Bring back the tablecloths!

[GROUCHPUSS]

Now that I have cruised on a ship with the new menu I can say it. I want the Tablecloths back! We are just back from the 3-16 sailing of the Imagination and I can honestly tell you that the I did not care for going to dinner.

 

The new menu was fine but something has to give on the time it is taking to get through late dinner! We had a table for 2 and it was still taking 2+ hours to get done with dinner. We were waiting up to and hour just for our soup or whatever appetizer we ordered to arrive. The food was very good and hot.

 

TABLECLOTHS: I went in with an open mind but it closed pretty quickly. When we 1st walked into the dinning room I thought this is nice. The table had a very nice presentation to them. Then as dinner progressed I realized what made a simple tablecloths so important. I started to notice all the water from condensation from water glass and hot plates building up on the table then my glass started to move and slide around, not a good thing on a ship to have slick wet tables. Plus by the end of dinner the table just looked like crap with water and finger print everywhere. One night the table below us had a bottle of wine slide off and spill. I was consistently wiping up water or it would built up so much it would have dripped off the table or I would have gotten selves wet. Also our table after only a few weeks without the table clothes were already getting dents and chips on the edges. On this ship they did not use tablecloths on formal night either but they do on the 7 day ships.

Edited March 21, 2014 by GROUCHPUSS

[SadieN]

Sail the Inspiration. We had the new menu with tablecloths over Valentine's Day. She doesn't yet have the pretty tabletops like the Imagination does. I saw those in January.

 

With the problems you described they might not be putting the newer tabletops on other ships.

Edited March 21, 2014 by SadieN

[GROUCHPUSS]

Sail the Inspiration. We had the new menu with tablecloths over Valentine's Day. She doesn't yet have the pretty tabletops like the Imagination does. I saw those in January.

 

With the problems you described they might not be putting the newer tabletops on other ships.

 

I hope they scratch the new tables, the new settings were fine. It did make the table very crowded with the carafe of water and a bottle of wine on it.

[ShakyBeef]

Thank you for the review.:) I have not been looking forward to the lack of tablecloths for our dinners in the MDR on our upcoming cruise.:( Just one more bad choice of a cutback on Carnival's part.:mad: I, too, wish they would rethink this choice.

 

Aside form all the points you mentioned, I'm also concerned that the MDR will be noisier without the sound-dampening effect of the tablecloths. Did you notice this to be the case?

[golfadj]

Sailed the glory last month and was concerned.

 

Tabletops were gorgeous and lack of tablecloths was fine. Water carafes on table but still plenty of room and 90% of time waitstaff refilled glasses without being asked.

 

Did like having basket of rolls on tables.

[GROUCHPUSS]

Thank you for the review.:) I have not been looking forward to the lack of tablecloths for our dinners in the MDR on our upcoming cruise.:( Just one more bad choice of a cutback on Carnival's part.:mad: I, too, wish they would rethink this choice.

 

Aside form all the points you mentioned, I'm also concerned that the MDR will be noisier without the sound-dampening effect of the tablecloths. Did you notice this to be the case?

 

Did not think the the MDR was any noisier and have a good comparison because we were on the same ship a month earlier.

[atate75]

1st world problem

 

 

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[sassy0930]

What do you think would happen if I brought my own? LOL Just buy a cheap cloth from the store and bring it with. Make it a dark color so if you spill on it you don't have to wash it. Then just bring it to and from dinner each night. BAHAHAHA.

[JustCruiseMe]

I've had the new menu, but with table cloths and all 7 days our entire dinner never took over 1.5 hours.

[GROUCHPUSS]

Sailed the glory last month and was concerned.

 

Tabletops were gorgeous and lack of tablecloths was fine. Water carafes on table but still plenty of room and 90% of time waitstaff refilled glasses without being asked.

 

Did like having basket of rolls on tables.

 

I thought the table setting was very nice looking also. Did you also have a bottle of wine and a basket of bread on a 2 top? We were a little cramped and the size of the menu is like huge. It would have been nice if it folded in some way.

[aricczona]

If the tables aren't dressed up, why do I have to be? :rolleyes:

[1kaper]

If the tables aren't dressed up, why do I have to be? :rolleyes:

 

You don't. :D The dress code is very relaxed for the MDR with the exception of Elegant night and even that is much less formal than it used to be (and there are tableclothes that night).

 

I didn't mind the no tablecloths. I didn't notice an issue with water pooling or noise. I did find the tables a little cramped (we only sat at tables for 2 so that may factor in ) with the side plate, bread basket, bottle of wine (that is on every table), water carafe (which I loved because I drink a lot of water), wine glass and water glass. And we didn't have a drink with dinner.

Throw in the gigantic menu and I am amazing I didn't break/knock anything over (there were a few close calls).

[ShakyBeef]

Did not think the the MDR was any noisier and have a good comparison because we were on the same ship a month earlier.

 

Thanks! That makes me feel a little better about it. But I still wish they hadn't taken them away.:( Oh well, I know by now what Carnival is and will continue to become and I've moved on. I'm only cruising Carnival now to be with friends or when it's a free cruise from my FunPoints MC.:)

 

 

 

1st world problem

 

 

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Yes, obviously.:rolleyes: As are all the little issues we discuss here on CC. It's a forum based on cruising, man! A 'first world' vacation.:cool:

[GROUCHPUSS]

Did this ruin my cruise heck no. (However the people who lost the bottle of wine were not to happy)lol But this is more of a safety issue for me. I don't what to be in rough seas and have a hot soup or a cup of coffee slide off the table into my lap and believe me it will happen. As I said the new table setting looks very nice. However I do think the new tables will get chipped and dented up very quickly on the edges and start to look bad and if you think Carnival is to cheap to replace a stained Tablecloth (which I have never noticed) do you really think they will change out a whole table top? That is one reason restaurants use tablecloths to hide what is underneath.

[maldenmusic]

Tablecloths honestly won't impact my vacation one way or another. If it's a way to keep the costs low enough that I can cruise 1-2 times a year then I am fine with it.

[fourkittys]

My concern is not so much the lack of tablecloths but a sanitary question. I've seen this in dozens of restaurants and question the cleanliness. When the tables are wiped (washed off), how clean is the cloth used and how many tables are wiped with it before washing or changing to a new one.

Our favorite restaurant (with bare tables) has a squirt bottle with some type of disinfectant (or other solution) they use to spray the table and then wipe off with paper towels which are immediatly discarded. With the chance of Noro and some people not disinfecting their hands before eating there seems to be a better chance of contamimation. Just my opinion.

[sanmarcosman]

Sailed the glory last month and was concerned.

 

Tabletops were gorgeous and lack of tablecloths was fine. Water carafes on table but still plenty of room and 90% of time waitstaff refilled glasses without being asked.

 

Did like having basket of rolls on tables.

 

Thanks for posting this over and over again on many threads, it reinforces and reinforces and reinforces.

[Fitzget]

With the lack of tablecloths, I'm sure they're just trying to be like the nice/trendy restaurants that don't use tablecloths anymore. I can't remember the last time I was in a restaurant with a tablecloth. But I agree, Glasses + wet smooth surface + moving ship, does not mix.

Edited March 21, 2014 by Fitzget

[antiquitys]

We were on the Carnival Glory last week and in the rear dining room the vibration was so bad that glasses and bottles of wine walked off tables near us.

[ranger10!]

In January we were on the Glory. Liked the tables without the cloth. We didn't have any condensation problem. They did keep the dinning room cold so that was probably the reason. I agree that the menu is rather large. It does need to fold or something. We liked the way they were decorated. No complaints!

[Ocean Dancer]

Do they use coasters now? And wine at every table? Is this a new ploy for you to buy it? I trust it is not free, can you ask to have it removed?

 

Note to self, at least bring plenty of cocktail napkins! :eek:

[1kaper]

Do they use coasters now? And wine at every table? Is this a new ploy for you to buy it? I trust it is not free, can you ask to have it removed?

 

Note to self, at least bring plenty of cocktail napkins! :eek:

 

No coasters.

I wasn't sure what the deal was with the wine. No one explained it. It has the table number on hanging on it so I couldn't decide if it was a fancy table card (the "brand" of wine is Carnival, maybe "American Table", I can't quite recall), if it was there there to get you to buy it or both.

I didn't ask since I wasn't drinking anyway.

I assumed it wouldn't be removed since its the table number, but I guess they could remove it for you and replace it after you leave.

[momof3cruisers]

1st world problem

 

 

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Ha ha ha ha ha ha......well of course it is. This is a CRUISE forum. Don't think many people in developing nations are going on cruises.

[GROUCHPUSS]

Do they use coasters now? And wine at every table? Is this a new ploy for you to buy it? I trust it is not free, can you ask to have it removed?

 

Note to self, at least bring plenty of cocktail napkins! :eek:

 

No to coasters, you have to buy it if you want it(doubles as table # holder) I don't know if it can be removed.

We had to pour all of our own water, but also did not wait to see if it would be poured for us. Also 2 nights early dinner was so late getting out they open the dinning room without it being completely set for late dinner.

[Ocean Dancer]

No to coasters, you have to buy it if you want it(doubles as table # holder) I don't know if it can be removed.

We had to pour all of our own water, but also did not wait to see if it would be poured for us. Also 2 nights early dinner was so late getting out they open the dinning room without it being completely set for late dinner.

 

Oh MY, DH will love this, he is a perfectionist and likes things to go as scheduled. And possible water drops on his pants will not do. Those cocktail napkins to pack may not be a joke!

 

I guess the wine is what is paired with dinner as a suggestion? Then we would want it in a chilled container tableside......do they still have those anymore? Is iced tea still available upon request?

 

No world problems solved here.