Table mates

[bccruiseguy]

How does Carnival pick table mates? Do they follow some kind of process to match people or families up?

 

 

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[Tapi]

It's been 7-8 year since we've done assigned dining (ever since we discovered the flexibility and convenience of anytime dining, we haven't looked back), but I do remember that, when I sailed on the Fascination as a single guy back in 2003, I was assigned to a table for 10 and every person at the table was also traveling solo. That was the best matching process I've had with assigned dining. Other times, the experience has seemed more random, ranging from great to awful. That's another reason why we shy away from assigned dining; don't want to run the risk of getting paired up with the table mates from hell.

[mousey]

In all the years we've cruised only once did we get paired up with a couple that were pretty boring. Since we started cruising with the DS (he was 9 and is now 20), we have always been seated at a table that had kids his age. He's made lots of friends to hang out on cruises with because of that. I do not like anytime seating at all.

[styxfire]

What is the proper way (and proper time) to ask for tablemates from your country?

 

I assume this must be done prior to cruising, as your table is labeled on your sign/sail ID card.

 

We are English-speaking only, and were paired with a mother-daughter who spoke "minimal" English-second-language. We struggled to converse for 2 nights, then skipped the 3rd, and they skipped the 4th. None of us enjoyed staring at each other or trying to communicate using 1 yr of foreign-language skills taught 2 decades ago. Very nice, warm people, but so hard to fill 2 hrs of dinner w/ no chat skills.

 

Since they were from southern hemisphere & we're far north, we thought a way to get better conversation on the NEXT cruise might be to request citizens from our country. Is that an offensive request? We are battling hearing aids as well, which make accents even more of a struggle.

[GUT2407]

No idea how they do it (or any other line) but it seems to work most of the time.

[GranysT]

What is the proper way (and proper time) to ask for tablemates from your country?

 

I assume this must be done prior to cruising, as your table is labeled on your sign/sail ID card.

 

We are English-speaking only, and were paired with a mother-daughter who spoke "minimal" English-second-language. We struggled to converse for 2 nights, then skipped the 3rd, and they skipped the 4th. None of us enjoyed staring at each other or trying to communicate using 1 yr of foreign-language skills taught 2 decades ago. Very nice, warm people, but so hard to fill 2 hrs of dinner w/ no chat skills.

 

Since they were from southern hemisphere & we're far north, we thought a way to get better conversation on the NEXT cruise might be to request citizens from our country. Is that an offensive request? We are battling hearing aids as well, which make accents even more of a struggle.

 

We had this happen to us one cruise. Seated at a table with 4 others, none of which spoke English. At least they didn't speak it around us. After dinner the 1st night, we went to the Matre D, explained the situation and asked to be moved. Next night, new table with great people.

[GUT2407]

We had this happen to us one cruise. Seated at a table with 4 others, none of which spoke English. At least they didn't speak it around us. After dinner the 1st night, we went to the Matre D, explained the situation and asked to be moved. Next night, new table with great people.

 

 

Never happened to us thank goodness, but then again we normally ask for a table for two, but then one of the reasons we cruise is to have US time.

[k2excursion]

15 cruises, always with assigned dining. One time, it was just our group of 5 at the table. One time, I was with the folks, and 3 of our tablemates were parents with a young adult child, so a good fit there. Another time, I was with friends the same age as me, and 1 of our 3 tablemates was around our age. That's as good as it's been for me. They have done a very poor job, overall,of matching demographics, in my experience. I still have usually enjoyed our tablemates, but I enjoy getting to know people of all ages.

[ready2cruzagain]

I have no idea how they do it but we have experienced some bad ones. Once we had a couple that showed up the first 2 nights then never again, that was bad because the other couple did not speak a word of English. Bad experience. Another time we were seated with all single people, we are married, at a table for 10.:rolleyes:

 

We have finally gotten to the point where if we are seated at a table and nothing in common, such as language, we ask the maitre 'd to move us.

Edited December 2, 2015 by ready2cruzagain

[Plant]

One reason we love Anytime/Your Time dining. I'm going to "guess" that Carnival uses some kind of computer program (an algorithm)to match people who want Assigned Dining. Other than that, I don't have a clue :)!

[styxfire]

Thanks, I appreciate hearing others' stories about the table match-ups :)

I'm not sure if I have the guts to ask for a different table after already sharing a meal face-to-face. I guess I'm hoping to avoid the discomfort in the first place. But, switching seems like a valid option to keep in mind.

 

On a positive note, I had one cruise where I shared a table with a couple who was so interesting and so easy to talk to and so "normal" (LOL!). And another cruise where we shared a table with 3 folks that were very pleasant and taught us a lot about cruise life. Private family seating is less stress, but truth be told, all those meals with strangers were more memorable than the ones where our family was alone.

 

Conversely, that 1 cruise with the language barrier was enough to make me worry about future meals. I don't recall that ever happening on "Love Boat". !!!

[PurdueChefAmber]

We have always had great table mates. As teenagers, they always put us with other teens who I still am friends with today. In college, they put us with other college kids. Now, they put us with young professionals. I always trust who they pair us with.

 

 

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[spinnaker190]

Always went with assigned dinner and enjoyed dinner my table mates. I've always cruised solo and found I was at tables with other solo's or couples with no kids and it seemed always within +/10 years of my age (27), this has been my experience on the liberty and the glory.

[bankofdad]

Does anyone know if you can contact the Matre D in advance with a table request or do we need to wait until we are onboard to do so? I am hoping for a table for Just the four of us (me, DW, DD and DS).

 

The last time we did assigned dining we ended up with at a table for six and one individual talked politics the whole time while another (a young newlywed lady) kept hitting on every server that came to the table. Very awkward!!

[riffatsea]

@bankofdad, Your situation is exactly why we have not done assigned dining in years! We do Your Time Dining so that we can be seated either by ourselves when sailing as a couple,or when with family , just with the 4 of us!

If you don't want to be seated with others then I don't see the point of doing traditional dining.

[A&Jfamily]

From our experience, they do at least try to match demographics; I'm not sure they could make any correct language conclusions simply based upon what hemisphere you hail from. As a general rule we travel with our kids, now 17 and 11, and of all our cruises, have either had a table for 4 to ourselves or else been seated with a couple with kids in the range of our oldest; the most recent 2 boys of the family were college age.

[bankofdad]

@bankofdad, Your situation is exactly why we have not done assigned dining in years! We do Your Time Dining so that we can be seated either by ourselves when sailing as a couple,or when with family , just with the 4 of us!

If you don't want to be seated with others then I don't see the point of doing traditional dining.

 

I would normally and have in the past totally agree with you:D. I had originally signed us up for ATD, but after reading so many reviews that suggested the service for the ATD tables was really not that great compared to traditional dining, I made a decision (at least for now - could change my mind again) to go with traditional dining. Thank you very much for your input!!

[riffatsea]

I think that if you don't get good service you need to then choose another wait staff team. We find one good one and then stick to them for the whole cruise. In fact for our last cruise on the Conquest we asked on here for recs for wait staff and got one rec which we used on board! It was spot on and we enjoyed Olga and her team very much! Her 4 top became "our table" for the entire cruise!

I have no idea why others have trouble?? Maybe we are just lucky??

 

[Spincognito]

DW and I have been on 11 cruises, always with assigned dining and have all types of table mates, from really cool to simply awful. On our second cruise they sat us with another couple from the upper NW (we are from the NE) and after two nights of hearing WAY TOO MUCH about their oddball family lives (they actually told us about incest within the family!), we skipped out the rest of the cruise. One other time we sat with an Asian couple who spoke no English- Awkward! Other than that though we have made some great friends at dinner, had countless engaging conversations and kept in touch with several.

 

The social experimentation is intriguing to us and we always look forward to that first night to see who we "get"!

[Epinz300]

Is there anyway to request a table just for my party of 4 for a traditional dining time? I have late seating on breeze sailing dec 13 and would like a table just for 4. Do i have to email someone?

[cruznjan]

Once we were at a table with two couples from Norway, in addition to other American couples. The Norwegian men could converse in English, but not their wives. But we all got along and had a good time.