and in the bars. We still enjoy each others company, and after being together for nearly 60 years that's a bonus. Ahh, ain't love grand?🥰

Avril

👍 Absolutely agree.

42 years together for us.

Edited September 7, 2020 by grapau27

[AndyMichelle]

I really do understand why people like tables for 2, we started off like this but since we got 'dumped' on a table for 8, second sitting on our first saver cruise, we haven't looked back. 

We have some fantastic friends for life that we wouldn't have had the pleasure of meeting on a table for 2.

Andy 

[Bazrat]

1 hour ago, AndyMichelle said:

I really do understand why people like tables for 2, we started off like this but since we got 'dumped' on a table for 8, second sitting on our first saver cruise, we haven't looked back. 

We have some fantastic friends for life that we wouldn't have had the pleasure of meeting on a table for 2.

Andy 

We love tables for two because nobody interrupts us whilst we’re stuffing our faces, actually the real reason I cannot hear people who are talking to me who are not close, working in a machineshop with noise over 120 dB before health and safety became important.

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, grapau27 said:

Loud Westlife concerts at Newcastle Arena caused Tinnitus

Blimey - didn't have you down as a rock and roll rebel!

[grapau27]

1 minute ago, wowzz said:

Blimey - didn't have you down as a rock and roll rebel!

I worked as a sales rep for EMI records in the early 1980s for 3 years.

Soul and Tamla Motown was my teenage music but i like all music.

We saw Meatloaf twice in concert.

[Dermotsgirl]

3 hours ago, grapau27 said:

We still chat with people either side of us when we have a table for 2 but it is different people each night which means we don't get tied to the same people every night because most of the time on board we prefer to be just the 2 of us.

My hearing is okay but not perfect and I have Tinnitus so in noisy surroundings I don't always hear everything clearly.

Loud Westlife concerts at Newcastle Arena caused Tinnitus.

I have tinnitus in one ear, due to the Meniere’s Disease. Fortunately, it’s not too bad these days, just a low white noise, that I don’t notice. At its worse, it sounded like a vacuum cleaner in my head. 
 

I don’t mind chatting with people on adjacent tables. It’s nice if you can have a little chat, but there’s no obligation and the best thing is you don’t have to wait for them to finish their meal.  We once spent two weeks on a table with a very nice woman who was the slowest eater ever ( and the most quietly spoken). We had to really concentrate to hear what she said, and the meals went on for so long, we were missing the shows 

[Dermotsgirl]

52 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

I worked as a sales rep for EMI records in the early 1980s for 3 years.

Soul and Tamla Motown was my teenage music but i like all music.

We saw Meatloaf twice in concert.

I love Meatloaf! We saw him at Wembley Arena. 
 

 

[Ardennais]

On 9/6/2020 at 5:36 PM, grapau27 said:

We always get a table for 2.

This was Ventura last August with good spacing.

I think those tables are actually quite close and a nightmare to get in and out of the far end. We noticed that they also had some cushions for those who asked for them as the long seats are really low and saggy in places. 

[mrsgoggins]

8 hours ago, Ardennais said:

I think those tables are actually quite close and a nightmare to get in and out of the far end. We noticed that they also had some cushions for those who asked for them as the long seats are really low and saggy in places. 

 

Ha ha ha, that was my thought exactly!  I didn't like to say as it was posted as an example of good spacing.  We are early risers on holiday as at home, and so also eat all of our meals early.  Our choice is to arrive at the dining room soon after it opens - it's also quieter - and it is much easier to get a table by a window or in a corner and therefore noise is not coming from all around; a boon for DH.  My 'any time' dining experiences are not with P&O however.

Edited September 8, 2020 by mrsgoggins

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, mrsgoggins said:

 

Ha ha ha, that was my thought exactly!  I didn't like to say as it was posted as an example of good spacing.  We are early risers on holiday as at home, and so also eat all of our meals early.  Our choice is to arrive at the dining room soon after it opens - it's also quieter - and it is much easier to get a table by a window or in a corner and therefore noise is not coming from all around; a boon for DH.  My 'any time' dining experiences are not with P&O however.

The cushions were for people who want back support and to move closer to the table if they have shorter legs just like in any bar on the ship that has sofa's etc.

Tables for 2 on RCL are literally 2-4 inches apart so these tables are a decent distance apart as you can squeeze through the gap to get in or out.

As previously stated we talk to people either side of us every night if we or they want to speak and we are not restricted to the same people every night.

We rarely have a desert and usually are ready to go in an hour as opposed to up to 2 hours on a large table when you are waiting for everyone else to finish each course.

We regularly eat in the speciality restaurants so might only dine in the MDR 2-3 times in 7 days.

Graham.

[Dermotsgirl]

3 hours ago, mrsgoggins said:

 

Ha ha ha, that was my thought exactly!  I didn't like to say as it was posted as an example of good spacing.  We are early risers on holiday as at home, and so also eat all of our meals early.  Our choice is to arrive at the dining room soon after it opens - it's also quieter - and it is much easier to get a table by a window or in a corner and therefore noise is not coming from all around; a boon for DH.  My 'any time' dining experiences are not with P&O however.

On P&O, if you want to go in when  MDR opens, you have to start queuing at about 5.15pm! 

[Dermotsgirl]

57 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

The cushions were for people who want back support and to move closer to the table if they have shorter legs just like in any bar on the ship that has sofa's etc.

Tables for 2 on RCL are literally 2-4 inches apart so these tables are a decent distance apart as you can squeeze through the gap to get in or out.

As previously stated we talk to people either side of us every night if we or they want to speak and we are not restricted to the same people every night.

We rarely have a desert and usually are ready to go in an hour as opposed to up to 2 hours on a large table when you are waiting for everyone else to finish each course.

We regularly eat in the speciality restaurants so might only dine in the MDR 2-3 times in 7 days.

Graham.

Yes, we don’t go in to the MDR so much these days. On longer cruises we often go to the buffet in the evening.  It’s generally quieter and relaxed. 

[Adawn47]

12 hours ago, Dermotsgirl said:

I love Meatloaf! We saw him at Wembley Arena. 
 

 

Now you're talking. Fabulous voice.

Avril

[mrsgoggins]

14 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

On P&O, if you want to go in when  MDR opens, you have to start queuing at about 5.15pm! 

 

Yes, I must confess that it is similar on some (but not all) of the Celebrity cruises we have been on where we have used the MDR.  However, after the first couple of nights it settles down and you are shown to the same table/area with the same servers each night so long as you arrive within about 15 minutes of it opening.  We are okay with that but appreciate it would not suit everyone.

[Ardennais]

4 hours ago, grapau27 said:

The cushions were for people who want back support and to move closer to the table if they have shorter legs just like in any bar on the ship that has sofa's etc.

Tables for 2 on RCL are literally 2-4 inches apart so these tables are a decent distance apart as you can squeeze through the gap to get in or out.

As previously stated we talk to people either side of us every night if we or they want to speak and we are not restricted to the same people every night.

We rarely have a desert and usually are ready to go in an hour as opposed to up to 2 hours on a large table when you are waiting for everyone else to finish each course.

We regularly eat in the speciality restaurants so might only dine in the MDR 2-3 times in 7 days.

Graham.

My husband is quite tall and he needed a cushion as the seating was really saggy. Your good wife is slimmer than both of us and can probably get out easier! The tables for 2 sound really close on RCL - we had bigger tables with RCL so wasn’t aware of that. 

[grapau27]

18 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

My husband is quite tall and he needed a cushion as the seating was really saggy. Your good wife is slimmer than both of us and can probably get out easier! The tables for 2 sound really close on RCL - we had bigger tables with RCL so wasn’t aware of that. 

Thanks,that picture was from Ventura last August but we prefer epicurean restaurant for more room in picture.

On RCL we predominantly eat in Giovanni's or Chops Grill restaurants. In MY Time Dining is where the tables for 2 are really close together.

Edited September 8, 2020 by grapau27