Mura Posted October 3, 2012 #26 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Oh my, rude indeed. The only time we've been invited to the captain's table was when we were in a top suite, and that doesn't happen often. But I couldn't imagine leaving early to get a good seat at the show! Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traveler916 Posted October 4, 2012 #27 Share Posted October 4, 2012 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. We were on a the Marina this past March and ate in the Terrace Grill or Waves every day for lunch, and then one evening, when Red Ginger didn't particularly appeal to me (my wife LOVED IT), we went to the Terrace Grill for dinner and that was soooooo wonderful. We actually never made it to the MDR...either ate at the Terrace Grill, Waves, in our suite or in the specialty restaurants. Terrace, while a buffet,is like everything else on Marina...classy. I am sure you will like it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ronrick1943 Posted October 4, 2012 #28 Share Posted October 4, 2012 I agree, why the big deal. We book an owners suite every time we cruise and eating with someone that we don't have anything in common with just isn't my thing. I agree, the specialty restaurant, in suite dining with friends and/or new friends is the way to go. However everyone should do what's fun for them, and if dining with the Captain is it--then do it and enjoy the night. Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook1 Posted October 4, 2012 #29 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Funny but true story. We once took a last minute seven day Mexico cruise on Pacific Princess of TV LOVE BOAT fame merely to surprise business friends who were in the top suite. Our bilge bin was bottom deck inside. We had sailed with Capt. Jackson previously and I learned he liked Foster beer. Upon boarding I asked our cabin attendent to see Capt. Jackson received a Foster oil can I had brought as a gift. After surprising our friends we checked to see if we could be seated together. A glance at the seating manifest brought this respose, "Not possible Mr. H as you and Ms. H are at the captain's table Mr. and Ms. S are at the 3rd. officer's table." And so it was for the next seven days...Bilge and Penthourse segregated by Foster Lagar! Do we care if we are asked to dine with the skipper? Depends on the man wearing the gold brand.:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelglobetrotter Posted October 5, 2012 #30 Share Posted October 5, 2012 We sailed with Captain Brajcic for 35 days in 2010, and I don't think he ever missed dining at the Terrace for one of the special ethnic nights. We were at the adjacent table, so should we have bragged that we dined with the Captain? We appreciated that he supported these themed nights as much as we enjoyed his easy friendliness, and are glad we'll be seeing him again next month for our Amazon adventure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted October 5, 2012 #31 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Does one have to "brag" about dinner with the captain? Does one have to be overly impressed with having been invited to the captain's table? We have very much enjoyed our few dinners at the captain's table ... but that's because the captains themselves are very interesting people! And I have to admit that I don't mind the free pours of wines ... If we aren't invited to dine with the captain (we rarely are) we aren't devastated ... but we know that when we are we will have a lovely evening. Oceania is the only line we've ever been on where we *have* been invited to dinner with the captain! Maybe that's because we've sailed on Oceania far more than on any other line. Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Knitter Posted October 5, 2012 #32 Share Posted October 5, 2012 I have been invited to dine with Officers in the Past and thanks to a good friend of mine enjoyed several dinings with the Captain on my TA cruise last Year. I have always sailed in a Concierge so it has nothing to do with being in an Owners Suite. The best perk with O is you are remembered by the Staff and treated like Family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondorner Posted October 5, 2012 #33 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Does one have to "brag" about dinner with the captain? Does one have to be overly impressed with having been invited to the captain's table?... Nope -- some people enjoy the Captain's Table several times, on more than one cruise line, and rarely mention it unless specifically asked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawaiidan Posted October 5, 2012 #34 Share Posted October 5, 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! What the attraction is to dine with the Captain? Here is a guy you have never known, dosent know you, with which it is more than likely you have nothing in common with. Is it being "seen" or what? On the ships part it appears to be just a public relations act...because I somehow doubt that the ships captain or officers have been waiting all their lives to meet you or me ! Sort of a "face book" friendship. Like going to dinner with you realestate agent . I would much rather dine with interesting people with which we have something in common with or are friends..some sort of depth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Knitter Posted October 5, 2012 #35 Share Posted October 5, 2012 What the attraction is to dine with the Captain? Here is a guy you have never known, dosent know you, with which it is more than likely you have nothing in common with. Is it being "seen" or what? On the ships part it appears to be just a public relations act...because I somehow doubt that the ships captain or officers have been waiting all their lives to meet you or me ! Sort of a "face book" friendship. Like going to dinner with you realestate agent . I would much rather dine with interesting people with which we have something in common with or are friends..some sort of depth. There isn't an attraction to a lot of the passengers I dined with at specialty restaurants onboard either but found everyone I met at dinner to be interesting enough to talk to. You perhaps have not had the pleasure to meet with Captain Demetrius Flokos who was in fact quite fascinating and it was nice to know the man who had control of the ship I was sailing on. I have been in the people business as a public servant all of my career and some of the people probably thought I was interesting or not depending on the outcome why we met. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jancruz Posted October 5, 2012 #36 Share Posted October 5, 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. Dimi is a very good friend of ours and he is really fun and interesting to be with..was Denise (his wife) with him..she also is terrific!! Jancruz1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted October 6, 2012 #37 Share Posted October 6, 2012 Nope -- some people enjoy the Captain's Table several times, on more than one cruise line, and rarely mention it unless specifically asked. Don, just in case I was misunderstood -- I completely agree with you. We've enjoyed the Captain's table the few times we were invited. Our hearts were not broken when we were not. Being invited doesn't make you any better than anyone else. Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacheco18 Posted October 6, 2012 #38 Share Posted October 6, 2012 The best thing about being invited to dine with ANY officer in the GDR is that you get good and speedy service -- much better than the service you get if you are on your own. One of the reasons we avoid the GDR is that service is unpredictable (depends on the station). We prefer not to dine for three hours, which is what often happens. On our TA we dined with the F & B Manager -- boy did we get good service! LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saltdiver Posted October 6, 2012 #39 Share Posted October 6, 2012 I believe it was Easter week 1993 when we took our two children for a cruise. Our 7 yo daughter was amused during formal dinners with Brie cheese fruit platters and animal napkins, while our 10 yo son was determined to eat two dinners every night. Nightly, crew and officers would stop by our table to meet our children and to teach them a new napkin folding pattern and to discuss their daily adventures. By the end of the cruise, the captain had been by twice and our children knew that if it wasn't on the menu, just ask - and though shall receive. Our children learned how to be gracious, respectful, and to speak up if there were any needs or concerns. Always a pleasure at our table vs theirs. A great experience for all.:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love.II.Cruise Posted October 6, 2012 #40 Share Posted October 6, 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". Ouch! :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook1 Posted October 6, 2012 #41 Share Posted October 6, 2012 The best thing about being invited to dine with ANY officer in the GDR is that you get good and speedy service -- much better than the service you get if you are on your own. One of the reasons we avoid the GDR is that service is unpredictable (depends on the station). We prefer not to dine for three hours, which is what often happens. On our TA we dined with the F & B Manager -- boy did we get good service! LOL Please don't imply you can spend three hours getting through a dinner in Grand Dining Room on a touted class act like Oceania! Now if it were NCL America in Hawaii on Pride (Disgrace) of America I could agree.:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare DOJO466 Posted October 6, 2012 #42 Share Posted October 6, 2012 Please don't imply you can spend three hours getting through a dinner in Grand Dining Room on a touted class act like Oceania! Now if it were NCL America in Hawaii on Pride (Disgrace) of America I could agree.:D We just got off the Riviera and we were asked to dine at the Captain's Table. I think it is a random selection. While the chat at the table was interesting, it took so long for dinner to be served that we missed the show we wanted to see. At first we were going to decline the invite but thought that might be considered rude. However we did like the flow of good wine:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digtexas Posted October 7, 2012 #43 Share Posted October 7, 2012 Be careful what you wish for. Before Crystal went all inclusive some pax requested seating at an officer's table because that meant he or she would provide nice wine for free. Of course the officers only dine in the MDR on a couple of formal nights. On a recent cruise we, and the couple that we were traveling with requested a table for 8 (fixed seating on Crystal) hoping to have fun and interesting table mates. As we were unpacking a man came by and notified us that our table assignment had changed, and it did not take long to realize we would now be seated at the Captain's table. It was our second time to dine with this captain and he is a great guy and funny and we like him, BUT it meant being seated at a table for 10 where we could not hear anyone but the person next to us, and we had nothing in common with most of them, and there are usually some singles, like the lovely lady who lives on the ship, who only come to the dining room occasionally, leaving big gaps in the table. So we had the maitre d' move us to our own table where the 4 of us would occasionally invite friends to join us. It worked out okay, but we would have preferred a regular table for 8, with or without an officer. Crystal tends to put pax with multiple cruises at the captain's tables, so now it has become something to avoid rather than to wish for. Of course on O, with open dining you have a different dynamic, which sounds very appealing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doubledobles Posted October 7, 2012 #44 Share Posted October 7, 2012 Nope -- some people enjoy the Captain's Table several times, on more than one cruise line, and rarely mention it unless specifically asked. We've dined at the Captain's table frequently, have never mentioned it, and have loved meeting the different people the Captain invited along with ourselves. It's a long and leisurely dinner with good wine and interesting conversation. Different strokes for different folks, as they say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBMiner Posted October 9, 2012 #45 Share Posted October 9, 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". The comedian stole this story. It is supposed to be an actual response by Lady Astor who was invited to dine with the captain while sailing from Southhampton to New York in the 1920's. Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinkletoes4445 Posted October 20, 2012 #46 Share Posted October 20, 2012 We've never been asked to dine with the Captain until our recent river cruise. It did surprise us when we saw the invitation, because we couldn't figure out why they would have chosen us. We had a really nice evening. Along with the Captain, the Hotel Manager also dined with us. In addition to the two of us, there was a group of five women we'd dubbed "The Happy Gals" and one other couple. It was a nice mix of people and we all enjoyed each other. We later found out that the Purser had arranged this for us. We spent quite a bit of time with her as she set up many private excursions for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.