Anytime Dining: Are You Sharing or Table For 2?

[need2cruisesoon]

The last cruise on the Bliss we always opted for a table for 2.

 

But if push comes to shove we might just take the table of 6 and share with some other folks to get seated earlier...you?

[navybankerteacher]

Because most evenings during the year we share our table for two, we are inclined to seek dinner partners when cruising; and because people who do not like sharing a table opt out, we usually find people who are interested in sharing do contribute something: sometimes very little, but often making the meal an interesting opportunity to share ideas.

[lenquixote66]

If we are traveling alone we do dinner for the 2 of us and share for breakfast and lunch.

[clo]

5 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Because most evenings during the year we share our table for two

Personal question so feel free to ignore.  Do you live in some kind of senior living place?  We've been doing some casual research.  Found one that looks great.  It's got a bar with pool table and big screen tv.  Now back to your regular programming 🙂

[Ashland]

Unless we're traveling with family we always opt for a table for two.....after 43 years we still enjoy each other's company.

[navybankerteacher]

3 minutes ago, clo said:

Personal question so feel free to ignore.  Do you live in some kind of senior living place?  We've been doing some casual research.  Found one that looks great.  It's got a bar with pool table and big screen tv.  Now back to your regular programming 🙂

I suppose you could refer to our house as a “senior living place” — we are both fully grown up  and we live there. But it is not any sort of assisted living facility, nor is the community restricted to ANY age group.  

 

It is what is called in CT a “PUD” - planned unit development: a couple of dozen free-standing houses with a shared common open area - self managed- our association arranges for trash collection, lawn mowing, leaf removal and snow plowing.  Maintenance of houses is up to individual owners - most of whom are “down-sizers” ,but we have a couple of young families as well.  What does “senior living place” mean to you?

[mom says]

Depends on the mood we're  in that evening. Some nights we feel like joining others, other nights, if we're  tired, we'll  just dine à deux. 

[wowzz]

Surely the tables for two are so close together,  that, in effect, you are sharing a table for 6? Certainly you can't have a private conversation, so, the only real benefit over a shared table, is the ability to eat your meal at your own pace.  

[mom says]

8 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Surely the tables for two are so close together,  that, in effect, you are sharing a table for 6? Certainly you can't have a private conversation, so, the only real benefit over a shared table, is the ability to eat your meal at your own pace.  

I don't see why you can't have your own conversation. You certainly may defer private discussions of a very personal nature when dining in close proximity to another occupied table. But you aren't condemned to eating your meal in silence. Nor are you compelled to converse with those at the table next to you, other than a polite good evening .

[DarrenM]

I still find this sort of thread very odd.

 

I cant thnk of anything worse than being forced to eat with folk who may have weird habits, or something else odd. Or I might have wierd habits that I dont want to alter.

 

Now if we did happen to find that we were put with folk, either likeminded(Unlikely) or interesting, and engaging, then I might think its OK.

 

But every night of the cruise?

 

Why would a married couple want that every night?????

 

I find it utterly bizarre.

[JimnKaren]

I used to question the decision of folks who ate at a table for two, figuring they ate together all the rest of the time. Why not branch out?

However, as my hearing has declined (even with hearing instruments), we find it better to not have to try to get me to understand conversations with folks whose voices I cannot understand. Sometimes, we will share a table, but not often. AND, once we find a table with efficient servers, we will request to be seated in that wait station area.

Jim

[DarrenM]

You cant have a decent conversation, or just good craic, with people if there are too many round the table.

 

Unless you are going shout to folk opposite.

 

And I like to have a laugh, and try to make fun of everything, and the thought of being sat with someone who takes meal time, and themselves just too seriously, would drive me mad.

[lenquixote66]

6 hours ago, wowzz said:

Surely the tables for two are so close together,  that, in effect, you are sharing a table for 6? Certainly you can't have a private conversation, so, the only real benefit over a shared table, is the ability to eat your meal at your own pace.  

Not true,we get essentially private tables not close at all to other tables.We enjoy our private conversations and unless there is a dog in disguise as a human it is not likely that our conversations will be heard by anyone.

[Warm Breezes]

We prefer tables for 2.  If possible we ask for a booth to ensure privacy.  Not a fan of the tables for 2 that are 6 inches apart and 2-3 tables are treated like one table by the wait staff.  Not really a table for 2 anymore.    Our worst experience of this was on Princess.  Never really had to wait for a table either except for some short waits on elegant nights.

[DarrenM]

The other thing I would find odd on a large table would be how people order drinks.

 

Does someone, you know the type, try to decide what type of wine the table should all share? And give incredibly boring reasons as to why?

 

I only drink beer, and if its a lager type, will happily drink from the bottle. This I am led to believe upsets some folk, as its not dinner time etiquette.

 

And I want another bottle when the firts is empty. Are you expected to wait till everyone needs a top up?

 

Doesnt seem very enjoyable if thats the case.

[JanineM]

26 minutes ago, DarrenM said:

The other thing I would find odd on a large table would be how people order drinks.

 

Does someone, you know the type, try to decide what type of wine the table should all share? And give incredibly boring reasons as to why?

 

I only drink beer, and if its a lager type, will happily drink from the bottle. This I am led to believe upsets some folk, as its not dinner time etiquette.

 

And I want another bottle when the firts is empty. Are you expected to wait till everyone needs a top up?

 

Doesnt seem very enjoyable if thats the case.

 

But this is how it always was in the past. You were seated at a big table with strangers and all got to know each other over the course of the sailing. There would always be some oddball at the table and you'd find yourself talking about them 10 years later. There were no issues ordering drinks - sometimes people would ask if you wanted to share a bottle of wine but it wasn't required and we never did. Only once were we moved to another table and that was because our waiter thought we would be more comfortable away from a rowdy group. 

 

I've never seen anyone look askance at someone drinking beer from a bottle. What's annoying is people talking another language at a shared table or helping themselves to someone else's food or bringing up a topic that is bound to get people riled up (like asking what everyone paid for their cabin, politics or religion).

 

We generally prefer to eat just the two of us but if we're seated with others (as happens at lunch in the dining room) then we just meet some new people and have something to talk about later.

[wowzz]

My wife insists that we do  not have a table for two. For some reason she seems to think that she has heard all my jokes,  and feels it only right that as many other people as possible should enjoy them as well! 

[mom says]

40 minutes ago, DarrenM said:

The other thing I would find odd on a large table would be how people order drinks.

 

Does someone, you know the type, try to decide what type of wine the table should all share? And give incredibly boring reasons as to why?

 

I only drink beer, and if its a lager type, will happily drink from the bottle. This I am led to believe upsets some folk, as its not dinner time etiquette.

 

And I want another bottle when the firts is empty. Are you expected to wait till everyone needs a top up?

 

Doesnt seem very enjoyable if thats the case.

So from your posts I think we've established that you have never shared a table on a cruise ship. You order what you want to drink. It's unlikely that anyone at an anytime dining shared table would want to order a bottle  of wine for the table. This may well happen in fixed time dining, after a few days and people have gotten to  know each other. But even then it would be perfectly fine to politely decline.

 

If you want beer, then have beer. Drinking it from a bottle? My German friends would have something to say about diminishing the taste if it hasn't been properly poured into a glass first, but it won't get you ostracized. And no, it's not proper etiquette, just like it's not proper to chug your wine out of the bottle.

 

If you want another beer when you've finished your first, then just order another one. You're way overthinking this. If you're out with friends for the evening do you wait until everyone has finished their drinks before getting your next?

 

Look, it's obvious that you wouldn't be comfortable at a shared table. It's a pity,because we've had many an enjoyable evening doing just that. Fortunately you can dine by yourself in splendid isolation (or as isolated as a 6 inch separation of tables allows) at a table for 2 since that is your preference. But please stop putting down those who choose to share their table with others. Enjoying conversation with your fellow cruisers is far from bizarre.

[clo]

1 hour ago, JanineM said:

What's annoying is people talking another language at a shared table

Well, I guess you have to be on the lookout for lines that actually carry an international crowd.  We were on Hurtigruten in March.  We were the only "Americans" and there were plenty of people who didn't speak English.

[marco]

When we do "anytime" on any line I usually say, "We prefer a large table, but which ever becomes available first"

[chipmaster]

When traveling with just SO on a "date" generally only accept a table for "two", but on a cruise have had family and done shared table, totally YMMV.    

 

Many times for breakfast or lunch which is open dining and more freeform in the main dining have sat with others, even on land shared bar or table at some dining places, as it is accepted you'll be sharing no pressure to converse and we play it by ear. 

 

We've met the coolest and different people, and we've mead deadfish family, the latter was the most akward as we were stuck with them for the whole week, we almost opted as a family to do buffet they were so sad, but different is always fun if only for a couple hours and one night, always something to learn no matter how seasoned you think you are. 

[TonyB17]

Table for two please.

 

[ShawninFL]

If it's a long wait, we sit at a bigger table, but if it's 10 minutes or less we wait for a 2-top.

[XBGuy]

16 hours ago, need2cruisesoon said:

The last cruise on the Bliss we always opted for a table for 2.

 

But if push comes to shove we might just take the table of 6 and share with some other folks to get seated earlier...you?

 

 

For dinner we always dine at a two-top.  I find it difficult to respond to your "your push comes to shove" scenario.  I cannot recall a time in the last thirty years, or so, where we wanted to get "seated earlier" while on a cruise,  We would either wait or go to another venue.  One of the great things about cruising is that there is always another venue.  In fact, I often wonder. if my wife had her way, would she order from room service every night?

[davekathy]

Always a table for two anytime eat in the MDR (TD, SD, MTD).

Edited August 16, 2019 by davekathy