Dimension between tables in The Restaurant

[Clay Clayton]

Sorry to start a new thread but can't find the previous one that had a discussion about the closeness of the two tops in The Restaurant. Below is a screen shot from my phone while using the measuring application. 

[Haqdeluxe]

5 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

Sorry to start a new thread but can't find the previous one that had a discussion about the closeness of the two tops in The Restaurant. Below is a screen shot from my phone while using the measuring application. 

A mear 25 inches? Barely more than two feet! I can sense pearls being clutched as I type. 🙂

[Jim Avery]

That's a skinny 25".  Got an old fashioned tape measure?

[CCWineLover]

1 hour ago, Jim Avery said:

That's a skinny 25".  Got an old fashioned tape measure?

Jim - I agree.  I was just on Saturn and my non-ruler guess was 18 inches.

 

But Clay - more importantly, how was dinner in MDR?  What time did you arrive?  How long did dinner take?  What did you and Mike have?  Anything good?   Wasn't that impressed on Saturn a few weeks ago.  Not a "C" but maybe a "B-"

Edited July 20, 2023 by CCWineLover

[May B]

The measuring app?! Learning something new every day.

 

Thx for the fun thread.

[Vineyard View]

One of my least favorite things about the restaurant. Cafeteria style - tables right next to one another. In my opinion, it would be much more of a nice restaurant feel if they were spaced further apart. 

[SJD117]

Go for Tables 1 and 101 in the back of the MDR. Very private.

[CCWineLover]

6 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

One of my least favorite things about the restaurant. Cafeteria style - tables right next to one another. In my opinion, it would be much more of a nice restaurant feel if they were spaced further apart. 

Couldn't have stated it better!  Our least favorite thing as well.  That along with the slow service and super loud noisy rooms (DW is hard of hearing) makes for an unpleasant dinner - thus we tend to avoid MDR.

[CCWineLover]

1 hour ago, SJD117 said:

Go for Tables 1 and 101 in the back of the MDR. Very private.

Thanks, Dave!  Will have to check these two out in September then.

How to you get them?  request them?  go at 5:45?

Are they twosomes by themselves?  or foursomes?

[May B]

1 hour ago, CCWineLover said:

Couldn't have stated it better!  Our least favorite thing as well.  That along with the slow service and super loud noisy rooms (DW is hard of hearing) makes for an unpleasant dinner - thus we tend to avoid MDR.

I am hard of hearing but had no trouble at table 160. Or 159. Avrually, I think it wasn’t all that terribly loud, anyplace in the room. Two out of ten nights, we weren’t along the wall with the banquette.

 

Plus we never had slow service.

 

It’s as you, or another wise cruiser, said recently: things vary from cruise to cruise. Mr B and I lucked out.

[millybess]

10 minutes ago, May B said:

I am hard of hearing but had no trouble at table 160. Or 159. Avrually, I think it wasn’t all that terribly loud, anyplace in the room. Two out of ten nights, we weren’t along the wall with the banquette.

 

Plus we never had slow service.

 

It’s as you, or another wise cruiser, said recently: things vary from cruise to cruise. Mr B and I lucked out.

I agree with you.  IMO, it's much easier to socialize in the MDR than in any other dining venue.  We also didn't find it too loud.  We found breakfast service slow, but not the dinner service, and we really enjoyed sitting a bit closer and being able to chat with our fellow cruisers.  I think there is more privacy in the Chef's Table or Manfredi's where the tables are much farther apart.  Even the World Cafe would offer more privacy that the MDR.  If the food and service were more consistent in the MDR we would dine there more frequently.

[CCWineLover]

36 minutes ago, millybess said:

I agree with you.  IMO, it's much easier to socialize in the MDR than in any other dining venue.  We also didn't find it too loud.  We found breakfast service slow, but not the dinner service, and we really enjoyed sitting a bit closer and being able to chat with our fellow cruisers.  I think there is more privacy in the Chef's Table or Manfredi's where the tables are much farther apart.  Even the World Cafe would offer more privacy that the MDR.  If the food and service were more consistent in the MDR we would dine there more frequently.

Totally agree.  Manfredi's and CT and World Cafe are great for more privacy and you can ask for more private tables at Manfredi's and CT and of course you pick your own at WC.

 

[Vineyard View]

6 hours ago, SJD117 said:

Go for Tables 1 and 101 in the back of the MDR. Very private.

It’s great to know the table numbers where it doesn’t feel so “close”. Thank you for sharing this. We have lucked out sometimes finding those types of more spacious two tops available. 
Unfortunately, there were way more people looking for two tops than there were tables like this. I think  maybe that is what started this thread - and in our experience we agree. It’s not easy in the MDR to luck out and find a space to just have your own dialogue of the day, or planning and the next day,  without someone else trying to do the same within elbow distance next to you. Thus my cafeteria comment. Love Viking. Do not love this in the MDR

[LindaS272]

We’ve never had a problem in the MDR, including the most recent cruise on Saturn. Service was fine, food was great, noise & elbow room not a problem. We go at about 6 or 6:30 and ask for the private tables mentioned or just say “away from people” (lol).
 

Our first night in MDR July 6, a woman across the aisle had a terrible cough so we got up quickly and asked to be moved.

[May B]

Once at Jeremiah Tower’s restaurant, Stars, in San Francisco, we sat next to a couple but didn’t speak until near the end of their dinner, when one of them went to use the restroom. 
 

It turned out we learned about the Twin Towers, which we had never heard of prior to that! After that, we visited and enjoyed that landmark, several times.

 

 

[Clay Clayton]

On 7/20/2023 at 12:50 AM, CCWineLover said:

Jim - I agree.  I was just on Saturn and my non-ruler guess was 18 inches.

 

But Clay - more importantly, how was dinner in MDR?  What time did you arrive?  How long did dinner take?  What did you and Mike have?  Anything good?   Wasn't that impressed on Saturn a few weeks ago.  Not a "C" but maybe a "B-"

We arrived about 7:15 we left at 8:43 (Happened to look at my phone), we each had three courses. I had the steak tartare (enjoyable), the vegetarian risotto (tasty but nothing special), and the very tasty St. Honoire for dessert. (I unfortunately forget what others had-though Mike did have the huge cheese plate which included Brie, Parmesan, manchego (I think) as well as several others.  I would have given the meal a B+/A- and the service a A+++.  We loved Alexandria (from Montenegro) who was our wine server.  She was great and was in the LR bar the next morning and our friend Gary (who hadn't dined with us) met and really thought she was great also. 

Edited July 21, 2023 by Clay Clayton

[cruisingtheresa]

18 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

Thanks, Dave!  Will have to check these two out in September then.

How to you get them?  request them?  go at 5:45?

Are they twosomes by themselves?  or foursomes?

We were just on the Neptune a couple of weeks ago and were able to sit at table 101 one evening. We liked it so much that I asked if we could 'reserve' it and was told that it's first come, first serve. The next evening we showed up and it had already been taken. I don't remember which table we were sat at, but it was better than some of the closer twosomes.

 

There are twosomes that are definitely closer than 25" and some that are between 25" and 30".

 

It's one of my least favorite things about cruises (all lines). My husband had throat cancer about 10 years ago and still has some problems eating. He's very self conscious about it and sometimes struggles to swallow. That's really the only reason I try to find more private tables. 

[CCWineLover]

2 hours ago, cruisingtheresa said:

We were just on the Neptune a couple of weeks ago and were able to sit at table 101 one evening. We liked it so much that I asked if we could 'reserve' it and was told that it's first come, first serve. The next evening we showed up and it had already been taken. I don't remember which table we were sat at, but it was better than some of the closer twosomes.

 

There are twosomes that are definitely closer than 25" and some that are between 25" and 30".

 

It's one of my least favorite things about cruises (all lines). My husband had throat cancer about 10 years ago and still has some problems eating. He's very self conscious about it and sometimes struggles to swallow. That's really the only reason I try to find more private tables. 

Thank you so much for sharing the info.  I totally relate.  My wife has really bad hearing issues, even with hearing aides, to the point of painful with loud noises and she is also quite self-concsious about it and we also try to find private tables.  As I said, our MDR experiences have been quite loud and unpleasant.  But we will try your advice and perhaps it will work.  You do have a point - to get there early.  I saw someone's post who is on Venus now that people were now lining up at MDR at 5:15 for dinner (!!)  my goodness.

I also agree that the MDR seating is one of our least favorite things.  But thankfully there are other options for us as well!  (WC, CT, Manfredi's on the window)

[janetcbl]

Last year we had a 29 day cruise and were seated at the same table every night in the Restaurant for the first half of the trip with our favorite waiter. When he was moved to another table he moved us with him. We never requested these tables, the maitre de just did it and we were delighted.  Now all these comments in this topic have me wondering how we managed that. Not complaining, just curious. 

[Azulann]

 Only once on my recent cruise was it loud in the Restaurant. We had two top with a party of 6 people eating nearby. They were having a great time but it was loud. After they left it was easy to have a conversation.

 The best table IMO is 105, it is in the back right hand corner when you come into the restaurant.

The Restaurant manager Raymond and the best waiter we had on cruise . I fell so bad that I forgot her name, but did  tell Raymond that she  was the best . 

 

Edited July 22, 2023 by Azulann

[Astromaid]

We were on our first Viking cruise in June. We also did not care for the close two tops in the dining room, we only ate there once. We were sat in the middle of two very close tables,  the one couple deliberately ignored us, I like to at least say hi. It made for a very uncomfortable meal. On all our other nameless cruises we always eat in the main dining room because of the better quality of food as opposed to the buffet. When we discovered they have the same menu and the quality of food was just as good in the World Cafe we never went back. And the tables are much further apart.  And it was fun interacting with the servers and getting their advice on what to try. Especially Phillip from the Philippines, he usually was carving meat on the left side of WC when you walk in. Clay, you should see if he is still on the Saturn, he is a gem.

[CCWineLover]

3 hours ago, Astromaid said:

We were on our first Viking cruise in June. We also did not care for the close two tops in the dining room, we only ate there once. We were sat in the middle of two very close tables,  the one couple deliberately ignored us, I like to at least say hi. It made for a very uncomfortable meal. On all our other nameless cruises we always eat in the main dining room because of the better quality of food as opposed to the buffet. When we discovered they have the same menu and the quality of food was just as good in the World Cafe we never went back. And the tables are much further apart.  And it was fun interacting with the servers and getting their advice on what to try. Especially Phillip from the Philippines, he usually was carving meat on the left side of WC when you walk in. Clay, you should see if he is still on the Saturn, he is a gem.

Julie -

We were with you on that Saturn NY-Iceland trip!  I remember you at the Meet & Greet!

Glad to hear someone else with the same issues in MDR seating.  We call it the 737 seating arrangement.  After getting that middle twosome seat, we don't go back much.  We've also had a similar unpleasant, tense meals there.  We enjoy the World Cafe for its relaxing nature, and easy to have a conversation.  I DO remember Phillip at the carving station too!  They were all great at the WC, and the staff was so friendly - they got to know you there.  We loved Adrian - he knew us from a previous cruise and this time served the starboard WC side (pizza side).

Cheers!  Happy cruising on your next adventure.

Kent

[cmmaxwell03]

4 hours ago, Astromaid said:

When we discovered they have the same menu and the quality of food was just as good in the World Cafe we never went back.

 

Viking newbie here 🙂 Is it true that for the most part the World Cafe and Restaurant have the same menu?  That would be great when you just want to try a little bit of most things on the Restaurant menu but do not want to be wasteful.

[Astromaid]

12 minutes ago, cmmaxwell03 said:

 

Viking newbie here 🙂 Is it true that for the most part the World Cafe and Restaurant have the same menu?  That would be great when you just want to try a little bit of most things on the Restaurant menu but do not want to be wasteful.

Absolutely! there may be small differences but you can even get the appetizers. Unfortunately you don't get the controlled portions like the dining room so it is too easy to overeat because you do want to try everything. The amazing thing is that the Viking crowd is very good about not wasting food, unlike some mainstream cruise line guests that leave plates of discarded foods. 

[Murt22]

It is easier to pick from a menu - then you don't see what you didn't choose. Harder to choose when it is all out in front of you - and it is nice being served. That being said, if we get stuck in one of those tight middle tables, might have to rethink it.