TonyB99

1 hour ago, rodndonna said:

Over the last few years though, there seem to be just too many topics being brought up that I'd rather not chat about on my vacation, and so we no longer dine with others. Shared dining is just a fond distance memory for us now and will stay that way.

It seems the art of civilized, non-confrontational, dinner conversation has suffered as a result of the polarization of the population. Our electronic devices simply present one view or another, and seem to encourage uncivil discourse. Great pity.

4 minutes ago, ziggyuk said:

 

The old fashioned table sharing on cruise lines is becoming a thing of the past, 

Fortunately I do not find that to be the case, but perhaps it is only on the more up-market lines where it is practiced. I suspect this will be my first and last NCL cruise based on the responses here.

13 minutes ago, ziggyuk said:

 

It is still the case NCL are not unusual to offer a table to suite your party size, this is how most restaurants operate the world over. So there is nothing for them to make clear when booking, its normal practice.

 

 

Cruise ships are not "normal" restaurants, and most actively cater to those of us who prefer to dine with a group of like-minded more adventurous diners. So be it, my mistake booking NCL.

1 minute ago, ziggyuk said:

If you want to dine with others, make up a group on your roll call and dine together as a large party.

 

There is no "policy of no sharing tables" BTW.

I do not want to have to try to find dining companions, I want the Maitre'd to do it, as do other cruise lines. Yes, there is a policy of not offering sharing tables when one checks into the dining room. (Or so I have been told by NCL).

But the policy is still in place, no sharing tables. They do not make that clear in any of their documentation ("eat any time, anywhere" also misleading given the trouble I had getting reservations weeks ago.), and I feel sorry that I have a 2 week cruise coming up in that environment.

Amazing to see so many really introverted cruisers. I consider myself more introverted than extroverted, but we always enjoy asking for a 6 or 8-top sharing table for dinner on a cruise. It is always interesting to meet a mixture of people, and only rarely have we met a total bore or self-possessed person. I am off on an NCL cruise in a few days (Prima) and hope most of those here are not on the ship!

Just get the proctored self-test kits, about $25 each.

Still booked on the Wind Surf Jan 15th 14-day cruise, rather annoyed at the lack of communication from Windstar. I believe we have up to 48 hours before the cruise (is that two days before cruise day, or 48 hours before cruise departure time day 1?), but that is not with a full refund, just a future cruise credit and I am not sure we would like to cruise with this company again given how they are treating this situation.