4JACK Posted March 26, 2012 #1 Share Posted March 26, 2012 What criteria is used to be selected to sit at the Captain's Table in the GDR? We had the honor of dining with Captain Dimitrious Flokas and his other guests last month during our "Islands in the Sun" cruise and it was the highlight of our cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted March 26, 2012 #2 Share Posted March 26, 2012 We ate with the Captain when we received our Bronze pin but not sure how others are invited Perhaps you can just ask the concierge to include you on the list for eating with the Captain:confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orchestrapal Posted March 26, 2012 #3 Share Posted March 26, 2012 We have always been invited when cruising in owners or vista suites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silkman Posted March 26, 2012 #4 Share Posted March 26, 2012 We stayed in an owner's suite on the Insignia twice ...once we were invited to the captain's table ...the other time , not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balloon Man Posted March 26, 2012 #5 Share Posted March 26, 2012 I usually invite the captain to join my wife and I at our table. Try it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orchestrapal Posted March 26, 2012 #6 Share Posted March 26, 2012 We stayed in an owner's suite on the Insignia twice ...once we were invited to the captain's table ...the other time , not. If we're ever on a cruise with you in the future, we'll be glad to have you take our place, and we'll enjoy dinner in our suite.:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silkman Posted March 27, 2012 #7 Share Posted March 27, 2012 If we're ever on a cruise with you in the future, we'll be glad to have you take our place, and we'll enjoy dinner in our suite.:) Thanks for the kind gesture:rolleyes:. Actually that was the only meal we ever ate in the MDR.The company was fine ...the food just ok. We always either eat in our suite or in the specialty restaurants. However, on our upcoming Marina cruise I'm sure we will try the Terrace Cafe for dinner at least once , as it seems to be getting good reviews by the posters on this RC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotelnerd Posted March 27, 2012 #8 Share Posted March 27, 2012 We were on a Regent cruise in January and were invited to dine with the Staff Captain. It was the night after the Costa ship ran aground - that was an interesting conversation. The only reason I can think of that we were asked was that we'd booked another future Regent cruise while onboard. We were staying in one of the least expensive level cabins and had only one previous cruise with that line. Had to be the onboard booking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted March 27, 2012 #9 Share Posted March 27, 2012 . Had to be the onboard booking. If that were the case on O the Captain would be eating with the passengers for breakfast, lunch & dinner :D:D:D If you are not in a suite or celebrating something special then i think it is just the luck of the draw;) JMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted March 27, 2012 #10 Share Posted March 27, 2012 We've been invited to the Captain's Table on three occasions and each time we were in an OS (once) or a VS (twice). But there is no guarantee. Friends of ours who were in a VS on the Midnight Sun cruise in July 2010 were invited to no special meals, not even one with a lower officer -- we've had non-captain "official" meals on several other cruises but we knew that was based on the number of cruises we'd already taken. I heard that on that particular cruise the Captain chose not to interact very much with passengers. I don't know for certain that was the case, just that I heard it was the case. So luck of the draw would seem to remain very much the case. (We were at Capt. Flokos' table last October and indeed he is a most charming and interesting man! It was a delightful evening.) Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palmetto Lady Posted March 28, 2012 #11 Share Posted March 28, 2012 We will be celebrating our 60th Anniversary next year (God Willing) on the Marina. Do you think we might get an invitation?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted March 28, 2012 #12 Share Posted March 28, 2012 We will be celebrating our 60th Anniversary next year (God Willing) on the Marina. Do you think we might get an invitation?? Congratulations!!! Maybe for 60 ..make sure your TA puts that on your file :) Forty did not make the cut ;) only got a card Lyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TERRIER1 Posted March 29, 2012 #13 Share Posted March 29, 2012 We were invited to the Captain's table on our 2nd or 3rd cruise and we were in a B cabin. We declined the invite since we touring late that day so never had the actual experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lane412000 Posted March 29, 2012 #14 Share Posted March 29, 2012 If we're ever on a cruise with you in the future, we'll be glad to have you take our place, and we'll enjoy dinner in our suite.:) And that, ladies and gentlemen is the correct answer....lol. We find this to be one of the best features of an Oceania OS, VS or PH. After doing it the first time upon returning from an all day excursion, we have swallowed the hook, line and sinker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digby Posted March 29, 2012 #15 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I've never understood why dining with a member of the staff is such a big deal! I've taken 2 cruises in an OS and one in a PH and never was invited to do so. They must have read my mind! LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaCroisiereS'amuse Posted March 29, 2012 #16 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I just don't get this "dining with the Captain thing"..... My partner & I have nicknamed the phenomenon "The Cult of the Captain" having witnessed the so many of our fellow travellers obsess about it on QM2 & it's one of the factors that drove us to Oceania. Whilst I have every respect for what the Captain & the officers do, especially in terms of safety, I don't feel the need to celebrate them - I have the same admiration for airline pilots, train drivers, commercial drivers etc etc., and these people are a rarely celebrated in such a fashion. Cunard's senior Captain is always feted on board as the Commodore, with both fellow passengers and crew getting quite sniffy if you refer to him as Captain. Their Carnival group sister line Costa, took things a little far with this....remember why the Concordia sailed too close to Giglio??? I've only dined at the Captain's table once on Sea Dream, and it was a crossing with only 68 passengers and 94 crew, so everyone was invited over the 10 days & it would have been a little churlish of me to have refused. If ever I'm asked on "O" I will politely decline & have a "dine in" night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickey 88 Posted March 29, 2012 #17 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I've never understood why dining with a member of the staff is such a big deal! I've taken 2 cruises in an OS and one in a PH and never was invited to do so. They must have read my mind! LOL! Methinks it's some sort of status symbol..... Get an invitation to the captain's table, and brag about it for the rest of your life!! I, too, have no idea how or where the invitations are made, and while we were happy to be invited, I hadn't a clue as to what tipped the scales!! My suggestion, if getting an invitation is so all-fired important, go talk to the Purser's office, make your wishes known, and pray! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palmetto Lady Posted April 1, 2012 #18 Share Posted April 1, 2012 This story was told by a comedian on one of our cruises. There was an elderly lady who had taken many cruises in one of the large suites. She received an invitation to dine at the captain's table. She declined. Night after night she was invited and night after night she declined. Finally, the cruise director was tasked with the finding out why she kept declining to dine with the captain. She replied "I don't pay all this money to dine with the crew". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaudiaF Posted April 3, 2012 #19 Share Posted April 3, 2012 This story was told by a comedian on one of our cruises. There was an elderly lady who had taken many cruises in one of the large suites. She received an invitation to dine at the captain's table. She declined. Night after night she was invited and night after night she declined. Finally, the cruise director was tasked with the finding out why she kept declining to dine with the captain. She replied "I don't pay all this money to dine with the crew". funny!;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaudiaF Posted April 3, 2012 #20 Share Posted April 3, 2012 you wrote in part.."We've been invited to the Captain's Table on three occasions and each time we were in an OS (once) or a VS (twice). But there is no guarantee." Yep, seems that everytime I book OS get that fancy invite..and FINALLY after all these years.....Mura..I get to meet you. Will see you on France cruise in a few weeks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capecodder2 Posted April 3, 2012 #21 Share Posted April 3, 2012 We were invited to dine with the captain on a cruise last year (our 10th in a B cabin) and accepted. I am not sure I would do it again. Pleasant but I really find it hard to converse with 12 people at a table. I don't think I told anyone we did that so have not used up any bragging rights - now you all know and I feel I did my duty. LOL Love the story of the lady not wanting to eat with the crew! How perfect. Some Captains are really not social people or not all that comfortable with English, I don't care as long as he is good at his job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacheco18 Posted April 3, 2012 #22 Share Posted April 3, 2012 We prefer being invited to eat with the Cruise Director (which we have done). It is usually a lot more fun (and there are always some good "stories" to be shared. On our Paul Gauguin cruise we were invited to eat with the Staff Captain. We were shocked. We were not in a suite, had never sailed on PG or Regent -- just ordinary passengers with no special credentials. They limited the table size to 8 and it was quite nice. It turned out that because there were fewer than 300 passengers on board, everyone got a turn dining with an officer -- an especially nice touch. On the PG, because of its size, passengers interact with the officers all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacmom Posted April 3, 2012 #23 Share Posted April 3, 2012 In 2004,we ere on a 3 week river cruise with 2 Captain's dinners. There was apax who complained loud and long about not being invited to the Captain's table. Before the 2nd dinner she started again. I said to some companions within earshot of her that I ate at the Captain's table every nite, breakfast and lunch. Infact I even slept with the Captain. She became apoplectic and how did I manage this? I said with a straight face I married him almost 40 years ago. He is a retired Captain USN. She did not laugh as the rest of us did. Sometimes these thoughts just get spoken. Pat:D:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RetiredFL Posted April 3, 2012 #24 Share Posted April 3, 2012 In 2004,we ere on a 3 week river cruise with 2 Captain's dinners. There was apax who complained loud and long about not being invited to the Captain's table. Before the 2nd dinner she started again. I said to some companions within earshot of her that I ate at the Captain's table every nite, breakfast and lunch. Infact I even slept with the Captain. She became apoplectic and how did I manage this? I said with a straight face I married him almost 40 years ago. He is a retired Captain USN. She did not laugh as the rest of us did. Sometimes these thoughts just get spoken. Pat:D:D Bravo!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surus Posted October 3, 2012 #25 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Our very first cruise was five years ago on Oceania, Rome to Barcelona. We were in a veranda cabin. For some reason we received an invitation to the Captain's table. Not only that, but he seated me to his right. We had a wonderful time. Another couple in one of the most expensive suites excused themselves midway through dinner to "get a good seat in the theater". Very rude. We still don't know why we were invited but enjoyed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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