Worst Table Mates

[Sally Forth]

We had a couple one time that told us her dad had invented Dr. Pepper (yes, the soda). They spent so much time bragging about the money they had and the money they spent! Even told us they had talked to the captain about how the stabilizers on the ship didn't seem to be working correctly. Good thing they were on that cruise! The captain might never have known something was wrong! We didn't let it spoil our fun and my Dh and I started making bets (privately) about what the next night's dinner story would be- just to see if we could outdo each other or them. Darn it, we never could make up a better story than they did.

Watch Saturday Night Live for some hints. They have an ongoing skit about a woman who can always one-up any topic.

 

Viv

[nicknack]

My past few cruises were on NCL with its dine with who and when you want policy. I just came over to this board to see if Royal Caribbean allowed you to select a table for two whenever you want, like NCL or Princess. All these posts have sure answered my question.

[Ken Greco]

My wife and went on our first cuise on the long forgotten Dolphin line we were stuck the first night with four other elderly people alll over 75 I guess. Now I to not have any problem with older people as table mates as long as they can talk. But these four for the first night did not speak to us; did not speak to each other and just sat there and moaned likehey they were totally out of it. We changed and sat with a nive family and had amuch better time.

Ken

[mohavemommy]

We had people once who were both teachers from California. They were loud obnixous people who took one of those "be a travel agent" courses and "worked" for an agency even though they never personally had ever sold travel... and never intended to ever sell it. They were bragging that they only used the credentials to book cheap cruises. They book them at the last minute and only pay $50 to go.

Go figure! :rolleyes:

[Wildcatter]

I never understand why people would tell complete strangers how much money they have, what they buy, etc. My parents don't even know how much my wife and I make together!

[amybear912]

I totally agree with you!

 

What's really disturbing is how often you hear people on these boards talk about people they meet onboard and how many of them can only talk about their material possessions and their money!!!

 

They must not be very interesting people if that is all they have to talk about...

[Harley-Davidson_Family]

This wasn't one of our tablemates but she annoyed me just as well. The lady who sat at the table next to us had the most annoying laugh. It was more like a cackle! If she were at my table I believe I would have to strangle her. I took a picture of her for my photo album because she was so much apart of our dinning experiance. :cool:

I prevent problems like that I always ask for a table big enough for just our party. I'm on the cruise to enjoy our family not to make new friends.

[turquoisesea]

I am loving these stories! What a great thread! We have had wonderful tablemates over the years, but two cruises do stand out. Back in the early

90's when they had just added the suite decks to the top of the Norway, my DH and DD and I stayed in one of the new suites. We were assigned to a table for 8 in the smoking section because my husband was a smoker. After the first night the other 5 people at our table moved to a new table and we were all alone! You see, there was a man who smoked a cigar all through dinner at the table next to us, and of course no one wanted to be near him. On night number three everyone at all the tables around us had now moved - talk about feeling bad! But my husband refused to move. We talked to the MD and he said the captain was allowing this guy to smoke his cigar because he was in a suite! I guess his suite made him the most important person on board! Needless to say we had a very "quiet" dinner table that weeek. Last year we took a holiday cruise on the Infinity. We were 2 mothers and our three twentysomething daughters. There were three other seats at the table - one was a couple we had met here on the Boards (They were great! Hi S. and A.!) ) and a 93 women! She cruised non-stop all year by herself, and she had lost most of her hearing. All 7 of us took turns sitting next to her so that wouldn't feel lonely. It was like musical chairs everynight!!! She had also lost her passport so that was the only topic of conversation, although she couldn't hear us! The rest of us had a blast!

[annf]

On the Inspiration in May with a friend and my godson (who is 4) we were seated at a table for 8. The first night it was just us at the table.

 

Formal night - a family of four showed up to join us. They came to dinner in khaki shorts, sandals and t-shirts. Mom and dad spent dinner talking to each other, mainly about which one of them was going to bother to deal with their son. ('I dealt with him all day, it's your turn to handle it' and other lovely things along those lines) He was about 10 and autistic. He came to the table with one of those paddle ball things that has the ball attached to an elastic. He spent the entire meal hitting the ball with the paddle and screamed at the top of his lungs the one time that his father tried to stop him. They didn't say one word to us or to their daughter who was about 6.

 

Thankfully they never came back after that one meal. We spent the rest of the cruise having a table for 8 to ourselves.

[MGilly]

Wow! We've always tried to make the best of our tablemate situations, but when things looked like the week was going to be a bit more than we wanted to deal with, we managed to make changes before the second night. The only time I regretted it was on the Vision in Alaska a few years ago. We'd been seated at a table for six. One couple was an interesting pair from Great Britain. The other was a man from Texas and his much younger lady friend. The Texan and his girlfriend came to the table already drunk, ordered drink after drink, talked about nothing but how much money he had and how she was trying to spend it all, etc. We really felt very uncomfortable! We switched to a table to be with a couple we'd met the next afternoon. They had both of their sons with them, and there was another couple with their two small children. The other couple spoke no English, and they did not ever try to converse with us. The couple we'd met spent all of each dinner catering to their younger son and berating their older oone. Boy, did we goof in switching! From now on, we'll make the best of whatever tablemates situation we've got, and if it's TOO awful, it'll be the Windjammer for us!

[shonuf]

Wow, where to begin? We have always requested a large table as it is usually just the two of us and we enjoy meeting new people and hearing about their travels. Most of the people we’ve ever met have been delightful but there have been some doozies.

 

1. My mother and I were at a large table with two older couples and one young couple. The young couple had been given the cruise by one set of their parents. They obviously weren’t experienced cruisers, had never been away from their children who were home-schooled. (Mom and I joked the cruise was really a gift for the grandchildren!) They came to dinner in clothes I wouldn’t have worn to work in the yard and skipped the final night so they wouldn’t have to tip.

 

2. DH and I were first assigned to a booth. He wanted a table so we were assigned to the Captain’s table, a round top for 13. We got to the table, there were 3 ladies there, we sat down and introduced ourselves. They were mad because they had been separated from the rest of their party and didn’t speak unless asked a direct question and then replied in a monotone. As the rest of the table came in, it was all women, one of whom rudely asked what we were doing at “their table”. We left immediately after eating and got our third table assignment (of a 4 day cruise) to a table of 8 with 6 related people, one of whom shared a friend in common with us.

 

3. DH and I at an oval 10 top. Mother-daughter duo, married couple, us, two nurses and the Very Unpleasant Couple. VUP’s monopolized the conversation with how much money they had, fought before and during dinner, came late, came inappropriately dressed (and late). First night we were unfortunate to be seated next to them. Rest of the nights, we got there early so as to be seated at the far end of the table.

 

4. DH and I were seated at a 10 top rectangle with a group of people from states of the other color and they discussed politics the whole meal. We left as soon as we could get out and obtained a table for two.

 

5. DH and I were at a table for 8, us, one couple from our area and one from Canada. First night out, Mrs. Our Area and Mr. Canada went at it from word one. They disagreed loudly about everything. I told my husband I’d rather eat in the Lido every night than sit through that again. He convinced me to try it once more and Mr. C had definitely calmed down. I said his wife must have jerked a knot in his chain! Mrs. C got sick and they didn’t come back after that so we had to listen to Mrs. OA expound on everything. Even though we were from the same area, we didn’t share her every political thought but that never slowed her down.

 

6. Table for 8, us, our friends, two other couples. One couple, older, wanted early dining and ate in the Lido the rest of the cruise. They were replaced by a couple that I just didn’t take to. On the way out of dinner the second night, the wife told me her husband always complained about how much she talked but with me at the table, she couldn’t get a word in! Next night we and our friends ate on our verandah and the next night in the specialty dining room. The last three nights we either ate on our verandah or in the Lido.

 

Now before you make any assumptions about cruise lines, all 4 cruise lines we’ve been on are represented in my list.

 

The best table we ever had was an 8 top, 2 couples in deluxe suites and 2 in inside rooms, from all parts of the country. Everyone was very social and well traveled. Conversation never lagged!

[Houtx1559]

Wow! We've always tried to make the best of our tablemate situations, but when things looked like the week was going to be a bit more than we wanted to deal with, we managed to make changes before the second night. The only time I regretted it was on the Vision in Alaska a few years ago. We'd been seated at a table for six. One couple was an interesting pair from Great Britain. The other was a man from Texas and his much younger lady friend. The Texan and his girlfriend came to the table already drunk, ordered drink after drink, talked about nothing but how much money he had and how she was trying to spend it all, etc. We really felt very uncomfortable! We switched to a table to be with a couple we'd met the next afternoon. They had both of their sons with them, and there was another couple with their two small children. The other couple spoke no English, and they did not ever try to converse with us. The couple we'd met spent all of each dinner catering to their younger son and berating their older oone. Boy, did we goof in switching! From now on, we'll make the best of whatever tablemates situation we've got, and if it's TOO awful, it'll be the Windjammer for us!

 

Was he from Beaumont? I think we met them on Rhapsody!:D

[Happy ks]

Shonuf, I have a very dear friend that moved to Frisco, Texas a couple of years ago. I'd never heard of it before then...she loves it there, says the people are great :)

 

Note to self: I think I'm safe because we don't have money to brag about, I love to hear new cruisers experiences, I don't talk politics, religion or about work when we're on a cruise :p .

[ddgleason]

The Dr. Pepper lady was mid-late 20's. We knew her story of "my father the great inventor" just didn't hold water. From that point, we simply figured everything they said was a fabrication and that's when we decided to see between the two of us who could make up the better story to top theirs at dinner. It was really funny. Dr. Pepper was the best(most outlandish) story they told us; of course, we also had to hear all about the live-in nanny and the beautiful cherry wood furniture she picked out for the nursery, etc, etc, etc. I discovered on that cruise that I have an amazing ability to LMAO in the inside and smile sweetly on the outside.

 

I think on my next cruise, I should claim to be the daughter of the inventor of chocolate or ice cream or something believable like that. I am sure people will buy it!

 

Gee, I sure hope that captain got the ship's stabilizers fixed...

[NH Cruisers]

A few years back we had these table mates from Canada. Young daughter (6 or so), late 20's mother and 60's something grandmother. Nice people mind you, but they have a complex that Canada is a so much better place to live than the USA. Every thing is cheaper in Canada they would say, then in the same breath she would talk of shopping in Detroit, MI for clothing. Schools are much better, health insurance is better, I don't remember the particulars but I thought my wife was going to get in a cat fight with the mother, she would come out with all sorts of anti USA propaganda. As strange as it may sound we left on good terms and I would be table mates again, it was was interesting to see them every evening.

 

Jon

[Ttown Cruzer]

This story is not so much about bad tablemates but good ones. A few cruises ago my wife and I sat a table for ten with a black family of eight. We noticed that on the first night they mumbled some prayers together just after they were seated. Obviously they felt uncomfortable saying grace in front of strangers who were really not religious. They were a beautiful family with grown children in their twenties who spoke to each other with the greatest amount of respect. By the second night my wife and I told them that if that was there custom we would be joining them saying grace everynight if they didnt mind. Well for the rest of the week we said grace before dinner and it just seemed so natural.

[Stella Darling]

On a 12-night Hawaiian cruise, we had a great table of a family celebrating their parents' 50th Anniversary and one independent moron who tried to convince us all he was some type of secret agent. He used to tell us he can't say exactly what he does, but he works for the government and it's "really, really dangerous stuff." HA!!! What soap opera did his life belong on?? He used to flip out at the waiter every night when his milk wasn't cold enough, but the thought of adding ice to it was preposterous to him. We all finally ganged up on him after about a week, and kicked him off our table. He was such a loser. If you're reading this, that means YOU, Peter!!

[PEGLEG]

On a 12-night Hawaiian cruise, we had a great table of a family celebrating their parents' 50th Anniversary and one independent moron who tried to convince us all he was some type of secret agent. He used to tell us he can't say exactly what he does, but he works for the government and it's "really, really dangerous stuff." HA!!! What soap opera did his life belong on?? He used to flip out at the waiter every night when his milk wasn't cold enough, but the thought of adding ice to it was preposterous to him. We all finally ganged up on him after about a week, and kicked him off our table. He was such a loser. If you're reading this, that means YOU, Peter!!

 

Oh crap!, You were not supposed to say anything. Now you blew my cover.

 

Peter.

[Pacific Sandy]

A few years back we had these table mates from Canada. Young daughter (6 or so), late 20's mother and 60's something grandmother. Nice people mind you, but they have a complex that Canada is a so much better place to live than the USA.

 

Hey man, we've been listening to you guys say it for years, now that we have figured out the truth, and according to the United Nations it is, we are LOVING IT.

 

From and UNBELIEVABLY PROUD CANADIAN (with cheaper prices and health care)

[griswalds]

First I feel lucky when I read the other stories.

 

Our first interesting experience was with a guy who brought his own Kraft salad dressing to the table every night. The look on the waiters face was priceless. The waiter didn't know what to do but carried on regardless. Kraft should find this guy and do a commercial...he was from Arkansas.

 

Then we had the couple where the DH was a paid lobbyist in Washington DC. You name the topic and the DW could direct the conversation toward her husband the lobbyist, even if it meant talking over people to get into the conversation across the table. It came to the point we just had to tune them out.

 

We have met fantastic people on all of our cruises and I hate to dwell on the negative. One of our best table mates were the Republican Ladies from Whittier, California. They were all in their 80's plus and had more spunk than most passengers we have met. Canes and walkers did not slow them down one bit and I got some good advice on which machine to play at the casino.

Cha ching, cha ching $$$$.

Griswalds

[The Viking]

I was reading this with much interest and because nervous someone would write about DW and I. Not yet.

 

I do have one question as to why some of you just leave the dining room because you have some obnoxious table mates. To me it seems as you are letting them get away with it. This way they will continue to feel they are ssuperior. In most cases a few well formulated sentences can silence them.

[JPEvans]

Hi - We were seated with this awful man once. Every night, when the waiter was taking dessert orders, he say, "I want an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie". This was not on the menu, of course. When the waiter would tell him they didn't have any, he would refuse any dessert at all.

 

On the last night of the cruise, the chef made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies especially for him and the guy refused to eat them because it took so long to make them.

 

The whole table wanted to kill him.

 

Sounds like something my father would do. At just about every meal on a ship or in a restaurant on land he would ask the waitress(if it was a waiter he wouldn't ask) for rice pudding for dessert, even though it is never on the menu. He wouldn't be mean about it. I think he was trying to be a comedian.

But I roll my eyes anyways.

[Juli]

Hello Stella Darling:

 

Does PETER happen to be from San Fransciso?

He sounds like my tablemate from HELL on an earlier cruise this year.

[aqhacruiser]

We've always had wonderful tablemates and most I still keep in touch with. On our last cruise we had a couple from Florida on the Explorer and they've never cruised out of NY before only Miami. Everyone else at the table was from NY/NJ. I can get along with anyone for a short time so this was really funny as I knew as soon as this Florida couple started saying things, it wasn't going to be pretty as I could feel the tension building from others at our table. First they commented on race, then on how they disliked anyone who wasn't straight, then about various ethnic people they did not like and a few other little nasty comments. I told my DH after that first night this was not going to be good! So you are probably thinking this couple was pretty straight laced. Ha!:D The next night they proceeded to tell us ALL in GRAPHIC detail about their couple massage, how they can't wait to get to get naked at Orient beach, etc! They were in their middle 60's. OMG!:eek: This was going to be a LONG cruise and I'm thinking no one is ever going to believe this when I tell them about these people. Well I didn't have to wait too long. On the third night they make their final and FATAL mistake. They start off saying how ugly NYC and NJ is. That was it! The woman on my left flipped out on them and it was pretty much a feeding frenzy after that! They still continued to make these nasty comments. The husband stands up and leaves the table. His wife is calmly eating her dinner which was a good thing as at least she wasn't insulting anyone. I'm thinking he went to the bathroom so no big deal. About 10 minutes go by and suddenly the wife in the middle of buttering her roll, jumps up, throws down the roll and bolts from the table! We all just looked at each other and one man said THANK GOD! We never did see them again. It was just a bizarre experience! The rest of us had a great time at dinner after that! :)

[pamelacourson]

one time in the Radiance of the seas in 2003 i shared a table with a Russian family of 4, they ordered each 4 appeteizers 2 salads plus 3 main courses each, sending the wait staff up and down back to the kitchen, same to assistant waiter, we felt sorry for the staff, because they were concerned as well for not giving us the proper service because of these people,and the last night they did not showed up to pay the gratuity, i felt really terrible for them, because this must happen more often than we think.