Single Dining in Waves or Terrace on Insignia

[Clipper]

I will be on an Insignia voyage to Bermuda.  How does a single cruiser navigate Waves or the Terrace with no companion to find and save a table before ordering?  Thanks in advance for your guidance.

[PhD-iva]

O organizes get togethers for solo travelers. Maybe on first night? Look in Currents for the meeting time/place. After an (either) hosted/unhosted per-dinner get together, solos can agree to eat together if they so wish. 
You’ll have lots of offers to eat together as a group. Enjoy your cruise!

Let’s see - on Sirena our part-time social hostess was one of the performers. We got to meet and dine with several of the performers. A wonderful experience!

Edited May 2 by PhD-iva
Addition

[CurlerRob]

12 minutes ago, Clipper said:

I will be on an Insignia voyage to Bermuda.  How does a single cruiser navigate Waves or the Terrace with no companion to find and save a table before ordering?  Thanks in advance for your guidance.

If your preference is to dine alone, just leave an article of clothing or a tote bag on the chair to mark it as taken, then go and get your food. For added assurance, order and receive a drink first. 🍺🥌

[Harters]

Leaving something on the chair and having a drink on the table is the way to go. We're a couple wanting to have the meal together - which means we'll stake our claim to the table that way, so we can both go and get food at the same time. 

 

It's not a guarantee of course. On our recent cruise, we came back to our table in the Terrace, to find it had been cleared and reset. And, on another occasion, the person on the adjacent table said they'd prevented the same happening to our table while we'd been away. Diligent staff, eh? Better that than the alternative. 

Edited May 2 by Harters

[davencl]

On our most recent cruise people were leaving their cell phone on the table.  Not sure I'd be comfortable doing this...

[pinotlover]

If in a rush, I’d advise against either venue. Otherwise , order a drink, particularly coffee and/or juice, have them at the table. Place your napkin in your seat, then get your food.

 

A commonly recognized etiquette is napkin etiquette, which many ignore.

 

1. Your napkin goes on your lap, just like waiters place it there.

 

2. If you depart your chair temporarily, the napkin goes on your seat. Never put a used napkin on your table.

 

3. If you have finished your meal, leaving your napkin on the table indicates to the staff, upon your departure, you have finished your meal.

 

Long and short, if one haphazardly leaves their napkin on the table to go after more food, you should well expect a cleared table upon return. Leaving it on your chair means you’re coming back.

Edited May 2 by pinotlover

[PhD-iva]

On 5/2/2024 at 10:12 AM, pinotlover said:

If in a rush, I’d advise against either venue. Otherwise , order a drink, particularly coffee and/or juice, have them at the table. Place your napkin in your seat, then get your food.

 

A commonly recognized etiquette is napkin etiquette, which many ignore.

 

1. Your napkin goes on your lap, just like waiters place it there.

 

2. If you depart your chair temporarily, the napkin goes on your seat. Never put a used napkin on your table.

 

3. If you have finished your meal, leaving your napkin on the table indicates to the staff, upon your departure, you have finished your meal.

 

Long and short, if one haphazardly leaves their napkin on the table to go after more food, you should well expect a cleared table upon return. Leaving it on your chair means you’re coming back.

Thx for the “ edicute” lesson. Me needs sum!i

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

I just choose a table on Waves, and if someone sits down there before I get my order in, I just ask the person taking my order to pick a table for me.  It has very rarely been a problem.

 

On the Terrace, if I want a particular table (like outside, when it's a great day and there are lots of people) I put my key card down and something else (if I have something else) on the table.  Or I do something with the napkin.  If I don't care where I sit (which is most of the time) I just get my food and then find a table.  In the rare instance that either place is totally packed, it IS OK to ask someone politely if they'd mind sharing a table with you.  

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

On 5/2/2024 at 10:56 AM, davencl said:

On our most recent cruise people were leaving their cell phone on the table.  Not sure I'd be comfortable doing this...

I've left mine once in a while.  Not sure if I'd do it on Carnival, though.