Ever have fantastic, fun, interesting table mates?

[MicCanberra]

I have met some wonderful people at dinner, some have remained great friends for the entire cruise.

[DarrenM]

lol

[Mike981]

1 hour ago, Markanddonna said:

 

On our last cruise, we dined one time with a couple who introduced themselves as "fascinating." I couldn't have disagreed more!

 

Always a red flag when people brag early in a conversation. Life is to short.

[Mike981]

It was a table of eight and we were seated with another family of four. Including our kids (teens), we were all close in age and they were wonderful table mates.
I was retired from radio and was doing voice work (still am), he was still announcing part time, so we had a lot of fun telling stories. He also LOVED the brown sugar packets for his coffee, think obsessive. So we would grab packets all over the ship and when we saw them again we would start singing Brown Sugar and give the packets of sugar to him. He loved it.

[DarrenM]

Despite these great stories I am still unsure I would want to eat with folk I didnt know, in that sort of intimate way.

 

Especially since my filter in my brain sometimes disconnects from my mouth, when I dont like something someone has said.

 

For example that person that said they were fascinating, would have been meat and drink for my brain.

[julie3fan]

So far all of our tablemates have been great.  One couple stands out, though.  They were about 25 years younger than us, and we were the only 4 the entire cruise at our 6 top.  They were engaged, and taking a pre-wedding honeymoon, as they both had high stress jobs and wanted to unwind before their big day.  He was a K9 police officer and she was a pediatric ICU nurse, in the San Francisco Bay area.  

 

I was initially unsure how the age difference would play out, as we're not all that old ourselves, and they were quite young.  It only took about halfway through the appetizer course to realize we all had a lot in common and that we were in for some nice evenings!

 

OP, thanks for starting this thread.  I'm curious.  What is the significance of your screen name?  I ask because I live in a town called Tonopah, Nevada.

[Cruiser_1977]

11 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

Toucan Sam!!!  😊

 

I keep thinking wouldn't it be great if in telling my story one of those couples was on CC and could say "Yep, those college girls were a riot" LOL at least that's what I hope they'd say 🙂

[shipgeeks]

OP, thanks for starting this!  Great antidote to the Miserable Tablemates one.

We've had excellent tablemates on virtually all of our 44 cruises.  We chuckle over the fact that on one cruise, if we had been given bios of the other couple in advance (like college roommate info), we would have said No Way.  So many strikes against them, nothing in common.  And yet they turned out to be ideal company, night after night. We would happily share a table with them again any time.

[kochleffel]

1 hour ago, shipgeeks said:

like college roommate info

 

I am nearly certain that my college assigned roommates on the basis of just one question: "do you sleep with the window open or closed?" and then put a "closed" person with an "open" person.

[VennDiagram]

1 hour ago, kochleffel said:

 

I am nearly certain that my college assigned roommates on the basis of just one question: "do you sleep with the window open or closed?" and then put a "closed" person with an "open" person.

 

Okay, based on your wit/sense of humour, I want you at our dinner table on our next cruise 😄 😄 😄 

Edited June 28, 2019 by VennDiagram

[navybankerteacher]

5 hours ago, kochleffel said:

 

I am nearly certain that my college assigned roommates on the basis of just one question: "do you sleep with the window open or closed?" and then put a "closed" person with an "open" person.

My initial freshman year roommate got there first, glommed the upper bunk - which he insisted he HAD to have - then insisted that window had to be closed and radiator turned up full.  The fourth night I came in late - he had gone drinking and was semi-passed out in a pool of his puke in his bunk.  While he was in the bathroom washing up, I threw his stinking mattress out the window, moved mine to the upper bunk, and insisted that heath concerns mandated an open window.

 

Fortunately, the RA saw my point - and even more fortunately there was space available in another room, so he was relocated by the third week, ending a stony stand-off.

[MicCanberra]

I thought I had a roommate story but then remembered it was a about fantastic table mates, so I will save that for another thread.

[hallux]

On my last cruise (only my third but the only one where tablemates were not my family) I had some great tablemates.  At the solo cruisers gathering the first night there was a group looking for more to fill out their reservation in a specialty restaurant.  I had 2 nights free dining in specialty so I took one of the seats.  Despite having met just an hour before, the conversation flowed like old friends having dinner together.  I ended up having dinner with most of that group 2 more nights.

[Elaine5715]

All of my tablemates have had at least one fantastic table mate..

 

My most interesting was a Texas family whose patriarch was a retired Rear Admiral.  

 

 

[MicCanberra]

3 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

All of my tablemates have had at least one fantastic table mate..

 

My most interesting was a Texas family whose patriarch was a retired Rear Admiral.  

 

 

LOL, When I first read the first line of your post, I thought you were going to say they fantastic table mate was from Michigan (i.e referring to yourself)😁

[Elaine5715]

2 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

LOL, When I first read the first line of your post, I thought you were going to say they fantastic table mate was from Michigan (i.e referring to yourself)😁

It was a riddle like my brother's sister has  my name.  

[GUT2407]

Mrs Gut has a fantastic table mate every cruise, we request a two top.

[navybankerteacher]

Of course, if you want “fantastic fun, interesting table mates” don’t you think you might have som obligation to offer that to whomever you are seated with?  

 

And, on the flip side, if you do not like boring, dull, or opinionated table mates don’t you have an obligation to keep abrasive notions and attitudes to yourself, while listening to your mates and contributing as appropriate?

 

Just a bit of courtesy, imagination and effort resolves both sides of the shared table issue.

[lenquixote66]

On ‎6‎/‎26‎/‎2019 at 9:01 AM, Tonopah said:

So please tell me (us) about some wonderful table mates you’ve met. On my one (and only) crossing, all of our table mates in the MDR were from our same tour group. It was easy to converse with them because, although we all came from different walks of life, we were all on the ship and traveling for the same reason.

 

But in the pub we met a lovely man and his daughter from the Isle of Man. He was a retired police officer. His stories were so interesting I told him I hoped he would write a book. His daughter had a developmental delay, but she had the funniest, most wicked sense of humor. Two hours with the two of them passed like minutes. We only got their first names. Sadly, we never saw them on the ship again. 

 

[lenquixote66]

Many years ago we met a fascinating couple who were both educators . During the course of our initial conversation I mentioned that I attempted to write "The great American Novel" but gave up because I had a beginning and an ending but not a middle.The wife of the couple happened to have written several novels and asked if I would be interested in collaborating with her . I was a published author as well.

However ,I reside in NY and she in Va.We booked several cruises with them but alas never completed the book.

[MicCanberra]

2 hours ago, GUT2407 said:

Mrs Gut has a fantastic table mate every cruise, we request a two top.

I cannot attend every cruise she goes on.

[MicCanberra]

30 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

Many years ago we met a fascinating couple who were both educators . During the course of our initial conversation I mentioned that I attempted to write "The great American Novel" but gave up because I had a beginning and an ending but not a middle.The wife of the couple happened to have written several novels and asked if I would be interested in collaborating with her . I was a published author as well.

However ,I reside in NY and she in Va.We booked several cruises with them but alas never completed the book.

I suppose America will continue it's drought of great novels then.😁

[rkacruiser]

Volendam's Asia Pacific Cruise in 2002:  A round table for 6 (which always is a better arrangement for a conversation than a rectangular table) composed of two couples, one from New Jersey, one from Alabama, a widow from California, and me.  All of us had cruised before with the California lady being the most cruised.  Interesting stories from diverse personalities and helpful tips for a few of the ports from the California lady since she had visited them a time or more before.  The Alabama couple and the California lady and I stayed in touch for many years after that cruise and had the good fortune of cruising with them again.  The New Jersey couple did not maintain contact after that cruise.

 

Not tablemates, but a couple at an adjoining table and are frequent world cruise bloggers on HAL:  our tables shared the same Dining Room wait staff, we became friends during happy hour in the Crow's Nest.  We have maintained contact since 2002 and have sailed together as well.  

 

I met others on that cruise through CC's Roll Call Board with whom I still remain in contact, have sailed again with them, and have visited with them at their homes several times.  

 

It's no wonder to me why that Maiden Asia Pacific Cruise of the Volendam--as well as the ship itself--remains my favorite cruise and my favorite HAL vessel.

[MicCanberra]

From Tonopah in the other thread about table mates.

"Current score:

 

Awful Table Mates Thread - 14 pages

 

Wonderful Table Mate Thread - 2 pages

 

Mind you, the ATMT had a two day head start, but it’s still pulling away..."

 

 

[Nic6318]

3 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

From Tonopah in the other thread about table mates.

 

"Current score:

 

Awful Table Mates Thread - 14 pages

 

Wonderful Table Mate Thread - 2 pages

 

Mind you, the ATMT had a two day head start, but it’s still pulling away..."

 

 

 

Hi

 

Yes, but many of those posts are just people explaining how socially awkward they are. It's just easier not having to deal with strangers.

 

I have seen the one often enough, "I don't need any more friends".  Meeting new people would do nothing for those... I agree. That's why I am happy there are tables for two available.