dining with others

[ziggyuk]

6 minutes ago, TonyB99 said:

 

Cruise ships are not "normal" restaurants, and most actively cater to those of us who prefer to dine with a group of like-minded more adventurous diners. So be it, my mistake booking NCL.

 

The old fashioned table sharing on cruise lines is becoming a thing of the past, as is fixed time dining thankfully.

[ziggyuk]

9 minutes ago, TonyB99 said:

So be it, my mistake booking NCL.

 

Both myself and @Russiamomm gave you advice on sharing tables on NCL and you have chosen to ignore it and focus on your gripe.

[TonyB99]

4 minutes ago, ziggyuk said:

 

The old fashioned table sharing on cruise lines is becoming a thing of the past, 

 

Fortunately I do not find that to be the case, but perhaps it is only on the more up-market lines where it is practiced. I suspect this will be my first and last NCL cruise based on the responses here.

[ziggyuk]

6 minutes ago, TonyB99 said:

 

Fortunately I do not find that to be the case, but perhaps it is only on the more up-market lines where it is practiced. I suspect this will be my first and last NCL cruise based on the responses here.

 

Wait until you discover there are no formal nights 🤣

[Two Wheels Only]

1 hour ago, TonyB99 said:

I consider myself more introverted than extroverted, but we always enjoy asking for a 6 or 8-top sharing table for dinner on a cruise. It is always interesting to meet a mixture of people, and only rarely have we met a total bore or self-possessed person.

 

Eat at Hasuki every night. 

[drew69]

2 hours ago, TonyB99 said:

 

Cruise ships are not "normal" restaurants, and most actively cater to those of us who prefer to dine with a group of like-minded more adventurous diners. So be it, my mistake booking NCL.

Not sure that most actively cater to sharing tables - cruise Celebrity, NCL, Royal, Princess, and Regent and have always had tables to ourselves which is just how we want it.  We do not like forced dining with others - that went out of style with the Love Boat

[shof515]

2 hours ago, TonyB99 said:

 

Cruise ships are not "normal" restaurants, and most actively cater to those of us who prefer to dine with a group of like-minded more adventurous diners. So be it, my mistake booking NCL.

i have done alot of solo cruises by myself and never had to share a table in the MDR or specially restaurants. the only place i had a share table was in the supper club

[Russiamomm]

9 minutes ago, shof515 said:

i have done alot of solo cruises by myself and never had to share a table in the MDR or specially restaurants. the only place i had a share table was in the supper club

True.  The question is not whether you can eat alone, but rather can you join a shared table if you want.  The answer is that you can do either.  But if you want to share a table it may be more difficult, especially in the MDR or a specialty restaurant other than Teppanyaki.  

[ChiefMateJRK]

I love dining with strangers provided:

a) they don't mind my/our drinking

b) they don't mind my "unique" sense of humor

c) they don't mind if I pay no attention to their babbling on about family/careers/stuff/experiences/pets/.....

d) they enjoy my personality

e) I enjoy their personality

f) they don't slow my dining down or try to speed it up

 

IOW: there's about a 1% chance a forced partnership of this type would "work" for all parties involved.

 

disclaimer: If it works for you, go for it!!!😎 I'll (continue to) make my friends at the bar or through a certain "pack."  Sometimes I have to gaze into the future to see who my friends will soon be.....🤣

 

Edited November 22, 2023 by ChiefMateJRK

[Russiamomm]

14 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I love dining with strangers provided:

a) they don't mind my/our drinking

b) they don't mind my "unique" sense of humor

c) they don't mind if I pay no attention to their babbling on about family/careers/stuff/experiences/pets/.....

d) they enjoy my personality

e) I enjoy their personality

f) they don't slow my dining down or try to speed it up

 

IOW: there's about a 1% chance a forced partnership of this type would "work" for all parties involved.

 

disclaimer: If it works for you, go for it!!!😎 I'll (continue to) make my friends at the bar or through a certain "pack."  Sometimes I have to gaze into the future to see who my friends will soon be.....🤣

 

I’d share a meal with you any time!  😃

[ChiefMateJRK]

9 minutes ago, Russiamomm said:

I’d share a meal with you any time!  😃

LOL.  Hey, it could happen! 🐀😎

[Ellaleah]

What happens at breakfast in the MDR?  Most other lines sit you with others.  Is this the case on NCL?

[ChiefMateJRK]

1 hour ago, Ellaleah said:

What happens at breakfast in the MDR?  Most other lines sit you with others.  Is this the case on NCL?

Absolutely not.

[mugtech]

7 hours ago, TonyB99 said:

 

Fortunately I do not find that to be the case, but perhaps it is only on the more up-market lines where it is practiced. I suspect this will be my first and last NCL cruise based on the responses here.

Good, you can get back to your up-market lines, NCL has had bigger disappointments.

[Asawi]

9 hours ago, ziggyuk said:

 

The old fashioned table sharing on cruise lines is becoming a thing of the past, as is fixed time dining thankfully.

😁 I was wondering how come this seemingly hot topic had passed me by. That's probably why...

[ontheweb]

They never asked us on the Prima this past August if we wanted to share a table. They did on our last NCL cruise before that on the Epic, and we learned that there just were not other passengers who were willing to share, so we gave up asking after the first night.

 

I did enjoy sharing tables, but not sure I still would as these days my hearing is shot.

[G-DawgMN]

9 hours ago, Ellaleah said:

What happens at breakfast in the MDR?  Most other lines sit you with others.  Is this the case on NCL?

 What lines? I’ve been on Royal, MSC, and Princess and we were able to get tables by ourselves for breakfast and lunch. MSC was the only shared table at dinner but we could have requested our own. 

[phillygwm]

On 11/12/2021 at 8:16 AM, ontheweb said:

Through thread drift, the topic of do NCL passengers not want to eat with others came up on a thread in Ask a Cruise Question on the topic of what cruise line would you want to try. There was at least one poster who said she had always found this true on NCL ships. Another who did not find this problem on a smaller NCL ship. And I was not sure if it was just the overly large size of the Epic, or maybe just that particular sailing or maybe it was an overall attitude of NCL cruisers.

 

I thought that the NCL boards would be a good place to ask if NCL cruisers in general want to dine with and meet other passsengers or do they in general wish to eat alone. So, please share your opinions.

Old thread but an interesting one.  There was a similar thread about the "Dinner With the Officers" perk at Sapphire level and above.

 

Personally, I don't like socializing with large groups -- at all.  Part of that is social anxiety but I also have difficulty hearing when there's a lot of background noise, so I can't effectively communicate with anyone not next to/across from me. I just got off a cruise with my niece and I sucked it up and took her to Teppanyaki.  I hated every minute, between the noise and the annoying drunk girl next to me.

 

At dinner, I prefer to dine with friends and family.  I enjoy socializing with people at bars, on excursions, etc.  Of course, if we find each other annoying at the bar, we just speak with others or get up and go to another bar.  But being stuck for an hour or two with people whom I find insufferable (or vice versa?)  No thanks.  

Edited November 22, 2023 by phillygwm

[Ellaleah]

1 hour ago, KSSS2013 said:

 What lines? I’ve been on Royal, MSC, and Princess and we were able to get tables by ourselves for breakfast and lunch. MSC was the only shared table at dinner but we could have requested our own. 

I’m referring to breakfast in the MDR, not lunch or dinner.  Royal and Princess fill up large round tables at breakfast.

[G-DawgMN]

Just now, Ellaleah said:

I’m referring to breakfast in the MDR, not lunch or dinner.  Royal and Princess fill up large round tables at breakfast.

 

Correct, I've had tables for 2 on both lines no issue at breakfast, just had to ask.

 

But yes, if you don't care, they'll seat you at large tables.

 

[Laszlo]

My wife enjoy dining with others and have been asked a number of time in the main dining room if we mind sharing a table with another couple. Never had a bad experience, in fact it was the opposite. Our last dinner with another couple was a couple from England who were in their 90's. They were a hoot

[rodndonna]

17 hours ago, TonyB99 said:

Amazing to see so many really introverted cruisers. I consider myself more introverted than extroverted, but we always enjoy asking for a 6 or 8-top sharing table for dinner on a cruise. It is always interesting to meet a mixture of people, and only rarely have we met a total bore or self-possessed person. I am off on an NCL cruise in a few days (Prima) and hope most of those here are not on the ship!

 

Oddly enough we are quite introverted, and yet in the past, we really enjoyed shared dining and never actually bad experience. Weirdly as an introvert, it was easy to engage socially with people in a dinner format.

 

Over the last few years though, there seem to be just too many topics being brought up that I'd rather not chat about on my vacation, and so we no longer dine with others. Shared dining is just a fond distance memory for us now and will stay that way.

[TonyB99]

1 hour ago, rodndonna said:

Over the last few years though, there seem to be just too many topics being brought up that I'd rather not chat about on my vacation, and so we no longer dine with others. Shared dining is just a fond distance memory for us now and will stay that way.

 

It seems the art of civilized, non-confrontational, dinner conversation has suffered as a result of the polarization of the population. Our electronic devices simply present one view or another, and seem to encourage uncivil discourse. Great pity.

[complawyer]

hey tonyb99, 

 

you need to get over it. being on a cruise ship and not wanting to sit at a table with strangers (some of which you may have absolutely nothing in common with) is not a harbinger of the decline of civilization.

 

why would dining preferences be any different on a cruise ship then on any major hotel.

 

surely, upon entering the dining room, the maitre'd or host/hostess wouldnt ask if you want to sit at a group table unless youre there with a specific group (company outing etc)

 

besides, arent you being a little presumptuous? assuming that people at another table would want to engage with you?

 

if you note, going back to the original post, most people would prefer NOT! to share a table.

 

i would certainly consider sharing a table with chiefjrkmate, or cruiseny, they seem like great folks, and chiefjrk mate's sense of humor is to die for

[Girr]

18 hours ago, ziggyuk said:

 

The old fashioned table sharing on cruise lines is becoming a thing of the past, as is fixed time dining thankfully.

I had dinner with my mother last night. To subject people to that 3 times a day over 7 days is unthinkable. 😜