Mdr seating arrangements

[claudia814]

Does Princess take the time to seat you in dining room with similar prople? On a Princess cruise years ago, my mother and I sat with two other mothers and daughters and it was so pleasant. Just curious about the experiences you've had in MDR with table mates. The good, the bad & the ugly! Thanks in advance.

[cruzsnooze]

Logically do you think they know about the 3,000 passengers per ship times about 20 ships to read the bio's and match people? We once had non English speakers at our table of 6 and asked to change tables for a more enjoyable dining experience.

[cr8tiv1]

I've spoken to two different Maitre d's. Both said that there are certain criteria that they do work on (trying to group them together).

 

Gluten Free

Allergies

Passengers with mobility issues (to avoid steps and levels)

Country of Origins (to avoid those that did not speak the same languages/this was difficult since his information was limited)

 

I've seen the table charts. Both worked on "the next cruise" as soon as the current cruise sets sail. My cruises were long cruises when I saw them working on the seating arrangements. Not sure they would take the time for a short cruise.

 

This may not be the norm for most Maitre d's. Both of these guys were exceptional people and had been onboard with Princess for a very long time.

[Colo Cruiser]

Not normally however.......

You may want to see the MD at the time/place listed in the Patter on embarkation day for dining issues.

It's usually held in one of the dining rooms between 2:00pm and 3:30pm.

Get there early as there can be a line.

The MD is usually pretty good at applying what you desire.

[ar1950]

As a matter of course, in our experience with traditional dining, not so likely. Considering past dining situations we usually chose anytime dining these days. New people every day (or evening as it were).

[Pam in CA]

They do the best they can. With bookings and names, relationships aren't always apparent. I think it's harder for Maitre D's today than it was years ago.

[geoherb]

As a gay couple, we frequently have been assigned to tables with extra women. I figure it's the maître d's attempt to balance things out. We just got off the Caribbean Princess yesterday, we were at a table with a Canadian husband and wife about our ages and a mother-daughter pair. It was a great table.

[RLK33853]

We changed to Anytime as soon as it was introduced - due to issues with fellow diners.

When Traditional was our only option, table mates inclued a German couple who couldn't speak English, an old man pervert who stared at my wife as a menu item, and a couple who were on the cruise to "work on their marriage" - which clearly wasn't working...............especially loved it when they were in the middle of an argument and they would turn to us and want us to side with one of them.

In Anytime we have had some "different" ones, but if it occurs, we move.

Of course we have also met some absolutely fabulous people. Some in fact that have become friends we now cruise with.

[Murray's Pop]

We had that experience once on a HAL Panama Canal Cruise from Seattle to NYC. We had a table for 8 and all of us were in the medical field. On formal nights the ships doctor ate with us. Very nice.

 

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[DMRick]

We had that experience once on a HAL Panama Canal Cruise from Seattle to NYC. We had a table for 8 and all of us were in the medical field. On formal nights the ships doctor ate with us. Very nice.

 

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A few years ago on a Hawaiian cruise we had the best table mates ever. We were all about the same age and had many similarities. We all determined they must have worked on putting us together. Looked forward to dinner every evening' date=' and planned excursions together.

On another cruise, we, as cat rescue people were seated with another cat rescue person (who I stupidly told where I get my med's really cheap for the cats and he got there before me and cleaned them out lol). Unfortunately the other couple talked incessantly about how her mom had 75 unfixed cats because she loved watching them have kittens. I did change tables because my husband was tired of grabbing my thigh (and it was starting to bruise) to shut me up before I told them what I thought of the idea (cat rescue people get to see first hand what happens when people have that many unfixed cats/kittens).

 

 

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[cb at sea]

We've been seated with all different age groups...but when sailing as a "couple", we've never been seated with families. I've found that the ages don't really matter much...our very best tablemates were much older than we, and yet were so much fun...we had a blast! I think anyone who is sociable can pretty much 'get along' with anyone else...especially for 1 1/2 hours nightly!

[lois1112]

I sail solo frequently and have been at all sorts of tables that need an "extra"

once it was with a family of 7 (I was the 8th) on a family trip (that turned out wonderful and so much fun)

usually with other singles,

I've only once had a table that I had to request being moved from (obnoxious man who's wife actually treated him like a baby and feed him-not for health reasons ...it was "our thing" it was awful....ran into one of the other couple a day later and they moved too)

[floridalover5623]

I think anyone who is sociable can pretty much 'get along' with anyone else...especially for 1 1/2 hours nightly!

Been there, done that.

The only problem is having to spend 1 1/2 hours with someone each evening especially if you have absolutely nothing in common with them.

There's certainly a more enjoyable way to eat dinner.

[yags]

Does Princess take the time to seat you in dining room with similar prople? On a Princess cruise years ago, my mother and I sat with two other mothers and daughters and it was so pleasant. Just curious about the experiences you've had in MDR with table mates. The good, the bad & the ugly! Thanks in advance.

It has been my very limited experience is that you are seated by number of people in the group and not potential personality matches.

[Cuervosar]

I'm sure some effort was made on our trips. We've always had an enjoyable expereince. My SO is an ex professional athlete, and we were once seated with an Olympian from Sweden. Great trip.

 

Reading some of these replies, I'm starting to wonder more and more how they do it. Seems like the obnoxious & socially awkward all end up at tables with each other.

 

It's disheartening how little tolerance we have. "I have to eat with other people. FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF!!!" As opposed to "What an amazing opportunity to get to know somebody over a relaxed meal."

 

There is always a common thread, everybody has a history, a story to tell. Nobody has lived your life or had your experiences.

 

So lighten the frack up, smile, shake hands, introduce yourself and maybe just maybe it won't be hell on Earth.

[floridalover5623]

I'm sure some effort was made on our trips. We've always had an enjoyable expereince. My SO is an ex professional athlete, and we were once seated with an Olympian from Sweden. Great trip.

 

Reading some of these replies, I'm starting to wonder more and more how they do it. Seems like the obnoxious & socially awkward all end up at tables with each other.

 

It's disheartening how little tolerance we have. "I have to eat with other people. FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF!!!" As opposed to "What an amazing opportunity to get to know somebody over a relaxed meal."

 

There is always a common thread, everybody has a history, a story to tell. Nobody has lived your life or had your experiences.

 

So lighten the frack up, smile, shake hands, introduce yourself and maybe just maybe it won't be hell on Earth.

A table for 2 eliminates just about all of the interaction problems if you so choose.;)

[pablo222]

There is always a common thread, everybody has a history, a story to tell. Nobody has lived your life or had your experiences.

 

So lighten the frack up, smile, shake hands, introduce yourself and maybe just maybe it won't be hell on Earth.

 

If it were such a great experience, people would do it on land.

 

A couple months ago, there was a thread about a tv channel being dropped on princess.

Seems innocuous enough.

 

It was filled with rabid posts about how a particular channel was a (political) religion,

and everyone else was garbage.

 

The thread was eventually deleted. (I don't think I can say that here)

 

Every time I read a post in that thread, I thought "Thank god there are tables for 2".

[elfinmagic]

When anytime started we chose it and usually sat at a table for 6 or 8 so we could meet more new people - a few we clicked with an tried to have dinner oneupper and ruined the whole dining experience by dominating the conversation on how great and wealthy he was to the point we often left the table early without dessert.

 

The nice part of cruising for some people is that you will not likely see the people again so you can be anyone you want to be - a CEO of a fortune 500 company, three homes, two Ferraris and a Lamborghini, etc.

 

Since DW contracted Leukemia we started dining at a table for two at the rear of the MDR away from crowds and enjoyed the cruise with the same waitstaff.

[RocketMan275]

A table for 2 eliminates just about all of the interaction problems if you so choose.;)

 

I wish that were the case. Most of the two tops are far too close together.

[GRAYTech]

We have always done late traditional dinner because the times we do MDR breakfast at a larger table it really didn't work too well. As noted, non-English speaking made for awkward moments. Oatmeal and raisons falling out of a nice, but older gentlemen who couldn't hear anything. We always try larger tables in the MDR for breakfast/lunch but have not, as of yet, had a good experience.

 

I know this thread was about the MDR but thought I would add that years ago at the Captains party the Captain greeted us by name with the help of two crew members who's job it must of have been to memorize the pax names and feed it to the captain upon entry. Princess did pay attention to detail at one point anyway. It was an unexpected touch that probably helped keep us coming back to Princess over the years.

[susancruzs]

I do early traditional and I've always had good luck with dining partners. Out of 28 cruises, various lines, I asked to move to a different table one time. On Princess, I ask for a large table and there has always been a mix of singles and couples. Last year Regal for 28 days, 3 couples, 4 singles, we got along great, and I did a couple of things on shore with table mates.

[Sea Hag]

We usually seem to be seated with like-kind as far as couples and ages go. Mostly been lucky. I can only think of a couple of clunkers.

[floridalover5623]

I wish that were the case. Most of the two tops are far too close together.

I realize that some 2 top tables are extremely close but after a quick hello & no other conversation directed towards them, people usually pick up on the idea that we just didn't choose that sort of table because we wanted to talk during dinner.

In AT dining people usually wait for 2 tops specifically for that reason. If they wanted to have conversations while dining, why wait for a small table? They can be seated almost immediately most times at a larger table.