MDR Seating - Which do you prefer and why?

[littlesteelo]

How do you prefer to be placed in the main dining room, a table just with your family/cruising group or on a table with random people?

[cb at sea]

I think I know where you stand by your use of "random"....sort of "off-putting".

 

 

We totally enjoy having tablemates. Hubby and I are "empty nesters"....and we're together most of the time. Even on a ship, we spend most of our time either together or just ourselves...reading, gambling,whatever... etc....

 

So, we look forward to dinner and having conversations with other people! Talking with others actually gives you, as a couple, more to talk about! And, since dinner is more than just a time to feed your face, (it's a social occassion and takes almost 2 hours), it's nice to be able to spend it chatting with other like-minded folks! You need to remember that EVERYONE is on the ship for the same reason....a fun vacation! Folks are happy! Ask their name...where they're from...what they do! What are they doing at the next stop? Tell them what your plans are. Have they been there before? Really...was it fun?

I mean, if you can't find something to chat about...then it's just too bad...most folks are happy to share stories and experiences.

So far, we haven't had ANY tablemates that were so bad we couldn't eat with them. Sure...some are more fun than others, but all have been nice!

 

Tablemates..for sure!

[will773]

I like to be sat with people that I don't know. It's great to meet new people!

[littlesteelo]

By random I meant randomly selected people who you don't know, not 'off-putting'. I have always had a table with my family, as my TA has always picked that by default, but I enjoyed having breakfast last time with a different set of people each day, and it made for very interesting conversation, so I am going to ask to have a bigger table this time. I just was interested to see what other people preferred to do.

[SamFritz]

We've met so many awesome people at our MDR assigned tables. We've made friends with whom we've stayed in contact long after the cruise. It's one of the highlights of our cruising experiences.

[DonnaK]

I like to be sat with people that I don't know. It's great to meet new people!

 

 

Us too! We've made some wonderful friends this way over the years!

[ryano]

I also want to be seated at the largest tables available with totally "random" people! It is also one of the highlights of my cruise as well!

[traveling1969]

Any table for two will do.

 

Harry

[maxs mom]

I think I know where you stand by your use of "random"....sort of "off-putting".

 

 

We totally enjoy having tablemates. Hubby and I are "empty nesters"....and we're together most of the time. Even on a ship, we spend most of our time either together or just ourselves...reading, gambling,whatever... etc....

 

So, we look forward to dinner and having conversations with other people! Talking with others actually gives you, as a couple, more to talk about! And, since dinner is more than just a time to feed your face, (it's a social occassion and takes almost 2 hours), it's nice to be able to spend it chatting with other like-minded folks! You need to remember that EVERYONE is on the ship for the same reason....a fun vacation! Folks are happy! Ask their name...where they're from...what they do! What are they doing at the next stop? Tell them what your plans are. Have they been there before? Really...was it fun?

I mean, if you can't find something to chat about...then it's just too bad...most folks are happy to share stories and experiences.

So far, we haven't had ANY tablemates that were so bad we couldn't eat with them. Sure...some are more fun than others, but all have been nice!

 

Tablemates..for sure!

 

Well said!! And totoally Agree!!!!

[Marley-Bop]

We always request a table for two and have been very lucky so far. If we ended up on a random table with strangers, we would eat in The Windjammer!

[kleo30]

My husband is a truck driver, and not home much. And he's an extreme extrovert, so all day on the ship he's meeting people and talking, talking, talking. So I prefer dinner just the two of us. We only eat dinner together 8 days a month, so every day on the cruise is such a treat.

[BLAMBKY]

When on a cruise with my kids, they are so active in the teen activities that I like our family dinner time to catch up with what they've done, who they've met and plans for later....when we share time around the pool, they're too busy piping in/out of the pool or napping in the sun to talk much. Now....my next cruise w/my sister (47 days and counting down! :)) I look forward to meeting others and chatting over dinner. I have not done this before and I am hopeful! ;)

[S.A.M.J.R.]

As a new cruiser, if you use MTD, do you get a choice of sharing a table vs. being by yourself, or are the shared tables only for traditional seating?

 

We're using MTD, and I can see we'd like a couple dinners by ourselves, but would also like to meet new people. Is that an option at dinner?

 

Thanks

[galavant3]

After about 12 cruises, I think we are ready to just sit by ourselves. I really enjoy getting to know new people but it has gotten to the point where I feel like dinner has become "work". There was only one cruise where we absolutely loved our table mates. The other times were pleasant but the conversation didn't seem to flow.

[galavant3]

I think I know where you stand by your use of "random"....sort of "off-putting".

 

 

We totally enjoy having tablemates. Hubby and I are "empty nesters"....and we're together most of the time. Even on a ship, we spend most of our time either together or just ourselves...reading, gambling,whatever... etc....

 

So, we look forward to dinner and having conversations with other people! Talking with others actually gives you, as a couple, more to talk about! And, since dinner is more than just a time to feed your face, (it's a social occassion and takes almost 2 hours), it's nice to be able to spend it chatting with other like-minded folks! You need to remember that EVERYONE is on the ship for the same reason....a fun vacation! Folks are happy! Ask their name...where they're from...what they do! What are they doing at the next stop? Tell them what your plans are. Have they been there before? Really...was it fun?

I mean, if you can't find something to chat about...then it's just too bad...most folks are happy to share stories and experiences.

So far, we haven't had ANY tablemates that were so bad we couldn't eat with them. Sure...some are more fun than others, but all have been nice!

 

Tablemates..for sure!

 

Ok, I changed my mind. I would like to have you as a table mate!

[Mar56]

As a new cruiser, if you use MTD, do you get a choice of sharing a table vs. being by yourself, or are the shared tables only for traditional seating?

 

We're using MTD, and I can see we'd like a couple dinners by ourselves, but would also like to meet new people. Is that an option at dinner?

 

Thanks

 

We were new cruisers in February and each time we went for dinner we were asked if we wanted to share a table. We said yes and had a great time. Met some lovely people and not once did we have a " bad" group. You will enjoy it. You do have the option of requesting to be by yourselves as well.

[Mapleleafforever]

Table for two here

[Karma5]

I think I know where you stand by your use of "random"....sort of "off-putting".

 

 

We totally enjoy having tablemates. Hubby and I are "empty nesters"....and we're together most of the time. Even on a ship, we spend most of our time either together or just ourselves...reading, gambling,whatever... etc....

 

So, we look forward to dinner and having conversations with other people! Talking with others actually gives you, as a couple, more to talk about! And, since dinner is more than just a time to feed your face, (it's a social occassion and takes almost 2 hours), it's nice to be able to spend it chatting with other like-minded folks! You need to remember that EVERYONE is on the ship for the same reason....a fun vacation! Folks are happy! Ask their name...where they're from...what they do! What are they doing at the next stop? Tell them what your plans are. Have they been there before? Really...was it fun?

I mean, if you can't find something to chat about...then it's just too bad...most folks are happy to share stories and experiences.

So far, we haven't had ANY tablemates that were so bad we couldn't eat with them. Sure...some are more fun than others, but all have been nice!

 

Tablemates..for sure!

 

I agree with above........................

[Momto5]

I replied "random". A caveat-when Dh and I cruise alone we prefer to be placed at a large table. We love meeting new people. I am spending a week with him-I need other people to talk to! When we cruised with our kids this year we wanted a table for just our family. Us plus 4 kids plus 2-4 poor other folks would make dinner anxiety provoking!

[Zach1213]

No way in heck I'd want to sit with anyone but my fiance (or other people in my group, if my group were ever larger). It's not that I don't like meeting new people...I just don't like meeting them at dinner, with the forced social interactions and such. That is not an enjoyable experience for me, or my fiance, and vacation is about as much enjoyment as possible :)

 

Table for two please, and table for two only.

[Isaboo]

These days we travel with extended family and are all seated together. When it was just my husband and I (honeymoon cruise) we were seated with two other honeymooning couples. It absolutely made our cruise! On couple was about our age (early-mid 20's) from California, and the other couple was probably 20 years older, British and on their second marriage. I kept in touch with the British couple for a few years but eventually lost their address (this was before Internet/e-mail days) but I remember their names were Collin and Betty. We had such a fabulous time with them! I would definitely do that again if traveling with just my husband.

[jpg1747]

I cruise solo, so I like to be at a larger table in the MDR for company and conversation. If I have a good roll call or know people cruising with me, we will get a table for ourselves.

[sazzifrazz]

I 100% prefer a table with just my family. Sitting with others really bothers me. I am dreading it actually. I am shy and honestly, its just a hassle (for ME, IMO) to have to have small talk with people I don't know. On our honeymoon it was just the 2 of us and we loved that. Our next cruise with with a family of 6 or 7 who were very nice but I just didn't like it. My husband is very outgoing and it didn't bother him, but I just felt uncomfortable. It had nothing to do with the specific people we were sat with. I am praying on this upcoming trip we have a tabel for just the 5 of us. This will be my 6 year olds first cruise and he is NOT a good diner lol. Its going to be stressful enough to get him to sit still without having to worry about table mates as well.

[Sinppu]

We are Finns (a very private nation by nature) and even though we are both far more social than we should be (being Finns), I'm not comfortable with the idea of random people at our dinner table.

On our previous cruises we were a part of a big group and always dined with friends. So I don't even know what it would be like dining with people I haven't met before :rolleyes:

 

You can get us out of Finland but not the Finland of us (we'll just be social with each other then) :D

[sivyaleah]

We prefer a table for two. I've been on too many cruises or vacations where we were paired up with others that we had nothing in common with or the people were obnoxious in one way or another (i.e.; possibly big drinkers - and we're not) and we were forced to make small talk for the entire time. It was painful to experience. I also wouldn't want to inflict our possible poor mood on anyone else - I mean, it happens sometimes. Trying to make nice, when one is not feeling all that well, with strangers, is tedious at best.

 

I remember on my first honeymoon (I've been married before), the first night at the all-inclusive resort we got seated with another couple - much younger than we were as well. The dining room was completely empty and yet, they put us with these people. We requested if we could please sit alone, being as so many tables were available. The dining staff made a huge fuss about it, right in front of said couple, and made us sit with them anyway. It was utterly embarrassing. So, we had to suck it up, and by then the conversation was totally stilted and uncomfortable. If I were them, I would have asked to be moved at that point, I don't know why they even put up with it *sighs*.

 

We've had some nice conversations with people certainly (for breakfast and lunch, we're not as picky if we have to be seated with others because they aren't as leisurely a meal), but if given a choice we'll ask to be seated alone every time. Vacations for us, are about reconnecting with each other, not about making new friends. We like our little romantic moments alone; meals together are part of those.