Table Mates

[westernmom]

We once had a table for 8. 2 other couples about our age showed up about the same time we did. About 15 minutes later a young guy and an older woman show up. This is first night, he's in a suit and tie, she's dressed to the nines and looks like she had been an instructor at the Tammy Fay school of makeup [Heavy division]. They never said a word to us or even acknowledged anyone else was at the table. They ordered, and 2 or 3 minutes later, they got up and left. Couple of minutes later the M'D shows up with 2 bottles of Champers for the table. None of us ordered it and told him so. He said it was ordered for the table, not for a name. So we enjoyed it.

Every night the Champagne showed up, but Tammy and the Tiger did not.

Strange.

And I never saw that pair anywhere else on the ship.

 

Dan

 

How funny!

 

It sounds like you probably got the best of the deal with the Champagne!!! Maybe not as interesting though.

 

Tammy was probably living her second childhood...

[BigDfromTN]

On our last cruise we had a cruise know it all at our table. We just did our best to turn the conversation elsewhere.

 

So thats why yall kept changing the subject!:eek:

 

Just so ya know.. and I will be on the Freedom April 12th. What makes me the bad tablemate? My inability to NOT laugh at other's expense, my inability to keep my mouth shut, my propensity for talking about bodily functions at dinner, my dry sarcastic comments, my food snobbery, the fact that im more than likely smarter than you, and wont be afraid to let you know. If you see me at your table.. request a change. It will be in your best interest.;)

 

HMMMMM typical yank.

 

We have always been seated with friends we booked with.

On our next trip there is only 4 of us booked and am curious if and who they will seat us with.

We met the couple we are traveling with on our last cruise. We were tablemates at "The Cats Meow" in Mahajual, MX (Costa Maya).

[Luweez]

I love sitting with strangers at dinner. You get to meet many different people and it's nice to talk about their cruise experiences and plans for ports. When booking I request a large table.

Don't assume that because someone doesn't attend dinner on the last night it's to avoid tips. Last year on the final night we wanted to sit with the group of people we had been hanging out with all week but we made sure we got to our waiter/asst prior to dinner to explain the situation and give them their tips. We also found our tablemates to say goodbye and explain why we weren't going to be at our last dinner.

[dan40]

I love sitting with strangers at dinner. You get to meet many different people and it's nice to talk about their cruise experiences and plans for ports. When booking I request a large table.

Don't assume that because someone doesn't attend dinner on the last night it's to avoid tips. Last year on the final night we wanted to sit with the group of people we had been hanging out with all week but we made sure we got to our waiter/asst prior to dinner to explain the situation and give them their tips. We also found our tablemates to say goodbye and explain why we weren't going to be at our last dinner.

 

The low attendance on the final night was way back in the tip-in-envelope days, years ago. Your cruise last year was in the auto-tip system and unless you removed the tip from your account, the workers got their tips whether you handed out a voucher envelope or not.

 

In the old days of cash tips, the final nights dinners sometimes were well less than half full, AND THERE WERE NO OTHER RESTAURANTS OR BUFFETS. What other assumption could be made in that era?

Today, many dine in alternative restaurants and/or the buffet on any night of the cruise, so some are MIA every night.

 

Dan

[VentureMan_2000]

We've mostly had good table mates.

 

We did have one that on the 2nd night in the dining room proceeded to tell us all they they don't like cruising... that there's nothing to do.

 

"Nothing to do ?" I shot back. I then pointed out that the ship had 9 bars, kareoke, 3 pools, a gym, 3 hot tubs, a steam room, a sauna, two shows every night, 3 ports to visit, 3 formal dining times with servers each day, buffet on the Lido, shops to browse, wonderful ocean views, silly daily contests for entertainment, bingo, a casino, coffee bars, turn-down service, daily room make-up twice a day, room service, piano bar, jazz bar, sports bar, photo opportunities, Spa services, on-shore excursions, and lot's of live musicians around the ship.

 

I also had a hard time believing he was bored as he and his wife enjoy vacationing in a pull-trailer.

 

Some folks are just not happy unless they are unhappy.

[MTcruiser]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=679351

 

Allow me to direct you to post #12 in my Miracle review. :(

 

Three wonderful tablemates; one was The Passenger From Hell.

 

Next time, no matter how nice the other folks might be, I will ask to be moved. I will not spend my wonderful time at dinner with someone like Alice.

 

She should be banned.

 

wow..lol

 

that would be bad

[DiveCruiser]

we have never had a bad table mate

 

Bob

[cmecruise1962]

If you are a family with children, do they usually try to have your tablemates families with children? I was hoping we would be assigned with other families with kids around the same ages.

 

 

I had given her the cruise for Christmas (She's 12) and we were seated with Tiggerluvr who was with her niece (who got the cruise for her 10th birthday which was Sat night on the cruise) and a father who was there with his son to celebrate his 13th birthday. The kids joined us each night, but they were always chomping at the bit to get away and join Camp Carnival, and I could sit and enjoy the dinner with the other adults. I think Carnival is amazing at matching tablemates.

 

On our first Carnival cruise, my boyfriend and I did get stuck with some South African honeymooners who completely ignored us, but were quite friendly when a father and daughter, also from South Africa joined us. We asked to be moved and were seated with 6 other youngish couples...and met our new best friends forever...still stay in touch!

[gescn]

I always wonder what my tablemates will be like on future cruises. I'm really worried about my next cruise. I just have a feeling they will be really strange. Oh wait, we're sailing with MY family.......

[babyher]

All but one of our cruises DW and I have been with a large group of friends so we make up ourt own tables. But the one time we did sit with strangers was a very nice experience. Nice folks.

 

Whenever I read one of these tablemate/traveling companions from hell threads , I always think about my sister.

 

Several years ago she went with her husband on one of his business junkets to Las Vegas . She figured a few days of gambleing , shopping and shows . What the heck.

 

When they get there the first day, they have this meet and greet cocktail party for all the people at this conference. From that moment on, one of the couples (especially the wife) latched onto my sister and brother in law , and for the next few days , they could hardly go to the bathroom without the husband or wife right along side them.

 

Bad enough they did this, but being around them as my sister said was like being on the set of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" *LOL* :)

 

This was a deeply troubled, volitile couple. When the husband was alone with them he would bring up all these DEEPLY personal problems in their marriage. And the wife would do the same when she was alone with them.

 

Mind you they just met!!! :)

 

In my younger , going out clubbing days , my buddies used to say I had "the freak magnet" *LOL*

 

I could just be sitting there minding my business and the crazy people of the world just come up to me and start a conversation and just drag me into their world of lunacy. OK OK somethimes I get into and play along *LOL*

 

But most times it annoying.

 

Fortunately everytime I have been on a cruise the freak magnet isn't quite so strong :)

[MISSSNOOPYGIRL]

I too have always curiously wondered who my table mates would be, but I finally realized I don't care. I have never had anyone I really clicked with and it just led to nervous, akward conversations. On 1 cruise since we are a young couple, they sat us with 3 other young couples who were nothing like us. We were blue collar and they were white collar, almost snobby.

 

From now on I will request my table for 2 and enjoy my meal, which is what I'm there for, NOT to feel like it's the first day of school all over again and will I make friends?

[hubofhockey]

I too have always curiously wondered who my table mates would be, but I finally realized I don't care. I have never had anyone I really clicked with and it just led to nervous, akward conversations. On 1 cruise since we are a young couple, they sat us with 3 other young couples who were nothing like us. We were blue collar and they were white collar, almost snobby.

 

From now on I will request my table for 2 and enjoy my meal, which is what I'm there for, NOT to feel like it's the first day of school all over again and will I make friends?

 

We usually cruise with our kids who are 8 and 10 and get a table for 4. I suppose they could put us at a table for 8 with a similar family but my two kids are enough and 4 kids at a table could make a bit of noise at a table. I guess table sharing works for many families. I just don't want to be "married" to another family at dinner for eight straight nights on my cruise. I understand it's a great way to meet people. But so is Camp Carnival for the kids and nice small independent excursions too.

[Harrier1961]

I have never had a bad experience with table mates. The first two cruises were work organinzed so we all had something in common (and I was traveling with friends). The third cruise, we had a big (16+) group of friends and relatives so that wasn't a problem. The last cruise it was just my wife and I and her mother and we sat by ourselves.

 

However, on my fourth cruise, I was cruising alone and shared a table with the best table mates. There were six of us. Two single girls from Toronto, CA traveling together, a newlywed couple (this was their honeymoon), and another gentleman traveling alone besides myself. He also just happened to be from Toronto and lived not too far from the ladies.

 

We all had a blast. Everynight after dinner, the single ladies and I would hit the piano bar. Fabulous! The girls would also hit the disco afterwards and the rest of us joined them one night and had a great time. This was also the first time I had a cat 1a cabin (on the riviera deck all the way forward). The best cruise I have ever had. I LOVE the Valor!

 

Cheers.

 

Andy

[Maxax]

We have never had BAD tablemates....they have always been okay! Except once, we had fantastic tablemates. Similar ages, similar interests, except they were from Switzerland (and only spoke broken English)...and we're from America. We got along great though...and by the end of the cruise we were doing everything together. And we still talk today via e-mail! Our tablemates on that trip...really MADE the trip! That's only happened once...but like I said originally, usually...our tablemates are always...okay...no problems!

[dan40]

Another story. A longer cruise [2 weeks]. The table next to us interacted with our table, so it was sort of like an extra large table instead of 2. There was a guy at the next table that wore an extra fine looking tux on the formal nights with different accessories each time.

 

HOWEVER,

 

All the other nights he wore a dark blue upscale t-shirt thing. It had a pattern in the cloth and was between a t-shirt and a pullover sweater, but closer to the shirt than the sweater. EVERY night! And he was a messy eater. So there appeared a spot of this, then a spot of that, until he was throughly disgusting. By the end, his solid colored shirt was multi-colored and impossible to miss. Ugh! By the end of week one, we were happy that it was 2 tables and we were at the other one.

 

Dan

[jcg]

First cruise: RCCL-two of three couples showed up two to three of the seven nights; the rest of the time we ate alone, staring at another couple at the next table who ate alone the whole week. Wish I had known we could have asked to be seated together. The two couples were nice.

 

Second cruise: HAL- Sat with family of four (mom, adult daugher, adult son and wife) and another couple. I was really hoping to share the wine I brought from home with everyone-it was red. Everyone else at the table liked white. Oh well, took a bottle back home.

 

Last two cruises: Carnival- we cruised with family and all sat together. Had a good time.

[Underwater Balcony Snob]

Wow! I can't believe this thread is still running.

 

I had not thought of the first day of school mind set, yet, that's exactly what it is. Wondering who'll be at the table, where you'll be seated, will you get along...

[tripdaddy0801]

The last 4 cruises we have taken, we have always had family as tablemates. Only our first cruise that we had 7 years ago had strangers on it. That was our honeymoon cruise. It was the one that hooked us. We had a large table for 10 that had 3 other single couples and one small family. We attended dinner every night. Only one other couple came every night also. One couple was sea sick almost the entire cruise. The first dinner was the only time we even saw them the entire cruise. Everyone was very nice and conversation went smoothly. This cruise coming up we again will be cruising without kids or family. We hope to have a large table again so we can meet more interesting cruisers.

[farler05]

Just so ya know.. and I will be on the Freedom April 12th. What makes me the bad tablemate? My inability to NOT laugh at other's expense, my inability to keep my mouth shut, my propensity for talking about bodily functions at dinner, my dry sarcastic comments, my food snobbery, the fact that im more than likely smarter than you, and wont be afraid to let you know. If you see me at your table.. request a change. It will be in your best interest.;)

Go back under your bridge troll.

[petro772]

If I found one particular CC poster as my tablemate, I would think about jumping ship. ;)

[gescn]

Don't assume that because someone doesn't attend dinner on the last night it's to avoid tips.

 

 

So true. On our last cruise, it was just my DD and me. The last night, she didn't want to eat because she was exhausted from all of the fun. After I dressed, I went to get a pizza for her. By the time I returned to the room, she was in so much pain that we ended up in the infirmary. Keep in mind that I already had my envelopes with the extra tips ready. After missing dinner to spend a few hours in the infirmary, all I could think of is our tablemates thinking we skipped out on the last night to avoid tipping (thanks to this board!!). I was finally able to sneak away for a few minutes at about 10:30, so I ran up to the dining room to try to find our waiter. He was not around, but I did find the maitre'd. I explained what had happened and gave him the envelopes with our waiter's and asst. waiter's names on them. I hope they got them!

 

The rest of the story...back down to the infirmary where DD had 3 x-rays and 2 CBCs, and spent the entire night there. She slept about 20 minutes every hour, mom slept -0-. The thought was that her appendix might have ruptured and we would have to be medi-vac'd. Luckily it was the last night, and she was stabilized until we could get to land (and the nearest ER). Turned out it was just a gastro-something (just??). She was fine within 2 days, but what a memory we have!! This was on a RCCL ship, but I have complete confidence that we would have received the same compasionate care on any CCL ship.

[dan40]

Don't assume that because someone doesn't attend dinner on the last night it's to avoid tips.

 

 

So true. On our last cruise, it was just my DD and me. The last night, she didn't want to eat because she was exhausted from all of the fun. After I dressed, I went to get a pizza for her. By the time I returned to the room, she was in so much pain that we ended up in the infirmary. Keep in mind that I already had my envelopes with the extra tips ready. After missing dinner to spend a few hours in the infirmary, all I could think of is our tablemates thinking we skipped out on the last night to avoid tipping (thanks to this board!!). I was finally able to sneak away for a few minutes at about 10:30, so I ran up to the dining room to try to find our waiter. He was not around, but I did find the maitre'd. I explained what had happened and gave him the envelopes with our waiter's and asst. waiter's names on them. I hope they got them!

 

The rest of the story...back down to the infirmary where DD had 3 x-rays and 2 CBCs, and spent the entire night there. She slept about 20 minutes every hour, mom slept -0-. The thought was that her appendix might have ruptured and we would have to be medi-vac'd. Luckily it was the last night, and she was stabilized until we could get to land (and the nearest ER). Turned out it was just a gastro-something (just??). She was fine within 2 days, but what a memory we have!! This was on a RCCL ship, but I have complete confidence that we would have received the same compasionate care on any CCL ship.

 

People missing the last night to avoid tipping is not a modern happening. It was in the past, before auto-tipping. In those old days, there was only the dining room for all 3 meals, with assigned times and tables at all 3 meals. The only other thing was a small snack bar. No buffets, no dinner clubs, no pizzeria. So when the dining room was MORE than half empty the last evening it was obviously to avoid tipping. Your cruise last year had to be on a ship that had multiple dining choices and some people missed the dining room every night including the final. So when someone talks about missing the dining room to avoid tipping, they're talking about the old days. Now there is no way to notice that.

 

Dan

[ladycaveat]

As someone that cruises solo . . . it's always been the luck of the draw with who my tablemates were. And in all my cruises (the one in April with be my eighth) . . . I've always liked my tablemates and I guess listening to some stories . . . been very lucky. This time . . . for the first time . . . I am going to be fortunate enough to actually dine at a table with people I've met on our Roll Call Board (bless you Diane for inviting me). :p

[KroozNut]

No.. technically I have, indeed, been on earth longer than 12 years. It may be hard to believe, but it is true. That is another reason im a horrible tablemate... I have Peter Pan syndrome. :D

 

I would agree with you that you have a syndrome, but Peter Pan does not immediately come to mind..

[Underwater Balcony Snob]

Last cruise (also our first cruise), I was so uptight and trying to see everything that by the time dinner rolled around, I was tired and just wanted to eat and go to bed. This time, I want to participate in all of the activities, yes, even dancing in the dining room!

 

I just hope we're not at a table with a bunch of fuddy-duddies! If so, is it possible to force someone to have fun????:p