A true dinner table story....

[Dajo5601]

This is true and may brighten up this dull early Winter weather. My friend and his wife (I'll call him Mike) were seated at a table for 10 in the main dining room, Mike does not drink alcohol and they were four nights into their cruise, when one of the diners, an opinionated woman (I'll call her Veronica) said across the table "Mike, do you have a drink problem as I see you don't drink?", he says that he was too flabbergasted to reply.

 

A few nights later, the same lady came to the dining table after the Captain's party, a little the worse for wear and as she sat down, Mike looked at her and said across the table "Veronica, do you have a drink problem?". I think we'd call that game, set and match........

 

David

[balf]

We were at a table with a lady diner who obviously didn't drink.....except on the night of the captain's reception when she staggered to the table ten minutes after everyone else, plonked herself down and announced loudly " l'm p....d".

 

David.

[fantasy51]

We were at a table with a lady diner who obviously didn't drink.....except on the night of the captain's reception when she staggered to the table ten minutes after everyone else, plonked herself down and announced loudly " l'm p....d".

 

David.

 

That sounds rather like me! On one cruise the people at my table were very amused at my lightheaded and lighthearted attitude after one drink at the Captain's reception. I think they understood then why I had stuck to water all through the cruise.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Good for "Mike!"

 

How rude to ask him such a personal question! There are lots of reasons for not drinking. I'd bet there are at least as many people abstaining because their meds won't let them drink as their are alcoholics staying "on the wagon." In either case, it's nobody else's business.

[pepperrn]

Good for "Mike!" How rude to ask him such a personal question! There are lots of reasons for not drinking. I'd bet there are at least as many people abstaining because their meds won't let them drink as their are alcoholics staying "on the wagon."In either case, it's nobody else's business.

Hi 3rdGenCunarder,

 

Thank you for saying exactly what I was about to post. I couldn't agree with you more.

"Veronica" showed herself to have no manners whatsoever. Unbelievably rude :mad: .

 

Thank you again.

Edited November 9, 2015 by pepperrn

[Lakesregion]

Not on the drink situation but another great come back. I have a friend who on a cruise was at a table where one lady was all into how wonderful her and her husbands position in life was and she asked my friend what he did for work. He replied that he was in oil. Naturally she was quite impressed. (He ran a gas station).

[Adammara]

Reminds me of a cruise on another line. We overlooked the captains table, and there were the same occupants every night, and the wine flowed freely. The party would always arrive late for dinner and parade through the restaurant. One night one of the ladies evidently had a little to much to drink at the pre dinner reception, and was very unsteady on her feet, and was being 'assisted' by 2 officers to the table.

[Csardas]

Classy!!

[DDBINK1]

I have been at a table for 10 and one of the guys at the table made offensive comments (at least to me) regarding another table guest who did not join in on the sharing of wine at dinner. He was on medication that did not mix with alcohol so he drank coffee or tea at dinner. He would quietly decline the offers of wine when other guests bought wine for the table. It seems from other comments this situation comes up occasionally. I wonder if on the first night at dinner we should discuss if we would be drinkers or nondrinkers just to allow everyone to anticipate declining guests when alcohol is offered? Or maybe have a discussion of manners for dinner conversations? I often wonder what has become of manners.

[pris993]

We generally have a table for 2, solves the problem at dinner.

 

I recall though a seemingly very nice lady, well educated, who became friendly with my DH.... he is kind of unique and she was very curious about his background. So one evening she asked what college or university he attended? Both she and her husband were well education and well travelled. My DH floored her when he told her zero. Too funny... my DH was not offend or anything ... he is a self made man kind of guy who has travelled far and wide, speaks many languages.

[Dcoy]

A couple at the table next to us were talking loudly about how well off they and were spending a lot of money on their cruise.

 

With a loud voice I sad to my wife "My dad made a killing in the market today, cattle & pork bellies". My dad was a butcher.:D

 

Don

[3rdGenCunarder]

I have been at a table for 10 and one of the guys at the table made offensive comments (at least to me) regarding another table guest who did not join in on the sharing of wine at dinner. He was on medication that did not mix with alcohol so he drank coffee or tea at dinner. He would quietly decline the offers of wine when other guests bought wine for the table. It seems from other comments this situation comes up occasionally. I wonder if on the first night at dinner we should discuss if we would be drinkers or nondrinkers just to allow everyone to anticipate declining guests when alcohol is offered? Or maybe have a discussion of manners for dinner conversations? I often wonder what has become of manners.

 

Most Cunard passengers are pleasant and have decent manners. You hear more about the bad ones because the stories are so entertaining. In all of our cruises, I can recall only a few who were a bit annoying, nobody really rude.

[Host Hattie]

Maybe we are the rude ones but have never bought wine "for the table", we buy our wine and let everyone else look after themselves ! On our last QM2 cruise we were the only wine buyers at the table.

[fantasy51]

Like you, Hattie, I have not been on a table where someone offered wine to others. I have always been on tables where it was very mixed in terms of people drinking or not drinking. However, there was one memorable cruise where we had a large table of singles and on the last night the two gentlemen clubbed together and bought 2 bottles of champagne to share 'with the ladies' as a thank you for our company. No doubt in modern terms it was very sexist, but it was very enjoyable! It was old-fashioned courtesy at its best.

[pepperrn]

. ... However, there was one memorable cruise where we had a large table of singles and on the last night the two gentlemen clubbed together and bought 2 bottles of champagne to share 'with the ladies' as a thank you for our company. No doubt in modern terms it was very sexist, but it was very enjoyable! It was old-fashioned courtesy at its best.

Hi fantasy51,

 

I do hope that lovely gesture; buying champagne for the entire table as a thank you for the company during several dinners on a cruise, wouldn't be regarded as "sexist", but as "old-fashioned courtesy at its best" as you say.

We all lose if people can't make generous and complimentary gestures to others, regardless of gender.

Thank you for posting.

Edited November 10, 2015 by pepperrn

[Host Hattie]

On our one Fred Olsen trip one of our table mates ordered a bottle of champagne on the last formal night and offered us all a glass. Mr HH had forgotten his reading glasses (as usual), it was only when I checked the receipt later I realised that we had paid for it :eek:

[Deeliteful]

I have been known to offer my table companions champagne if I have won in the casino. I definitely wouldn't take it as sexist if a man did the same. I'd just say "yes please" :-)

 

Pat

[Merry Maid]

Good for "Mike!"

 

How rude to ask him such a personal question! There are lots of reasons for not drinking. I'd bet there are at least as many people abstaining because their meds won't let them drink as their are alcoholics staying "on the wagon." In either case, it's nobody else's business.

 

On a cruise a couple of years ago (not Cunard) we were at a table for 8. On the second leg a new couple joined our table. When the wine waiter came the lady ordered a bottle and the gentleman said to the waiter 2 bottles of sparkling water every night please. Then to the table he said, ' I'm a recovering alcoholic', and that was that. The conversation carried on as if he had said 'Nice evening.'

MM

[DDBINK1]

Maybe we are the rude ones but have never bought wine "for the table", we buy our wine and let everyone else look after themselves ! On our last QM2 cruise we were the only wine buyers at the table.

 

I don't find that rude at all. I have found that wine is sometimes a personal choice because many people only want white wine or red or merlot or Malbec etc. I found this out from my older brother. He only drinks Malbec and one night at dinner I offered him some merlot. You would think I insulted him. Of course he is my older brother so I live to annoy him. But you are perfectly allowed to enjoy your wine at a larger table. I always figure everyone at the table can do as they please. If anyone comments that the wine I ordered is their favorite I would definitely offer some as a courtesy but that never happens.

As another example, on a night when I have steak, I always order a scotch. I wouldn't order that for the whole table.

So you are good to enjoy as you please.

[rsquare]

On the crossing from which I disembarked this morning, we solved the problem of what to do with the Pol Acker which Cunard leaves for us by asking one evening if the table (for 8) would like to share it with us. By that time our original full bottle had been supplemented by a half bottle to soothe our feelings over a leak just outside our cabin door. Several other couples contributed their bottles, and we all had bubbly for three nights running. Turns out that we were not the only ones puzzled by how two people could drink a full bottle of sparkling wine, nor the only ones who typically left it in the refrigerator for the steward.

[fantasy51]

For some of us, a full bottle of Pol Acker IS a big problem. There was one cruise where I really wanted to have a glass as we sailed down the Solent but the friend travelling with me couldn't tolerate alcohol - and I can only tolerate it in small quantities. We could hear the people on the balcony next to us enjoying theirs and getting through it all, so I passed the rest of our bottle around the divider to them.

 

On my last cruise, however, my room-mate managed to polish off whatever-brand-it-is-now with no problems.

[Underwatr]

You need to pack one of these:

 

[janecambridge]

You need to pack one of these:

 

 

Or pick a cabin next me.:D

[fantasy51]

Or pick a cabin next me.:D

 

:D

 

Of course, there are some who would ask what my poor neighbours did to deserve the punishment of a gift of Pol Acker! ;)

[Underwatr]

It's not bad in a morning mimosa with room service OJ. I'm just sayin'...

Edited November 13, 2015 by Underwatr