Tell Us About Your Negative Experiences With Table Mates

[Acey]

Our group of 4 always gets our own table now.

 

On Victory we sat with a family the first night that wore flip flops and muscle shirts to dinner. One of the kids was cupping the breast of the mermaid sconse by the table. The mother was yelling "I paid for the F@#% cruise so you kids blah blah blah. Needless to say we switched immediatley after dinner.

 

On another cruise a well off gentlemen talked AD NAUSEUM about the mailbox he put at the end of his driveway and how the city wouldn't allow it - started talking in depth about city by-laws. There was an elderly lady sitting at table also and I'm sure her eyes started to roll back into her head about 20 minutes into it. The lady beside us said she was going to scream if he talked anymore about the mailbox.

 

So instead of the social experiment at dinnertime, we socialize in whirlpool and club and not risk spoiling the quality time we desire with family at dinner.

[rwilymz]

My sympathies at enduring unsocialized twerps, and self-centered dopes.

 

About the worst dinner companions my wife and I had were on the last cruise -- Miracle -- at a table for 4. And they weren't "bad" as such, just a little ... um ... high maintenance. They insisted on ordering, every evening, three or four things off the menu, sampling each, and littering the table with umpteen dinner plates. Sometimes it was half the appetizers they'd try, sometimes it would be half the entrees. They needed a sideboard just for them.

 

I don't think they ever finished one complete course. It was like watching 8 year-old picky eaters at a smorgasbord.

[RWolver672]

On our Glory cruise, DW, DS and myself were seated at a table for eight. On the first night, two middle aged sisters and the three of us were the only ones there. The following night, an elderly gentleman in a tank top, dirty jeans and a baseball cap and no teeth and two very young (early twenties) ladies joined us. (One Caucasion, one African American)

 

Right after ordering, one of the young ladies said she had to leave and go back to her cabin. We never saw her again. Shortly after the meal was served, the remaining young lady ask the waiter if he would box up hers and the other lady's meals to take back to the cabin. That's when the fun began. He proceeded to tell us how their first flight was delayed, missed their second flight, then lost their luggage. We listened to that for the rest of the meal.

 

The following night, he showed up again, dressed in the same clothes. He spent the whole meal telling us how he had paid for these two ladies to accompany him first to Disney World, then on the cruise and they never spent any time with him. They always wanted to be by themselves. The remaining five of us left the dining room at the same time and we all looked at each other and at the same time said "Can you say Sugardaddy?" Fortunately, he never showed up again nor did his "ladies".

[cruisindoggie]

On the Fascinaton in 01 we had table mates that complained every evening about tips and how to avoid them. And every conversation was about money.

 

We are big fans of basic small talk. I never let anyone know what I do for a living and never talk about money. It is a total bore. I am on vacation to have fun.

[southbayer]

yeah some people really need to get a life.... Nobody cares about thier issues, especially while on vacation!

[CruiseCentric]

I cruise solo usually, the worst tablemates I ever had were a table full of guys! :eek: They could have sent us atleast one woman..lol. Guess I have been fortunate on my 8 cruises.

[Criscomia]

My sister and I went on a 10 day cruise and had the most obnoxious table mates. They acted like they were the Queen of England. I had purchased a number of minutes in the internet cafe to use to keep in touch with my husband and the business once a day. Some how the conversation got around to using the internet cafe and I made the mistake of saying how I purchased the package from this cruiseline to use to keep in contact with DH and the business. One the couples even had the nerve to ask me to email their friends and tell them what a wonderful time they were having.

They even handed me a list of who they wanted me to email to. I looked at them and got up from the table..........never came back another night. So, now I get just enough seats for the group I'm with or just for my sister and I. Seems to work out well this way.

[MonaCK]

About the worst dinner companions my wife and I had were on the last cruise -- Miracle -- at a table for 4. And they weren't "bad" as such, just a little ... um ... high maintenance. They insisted on ordering, every evening, three or four things off the menu, sampling each, and littering the table with umpteen dinner plates. Sometimes it was half the appetizers they'd try, sometimes it would be half the entrees. They needed a sideboard just for them.

 

I don't think they ever finished one complete course. It was like watching 8 year-old picky eaters at a smorgasbord.

 

 

.... I hope you never have the "misfortune" of eating with my husband and myself. We will sometimes order several items off of the menu to sample and try, and will often sample what each other has. To me, this is one of the advantages of cruising...

[veryhotred]

and then never went back!! There were 8 of us sitting at the table and one of the couples never said a word and then one person of another couple went on and on about how she was a lawyer and how she had been on this vacation and owned this and that and was SUCH a snob...she bragged and bragged yet here she was on a 3 day Fascination cruise. She asked us a few questions and apparently didn't like our answers because she never again looked our way or said another word to us or the quiet couple. They ended up talking to the fourth couple and they got real chummy and shared bottles of wine, etc but snubbed the four of us. I HATE snobby people...she had no idea what we did for a living, how much money we had, etc. We were dressed as Carnival requested for the dining room, etc, we just weren't about how many thousands of cruises we had been on (that was our first...lol) or how many vacation homes we owned, etc...what a b&*ch I tell ya I wanted to slap her. We never again ate in the dining room...

[ALVINF]

We went on our first cruise during spring break. My wife and I sat at a table for six with four lovely college girls on spring break!!

Oops, i'm sorry you said negative experience.

[smashley]

.... I hope you never have the "misfortune" of eating with my husband and myself. We will sometimes order several items off of the menu to sample and try, and will often sample what each other has. To me, this is one of the advantages of cruising...

 

I was just going to say, isn't that part of what cruise dining is all about? I don't really care if my table mates think I'm a pig, I'll be ordering everything that sounds good!:D :p

[smrn]

The worse table mates we ever had was on the Grandeur. There were 5 of us at a table for 8. We were seated with a 40ish male with his parents. He came to the table with a bucket of beer. Obviously, it wasn't his first. He complained about every dish. He was loud, obnoxious, and cursing. He constantly said the "F" word. First of all, this was rude enough, but we had a 5 year at our table. My kindergarten son was so shocked by this constant tirade that he sat quietly and stared at this man. I asked him not to curse because there was a child at the table and he said, well, "F". This is my vacation and i paid good money for it. His parents just laughed and continued to eat. My friend got up and went to the Matre di. Our head waiter came and whispered in the drunken diner's ear and he jumped up, grabbed what remained of his beer and left. His parents soon followed. The next night we had a nice couple.

We say our old diners at 3 different tables during the week. I assume we werent' the only ones that complained!!

[zaandam_2]

the most annoying thing i've ever had happen at my table is having service interrupted by the singing and dancing by the staff :mad:

[KatWag]

DH and I had the pleasure a few cruises ago of sitting with a couple of dinner companions from heck. The wife began the conversation by stating that she dislikes cruising because she finds that cruises and crusie passengers she meets are not "intellectually stimulating" enough. How on earth were we supposed to respond to that one? And dinner went downhill from there.

 

But my parents had my personal favorite. You know how you can buy a bottle of wine and they'll store it for you until you finish it? Mom ordered a bottle one night at dinner and they poured her a glass. After she finished her glass, they poured her a second one. After the waiter left, one of the women at the table turns to Mom (mind you, this was the first night of the cruise) and says "Are you a drunk?" Poor Mom was flabbergasted. Says, "Excuse Me?" The woman then says, "You already HAD one glass of wine - clearly if you need a second, you have a problem?" Can you IMAGINE? So lucky I wasn't there for that one, likely to have spent the night in the brig.

 

We usually try to get a table just for our group now.

[cmalibu1]

the most annoying thing i've ever had happen at my table is having service interrupted by the singing and dancing by the staff :mad:

 

 

You can't be serious?!?!?

[njs]

And I thought having to sit with my FIL at our table was bad -some of you have had it alot worse(altho my kids say they dont want popa coming with us anymore after the christmas glory cruise- he's a know it all)

[Aidansmommy2]

The worst tablemates I had was when I sailed solo on the Grand Princess a few years back. I was seated at a large table, I think there were about 12 of us, and everyone was very pleasant and nice, but they were from Russia and only one person spoke any english! It was very uncomfortable to say the least, but I stuck it out for the entire week. Don't know what Princess was thinking putting me at that table.:rolleyes:

Happy Cruising :)

Barb

[zaandam_2]

You can't be serious?!?!?

 

double.... partial actually.

[zaandam_2]

You can't be serious?!?!?

 

yes, i am

[Acey]

On Legend last year there was a couple in their mid 50's sitting at the next table. She looked like Hyacinth off of Keeping Up Appearances for those who watch that show - she was in her best diamonds and looked like she should be on the QEII Captain's Table. Anyhow the waiters started their dancing with wigs and costumes - she looked mortified that people were acting so common. The best part of it all is that her husband jumped up and joined the conga line - she was shooting daggers at him with her looks - she was clearly embarassed and too good for such displays.

[stanimal]

Mom ordered a bottle one night at dinner and they poured her a glass. After she finished her glass, they poured her a second one. After the waiter left, one of the women at the table turns to Mom (mind you, this was the first night of the cruise) and says "Are you a drunk?" Poor Mom was flabbergasted. Says, "Excuse Me?" The woman then says, "You already HAD one glass of wine - clearly if you need a second, you have a problem?"

 

 

I believe at that point, I'd have needed a third glass.

[KroozFoolz]

Guess we have been very fortunate - we have always had very nice and very interesting table mates and always look forward to meeting and talking with them. I like to hear what they did/saw at the port that day, especially if it was something different than what we did/saw. On one cruise, however, we were seated at a table for two - not by our request - and that was kinda boring. :D Maybe we are the negative experience for our table. :rolleyes:

[Criscomia]

It's actually amazing how some people change once they step on a cruise ship. They start ordering the employees around and start acting like their Sh$* doesn't stink. And usually they can't afford the cruise to begin with. I hate people that put on aires. You are who you are and that's that.;)

[StuartLittle]

We sat with a couple last time that were obviously bothered by the multiple appetizers and main courses we ordered. Oh well. We enjoyed the food and weren't put off at all.

[PhoneGoddess]

the most annoying thing i've ever had happen at my table is having service interrupted by the singing and dancing by the staff :mad:

 

I agree.