Anyone had a shared dinner table lately?

[Vlgg731]

It is fun to meet new people each night and learn about them. We had one couple from Russia. He was quiet but she was lovely and tried to participate in the conversation. Haven't really had a negative experience.

[Desert Cruizers]

i always let my TA know that we wish a table of 6 to 8. 10 can be a little to large and not as easy to chat with everyone. Now we were at a table of ten a couple cruises ago and it worked out fine. Only once were we seated with an annoying person. The husband complained non stop. His wife was really nice and being this was our 2nd cruise, we were reluctant to ask to be moved. One night the husband got up and left and we had two lovely evenings with his wife, then he had to return.:D

[Clarea]

... The gentlemen (and their wives) who jerry-rigged the oxygen scrubber that saved the Astronauts on Apollo 13. ...

Now that would have been a heck of a story to hear!

[sellwingri]

Absolutely love sitting at a big table. When my daughter was young, the cruise lines were always great sitting us with at least one other kid near her age. I’m still in touch with a few of these former table mates.

[Magnetchief]

We have tried it a few times. It never seems to work out.

I guess it's the speciality choices that cause tthe table count to fluctuate.

Last attemt we really went for it decided to pick the biggest table possible hoping for some interesting dining companions.

What did we get? An oval table for 10 with just the two of us.

 

We sat one at each end with the huge table between us.

It gave the wait staff a laugh, we were like the king and queen sat opposite oneanother on this huge table.

We moved closer together after the meal started.

 

We have given up the mixed table idea. Just a table for two, there are usually other couples close enough to interact with.

[ZZSBXXXVII]

You are spot on, in the "old days of sailing" use to look forward to dining with a group of cruisers, over the years cruising has changed, now we opt for a 2 top or the Windjammer.

 

That's exactly our sentiments. Tablemates are from a bygone era.

 

We had a few that were ok, but most have been forgetful. One time on a 7-night on the Liberty, we shared a 10-seat table with two couples, and a single cruiser. One couple never came back, and the other couple apparently requested a different table (we spotted them later in the week), leaving us with a big table and just the single rider...who proceeded to bring a different woman to dinner with him every night (and some were teenagers).

 

While we aren't anti-social, eating dinner with "strangers" isn't my idea of relaxation on a vacation. I don't want to have to be "on" every night at dinner. We aren't on the trip to recruit new friends and socialize. I don't want to talk politics or anything like that, or even debate favorite sports teams, or [gasp] talk about work. While on vacation, I check that stuff at the door - or should I say at the port.

[TEXASMUNK]

Bob, interestingly enough, the wives did all the bragging, the two gentlemen added little parts. We were truly in awe.

[Shippy]

Does not appear to work on Oasis class ships.....

We have been cruising for decades and always wanted traditional, early dining with a large table.

Met wonderful, interesting people.

We asked for the same dining assignment on our first Oasis cruise and were thrilled to get a table for 10 assignment.

Unfortunately, on these ships there are just to many other dining venues. Although the waiter told us the table was technically 'full'...it never was.

Twice there was only the 2 of us & twice more only one other couple.

I now just do anytime on Oasis ships & if they ask to share we say yes....rarely happens.

[steveru621]

Used to do that. Not so much anymore. Always ended up with half empty table

 

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RCI has gotten a lot better. For a few cruises, we ended up combining a couple of tables because people never showed up.

 

Lately, everything has been great at a 6-8 seat table.

[squadron]

That's been our experience too.

 

Yet even months before cruise date it was impossible to get Traditional dining. Upon boarding the staff tried to find ONE spot so I could do Traditional. People must book the spots then go to the Windjammer??

[John&LaLa]

RCI has gotten a lot better. For a few cruises, we ended up combining a couple of tables because people never showed up.

 

Lately, everything has been great at a 6-8 seat table.

Which seating?

 

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[Milwaukee Eight]

Most unusual table mate for me. ---- lone lady cruising solo. She had a few too many , fell asleep sitting uprite at the table. Still asleep when we all left.:lips-sealed: :rolleyes:

 

I wonder if they stayed for next seating?

[steveru621]

Which seating?

 

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Late seating, which had been the worst. I remember some nights you could have shot a cannon off in the dining room and not hit anyone. Now it actually seems crowded, it's improved a lot.

 

I don't know what the difference is. Maybe we have just been taking longer cruises where there are more traditional diners? Also could be less of Chops, etc... because they have raised the prices so high?

[Rogueperson]

I still haven't made the leap to MTD. I love late traditional dining.

 

Of the 19 cruises, 3 of those cruises, we were sat with people i booked with (1 of those was my wedding cruise of 20). 1 of those cruises (my honeymoon), we were sat a two top, but we were so close to other tables, it might have been the same table.

 

So out of 15 cruises where I was sat with strangers, I only requested a table change once out of that due to their behavior. I can't put a name of it, but its similar to racism, but not. My mother and I was on an Alaskan cruise on Celebrity out of Vancouver. We were sat at an 8 top with other Chinese people (I say other, because I am Chinese). Well, my Mother was like a pop star for some reason. They all loved her. Me, I was dirt. They treated me like crap. They barely acknowledged me and when they did, I can sense their disdain. I noticed exactly when it started. It started when they learned I was born in the US. After the first night, I told my mother who actually hadn't notice their treatment of me about it and when she looked back at the night, she realized I was right. My mother acknowledged that it was probably not a good idea to go back to them, so we changed tables and had a table to ourselves for the rest of the cruise.

[2chiefs]

Used to do that. Not so much anymore. Always ended up with half empty table

 

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We still do it but you are right, lately we've had half empty tables pretty frequently.

Sad....

[steveru621]

I wouldn't give up large table traditional dining. Lot's of great memories far outway any speedbumps.

 

We have met so many interesting people, and made many new friends.

[John&LaLa]

We still do it but you are right, lately we've had half empty tables pretty frequently.

Sad....

 

We used to actually pay for the group picture. :eek:

[Milwaukee Eight]

We used to actually pay for the group picture. [emoji33]

 

 

 

Meals with a Officer, do they give you that picture as a P?

 

 

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[karena1]

We love MTD and not having to deal with a large table anymore. Three hour dinners are just not our thing. We meet so many people on the cruise - at the pool, bars, etc, that we have found we LOVE having dinner in MTD with just the 2 of us. Normally others are close enough if you want to chat you can. We don't do desserts as a rule, so being able to get in/out of dinner in 1.5 hours at the most is fantastic. Have so many other things to do than sit and wait for 3 hours so everyone is done with dinner.

 

We enjoy talking about our day, who we met, etc and what we are doing the next day. We have done MTD since it started and never will go back. Also for us, the flexibility is key. I don't want to eat at a certain time. Now we eat around the shows or whatever is going on each evening. Totally works for us.

[QueenGlassHalfFull]

We’ve had great and not so great experiences sharing a table. One of the worst was sitting with a couple who, before introducing themselves, asked if we were “saved”. We asked to be moved to a different table for the remainder of that cruise.

 

 

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[John&LaLa]

Meals with a Officer, do they give you that picture as a P?

 

 

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No photographer at PC lunch. So no pic to give

 

 

 

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[lenquixote66]

16 cruises and we have done this each time. Its almost always a good time, no bad times for us so far, but there have been a few funny stories of odd dinner mates.

 

We have always had a wonderful time with meeting new people at dinner time with one exception when we were seated with the couple from hell and had to spend 14 days with them. I guess we could have requested a change but there were 2 other couples who were nice .

[2chiefs]

We used to actually pay for the group picture. :eek:

Speaking of pictures at the table. Remember the annoying guy or gal with the pirate get up and the rubber knife in their mouth soliciting pictures at the table. I'm glad that one went away!

[2chiefs]

We have always had a wonderful time with meeting new people at dinner time with one exception when we were seated with the couple from hell and had to spend 14 days with them. I guess we could have requested a change but there were 2 other couples who were nice .

Yeah it's always a crap shoot but we still book a big table and hope for the best.

[2chiefs]

Yeah it's always a crap shoot but we still book a big table and hope for the best.

We always ask for a large table during lunch in the MDR as well. We meet a lot of nice and interesting people.