Dining with the Captain

[cruisin4kicks]

That is definately a criteria to get chosen. The Matre'd and head waiters observe who dress appropriatley and go from there.

 

I don't think that's true at least in our case. We made Pinnacle last November and since, have been invited to the captain's table on 3 different cruises. I'm assuming one has something to do with the other because we have not been invited beforehand. All 3 times, there was either an invitation or a voice message waiting for us in our cabin before we ever made it to the dining room even the 1st time.

 

Unfortunately, all the invitations have been for formal night and I have stopped packing a suit and most recently, even a dress shirt and tie. I would not feel comfortable sitting at the captain's table on formal night with a polo shirt and pair of dockers so we have had to respectfully decline the invitations. I know that if I start bringing my suit again, the invitations will probably cease. Just the way the world works.

 

Tim

Edited June 6, 2015 by cruisin4kicks

[gerif]

One problem, I believe the Captain's Table is space limited to 8 plus the Captain. A party of 14 would be tough.

 

Exactly. How would they choose who would go even if possible? Also, that would exclude others the captain might wish to invite. In any event, I think it's a bit tacky to ask.

[George C]

I don't think that's true at least in our case. We made Pinnacle last November and since, have been invited to the captain's table on 3 different cruises. I'm assuming one has something to do with the other because we have not been invited beforehand. All 3 times, there was either an invitation or a voice message waiting for us in our cabin before we ever made it to the dining room even the 1st time.

 

Unfortunately, all the invitations have been for formal night and I have stopped packing a suit and most recently, even a dress shirt and tie. I would not feel comfortable sitting at the captain's table on formal night with a polo shirt and pair of dockers so we have had to respectfully decline the invitations. I know that if I start bringing my suit again, the invitations will probably cease. Just the way the world works.

 

Tim

 

Ours was a formal night and one gentleman did not have tie or jacket, I would have felt funny doing that if I did not have a jacket and tie.

[Miryam1234]

We got an invitation from Captain Toni on Adventure solely because of the nationality. He is Finnish, from Turku (where many Royal ships have been built) and so are we. We spoke to him one night on the promenade, and after a few minutes talk he asked if we had any plans for the next formal night, and if we would like to dine with him.

That formal night landed on Halloween 2014. Truly a night to remember for us, once in a lifetime experience which we will cherish. The other at the table were from Sweden, two of them did speak Finnish, though. There was also a First officer from Germany, so we all spoke mixed mess of Finnish, German, Swedish and English , all at the same time. That was funny!

Captain Toni said that it is up to the Captain to choose his/her tablemates, or if to dine at all with guests. He himself had had a lunch with some pinnacles during that day. That was the second formal night, so I dont know if he haf captains tble on the first one.

The invitation said "at least a suit & tie" which my husband had, luckily.

[Alohaaloha]

We dined with the Captain on our Adventure cruise, and we presumed it was because we had renewed our vows on board. One couple at the Captains table,were first time cruisers, not suite guests, and were quite bewildered as to why they had been selected.

We had a fab evening, the Captain entertained us with many behind the scenes stories, and the whole experience was first rate.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Life is Good Cruising]

That is definately a criteria to get chosen. The Matre'd and head waiters observe who dress appropriatley and go from there.

 

I also agreed with you, DH had his tux on the first formal night and we were approached in the dining room and asked if we wanted to eat at the Captain's Table the second formal night, we accepted.

[Life is Good Cruising]

Nobody will ever know. Sometimes it's the top cruisers. Sometimes those staying in suites. Some Captains want just single ladies. ;)

The Matre'd may choose. The concierge may choose. Some Captains choose people from his Country. Some Captains don't do it at all.

 

Bottom line...Nobody knows.

 

The numerous times we had dinner at the Captain's Table, it was always couples and each of those times, we were not in a suite.

[Desert Cruizers]

The closest we ever came to sitting with our Captain was our table was fight next to his during our NZ cruise with Capt Sindre a year ago March.

[rudeney]

Sorry to reply to an older thread, but I was searching the forum and came across this...Our first RCCL cruise was in 2008 on FOS where my wife and I took her mother. We were in a GS and MIL was in a JS next door. The concierge came by and delivered an invitation to my wife and me to dine at the captain's table.

 

We explained that we did not want to leave MIL on her own. The concierge told us that the captain generally invited only couples to dine, and selected them from suites and C&A status based on demographics. We graciously declined. We did notice the captain's table - a large round table in the very center of the first floor of the MDR. It always seemed lively and exciting, with almost one server per guest around at all times.

 

We'd never have left MIL to dine on her own, but I'd surely have liked to have enjoyed the captain's table.

[Summerknight]

I guess as in all things "Royal" there is no rhyme or reason why things happen.

 

Several years ago on night one during dessert, our head waiter asked if we would like to dine with the captain. We were not diamond yet and we had an inside cabin.

[Philly Steve]

It's easy to dine "with" the captain. Just have dinner in the Windjammer. ;)

[grand isle joe]

........I have never dined with my taxi driver either...........wow, my life is so incomplete................:cool:

[CaptData]

My first cruise on Princess I ate with the Hotel Director. The second cruise was on the same ship 1 yr later and I was invited to the Captain's table, however, I only eat early as I am diabetic so I had to decline as dinner would have been at 8:30. Most Captain's eat later in the day. Sometimes you are invited to eat with other officers and they inform the Captain if they would be a good match. Then later on in the cruise or your next cruise with that Captain you might be invited.

 

I ended up having lunch with one Captain accidentally. It was on Freedom of the Seas. He was grabbing lunch. We both spotted the same open table. We got there at the same time, so the Captain introduced himself and we sat down and had a lovely lunch.

[mattpro]

Have only dined with Captain (Hansen) once on the Legend in 2013.

 

Just started cruising in 2012 with RCL.

 

Perhaps the reason was we were staying in a GS, which had NO WATER for 3 days - think of the fun showering in the Spa for that time.

 

Staff on ship were wonderful, helpful and supportive, though the infrastructure on an old ship is what it is.

 

Captain's dinner lasted between 2 1/2 to 3 hours, so there was plenty of time to check the weather for the captain ( code for cigarette break ) .

 

Excellent meal - table mates ( 6 others - total at table 10 ) were all Pinnacles.

[alfaeric]

To add to the "randomness" from ship to ship- we were sitting in the CL on the Oasis (as D+ members) talking with another couple just like us. When an officer walked up to us both asking if we'd like to dine with the captain that night.

 

Of course, we did.

 

We enjoy dining with officers- it's really fun. You end up meeting people that you would not normally meet.

[BillOh]

FWIW, I have read many reviews here. I read one where a family said the captain saw the manifest and noticed they were from his hometown.

 

I read another review, and my memory is fading a crew member noticed a guy help a woman who had a wheel chair malfunction getting out of an elevator and some crew member noticed and they got invited. So there must be some random things as well.

 

 

I won't get invited until they start having a captains table on a smart casual night.

[birdlord]

On our Panama Canal cruise, we invited the Food & Beverage Manager to have dinner at our table of 10. He accepted and we had a great time!! I know he is not the same level as the Captain or Hotel Director. We still felt honored that he would take the time to have dinner with our crazy group. Cornelis is the best!

 

On our second cruise ever, we had friends cancel at the last minute so our table assignment was less than desirable (seated with an entire family that spoke no English) and we got reassigned to a table that was the First Captain's Table (I think that's the title, not 100% sure -- but the 2nd in command) and back then on Captain's night, the officers would sit at "their" table and they did all the ordering of the wine, etc (which was paid for by RCI). It was delightful and I still have the photograph from that night (we normally don't purchase cruise photos but I believe even this photo was free/paid for by RCI). It helped we had wonderful company at that table - best cruise we ever had.

[MichaelCMTX]

FWIW, I have read many reviews here. I read one where a family said the captain saw the manifest and noticed they were from his hometown.

 

Happened on one of our trips as well, unless it's super-rare and this was the same one; but I have to think with the far flung locations the Captains hail from it probably happens whenever they can accommodate it.

 

I know on two of our trips the guests in the Royal Suite and they got an invite. On Radiance/Hawaii it was funny because the couple in the Royal Suite was normally at our MDR table, and the Captain's table was probably 10 feet away from ours.

 

On another, a PC member we were acquainted with told us she got the invite because she was solo and they had an odd-number at the table.

 

Exactly. How would they choose who would go even if possible? Also, that would exclude others the captain might wish to invite. In any event, I think it's a bit tacky to ask.

 

Truthfully, I think there are as many different reasons as there are different people to get the invite, but I agree with you that I'd consider it more special to get the invite for whatever strange or random reason than to actively pursue it.