Preference options for table mates, would this be a good idea?

[Starry Eyes]

In theory, using such a survey to match people at tables sounds nice. But like some others, I suspect it might not work so well in practice.

IT problems.

How to place the people who do not complete survey.

Still cannot know if people will actually go to MDR.

Missing out on unpredictably great mixtures of people.

Possibly worst of all for staff on board....raising expectations for matching of tablemates. Just as randomly meeting somebody at a coffee shop might give one a rather low expectation of compatibility, compared to high expectation one might have meeting somebody judged compatible by a match making site, so the cruiseline might raise guests expectations by offering a matching program, resulting in more on board complaints, not less.

[Andros]

Verfai, I really think you have taken this experience too personally. We ourselves would have been delighted to be sat with you. It really is luck of the draw when it comes to table mates on a cruise. We've mostly been seated with wonderful folks from all walks of life,from all over the world.

 

You said you were on a 6 top table. I would suggest asking for a larger table arrangement when booking where there will be a lesser chance of folks bailing on their table. The reason I say that is because they too choose to be seated at a larger table.

 

I can only wish that you have better experiences in the future. I just don't believe any button is going to change the fact everyone is different even when they are the same. Hope that makes sense. :)

 

Happy Cruising!

[Stephluva2711]

I understand what you're saying, it does help when you sit with someone in common. As why people 'run' from your table who knows? Maybe they were expecting a smaller table? some people are not social. Me being one of them. I love cruising, people cruise for different reasons, I don't cruise to meet new people, I cruise with my family as a way to relax, all the activities and entertainment I love. But i'm not that social lol. I ALWAYS request a table for just the 3 of us. However there have been times when we have been put at a table for 6 or even 8-10. It was rather uncomfortable. Not because we clashed with culture, I just don't like to talk to random people about myself, it's just me. I always joke and say it's because i'm from NYC and we are all anti-social lmao. But really, it's just how I am, and my mom and sister are. I never tell the table if i'm going to be missing from dinner. I do mention it to the waiter so they don't hold up svc. BUt as far as mentioning to other table mates, nope. And i't not to be rude, it's just this is my vacation, and really i'm not thinking about how others will perceive it.

 

So yes I guess it can be a little awkward when you want to socialize and you're sat at a huge table and it's just the 2 of you, but everyone has a different cruising style. sometimes it's hit or miss.

[iluvit!]

You might try cruising out of Galveston. The majority of the passengers are Texans, a very friendly bunch. You will also find southern good manners and polite conversation! Have also cruised from both coasts and Galveston cruises have had the most congenial table mates.

[Clarea]

You might try cruising out of Galveston. The majority of the passengers are Texans, a very friendly bunch. You will also find southern good manners and polite conversation! Have also cruised from both coasts and Galveston cruises have had the most congenial table mates.

Just beware, there's a bunch of country music on those Galveston ships.:eek:;)

[Verfai]

Verfai, I really think you have taken this experience too personally. We ourselves would have been delighted to be sat with you. It really is luck of the draw when it comes to table mates on a cruise. We've mostly been seated with wonderful folks from all walks of life,from all over the world.

 

You said you were on a 6 top table. I would suggest asking for a larger table arrangement when booking where there will be a lesser chance of folks bailing on their table. The reason I say that is because they too choose to be seated at a larger table.

 

I can only wish that you have better experiences in the future. I just don't believe any button is going to change the fact everyone is different even when they are the same. Hope that makes sense. :)

 

Happy Cruising!

 

Wel a lot of people have been saying the request a larger table...Would it not be the bomb of they would, when you book and fill in the dinner times, a ticker box that says I want to be sat with my party; I want a table of 4-6; I want a larger table...At this time the site asks nothing when booking.

 

In a way I take it personal yes, makes you wander if you really are a crazy person or other...For us its more the getting out of the daily comfort zone, I sit alone with the misses at a small table on a daily basis at home....Its why we cruise to sit on a bigger table with folks we dont know :)

[Verfai]

You might try cruising out of Galveston. The majority of the passengers are Texans, a very friendly bunch. You will also find southern good manners and polite conversation! Have also cruised from both coasts and Galveston cruises have had the most congenial table mates.

 

Just beware, there's a bunch of country music on those Galveston ships.:eek:;)

 

LOL! Ive met a few Texans...Differs a bit from we are used to and indeed country music was one of them :D If there is something I dont get its American country music :p, the lyrics really dont make any sence to a liberal European ;) no offence ;)

[Clarea]

... If there is something I dont get its American country music :p, the lyrics really dont make any sence to a liberal European ;) no offence ;)

There are many US people that feel the same way.:)

[iluvit!]

There are many US people that feel the same way.:)

 

 

But we do like our "Boot Scootin' Boogie"[emoji444][emoji2]

[Doug S]

For me it would be best if they had a box for rude, obnoxious tablemates. Those are the only ones I avoid like the plague. The ones that put others down, totally dominate the conversation, mention their lofty status every other sentence, treat the staff poorly, complain about every little perceived slight, and make the dining experience unpleasant.

 

If we are not doing the table for 2, it does seem that we usually get seated with like passengers, and I think RCI works hard to do this. When we traveled with our sons, we were magically seated with another family with similar aged kids. When we travel as a couple we are were seated with couples of similar age.

 

Only time I ever had a language barrier was due to a last minute change since they had our kids seated at a different table and we had to swap assignments to get us together. Wound up at a table with a family from Miami, and the parents were first generation from Cuba and their English was about as limited as my Spanish. We could talk a bit, but our kids were all more bilingual then we were so they acted as translators. Kinda neat actually. I did get a few good laughs out of the Dad even after translation. Not an ideal situation, and we did not all wind up being lifelong friends, but we all made the best of it and enjoyed our dinners, and l actually remember those evenings more than all the generic 'people like me' that seem to all just blend together after a few years...

[cruiselvr04]

Hey...we are from Texas but don't really like country music that much!

 

To the OP you can sit with us anytime. The only time we have felt uncomfortable is when we don't speak the language and can not communicate or where we have to work all night to keep the conversation going. Oh and we don't like those who complain about everything either. We think the bigger the table the better your chances of meeting fun and interesting people.

 

We have met wonderful people from all over the world and U.S. We just stay away from talking about politics or religion unless we have sat all week with you and have figured out how you lean.

 

Over the years we have some fabulous tables and others not so much. Older folks have a lot of history to share, travel adventures etc. we have been seated with honeymooners and had so much fun we joined them later in the evening at the bar.

 

We have had a few people leave our table and never come back...we figure it's their loss not ours!

 

Maybe they should have a box for "never happy" and seat those together.��

Edited September 28, 2015 by cruiselvr04

[Thetrail]

They already profile now, mostly by country of origin and I also believe they put the diamonds and above together.

 

As for the religion, there are a lot of people who by religion are offended by what you eat or drink...An easy example (and I mean no offence to anybody->), I you have 3 couples from lets say Saoedi Arabia onboard, I think it would be a good idea to put those people together by default, its not 100% waterproof that they all will be practicing Muslims, but a pretty high probability same goes for Jews or even Vegan's...

WHICH is what I mean by my question to you all, its not because you are from Saoedi Arabia, that you are Muslim, so with the possibility of advanced preferences you would be able to tick other options

You are wrong about religion and putting D and above together, and I'll leave it right there.

[Cruise a holic]

Which we could do all the specialty restaurants with the new friends we make :D

 

We sometimes meet great people, but our primary objective on a cruise is to enjoy each others company (spouse and myself), the ambiance of the ship and the ports. We work all week and a cruise is a great option for us to totally reconnect.

 

If we go on a sailing with family or friends, we sit with them. We have connected with some very interesting and friendly people at the pools, hot tubs, etc.

 

With regards to which specialty restaurants, it depends upon the ship as to specialty restaurants. We enjoy most.

Edited September 28, 2015 by Cruise a holic

[Paulette3028]

You can select who you dine with or not each evening at no extra cost with My Time Dining and you don't leave others alone, if you're at a large table and not sitting alone in Traditional Dining, staring at your empty places.

Not everyone would want to dine in a specialty restaurants even if they felt really comfortable with new acquaintances. I guess there is the no extra cost Windjammer buffer option but that wouldn't be appealing to us. ;)

 

Let's be clear here... you cannot pick Early Traditional Dining and then for one dinner choose to take advantage of My Time Dining, because on that evening you want to have dinner with new acquaintances you have met. You can I believe permanently switch for the length of the cruise from traditional dining to MTD, but it is not a 'make a daily choice' kind of situation.

 

We did make a new friend on our Indy cruise via our roll call who had MTD. He and his wife did not enjoy it the first two nights. Then we inquired if they could be added to our table during Early Traditional Dining, since 4 people who were scheduled to be seated at our table, had never shown up. The Maitr'D took care of making it happen. What he first did was call the people who were expected at our table to find out if they were going to be joining us later in the week....when he was satisfied that they were not, the change was made. The Maitre D did tell me that if he could not get in touch with the other cruisers he would have made our table size larger to facilitate the two extra people. So the staff does work hard to accommodate some changes during a cruise.

[legaljen1969]

And there is no where on a cruise booking that asks for ANY information about religious preferences. That would be religious discrimination, which is illegal in the U.S.

 

I am sure there is nothing that asks about religion, but an assumption (perhaps incorrectly) might be made that those seeking to have kosher meals are Jewish. Or perhaps if someone made dietary restrictions known that indicated that they were Muslim. I don't know how they would know otherwise.

 

Perhaps it might be easier if you had several groups with Kosher diets to put them at the same table. It might make things easier if you had several vegan individuals to seat them together.

 

I am all for meeting new people. I don't particularly care what people eat at my table. I don't care for folks with terrible table manners, but I have only encountered one of those in classic dining experiences (well, it was a couple (husband/wife) but it was still just one experience.) I would NOT be offended if someone asked to be seated elsewhere.

 

Just wondering aloud (or in writing) if perhaps this is how it happens that some similar people are seated together.

[Grandma Dazzles]

Wel a lot of people have been saying the request a larger table...Would it not be the bomb of they would, when you book and fill in the dinner times, a ticker box that says I want to be sat with my party; I want a table of 4-6; I want a larger table...At this time the site asks nothing when booking.

 

 

 

In a way I take it personal yes, makes you wander if you really are a crazy person or other...For us its more the getting out of the daily comfort zone, I sit alone with the misses at a small table on a daily basis at home....Its why we cruise to sit on a bigger table with folks we dont know :)

 

 

Not sure I am understanding your first paragraph.

 

When you first book you do specify first, second seating and size of the table you prefer.

[navybankerteacher]

We always request a large table at traditional: joining a regular nucleus every evening is one of the distinct pleasures of cruising. I suspect the lines generally use country of origin and general age range in assigning, but there are so many other variables that fine-tuning would be problematic.

 

We were once seated with three French Canadian couples who either could not or would not speak English - we requested re-assignment right after the first dinner - and wound up with two couples from Russia who spoke little English but wanted to practice it, a cowboy-type and wife from Wyoming, and a tax-accountant from Chicago. We had a great time regardless of differences - attitude is the most important factor.

[Paulette3028]

We always request a large table at traditional: joining a regular nucleus every evening is one of the distinct pleasures of cruising. I suspect the lines generally use country of origin and general age range in assigning, but there are so many other variables that fine-tuning would be problematic.

 

We were once seated with three French Canadian couples who either could not or would not speak English - we requested re-assignment right after the first dinner - and wound up with two couples from Russia who spoke little English but wanted to practice it, a cowboy-type and wife from Wyoming, and a tax-accountant from Chicago. We had a great time regardless of differences - attitude is the most important factor.

 

Ah yes --'attitude is the most important factor'. We always request to be seated at a large table; as I usually explain our reasoning is simple: since we are young empty nesters, we can enjoy each others company at dinner every night at home on a cruise we LOVE the company of others. We actually hope for people of different backgrounds where we can have hopefully some interesting conversations. Over the years we have had wonderful tablemates, that have added a great deal to our cruise....at times we have had less than wonderful tablemates, but NEVER some that we could not at least enjoy our dinner with -- it is all in the 'attitude' as you say!

[geoherb]

Age really shouldn't be an issue. Language should be.

 

On our second cruise, we were assigned to a table with an old couple in their 70s. I was 28 and DH was 34. They were so boring. Every question we asked received a one-word response. It did not help that the table held eight but there were just the four of us at it.

 

Then a few cruises later, we had a table with a couple in their 80s. They were delightful. They talked about the things they did in each port, the things they had done, etc. Just because you're old doesn't mean you're dusty.

 

On another cruise, we arrived at our table to find too many people there--10 of us for a table for 8. One couple spoke Spanish primarily, although the wife knew a bit of English. We were ready to volunteer to move to another table, but it turned out the Spanish speakers were at the wrong one. They got to move to their correct table with other Spanish-speaking passengers and where they were served by waiters who spoke Spanish.

[navybankerteacher]

Age really shouldn't be an issue. Language should be.

 

On our second cruise, we were assigned to a table with an old couple in their 70s. I was 28 and DH was 34. They were so boring. Every question we asked received a one-word response. It did not help that the table held eight but there were just the four of us at it.

 

...

 

 

There is nothing more discouraging than being at a large table with just one other couple - who clearly do not want to interact. That is justification for immediately seeking re-assignment from the maitre d'.

[moniquet]

We started cruising in 2000 and for about 6 years all was fine. We made some great friends and till in touch with some. Then it started to change. We were on a table for ten and only two other people turned up, they were French and scarcely spoke any English. The rest only came on the last night. Another time on RCL there was an old man who was either just rude or in early stages of dementia. He would order food and when it came , shout loudly for the Waiter to take it away. Very embarrassing. Finally we have requested a table for two the last few times and now prefer it.

[AmazedByCruising]

My question to you all is:

What would you think, if there or should there be an option, to tick your preferences for table mates when booking a cruise and choosing a classic dining time?

 

I think that's a good idea, and the IT department should be into this, too. I've mostly been lucky with table mates, but one time was a disaster that could easily have been avoided by just looking at our profiles.

 

If RCCL is not using the enormous amount of data they have on passengers, they should hire new people to do so.

 

Even before you cruise they know a lot, after your first cruise may be they know you better than Facebook does. (And I'm not even on Facebook for exactly that reason).

 

By making a list of things were you interacted on line, via your TA, via phone, with your SeaPass they easily know:

 

* How much you were willing to spend on your cruise

* How many times you cancelled to get a better deal

* How long in advance you were planning this cruise

* What kind of excursions you booked

* If you leave it to your spouse to take the kids to the pool

* What time you showed up for muster drill

* How much time you spent ashore without booking an excursion

* Whether you booked excursions in advance or last minute

* What time you get up and go to sleep

* How many times you went to Guest Relations and how serious the problem was

* Removing gratuities

* What kind of drinks you have, if any

* Age group, languages, country of origin. By name, may be even an educated guess at your religion.

* What kind of food you ordered

* Buying cigarettes

* Where you spend your time on the ship

* Gambling habits

* How many times did you visit the ports of this cruise

* A LOT more

 

A bit more work, but this could be done in India for a few bucks per passenger:

 

* Probable occupation, hobbies, etc.

 

This is data they should and most probably are using to send offers. Now, why not use this information to find "compatible" tablemates. Or at least try to prevent disasters. People who drink, smoke, eat meat and do many excursions are totally different from teetotalers who spend all day in the gym, even if they are from the same country. I think more people would have more fun in MDR if assigning tables would be made easier by the computer by showing "green" and "red" tables.

[Paulette3028]

As I read through all of the replies to this thread, I realize how daunting the job is of table seating. I just remember the occasions where I had to arrange table seating -- my wedding, the bar mitzvahs of my sons, some other fundraising events that I had the privilege of chairing with over 300 guests.

 

Their task is incredible. Just like I had a few aunts and uncles or cousins or other guests less than thrilled with who they were seated with, no one will always be happy on a cruise ship.

 

My attitude is.....I can enjoy the company of almost anyone for an hour or two over dinner for a few days....and if they are so offensive (not sure what it would take to be in that category for me) I would seek out the maitr d and ask to be moved to another table. So far I have never had to do that.....

 

Over all a good job done by Royal for us.

[Velvetwater]

Happy to sit with anyone thats not a complete twit.

 

Although given our age (late twenties) we probably would choose to sit with people our age as it may lead to more fun around the ship as we don't turn in early and there are less people our age on ships! :)

 

Although if we met a more mature couple that were similar minded and partied late then thats just as good.

[Paulette3028]

Happy to sit with anyone thats not a complete twit.

 

Although given our age (late twenties) we probably would choose to sit with people our age as it may lead to more fun around the ship as we don't turn in early and there are less people our age on ships! :)

 

Although if we met a more mature couple that were similar minded and partied late then thats just as good.

 

 

We are not in our twenties, but we love to be part of the later evening activities....even though we are over 60, no one would know that....well except for my grey hair, which I have spent years cultivating...and won't color.

 

We think of cruising as 'Adult Camp'. Hope to meet you on a cruise at some time, and would love to have dinner together!