Traditional Dining Question

[defreeze]

With Traditional Dining, I understand the time is fixed each evening. Is your table the same each night too? Or is it "open seating" at a fixed time?

 

Thanks.

[Woobstr112G]

With Traditional Dining, I understand the time is fixed each evening. Is your table the same each night too? Or is it "open seating" at a fixed time?

 

Thanks.

 

Your table will be the same for each night.....

 

Bob

 

Future: Diamond Princess Aus/Nz 01/09

Future: Emerald Princess Med/Trans Atlantic 10/08

Constellation Europe 07/06

Summit Alaska Repositioning 05/05

Summit Panama Canal 10/02

Rhapsody Of The Seas Alaska 09/01

Spledour Of The Seas Baltic 09/99

Veendam Eastern Caribbean 07/96

Holiday Western Carribean 07/93

[paul929207]

With traditional dining you have an assigned time (6:00 or 8:15), table, tablemates, waiter and assistant waiter.

[dforeigner]

With traditional dining you have an assigned time (6:00 or 8:15), table, tablemates, waiter and assistant waiter.

 

Same chair also. :D

[packed&ready!]

Same chair is not required on traditional dining.

[Druke I]

Reference same chair - if the others at the table are agreeable, we like to switch chairs. We think that enhances the conversations.

 

We usually ask for a round table for six, which we find the most convenient.

[WeBeGone]

Also remember that if you find your tablemates not what you wish to sit with for your whole cruise, just speak to the maitre 'de about changing tables.

[dforeigner]

Same chair is not required on traditional dining.

 

I was trying to be funny. But I guess you missed the ":D ".

[mauiedin87]

Another thing is that they give you 15 minutes if you are late, then they take your table mates' order. If you have early seating, they have to do that because they need a little time to clear the tables, put on fresh tablecoths etc. for the next seating. What I'm saying is that it's not politically correct to sashay in 30 minutes after your assigned seating time:D

[goinsoon]

I like your sense of humor. Out last cruise another couple joined out table mid cruise and the wife took MY chair...........I did a little pouty face and then realized I needed to grow up!!!! Of couse, it did have the best view over looking the wake of the ship;) and these userpers(sp?) just killed the dynamics of the the table.............ok, just kidding, great couple and we had a wonderful time with them the remained of the cruise!

[Pam in CA]

With Traditional Dining, I understand the time is fixed each evening. Is your table the same each night too? Or is it "open seating" at a fixed time?

 

With traditional dining you have an assigned time (6:00 or 8:15), table, tablemates, waiter and assistant waiter.

The assigned times for late seating can be anywhere from 8 - 8:30PM. I've have 8PM, 8:15PM and 8:30PM on different cruises over the past couple of years.

 

As for the chairs, we make a point of telling our tablemates that we like switching around, often not sitting next to each other, so that we can get to know everyone better at the table. At first they're startled but then get into the swing of it. :) Every night, we each take a different chair and it almost always works out great.

[defreeze]

Thanks for the responses.

[John in Cicero]

Assuming that other people will "like" your idea of switching seats is way too presumptious. There are some people - just like in church - that can't stand "change", and you messing them up is not appreciated nor wanted. They may not SAY anything, just to be polite, but your presumption that this is the way things should be, and they need to like it, is really selfish and inconsiderate. I go on a cruise to enjoy myself, not to meet controlling people.

[Cruise38]

John, your kidding right, if not please lighten up. Switching around at the table is great fun. Some couples prefer to always sit together, but being able to get to know everyone at your table makes for a better dining experience.

 

Barbara

[bdjam]

Assuming that other people will "like" your idea of switching seats is way too presumptious. There are some people - just like in church - that can't stand "change", and you messing them up is not appreciated nor wanted. They may not SAY anything, just to be polite, but your presumption that this is the way things should be, and they need to like it, is really selfish and inconsiderate. I go on a cruise to enjoy myself, not to meet controlling people.

Ouch.

[mytime53]

Assuming that other people will "like" your idea of switching seats is way too presumptious. There are some people - just like in church - that can't stand "change", and you messing them up is not appreciated nor wanted. They may not SAY anything, just to be polite, but your presumption that this is the way things should be, and they need to like it, is really selfish and inconsiderate. I go on a cruise to enjoy myself, not to meet controlling people.

 

And I would say that someone who insisted that everyone else sit in the same seats every night was "really selfish and inconsiderate. I go on a cruise to enjoy myself, not to meet controlling people."

[Pam in CA]

Assuming that other people will "like" your idea of switching seats is way too presumptious. There are some people - just like in church - that can't stand "change", and you messing them up is not appreciated nor wanted. They may not SAY anything, just to be polite, but your presumption that this is the way things should be, and they need to like it, is really selfish and inconsiderate. I go on a cruise to enjoy myself, not to meet controlling people.

Not sure how to respond other than to say that the seats at a table on a cruise aren't assigned; they're not "their" seats. If people want to sit together, that's fine with us. We always ask for a table for 8 and are usually 3 of us, leaving plenty of seats together. Often, there are worse/better seats at a table for whatever reason (underneath an A/C duct, next to a window, so close to another table so that the waitstaff has to bump your chair to squeeze by, etc.) and it's only fair that people take turns. On the Royal Princess, we were assigned a large table where three people sat on a banquette so that the middle person was always hemmed in. Not everyone enjoys scooting around every time they sit down. To get out, the people in chairs on either side had to move. Not the best table in the place nor would you want to be stuck there for weeks on end. But that's my opinion.

[cage keeper]

On our last cruise we entered the dining room on the second night to find our table mates in our seats. From that night on we sat in a different seat every night and it drove our waiter crazy.:D

[skf]

You can always sit together & let the others move around.

If cage keeper's waiter is driven crazy by this, then he needs a new line of work.

Steve

[cage keeper]

You can always sit together & let the others move around.

If cage keeper's waiter is driven crazy by this, then he needs a new line of work.

Steve

 

WOW, people around here need to lighten up:eek: . First off I was trying to make light of the not so nice posts and was joking. :rolleyes:

 

Second, being in the rest. business for 35 years waiters remember people and their particulars partly by name but also by location.

[jfv379]

Also remember that if you find your tablemates not what you wish to sit with for your whole cruise, just speak to the maitre 'de about changing tables.

 

Do you mean a table mate like the guy who sent his meal back three times on the first night?:D That certainly made dinner interesting.

[Pam in CA]

On our last cruise we entered the dining room on the second night to find our table mates in our seats. From that night on we sat in a different seat every night and it drove our waiter crazy.:D

I have never driven a waiter crazy. They make a point of getting to know who the people are at their table and what their preferences are, not by where they sit. The people we DO drive crazy are the photographers who keep on wanting to pair people up. I have no qualms about driving them crazy.

[cacy6893076]

Not only do waiters base memory cues on where you sit, they use all kinds of tools you may not notice such as a particular fork or knife to remember things such as who gets the fish, etc.....just so you know. Been there done that....I was with a couple once who traded knives f or the appetizer...they were studying it.....and when the entrees came out the waiter placed them wrong and they wondered why. Both my partner and myself who were restaturant people in a former life noticed it and got a great chuckle out of it.:p

[pwandersen]

The advantage/disadvantage to Traditional is that you get the same wait staff and tablemates at the same time each night. The advantage/disadvantage to Anytime is that you do not. DW and I, after tring Anytime, decided to move back to Traditional. Dif'rent strokes for dif'rent folks.

[Travelrd]

My first cruise was tradional dining. It was the late seating. I am single and was assigned to a table for 10 but there were only nine of us. The table was a rectangle. It was a wonderful group and all differet ages grops. We all, excpet one, got along very well and enjoyed learning about each other and also listening to what each of us did during that day.

 

However, I would have enjoyed it better if it was a round table. We never changed seats so we essentially were with the same people every night. I like the idea of changing seats to get to your tablemates better. One my last cruise, I had anytime dining which I partialy liked and partially disliked. My next cruise will be tradional dining but this time, I'm going to see if they have round tables instead of long rectangular tables.