Tell Us About Your Negative Experiences With Table Mates

[camorelli]

I don't understand the issue with people ordering an extra app or entree. I don't do it because I wouldn't have the room, but my husband has ordered an extra app or entree before and they never come at the same time. They probably come on the tray at the same time and the server holds it at his station until the plate on the table is empty. For example, my husband has been know to order a salad and a soup and sometimes even a shrimp cocktail. Maybe the server brings the shrimp first for DH and I start my caesar. He finishes the five shrimp easily and the server brings the soup while I continue working on my salad and so on. The table doesn't get crowded with extra dishes and my hubby gets to enjoy a couple of different items. And it doesn't cause a long time period before next course. I guess my experience has been different from others'.

 

I can't imagine, however, somebody pushing their mother on to me for the next day's port! :eek: I'm not even sure how I would've responded but I'm sure a look of surprise would have been evident on my face!

 

And I've often looked around during dinner and wondered what would happen if somebody got sick. I can't imagine...that would just be awful!

[cruisecrazy928]

Been lucky so far! We've gone on three cruises, 2 with Carnival and 1 with RCCL. We took our daughter with us on our first cruise. She was a teenager at the time and there was a family of 5 seated with us with 2 teenagers. Instant friends for her. On our second trip we were matched with 3 other couples of different ages (a honeymooning couple, retirees and in-between). We had a blast. Last cruise we were matched with 2 other couples who were very nice people around our age. Going again in May. Can't wait to see who our tablemates are this time. Good or bad, I enjoy the opportunity to meet new people. Hope I get lucky again.

[GlendaleCruiser]

I'm really surprised that anyone would have an issue with extra entrees and appetizers brought to the table or ordered. This is so totally common and every waiter that I've ever had asked if I wanted them at the same time or in what order. The table was never overloaded with dishes. I cannot imagine that anyone at another table would notice.

[watsup]

PERFUME! REALLY, LADIES, DO YOU NEED SO MUCH!

 

We were going to eat breakfast in the MDR on the Victory. The hostess seated us at a table where there were already four couples or so. As I approached my seat, there was a very strong smell of perfume. As I got to my seat and started to sit down, I realized that I was seated right next to the offender. I didn't even finish sitting down because I realized that I would literally GAG trying to eat my breakfast. I immediately went back to the hostess and requested a table for two.

 

Why is it so important for some "ladies" to literally douse themselves in perfume, even first thing in the morning? Has their olfactory sense been shut off? I suppose it is like smokers who have gotten so used to the smell of cigarettes that they do not understand that their clothes stink their skin stinks, their car stinks, and their house stinks. Shouldn't perfume be an "attractant" for one's mate rather than a "statement" such that everyone for many feet around can smell it?

[momof3cruisers]

Funny thread.

 

My husband and I have only had bad tablemates once and we managed to be entertained by them most of the time. It was an 8 top and the first night there was this adorable older couple who explained to all of us that they would be requesting early seating so not to be offended if we saw them around the ship but not at our table. Too cute.

 

The other two couples were a husband and wife from Canada who constantly, every....single...night explained to us that Canadian dollars were different from US dollars and so the cruise and all the excursions cost them more money than they cost us. that was some interesting logic. LIke me claiming that because I had to pay in dollars instead of pounds it was more expensive for me to eat in England than a native...they also made a big deal about tipping. ANd sure enough did not come to dinner the last night to avoid the tip. This was back in the time when you tipped in cash and it wasn't ever added to your room charges.

 

The second couple was a piece of work. They were together but apparently not married as they lived in two different places yet they acted like they were together all the time. The guy constantly bragged about everything and the woman seemed drunk every night. One time at breakfast, we ended up eating with the older couple who had been moved and the gentleman asked us "So, how is the drunk Texan?" We found that really funny as the guy was NOT from TX. One night he ended up buying us several drinks....not on purpose! THey came around several times with drinks in souvenier glasses and he kept hounding us about how we needed to pick one out, tell him what color glass we wanted and he would "get it for us." So we finally did. Then when they finally brought him the bill he was all confused. But he signed it.

[PAPERBKWRITER]

Unlike some cruise lines I find that Carnival makes an effort to put you with folks of like age. We are frequent cruisers and of course some tablemates are more outgoing than others but for the most part we have had great people to dine with. I like big tables. NOW, when on a cruise in November of 2001 the topic of conversation was of course the 9-11 attack,a Canadian who spent his winters in AZ, started complaining that America deserved the attack and we brought it on ourselves. The others at the table sat in stunned silense but I was livid and ripped him a new #$%. But he kept it up and complained that Americans were putting his country in peril and that we were cocky and selfish. I reminded him that The United States protected his sorry Canadian butt and the rest of North America. As our voices grew louder the waiter and ma'tre came over trying to calm things down. By the way he was only a couple of years older than me. Anyway, when I stood up my wife grabbed my arm and pulled me back and whispered into my ear that I couldn't fight every jerk in the world and to calm down before I ruined our cruise. We dined at that table the rest of the cruise and nobody ever spoke to that guy again. His wife was included in conversation but he was ignored. And, I have nothing against Canadians and have made many friends from up north over the years.