The Mystery of Table Assignments - A Story

[nealberk]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by cruising with marti:

Neal

 

you don't have too speak the same language, what is wrong with sign language?

 

 

phil

 

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

How is one supposed to eat and sign at the same time?????? Now, if I could sign with my feet, it would be a different story, but my hands are firmly placed on the knife and fork.

[usha]

Well, I can understand a request for early or late seating, or a table for 2/4/6/8/10, but, come on! Who expects to get a particular table location, no kids, and the chice of nationality of their dining partners?? Maybe it's just me, but I do think it's unreasonable to get so extremely specific about your dining expectations.

[Cathy Laz]

Usha,

 

Good point. This is why people who work in Customer Service deserve a medal! Can you imagine trying to please everyone all the time!

 

C

[Cruise Cat]

Usha - That's one of the reasons I talked about a survey. I think you could answer some simple questions and they they could also let you pick the top three criteria that are most important to you about eating dinner (early or late would be a given and not count towards this). I think the top most important thing to you should be honored, then they can work from there. For whatever that most important seating criteria is, it can be done to a very high percentage. Further down the list, people will just have to tolerate each other.

 

Cruise Cat

 

 

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[newtocc]

Usha, I couldn't agree more!

 

This ship 10/91

That ship 11/95

Whatever ship 12/98

here a ship 13/99

there a ship 14/00

everywhere

a

ship ship 15/05

 

<font size="3" color=red>Over 1 year</font> into my LMBO cruise

[nealberk]

This can't be any harder than the online dating services with their "perfect match" or scheduling classes in college.

 

On the other hand, it would take all the fun out of it.

[Cameron-by-the-Sea]

Actually I highly recommend sign language--after all, you can talk with your mouth full!

PS-I teach the hearing impaired, so please don't think I am being politically incorrect.

 

This has been a great post. We had an interesting experience on our first HAL cruise in March. We were mistakenly given early seating, although we and the couple we were traveling with requested late. We asked to be switched and the maitre d worked it out for us to join a late table for 6. When we arrived, we were greeted by an elderly couple--the husband was recovering from a stroke--and honestly you could hardly hear him speak. I was not sure how compatible we would be, as we are in our late 40's early 50's. HOWEVER, as the cruise went on and we got to know this lovely couple we looked forward to dinner. They were delightful and even though it took the gentleman several attempts to speak, he was very witty and had great political commentary. I guess my point is that sometimes first impressions can be offsetting, but this couple "grew" on us, and I believe, we on them.

So our experience had a very happy ending!

 

Actually, on every cruise we've been blessed with great dinner companions.

 

"A woman is like a teabag. You never know how strong she is 'til she gets in hot water."

[Rich&Natalia]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Jimsgirl:

 

Checked as soon as I got on board, was at a table for 4 - obvious from their names that they were of Oriental nationality, did not speak English.

 

------<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

Wow - that's quite a talent. Can you tell what languages people speak by their screennames as well or just by their real names?

 

-Rich

 

'til I'm back on the Galaxy

 

[joramrose]

Well I guess some of you think it is not a good idea for me to sit at a different table some nights.

 

Maybe not.

 

As for compensation, or tipping == I usually eat in the dining room for breakfast and for lunch, and I don't usually sit at the same table or with the same people -- it is open seating. And I do not leave a tip for each waiter for each day.

 

Naybe I am wrong, but I figure that the meal tips go to the evening staff, and as each waiter has about the same number of people, they just kinda wait on each other's "clients" mornings and lunches.

 

What do you do about tips when you eat at the buffet or the spa or the outdoor pool grill? Do you leave a tip each time? One of the things I like about shipboard is not having to fool with cash all day. If tipping gets to be a big hassle, I will have to forget about cruising and try something else.

 

Now don't get me wrong. I am not a stingy tipper. I have a son who has worked in the restaurant business for 20 years and he has indoctrinated me good about tipping. But when a meal becomes an obligation instead of a pleasant experience, I will eat peanut butter sandwiches at home.

 

I firmly believe that service people deserve a living wage, as well as all the perks -- health insurance, for instance, that the rest of get. I would be happy if all service establishments automatically added 15 percent to the cost of their services and forego tipping. This goes for cruise lines as well. I would just like to be assured that the extra charge is shared and divided proportionately.

 

Waiters routinely give up to 40 percent of their tips to the bus boys, dishwashers and other service personnel.

 

But darn it, this is MY cruise, and I would like to enjoy it to the fullest.

 

love

joan

[Princess-of-Quite-alot]

Amen Joan!

On my last cruise, we were seated at a table the first night we were not comfortable at...and the waiter was not very friendly. So we requested and were moved to another table (with 2 couples from Ireland, one couple from Toronto, and a lovely English couple). The Irish couples only talked among themselves, the Toronto couple looked really angry and never spoke, and the English couple were a delight. We moved the remainder of the time to a table of our new Cruise Critic friends, whom we met prior on these boards. (Thank goodness!) We tipped only the last waiter, who unfortunately, had another table who skipped out on the last night. Tipping is not a MUST, it should be for well deserved service. If we blindly tip out of obligation, it may not encourage the best service possible. Just my humble opinion...

 

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[tuggers]

I wonder if they could just have a CC section where we could all sit and be rowdy and fun and socialize with other tables within our group and just generally have a great time? Now that would be fun! And we wouldn't have to worry about getting angry people at our tables, non-communicating people, etc. And the cruise line already knows who we are!

 

Going on CENTURY! Third X Cruise In Four Months!

 

 

 

[Lois R]

Hi...Joan, you asked for an opinion ( I think) about what to do if you decide you want to eat late on certain evenings.

I hope everyone has nice tablemates but I realize that is not going to happen 100% of the time.

No, I don't tip the waiters when I eat during the day.

And yes, I have changed tables on one of my cruises....ate at the assigned table the first evening and was moved the 2nd evening. I stayed at the 2nd table for the next 6 evenings.

 

We all want good service, I don't wish bad things for anyone on a cruise.

 

I just read your post again, and it seems like you aren't happy eating early so you would like to be able to switch tables on certain nights.

Again, I would say see the Maitr'd and speak him about it.

 

Next up...HORIZON Sept 18th to Bermuda!

 

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[nealberk]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Rich&Natalia:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Jimsgirl:

 

Checked as soon as I got on board, was at a table for 4 - obvious from their names that they were of Oriental nationality, did not speak English.

 

------<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

Wow - that's quite a talent. Can you tell what languages people speak by their screennames as well or just by their real names?

 

-Rich

 

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

Relax a bit Rich. I think what was initially said was that looking at the people, they appeared to be Oriental. After a few words of conversation, it was immediately evident that the other people did not speak English. The conversation probably went like this: "Hi, we are Jim and Jim's girl". (a response that could not be understood), "I am sorry, I don't understand your language, do you speak English?" (another response that could not be understood) "Oh" Total silence.

 

One of my favorite stories is about my son who was flying back from El Paso to Dallas. He was 17 at the time and seated next to a cute young thing. He tried to start up a conversation but she gave him a puzzled look and asked if he spoke Spanish. He didn't but came out with his "Sprechen zi Deutch?" (4 years of high school German). Once again she gave him a puzzled look. Finally in desperation he asked "Parley vou Francaise?" (one year of high school French) and was greeted with a "Oi!". They spent the rest of the flight speaking French.

[Princess-of-Quite-alot]

Tuggers,

That's what is so wonderful about these boards! You can request ahead of time to be seated with your newfound online friends...all you need is the booking numbers! For those who want to occasionally switch their dinner seating times, there is always alternative dining areas! On the Century, we ate at the Sky Bar and it was just fine!

 

Celebrity Century 5/8/04 -Western Caribbean

Carnival Ecstasy 2/04 - Baja

Tahitian Princess 2/03- French Polynesia

Sea Princess 7/02 - Alaska

Carnival Ecstasy 5/02 - Baja

Royal Caribbean Monarch 10/00 - Southern Caribbean

Carnival Elation 10/99 - Mexican Riviera

Royal Caribbean Monarch 1/97 - Southern Caribbean

 

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<a href="http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/princessofqal1">Celebrity Century pics

[stephy1]

Any time we've sat at a table with "interesting" tablemates, it's given us something to talk about later. It's always a roll of the dice, you are never sure if you're going to get a group of people you get along with or people you can have a great time with.

We were on the Ryndam in Alaska and we ended up at a table with two couples who knew each other and all they talked about was their friends and the parties they had planned when they got home. It was like we sat alone. You just never know...

 

Stephanie

 

1986 Southward, NCL;1987 Holiday, Carnival;1988 Seaward, NCL; 1989 SS Norway, NCL;1990 Starward, NCL;1991 Skyward, NCL;1993 & 1994 Viking Serande, RCL; 1996 & 1997 Westerdam, HAL;1998 Noordam, HAL;1999 Veendam, HAL; 2000 Galaxy, Celebrity; 2001 Ryndam, HAL; 2001 Horizon, Celebrity;2002 Zaandam, HAL;2002 Horizon, Celebrity;2003 Constellation, Celebrity;2004 Mercury, Celebrity

[Cathy Laz]

Hi all,

 

Just thought I would add two more things. In the case of eating a few meals at a later time... We have tipped exceptional staff in lounges that come to us repeatedly and know what we drink. They do not give you envelopes for that, but we seek them out at the end to thank them. You could do the same for those few nights - with a token thanks and just tip the minimum to your assigned waiter. Of course, I am assuming that most people do not follow the "suggested" amount to the decimal point. Another little extra thanks could be a phone card with a miminum tip and a nice note of thanks. Just a thought.

 

I also wanted to mention the fact that my daughter, who is somewhat developmentally delayed, preferred to eat every meal in the dining room. I, on the other hand, enjoyed the buffet at lunch for salads and light meals. (I usually only had coffee and fruit for breakfast.) Half way into the cruise we would be walking through the ship and dozens of people would stop and say hi to Dawn. I asked her how she knew all these people and she told me she met this one at breakfast, that one at lunch.....and so on. She really had the right idea and enjoyed every minute of it. Your cruise is what you make of it. I now join her most of the time for lunch and have met some very interesting people. The point is, do what is best for you.

[SAN]

To Kathylaz,

 

I too have a daughter who is developmentally delayed. What you described about your daughter is true for Catherine. When we leave the ship the crew is saying good-bye to her. Maybe more of us should be like them, willing to open their hearts to others.

[SAN]

Sorry for the K in Cathy.

[Cathy Laz]

SAN,

 

I agree with you 100%. I have learned more from her than I ever imagined. Everyone is equal in her eyes.

 

C

[mjarens]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by trcori:

Here's our table assignment odyssey:

 

On our first two cruises, we were seated at bigger tables but wound up by ourselves -- first one, the other family of 3 realized quite quickly that their toddler (our son was 6 then) couldn't handle the dining-room experience so they made other arrangements; the second time, the other family just never showed up.

 

Third time, we requested a table by ourselves but didn't get it -- wound up with a couple and three sisters, all of whom had grown children and regarded our son (then 7) rather awkwardly ... we felt awkward as well ... not a feeling you really enjoy having at dinner time ... we requested a move but could not be accommodated.

 

Last time, we hounded our TA throughout the pre-cruise months to repeatedly check that we were indeed on the books as requesting a table by ourselves. Got on board, bounded to the maitre d' spot in the lounge as soon as it was set up ... and discovered we were at: a table for 7. Put in a change request immediately. THEN -- dinnertime came, and we found out it was the most spectacular table location we'd ever had, practically next to the huge aft window (just inside from what I guess is the Captain's Table at late seating). The tablemates never showed up, though Russian sisters with two unruly toddlers wound up being seated for that night temporarily (and apologetically). We decided we liked the location so much, we didn't care if we were moved. I somewhat expected we wouldn't be.

 

Then the next day, in the hallway outside our room, I bumped into a nice young man distributing ... table change cards. OH MY GOSH! I said. WE DON'T REALLY WANT TO CHANGE AFTER ALL! He couldn't do anything about that, of course, just the messenger. So we went to dinner with heavy hearts. And discovered ... our location was just as great ... even better, really .. our own table on the 2nd level (where we've never been before), one table away from the aft window. Moral of the story, I guess, is, if you don't get what you requested, do push. But sometimes, as others have noted, the "wrong" assignment can turn out to have its merits ...

 

TR

Millennium 12/12/04

****

Mercury 4/04, Infinity 8/03, Century 3/03 & 9/02<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

Greetings trcori,

 

See that you ailedin April 2004 on Mercury. Did you enjoy this ship? We were on Infinity March 2003 and loved it. We are booked for Mercury Feb 7 2005 from San Diego and cannot wait.

 

We are from your neck of USA, in the Issaquah area. Maybe you are ready to book your next cruise with us on Mercury???

 

mjarens

 

mjarens

Next Up Mercury 11 Day, Feb 7, 2005.