MDR poll question

[emmak8]

We have been on 24 cruises, but our first Carnival cruise (B2B) is coming up in January. On the first cruise day on Princess, for example, you can meet with the maitre d' and request a table for 2 if that's what you prefer. We like a table for 2 early seating so that we have time for the evening activities. We eat in the dining room during breakfast and lunch and that's when we enjoy meeting other cruisers.

 

I booked the Carnival Splendor because it sails out of NY in January. I am keeping an open mind. I want to love Carnival as much as we love Princess.

[ferretface]

We've really enjoyed both. We've met some really great table mates, some not so great and enjoyed dining alone. One of my favorites though was dining at an 8 person table with our Cruisecritic group and surrounded by other tables with our group!

[Vanessa L]

I agree 100% with those who say they use cruise time to reconnect with family. I absolutely loathe small talk and quite frankly, could care less what others did in port. Nor can I fathom why they would care what I did. I love that we all have a choice. "Talkers" can choose to sit with other "talkers" and we quiet types who simply want to dine in a quiet, romantic 2 top and gaze in our spouse's eyes can do so also. To each his own. :D

Edited November 17, 2013 by Vanessa L

[afrayedknot]

I agree 100% with those who say they use cruise time to reconnect with family. I absolutely loathe small talk and quite frankly, could care less what others did in port. Nor can I fathom why they would care what I did. I love that we all have a choice. "Talkers" can choose to sit with other "talkers" and we quiet types who simply want to dine in a quiet, romantic 2 top and gaze in our spouse's eyes can do so also. To each his own. :D

 

Exactly- so nice to have choices!

 

Pam

[LizaMM]

I always look forward to traditional MDR Late Seating, a large table (hopefully) and tablemates

[OCruisers]

We have no problem with being seated at a table with others. :)

 

LuLu

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[marshhawk]

The only time I want to be just with hubby on a cruise is at breakfast, he puts up with me when even I cant put up with me. I am much better after being fed.:) I learn so much about cruising when i sit with others. I learn about different places, what other people think-I learn about foods I wouldn't normally try. I'm not perfect, it's nice to know that others might be a bit better. If they are worse, then I can talk about them later.:p

[Rainbowfalls]

age 29. We liked eating by ourselves and plan on doing it again in the years to come. Not that we dont like talking to new people, we just do not want to while we finally are able to sit together as a family. I think another reason, at least for us, is that most of my family is in the hospitality industry where we have to be nice and make small talk all the time. It's enjoyable sometimes just to be with my family and not have to talk a lot if I dont feel like it and not seem rude.

[Mysticks1]

age 29. We liked eating by ourselves and plan on doing it again in the years to come. Not that we dont like talking to new people, we just do not want to while we finally are able to sit together as a family. I think another reason, at least for us, is that most of my family is in the hospitality industry where we have to be nice and make small talk all the time. It's enjoyable sometimes just to be with my family and not have to talk a lot if I dont feel like it and not seem rude.

 

I agree with you, it is nice to be with those you know. When we did the traditional dining. I found it hard to be myself. It seems like you are required to be witty or well versed in certain subjects and making small talk about things that you can care less about. Sometimes at the end of the day I am tired and not up for much conversation. I will continue to stick with ATD.

 

I think it is interesting that in this poll that the majority of people want to sit with their own family or traveling group. It did seem to have the same results when John Heald asked the question on his facebook page. I wonder if that is a topic with the "beards" as he calls them and if they are considering expanding the ATD program. I would think they keep records of those that ask to be waitlisted when ATD is full and are seeing a trend like this poll that shows the majority of people no longer want the traditional dining set up.

Edited November 17, 2013 by Mysticks1

[SunshineBooks8]

We're a couple in our late 20s, early 30s and we prefer to sit by ourselves for YTD/ATD. I just prefer to have the private time with my husband.

[afrayedknot]

I always look forward to traditional MDR Late Seating, a large table (hopefully) and tablemates

 

Me, too!!

 

Pam

[afrayedknot]

The only time I want to be just with hubby on a cruise is at breakfast, he puts up with me when even I cant put up with me. I am much better after being fed.:) I learn so much about cruising when i sit with others. I learn about different places, what other people think-I learn about foods I wouldn't normally try. I'm not perfect, it's nice to know that others might be a bit better. If they are worse, then I can talk about them later.:p

 

Love your post!!

 

I do the card-ordered room service for breakfast.

Am not myself until I've had my coffee and quiet time-

like to prolong the delicious sleep I get onboard...

 

Relish my time in my cabin..

 

Am not ready to face the day, itinerary, much less fellow passengers!!

(Although I may plan to wake up really early.)

 

Later, I love hearing about other's cruising experiences

(especially novice and long timers,) shore trip plans, and meeting different people, although we all share something in common (an obsession with cruising.)

 

In response to your comment about talking about other cruiser's behavior later:

 

On my last cruise I did meet an "individual" at open seating lunch, whose speech and behavior belied all comprehension, including one of my MDR table mates and 3 couples (who were horrified) and to a lessor extent, me.

My most unbelievable social experience in a looong time.

 

My MDR tablemate and I had a lot of head-scratching and laughs about it, and regaled another one of our MDR tablemates, shortly thereafter.

 

Still cannot fathom what that cruiser was thinking...

Luckily, haven't had such an experience before and doubt I will (anywhere) after...

 

Pam

[Shipcats6]

We're in our 60's, been on 6 cruises and prefer a table for two (ATD).

[RWolver672]

Let me put it this way - If we go into a land based restaurant, we don't plop our behinds down at a complete stranger's table.

[Naomi John]

I say if you are a large group, (6+), assigned dining is better for your group and you will be seated together. If you are a group of 5 or less, ATD would be better.

 

My reasoning behind this is if your a large group, you will have a longer wait for ATD. We had a group of 12 on the Fascination in March and had an hour to 2 hour wait for seating with ATD.

[okgirl]

I eat most meals in the dining room, but my sister only eats there for dinner. I have no problem being seated with others at breakfast and lunch.......and yes I'm one of those Chatty Cathy's........but by dinner time I'm ready to just be with my sister.

[cruizinisthebest]

Let me put it this way - If we go into a land based restaurant, we don't plop our behinds down at a complete stranger's table.

 

You do if you go to a family style restaurant, which there are plenty of in certain parts of the country. I started cruising knowing we would be seated with strangers. I seem to mind it more now than then. I guess it helps if you have friendly people also at your table. A couple of times we didn't. Then again, they could have said the same thing about me. :p

 

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[Spincognito]

DW and I (mid 40's) prefer to sit with strangers and have had mosly p positive experiences on our eight cruises. We are both very social and easy going and enjoy talking about cruising, ports and everything. One time we did get seated with an older couple who were way too free sharing info about their lives, including incest and abuse! :eek: After the second night we never went back! Other than that awful experience and one non English-speaking couple we have met some great folks and still keep in touch with many.

[shipty2]

We choose ATD just so we can guarantee not being seated with others. In other words seating arrangements are far more important to us than dining time.

 

We do however enjoy meeting people throughout our cruise but in other situations we feel free to move on whenever we choose.

[findtime]

I'm in hospitality sales and socialize all day for my job. When I'm on vacation I don't want to be social, I want to selfishly spend all my time with the people I don't get to spend enough time with in my day-to-day. I want to hear their thoughts, feelings and stories, not those of strangers.

It's not that I'm not interested in meeting new people, at times, during the trip, but not at an intimate setting like dinner.

[Monaco02]

Let me put it this way - If we go into a land based restaurant, we don't plop our behinds down at a complete stranger's table.

Agree! We don't go on cruises to make friends, we go to relax and enjoy spending time with each other...

[v3cruiser]

I would like to poll the people's ages as well. I'm thinking age has lots to what they choose. I just turned 50 and am not old by any means but I must say I'm really starting to see the differences in generations.

 

Great idea.

Sometimes i just want to enjoy dinner with my wife. I have a much better time connecting with the under 60 crowd. When we go out to dinner anywhere else its always just us, we are never seated with people we dont know. So being seated with people we dont know is not an everyday experience for many on the cruise ship.

[Vanessa L]

DH and I are both 50

[askimdog]

We cruise with my sisters family and brothers family, we are all families of 3 with an 7-9 year old girl. My family dislikes mdr, too long, cold food, hate singing waiters, hate waiting for condiments or drinks, had bad waiters in the past, one who spoke no English etc... so we often buffet. We use the mdr once or twice. When we do we prefer to sit with family or in our own family of 3.

Last cruise all3 families signed up and linked for early, through a Carnival snafu, we got anytime, it worked since we rarely use mdr, sadly Carnival was unable to fix it, understandable.

 

Working in tourism, entertaining folks on vacation all day, on a cruise, We prefer not chatting with other vacationers.

[vols_159]

I would say in the years to come Carnival will go the route as other cruise lines like NCl and do away with tradional dinning may not happen in the next year or 2 but My guess would be at least 5 years from not most cruise lines will be ATD freestyle or whatever you wanna call it..