Best and Worst Tablemate Stories

[1Honey12]

I am trying to bring this topic back to life. I just spent a half hour in this thread from 2006-2009 and I'd love to hear some more recent stories!

What was your worst table mate experience?

Did you eat alone at a table set for 8? :eek:

Did you become best friends with complete strangers? :D

Horrible table manners from guests?

Please share here!

[Hlitner]

Our story actually happened many years ago on a 7 day RCI cruise. We always dine late and ask to share a large table...as it is a way to meet new folks and socialize. At the time we were in our 50s and we got a well located table of 8. Our 6 tablemates were all children ranging in age from about 5 -16. They were from 2 families (traveling together) and the adults were sitting at another table. Needless to say we quickly has some words with the Maitre'd and our table was changed.

 

Hank

[Shmoo here]

I am trying to bring this topic back to life. I just spent a half hour in this thread from 2006-2009 and I'd love to hear some more recent stories!

What was your worst table mate experience?

Did you eat alone at a table set for 8? :eek:

Did you become best friends with complete strangers? :D

Horrible table manners from guests?

Please share here!

 

No real horror stories from us, but one cruise we asked for a 6 top with others, and got placed at a 4 top with a couple that never showed up. By night 3 the head server had us re-seated at an 8 top with 2 other couples who were mismatched in their dinner assignments. We all had a great time.

 

Last cruise, again asked for a 6 top, only one other couple showed up. The servers kept saying that there was supposed to be another couple seated with us, but they never materialized.

 

First cruise, we were seated at an 8 top with 3 other couples. Since then, one of the couples wound up on the same cruise as us another time (it was a surprise). And we linked with one of the other couples on a cruise to be seated with them at a 6 top. The other two people supposed to be at our table were a single gentleman (only ate at the buffet for dinner every night, so we never met him until disembarkation morning for breakfast) and a single lady (I use that word a bit freely) who "found" friends at the later seating and got switched.

 

Overall, I'm quite happy with our dining companions we've had.

[Ashland]

Sorry...but after cruising for many years with RCI...I have no stories...because we have never (or cared to) shared a table with anyone other than when we travel with family. I don't go into a restaurant in my home town and ask to sit with someone else and so I don't do it on vacation either. JMHO

[danielsumner]

This is a good tablemate story. Carnival Victory when it first sailed. Table for eight by a back window. Don't remember her husbands name, but we will never forget Tina. Tina was a real sweet Italian Woman. Her husband and her lived in Jacksonville Florida. She was a real pleasure to be around. Each and every night she would stand up at the table and sing us a song. It was the highlight of our dinner.

[tigercat]

On one cruise we were eating lunch at the buffet. There were not a lot of tables available but the 6 of us found one. There were 2 chairs left. One lady came by and asked if she could sit there. No problem....except that she shoved food in her mouth as she continued to talk. Food was going everywhere. After that my parents, their friends said that they would not eat in the buffet again. Thank goodness at the time the dining room was open for lunch as that was the only place they would eat. My husband ate breakfast and lunch at the buffet but the rest of us enjoyed being served at a table that only had us.

tigercat

[cruzeluver]

We have been fortunate to have only been sat with lovely folks at dinner. Meeting others at dinnertime is a wonderful, long-standing cruise tradition that is unfortunately dying.

 

Now we have met a couple of loons at breakfast and lunch in the dining room. I remember a TA who bragged all through lunch about all the perks she had received. She was an absolute bore. And then there was the family that spent the entire meal moaning about the lack of smoking venues on the ship. They just would not let it go.

[Hlitner]

One could have an interesting discussion about whether to share a large table with strangers or get a 2 top. I dine with DW 365 nights a year and a majority of the time we are by ourselves. But on cruises, we have found after forty years of cruising that sharing a large table usually has great benefits. We have made some terrific new friends from around the world because they were dining mates. These days we generally do the Anytime Dining Scheme (called by different names on different lines) and always ask to share a large table. Many times, after a few days we end up forming our own large table with people we have met (and enjoyed) those first few nights. On a recent 35 night HAL cruise we formed a table of 8 (2 from Wales, 4 French Canadians, and us) which was a total riot every night. We were generally the last to leave the dining room because we had so much fun and actually had a few other couples ask if we could expand our table for them (nope). Over our many cruises (and we have spent over 3 1/2 years cruising) our best memories are of the wonderful people we have met and the many folks who we still call "friend."

 

Hank

Edited March 28, 2014 by Hlitner

[NoobCruise]

Our very first dinner on our first cruise ever, we were assigned to a 6 top. We were in our mid30s. One of the other couples was similar age and demographic, and lived just a few miles from us. They seemed like a nice couple.

 

The other 2 were an elderly couple who had been cruising for years. They were loud, pretentious, condescending, and rude. The man dominated the conversation, rudely insulting staff, as well as other cruisers who "didn't belong", and he went on and on about why other cruise lines were better. He also mentioned he was in a suite about a dozen times.

 

We didn't know we could ask to be moved, so we ate in the buffet the entire rest of the cruise just to avoid this guy. We love the open dining available now.

[cb at sea]

We enjoy tablemates....it used to be part of the cruising experience and mindset! No, we don't ask to be seated in a land restaurant with strangers....but it's different on a cruise...or, it used to be! You got to KNOW your tablemates! It's fun! It's interesting!

 

So far, we've never been seated with anyone that we couldn't stand. Some were funnier than others, some were better conversationalists than otheres...but WE got along with all!

 

I always feel sorry for those who are eating alone, while the rest of us have such a good time!

Edited March 28, 2014 by cb at sea

[seashinesunshine]

Never had a bad experience, met some who are still friends, our favorite was a table for 10, the other family had kids the same age as ours, we had met at the lovely muster drill where we all looked our best with our orange vests on. I was quite happy when they were seated at our table. I've never even seen bad behavior as others describe. Now, the buffet..... ;)

We love to pick late dining, so we can be on deck at sunset, and ask to be seated at a large table. We love the new friends we meet. While I understand that not everyone feels the same as us, I think this is a major drawback to the Anytime Dining. But, to each his own.

[wwcruisers]

We enjoy tablemates....it used to be part of the cruising experience and mindset! No, we don't ask to be seated in a land restaurant with strangers....but it's different on a cruise...or, it used to be! You got to KNOW your tablemates! It's fun! It's interesting!

 

So far, we've never been seated with anyone that we couldn't stand. Some were funnier than others, some were better conversationalists than otheres...but WE got along with all!

 

I always feel sorry for those who are eating alone, while the rest of us have such a good time!

 

Hear, hear, CB! As RC seems to be ringing the death-knell for traditional dining, I join with those mourning its demise. :( Some of our best cruising friends were two couples we were randomly seated with on Jewel of the Seas, ten years ago. We've shared several cruises since, and we still all stay close. :cool:

Edited March 28, 2014 by wwcruisers

[navybankerteacher]

We enjoy tablemates....it used to be part of the cruising experience and mindset! No, we don't ask to be seated in a land restaurant with strangers....but it's different on a cruise...or, it used to be! You got to KNOW your tablemates! It's fun! It's interesting!

 

So far, we've never been seated with anyone that we couldn't stand. Some were funnier than others, some were better conversationalists than otheres...but WE got along with all!

 

I always feel sorry for those who are eating alone, while the rest of us have such a good time!

 

Seconded. A little bit of interaction with random strangers - who become part of our cruise experience - is an important aspect of cruising. I love my wife, and never tire of her, but we dine together all year - having a group we come to know over a week, or several, of dinners together is an enjoyable social aspect.

[vacation luvver]

My worst tablemates were many years ago, when I was on the Norway with a group of singles. The group leader announced one day that she had arranged for us to have dinner at the surcharge restaurant (which cost five dollars) at a particular time that night. Another woman, Jill, in the singles group and I said that we didn't want to go, as that dinner time conflicted with an activity that we wanted to do.

 

So the two of us went to the MDR that night, and I anticipated a nice, quiet, relaxing dinner, when the maître d' put a couple and their three small children at our table. We had second sitting. The family had first sitting, but they had done something or other and had missed their dinner time. The three small children immediately picked up their spoons and banged their water glasses continuously. Their parents didn't say a single word to them. I was afraid that they were going to keep it up all during the meal. Then Jill picked up her spoon and started banging her water glass with it as hard as she could, making more noise than the three children combined. That's when the parents told their kids to stop.

 

I was amazed that when the children banged their water glasses, their parents thought it was the cutest thing in the world, and only when an adult did it did they see how inconsiderate it was.

[Ashland]

We enjoy tablemates....it used to be part of the cruising experience and mindset! No, we don't ask to be seated in a land restaurant with strangers....but it's different on a cruise...or, it used to be! You got to KNOW your tablemates! It's fun! It's interesting!

 

So far, we've never been seated with anyone that we couldn't stand. Some were funnier than others, some were better conversationalists than otheres...but WE got along with all!

 

I always feel sorry for those who are eating alone, while the rest of us have such a good time!

"Please" don't feel sorry for us...it's our choice...We have actually sat near some at large tables we felt sorry for.;)

[buchhalm]

Knock on wood, our table mates were superb on most cruises.

Twice we requested to be moved (and then ended up with the mentioned superb people).

The first time, on Carnival I think, we were placed on a 8-top but only one other couple was there. Egyptians or Lebanese on their honeymoon.

They were super upset with the waiters that they A) did not get a menu in French or Arabic and that B) the staff did not speak these languages.

My French is passable as is my wife's Arabic, and we do understand the culture (we lived in the Middle East for years) and we tried to make conversation with these people, but it was very awkward and uncomfortable. The man tried, but lady just rolled her eyes and sighed.

Maitre moved us without being asked (and put 6 Russians on the table).

 

Last year on Celebrity we requested (as always) a large table. For some reason they put us on a table for two, in some way off area in the MDR. a whole bunch of two-tops there. So we sit down, a bit lonely and this other couple shows up. Colonel Sanders like, but portly chap and his Missus with big hair and too much make-up. A bit like John Travolta in "Hairspray".

They also had requested a large table and made damn well sure that half the MDR knew about it and forced the waiters to push tables together.

That in itself created problems because the staff then did not know who was supposed to serve that table.

So we got stuck with Chuck and Betty (not their real names).

They began to interrogate us and when they found out that we worked in the Middle East, they made sure to tell us that they were Jewish, that all Arabs were dangerous and evil and that America was the safest country in the world because everybody is allowed to have guns.

The other guest around us were watching mesmerized.

Along comes the Maitre'D and asks if everything was fine.

Of course not. Our "friends" complained about this and that and the poor Maitre was squirming. My wife tries to defuse the situation and asked so, Mr. XYZ, where are you from. "I am from Turkey". Oh Dear. Terrible country. everybody is ripping off the tourists. And dangerous. And dirty.

AAAAAARGH! THAT dinner dragged on.

Afterwards, on the way out we looked for the Maitre to apologize and to clarify that we had nothing to do with these Red Necks.

"Say nothing" he said. "For tomorrow I have taken the liberty to transfer you to a different table, if that is OK with you". For the rest of the cruise we sat at a table with the nicest and funniest people one could wish for. - And we had a story to tell...

:)

[MommaBear55]

We were the crashers at someone else's table once.

 

The first night we went to the MDR, there were very few waiters around and the table numbers were missing from a few tables. There was an empty table for eight, so we sat there as we had asked for a table for eight. No one else showed up until we were done with our appetizers. We were surprised they sat us with a three generation Spanish speaking family. We limped along with our 6 words of Spanish. Luckily the father and the 7 year old boy spoke some English. The grandparents spoke none and the mother was busy with a very fussy 18 month old. It wasn't until the end of the meal when the waiter brought the wine bill that we found out that we had sat at their table! We apologized profusely and sat at our assigned table for 6 the rest of the cruise. We ran into the family everywhere on the ship! Luckily they were very nice. I hoped they laughed about us as much as we did!

 

My husband is extremely quiet and so I like to sit with other people. He even contributes to the conversation on occasion. He is not shy, just doesn't have a lot to say and doesn't feel he needs to contribute needlessly. He enjoys hearing other's people's stories. We are going to try dining by ourselves at a two top with MTD on a 5 day Bermuda cruise. If DH is too quiet, at least we have traditional dining planned for the second part of the B2B.

[media_gal]

Sorry...but after cruising for many years with RCI...I have no stories...because we have never (or cared to) shared a table with anyone other than when we travel with family. I don't go into a restaurant in my home town and ask to sit with someone else and so I don't do it on vacation either. JMHO

 

Thank you for the excellent contribution to this thread.

[marco]

Last month, we took the 25th anniversary cruise of our "Friends and Family Annual Winter Caribbean Cruise". No, it wasn't someone's wedding anniversary, it was 25 yrs ago that we went on a cruise, got seated at a table with "strangers" and REALLY hit it off. We've gone for the past 25 yrs on the winter Caribbean cruise with these folks and others. Everyone did not go every year, but mostly so. This year, we asked any and everyone who came with us over the years and there were 36 of us. As we all met 25 yrs ago on a Princess ship, we went of Princess last month though over the yrs, it was various lines. We are from all over the country, CO, MI, FL, MA, CT, NY, and we've visited back and forth over the years, shared good times and sad times and have become "family". And yes, we're already planning our 2015 cruise.

[Deenkid]

We always ask to be seated at a large table and for the most part, always enjoyed it. We travel with my DS and BIL and one year were seated at a 6-top. Our tablemates were probably 10-15 years older than we were. But what we remember most and will never, ever forget is our first night at the table when the wife got up and put the dinner napkin on a dental chain around her husband's neck. She apologized to us that he was a "messy" eater. And was that an understatment. After each mouthful, we would swipe the napkin across his mouth before taking the next bite. You cannot imagine what that napkin looked like as the meal progressed. I would have snapped a picture if camera phones were available back then. By the end of the meal, we were pretty grossed out but actually never did request to be moved as they were very nice people. We still talk and laugh about that cruise.

[wangel]

Wife and I booked a 7 nighter. On our first night we start to head to the dining room. The wife told me to get our table and she was going to head back to the room to change her shoes. I sat down at a table for 8. In a minute or two a woman in her thirties along with another woman in her fifties sat down on both sides of me. Before I could say that they are sitting in my wives chair, they start asking me questions. What floor is your cabin on? What is my profession? What city do I live in? I was starting to take offense to this type of third degree, but my wife just showed up with a surprised look on her face with both these women rubbing elbows with me. One woman said; "you're married?" I said YES! They apologized and said that they were only on the cruise to find the daughter or mother a husband and since I was not available they were moving to another table.

[CowPrincess]

Most mortifying:

For the welcome-back lunch in the MDR we got seated with an older fellow who was very hard of hearing, and who shouted (presumably he was unaware of his volume). He spent the entire time making the crude comments about all the hot women he'd met online. My husband and I were in shock; we had no idea what to say or do. We just sat there, ate and then left. If there is ever a next time for something like that, I will be developing a migraine immediately and excusing ourselves from the table.

 

Most entertaining, in an eye-rolling way:

We got to share a 6-top for 10 days with Mr and Mrs Important. They were intent on impressing all of us with how wealthy and important they were. I knew on the first night, that my alcohol consumption at dinner would be limited to only one drink. They were quite the pair, they owned an e-n-o-r-m-o-u-s house, they have many e-x-p-e-n-s-i-v-e cars, and no one dared have anything they didn't have, or the bragging would increase exponentially. I made the mistake of mentioning that my pearls were antique so then we all got to hear that HERS were Mikimoto, and this was her SHORT strand, and she had a LONGER strand of Mikimoto pearls at home, and and and. It got to be a bit of a game for me, actually ;)

 

Most OMG-I-Can't-Believe-I'm-Travelling-With-These-People:

Did a girls' cruise a few years ago. Two of us had inside cabins and the other two booked a suite. They got invited to a few "suite pax" parties, always held just before dinner, and they would suck back all the alcohol they could grab while at the parties, then EACH would grab two glasses of alcohol to bring to dinner. They were loud, complaining, and well on their way to being too drunk to be in public, for 4 of the 7 nights. The other 3 nights they didn't make it to dinner because they'd stayed up until dawn drinking. :eek:

[geoherb]

Our worst tablemates were Fred and Ethyl from Detroit. It was our second cruise as a couple. When we got to the dining room, they were already at the table, which sat eight. We sat across from them, thinking that two other couples would join us. No one else ever showed up.

 

The maitre d' really flubbed up pairing us with them. They were 50 years older than we were at the time--not that there's anything wrong with that. They had been on 20-some cruises. I'm not sure why. They did not seem to enjoy anything about the ship. If we asked what they had done that day, they'd respond, "Nothing."

 

Fortunately it was only four nights. We would have probably asked to have been moved if it were any longer.

[printingchick]

The Good:

Second cruise on Carnival. We were two females, traveling together, one late 30s, other early 40s. My friend was a huge New England Patriots fan - season ticket holder. She'd already warned me that she'd be leaving me to head for the sports bar during embarkation day. The Patriots were playing the Steelers, vying for a spot in the Super Bowl. The Eagles had already clinched a spot earlier that day.

 

I went to dinner alone and discovered we'd been assigned to a table for 4 with two 40-ish single guys. They were from...you guessed it-Philly! HUGE Eagle fans! We became great friends and we stayed in touch after the cruise. Upon returning home, for the first time ever, I watched the Super Bowl start to finish!

 

The Bad:

My son and I were assigned to a table for 8 or 10 people. ONE of the 5 nights, a family joined us, meaning there were still a lot of empty seats. The rest of the nights, we ate ALONE...at the HUGE table. It became the place the waitstaff went to grab a replacement place setting or glass. We clearly weren't using all of ours!

 

 

We do MyTime Dining now. While I have had some WONDERFUL experiences meeting GREAT people during traditional dining, I've had an equal number of experiences where the other people assigned to the table preferred to do specialty dining or eat at the buffet. It's a shame you can't opt out of a table assignment entirely, if you know you never intend to eat at the MDR.

Edited March 28, 2014 by printingchick

[mamaofami]

We were once seated with three people who were traveling together. A couple and one of their moms. After listening to the "gentleman" espousing his prejudiced views on different types of ethnic groups we asked for a different table. Since then, we enjoy eating at 2 tops and have often seen other people at bigger tables be bored by one person monopolizing the conversation at every meal.