Tell Us About Your Negative Experiences With Table Mates

[rickcop44]

January 1996 on Regal Princess. My DW and I were assigned to a table for six. Our table mates were two young single women traveling together and two young single men, also traveling together (though not with each other). I have no doubt Princess assigned the four of them to the same table in hopes that they'd become friends and start doing things together. Unfortunately, the very first night, the two guys started hitting on these young ladies something awful. They were trying to get them to come back to their cabin for some extra-curricular activity and neither were interested. Frankly, I wouldn't have been either. One of the young men had a mouthful of chew that he was constantly spitting into a cup at the table. The other one smelled like he hadn't showered in a week. Both were about 40 sheets to the wind. Needless to say, the women weren't at our table the next night. We saw them later in the casino and begged them to come back, that things would be much better. They didn't want to, but they returned the third night. As we were going into dinner, I latched onto the dining room captain assigned to our section and explained the situation. I didn't know he was going to do this, but when the two guys came in, he intercepted them and steered them toward a table for two at the back of the dining room and there they sat the rest of the cruise. The dining room captain later came over to assure us there would be no further problems. The rest of the week was extremely pleasant!!

[Nilla]

Worst table mates woudl hands down have had to be a few years ago on a repositioning cruise from LA to Vancouver on board the Tropicale. We had done a del with air from Vancouver 3 nights in Las Vegas then the 3 night cruise! We had opted for late seating with a larger table. So we get to dinner myself and my two cousins. There are these 5 gorgeous woman sitting there, dressed to the 9's you coudl tell they were all related, it turned out to be the mother and her 4 daughters. The first night was interesting needless to say, all we heard was about Beverly Hills where they lived, and there wonderful lives. Well it turned out the Mother owned a Travel Agency, and was telling us about the wonderful deal she had gotten on this cruise! Then asked us if we minded telling her how much we had paid for our cruise! We said we were not sure as it was a package deal, I think we had paid around $700 for the whole deal which was great! So she then tried to disect the package to find out how much we would have paid for the cruise portion! She then decided on an amount and proceeded to tell us that we had gotten ripped off. So for the next two days when we were at dinner we had to listen to her ramble on and on about us being ripped off and that our lives were crap compared to hers and her daughters! It was HELL!

[BarJen]

One time we were table mates with another family, only the wife showed up for the first few nights and she would go on and on about how experienced she was with cruising, how the food that was served was not up to her standard, etc... a bit of a snob you might say.:rolleyes: The last night of the cruise her hubby was coming to dinner but running a little late, when he did show up he was wearing shorts and a tank top, she was very embarassed, too funny! :D ;)

[mowrider]

Please realize that these posts are the exceptions to dining on a cruise. We are going on our 4th cruise and have always had a table of 8 (strangers to begin with, but changed to friends) We have always ate dinner in the dining room and have been "lucky" to have had the most enjoyable dinner mates. Hope it happens again in 9 days. Anybody with me on this ? (but please continue with the horror stories):eek:

[mowrider]

Please realize that these posts are the exceptions to dining on a cruise. We are going on our 4th cruise and have always had a table of 8 (strangers to begin with, but changed to friends) We have always ate dinner in the dining room and have been "lucky" to have had the most enjoyable dinner mates. Hope it happens again in 9 days. Anybody with me on this ? (but please continue with the horror stories):eek:

[mowrider]

Please realize that these posts are the exceptions to dining on a cruise. We are going on our 4th cruise and have always had a table of 8 (strangers to begin with, but changed to friends) We have always ate dinner in the dining room and have been "lucky" to have had the most enjoyable dinner mates. Hope it happens again in 9 days. Anybody with me on this ? (but please continue with the horror stories):eek:

[zaandam_2]

Please realize that these posts are the exceptions to dining on a cruise. We are going on our 4th cruise and have always had a table of 8 (strangers to begin with, but changed to friends) We have always ate dinner in the dining room and have been "lucky" to have had the most enjoyable dinner mates. Hope it happens again in 9 days. Anybody with me on this ? (but please continue with the horror stories):eek:

 

i agree. i keep in touch with several former tablemates. i've even cruised with one again.

 

if you don't like your mates, change tables. it's simple.

[Cruzfan34]

I've only been on one cruise and we had a large group, so we had three large tables, all in a row, and I knew everyone at my table, so it was a pleasant experience every night.

 

But...we're about to go on another cruise and there are only four of us going this time, so I'm sure we'll be seated at a large table with strangers, which I'm fine with, but I'm not one to hold my tongue.

 

In my experience, if someone starts to talk about money or brag about their possessions, I simply say, "I'm sorry....I don't talk about money. It's tacky". That usually shuts them up. :)

[buddyjo143]

On our last cruise the kids were putting the napkin on their head, eating the pizza with their fingers and licking them, had their chair stuck out in the aisle making it difficult for the waiter to move around....:rolleyes:wait, they were my nieces and nephew.

 

Gotta stop traveling with family and travel with strangers instead;)

[zqvol]

You can't be serious?!?!?

I agree 100%, the worst thing I have ever had happen in the dining room is the wait staff turing the place into a caberet.

[cathy_kearns]

I've been on only 5 cruises. Two we brought our own table mates, and they were, of course, charming. Two we were provided table mates by the cruise line, and they couldn't have chosen better. We had a marvelous time with them also. The 5th cruise you could wander in and request to sit either alone, or at a large table. We always requested to sit at a large table and met the most interesting people with wonderful stories, both of past travels and insights into what they had seen that day. I suspect this is why these horror stories are so interesting, because they are so rare.

[HockeyMom44]

The time when our tablemate spoke little english, and we spoke even less spanish. ;)

[FastFreddie]

Interesting. We have been lucky and have had interesting tablemates. Lunches on Century ships are open seating. I have seen and heard and made, for that matter, some interesting comments.

 

We had booked a royal suite on the Zenith and were invited to the Captains table. One of the other invitees (he had been on a zillion Celebrity cruises, according to him) kept asking me why I had been invited. "Are you elite status"? "No" I said. "Do you have a suite"? "No", I lied. "I just can't understand why you were invited"! "Maybe it's that they needed a fat guy to even the table out" I said. People can be crass, so what it is life.

 

 

FF

[Avarah]

Thanks, mowrider. I was truly starting to semi-freak. stbDH and I will be taking our first cruise in April, and this is one of my (many, many) fears. :)

 

Please realize that these posts are the exceptions to dining on a cruise. We are going on our 4th cruise and have always had a table of 8 (strangers to begin with, but changed to friends) We have always ate dinner in the dining room and have been "lucky" to have had the most enjoyable dinner mates. Hope it happens again in 9 days. Anybody with me on this ? (but please continue with the horror stories):eek:

[zaandam_2]

We had booked a royal suite on the Zenith and were invited to the Captains table. One of the other invitees (he had been on a zillion Celebrity cruises, according to him) kept asking me why I had been invited. "Are you elite status"? "No" I said. "Do you have a suite"? "No", I lied. "I just can't understand why you were invited"! "Maybe it's that they needed a fat guy to even the table out" I said. People can be crass, so what it is life.FF

 

LOL. i love it. why would you want to eat with the help, though?

[KK567]

Interesting. We have been lucky and have had interesting tablemates. Lunches on Century ships are open seating. I have seen and heard and made, for that matter, some interesting comments.

 

We had booked a royal suite on the Zenith and were invited to the Captains table. One of the other invitees (he had been on a zillion Celebrity cruises, according to him) kept asking me why I had been invited. "Are you elite status"? "No" I said. "Do you have a suite"? "No", I lied. "I just can't understand why you were invited"! "Maybe it's that they needed a fat guy to even the table out" I said. People can be crass, so what it is life.

 

 

FF

 

 

Lmao, Good for you FF! I feel the same.;)

[KK567]

I have only been on one cruise (when i was 12) on celebrity.

We were at a table for ten. It was my Mother and Father and I, A couple and their two children and an older women and her two children in their late 20's early 30's.

 

After the 1st night the couple with the young children switched to early seating because late was too late for their kids.

The remaining mother and her kids were extremely snobby, the daughter dressed and sounded like Fran Drescher (sp?).

On the 2nd night it was my 12th B-day so i had a cake brought to me and some staff song happy birthday.

The older mother (early 60's) was so jealous that the next day she stopped me on the upper deck and asked me how i got a cake.

Well, wouldn't you know the next night she had a cake and singers too for he birthday that was still two months away! haha

 

It certainly didnt ruin our experience and we still laugh about it but I thought it was pretty ridiculous.

 

My Fiance and I will be on the miracle in May for our honeymoon, we thought about getting a table for two since it is our honeymoon but we want to meet some new people too, so i think we will stick with a large table and if we dont feel that it is a good match we will ask for a private table.

[truecruiser]

You can't be serious?!?!?

 

chelsea -- have you ever cruised before? yes, this happens. and most people think it's cute, corny and "vacation mode fun" the first night they do it, but when they continue to do it, Ugh!:p

[Knights on the Beach]

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.

LOL! Stuart, were you the ones on the Miracle? ;) I'd say it's the other couple that has the problem, not you.

[JerseyGirl97]

That was my favorite part of dinner! I loved the built in entertainment!!! :D

 

 

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:

 

 

My only tablemates were my family members and I love them all.... most of the time! I did enjoy watching the lady at the table next to us be asked to get down after she climbed up on one of the waitors dancing platforms! I guess she thought we all wanted to watch her shake what her husband bought her! ;)

[SunnyinMA]

I guess she thought we all wanted to watch her shake what her husband bought her! ;)

 

I almost choked on my tea when I read that!!

 

:D

[truecruiser]

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.

 

LOL. that is too funny. we are almost always seated with friends or family, and when we cruise alone, we are seated by alone (as we are a party of 5).

 

but when we were on our second cruise (our honeymoon cruise), we sat at a table for 10. everyone at the table had the same anniversary as us. it was very cool and we had a blast w/ these people (still send christmas cards to one of the couples to this day).

 

anyway, that being our second cruise, and their 1st, i thought they were going to fall off of their chairs when DH started double ordering and then again when I ordered a second "chocolate swan".

 

They were all like "wow! you can do that." well, as you can imagine, like kids in a candy store, they double ordered the next night (and every night thereafter), with a very big smiles on their faces! :)

[Timmys_mom]

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

LMAO! At that point I would have ordered a double scotch on the rocks and slammed it!!

[Timmys_mom]

double post.

[jennib5426]

Our first cruise about 6 years ago (west Carb) we had a table with a family from Canada. A mom over 80 and her 2 older sons. They were on the cruise to spread there dead daughter/sister's ashes.

 

What a bummer, every night at dinner it was so depressing.

We felt to quilty to change tables, we didn't want to be rude.