DINING COMPANIONS

[1947wwjd]

We are doing a B2B on Reflection on Nov. 20 and Nov. 27.  We have dining reservations for 8:30 in the Main Dining Room.  We always ask to be seated at a table that accommodates 6 people.  We enjoy meeting people and the conversations that ensue.  Hey, I love my husband but 2 weeks at a table for 2 is going to get very boring.  My question is since we are all vaccinated will we be permitted to eat dinner with other guests?  

[retired dude]

luckiest man in the world to be married to a beautiful, intelligent, funny lady, that has never bored me in 35 years....Table for  2 is always the way we go, because when we started cruising 30 years ago we got seated with larger groups and i could write a book about the idiots that we had to put up at dinner every night... and yes we have gotten three pfizer shots and will continue to be safe and love one another's company....enjoy your cruise.

[Loracpin2]

37 minutes ago, 1947wwjd said:

We are doing a B2B on Reflection on Nov. 20 and Nov. 27.  We have dining reservations for 8:30 in the Main Dining Room.  We always ask to be seated at a table that accommodates 6 people.  We enjoy meeting people and the conversations that ensue.  Hey, I love my husband but 2 weeks at a table for 2 is going to get very boring.  My question is since we are all vaccinated will we be permitted to eat dinner with other guests?  

For the last five years (when cruising just the two of us or others) my husband and I have chosen Select Dining because we prefer to eat at 7:00 and can make reservations on line for the duration of the cruise. When travelling alone, we request to sit in the areas where tables for 2 are side by side and have always been able to have great conversations with those sitting on either side of us. 

[Alabaster Cruiser]

We have sailed on the Edge and Equinox post Covid.  We enjoy the company of others at our tables also.  Edge was only doing select time instead of traditional so no table mates.  Equinox put us at an 8 top.  There was only us and one other couple.  We greatly enjoyed our conversations.

 

 

 

[Guppy99]

5 hours ago, 1947wwjd said:

We are doing a B2B on Reflection on Nov. 20 and Nov. 27.  We have dining reservations for 8:30 in the Main Dining Room.  We always ask to be seated at a table that accommodates 6 people.  We enjoy meeting people and the conversations that ensue.  Hey, I love my husband but 2 weeks at a table for 2 is going to get very boring.  My question is since we are all vaccinated will we be permitted to eat dinner with other guests?  

Yes you will be able to.

[the penguins]

On 11/3/2021 at 8:50 PM, 1947wwjd said:

We are doing a B2B on Reflection on Nov. 20 and Nov. 27.  We have dining reservations for 8:30 in the Main Dining Room.  We always ask to be seated at a table that accommodates 6 people.  We enjoy meeting people and the conversations that ensue.  Hey, I love my husband but 2 weeks at a table for 2 is going to get very boring.  My question is since we are all vaccinated will we be permitted to eat dinner with other guests?  

Not allowed on Silhouette this summer you could only sit with people you had a linked booking with - bookings could not be linked after boarding.

[LGW59]

On 11/3/2021 at 5:35 PM, retired dude said:

luckiest man in the world to be married to a beautiful, intelligent, funny lady, that has never bored me in 35 years....Table for  2 is always the way we go, because when we started cruising 30 years ago we got seated with larger groups and i could write a book about the idiots that we had to put up at dinner every night... and yes we have gotten three pfizer shots and will continue to be safe and love one another's company....enjoy your cruise.

with you, did it once, was torture.  

[Guppy99]

1 hour ago, the penguins said:

Not allowed on Silhouette this summer you could only sit with people you had a linked booking with - bookings could not be linked after boarding.

That's interesting. There was no change to dining room seating in Blu or the MDR Equinox this summer (end of July). The specialty restaurants had some closed sections because they were short staffed.

[Guppy99]

1 hour ago, LGW59 said:

with you, did it once, was torture.  

Is this the place I can tell my (very last) dinner I had with other passengers? This was many years ago on one of my first Celebrity cruises. We were on an Alaska cruise, my mother, my 9 year old daughter, and myself.  Since my daughter was with us, we decided to sit with other passengers. We were seated at a table with a couple and their two children (about 8 & 11).  Well, the dad decided he had to order one of every entre on the menu. No exaggeration.  He slathered each with ketchup (chicken, fish, and beef alike), took one bite of each, and then chose one to eat ( a steak)....and then ordered a second one.  One of his kids wanted a roll, and he tossed it across the table to him. I swear, it whizzed right past my face. (Thank god he didn't want butter.)  Between bites he and his wife were so loud, I'm sure he could be heard 5 tables over. The dad took so long to eat, his kids got bored and chased each other around the tables. The maitre'd was beside himself and brought ice cream sundaes for his kids and begged them to sit down and eat. The waiter hovered near by to offer them more as soon as the last spoonful was swallowed. This was an early seating, and I'm certain they needed to vacuum before the next seating.

 

Needless to say we discreetly asked that our table be changed. Wouldn't you know though, a thousand people on the ship and we ran into these people on every excursion and elevator. We received many dirty looks.

 

From now on, its a private table. Since we are always in Blu, we have the option of chatting with the table next to us...or not.

Edited November 6, 2021 by Guppy99
spelling :(

[canderson]

1 hour ago, the penguins said:

Not allowed on Silhouette this summer you could only sit with people you had a linked booking with - bookings could not be linked after boarding.

What itinerary? Makes a difference!

[Germancruiser]

Traveling solo- as I do at least once a year- I always ask for a table of six. I really enjoy talking to people of different parts of the world - very interessting conversations during the 25 years of cruising.

I also met my best and dearest friends once on board Milli- and with many I am still in contact via Mail.

Of course there have the " weirdos" - retired dude- we could join forces and write our book about them. LOL.

Traveling as couple we always ask for a table for two- since we enjoy our time together- anyway- after 20 years together we also can enjoy a - " companionable silence"! So our clapptrapps don´t have to work constantly. LOL.

[marieps]

22 minutes ago, Guppy99 said:

Is this the place I can tell my (very last) dinner I had with other passengers? This was many years ago on one of my first Celebrity cruises. We were on an Alaska cruise, my mother, my 9 year old daughter, and myself.  Since my daughter was with us, we decided to sit with other passengers. We were seated at a table with a couple and their two children (about 8 & 11).  Well, the dad decided he had to order one of every entre on the menu. No exaggeration.  He slathered each with ketchup (chicken, fish, and beef alike), took one bite of each, and then chose one to eat ( a steak)....and then ordered a second one.  One of his kids wanted a roll, and he tossed it across the table to him. I swear, it whizzed right past my face. (Thank god he didn't want butter.)  Between bites he and his wife were so loud, I'm sure he could be heard 5 tables over. The dad took so long to eat, his kids got bored and chased each other around the tables. The maitre'd was beside himself and brought ice cream sundaes for his kids and begged them to sit down and eat. The waiter hovered near by to offer them more as soon as the last spoonful was swallowed. This was an early seating, and I'm certain they needed to vacuum before the next seating.

 

Needless to say we discreetly asked that our table be changed. Wouldn't you know though, a thousand people on the ship and we ran into these people on every excursion and elevator. We received many dirty looks.

 

From now on, its a private table. Since we are always in Blu, we have the option of chatting with the table next to us...or not.

Guppy, we disagreed on the spiral stair case in AQ...but I'm with you on this one.  Great story.

[the penguins]

6 hours ago, canderson said:

What itinerary? ZMakes a difference!

Every sailing out of Southampton from the restart. Same rules applied in speciality restaurants. You could mix in Al Bacio and Martini Bar. 

[canderson]

3 hours ago, the penguins said:

Every sailing out of Southampton from the restart. Same rules applied in speciality restaurants. You could mix in Al Bacio and Martini Bar. 

Right.  Good for folks to know that this was a 'local' situation.  When describing the rules employed during a 'staycation', good to remind readers thats that what it was.  Very different from most current cruises.

[NutsAboutGolf]

Understand times a bit different right now, I’ve done some group meals and what seems to be a topic that everyone willingly brings up in the first minute of a conversation is their opinion of the vaccine which can spill over to politics.  Group dining can get quite uncomfortable quickly.

[the penguins]

54 minutes ago, canderson said:

Right.  Good for folks to know that this was a 'local' situation.  When describing the rules employed during a 'staycation', good to remind readers thats that what it was.  Very different from most current cruises.

Not just the staycation but the following European, or as Celebrity called them " international", ones as well.

Interestingly some passengers even refused to share tables even in venues where it was permitted. 

Rules change frequently, even mid voyage. When we boarded in August you could only disembark on a Celebrity tour. 2 days into the cruise this was changed to "free to get off anywhere".  2 cruises later Belfast refused to allow anyone to disembark and this was after the ship had docked. On our August trip Scotland insisted we wore masks (any sort). In September this changed to having to wear an approved mask (supplied free by Celebrity) and to fill in a form confirming we had been vaccinated. Just be prepared for changes and "go with the flow".

[the penguins]

11 hours ago, marieps said:

Guppy, we disagreed on the spiral stair case in AQ...but I'm with you on this one.  Great story.

Oh dear, once I had checked and measured the bubbles we were looking forward to comparing notes over dinner. Just have to do it in the Al Bacio.

[Oceangoer2]

16 hours ago, LGW59 said:

with you, did it once, was torture.  

not torture with all....but there was a dinner at which all we heard was medical problems and how their 'particular' govt was much better at handling the bills than 'our' govt and we were deprived 'best' care.  Painful and rude;  won't spoil a vacation explaining.  We left before dessert.

[goofysmom99]

My recent experiences dining with others aboard ships have been uneventful and delightful, both in Luminae and MDR.  Since everyone is vaccinated,  the topic just never came up except to maybe briefly comment how nice it was to be somewhere where everyone IS vaccinated.  Cruising is such a comfortable, happy-place bubble right now.  I'm definitely looking forward to dining with others in the MDR on two upcoming cruises this month, too. 🤗

[DCPIV]

3 minutes ago, goofysmom99 said:

My recent experiences dining with others aboard ships have been uneventful and delightful, both in Luminae and MDR.  Since everyone is vaccinated,  the topic just never came up except to maybe briefly comment how nice it was to be somewhere where everyone IS vaccinated.  Cruising is such a comfortable, happy-place bubble right now.  I'm definitely looking forward to dining with others in the MDR on two upcoming cruises this month, too. 🤗

 

I must say that my recent experiences dining with others has been delightful, as well! 

[Dancing Shoes]

Good story about running into your former tablemates.  I remember our first cruise, I sat down and realized we would be sharing a 4 top with strangers.

[BigAl94]

21 hours ago, the penguins said:

Not just the staycation but the following European, or as Celebrity called them " international", ones as well.

Interestingly some passengers even refused to share tables even in venues where it was permitted. 

Rules change frequently, even mid voyage. When we boarded in August you could only disembark on a Celebrity tour. 2 days into the cruise this was changed to "free to get off anywhere".  2 cruises later Belfast refused to allow anyone to disembark and this was after the ship had docked. On our August trip Scotland insisted we wore masks (any sort). In September this changed to having to wear an approved mask (supplied free by Celebrity) and to fill in a form confirming we had been vaccinated. Just be prepared for changes and "go with the flow".

That is not what happened in Belfast, ship organised tours were permitted to disembark but not those on their own in line with public health advice and protocols in place at the time.

[Turtles06]

My wife and I have had enough unpleasant dinner companions at larger tables that we now ask for two-tops. Unfortunately, on Celebrity, so many of the two-tops are so close together that you are effectively eating with two or four strangers, depending on where in the row your table is. We’ve had some very nice dinner conversations this way, but also some we’d have preferred to avoid, like the one with the guy who made an insulting political remark, clearly unconcerned about the unwritten rule of not discussing politics or religion with strangers. 
 

I love Celebrity, but I wish they did a better job of spacing out the tables in the MDRs. 

[the penguins]

2 hours ago, BigAl94 said:

That is not what happened in Belfast, ship organised tours were permitted to disembark but not those on their own in line with public health advice and protocols in place at the time.

First time yes in organised groups,  then no - there was a local problem, next time yes on organised groups, then by September everyone could get of individually.

Just be prepared for changes.

[shipgeeks]

I find it interesting that, so far, the responses have been split fairly evenly, and all with very legitimate reasons for their choices.

We are among those who have always liked being at a table for 6 or 8, as long as it is the same group, at a set time.  We've always been able to make the best of even a few "quirky" tablemates.

Sadly, our last Celebrity cruise was marred by a few passengers, first-timers on X, regulars on a certain other line known for its casualness, who had no understanding of a dinner experience, give-and-take, etc.  They claimed to be professionals ("I'm a doctor; what do you do?"), but had very little courtesy.

Interestingly, I recently looked through the forum for That Cruise Line.  The same question, re whether you like to share a table, came up.  100% of responders said "No way", "Dining room is for eating, not talking", "Just feed me so I can do other things", "I don't want to spend over an hour just eating dinner".  To me, that's sad, but it did reinforce my decision to never sail on that line.