Banquette seating in MDRs

[pennib]

We hate having to sit on banquettes for meals as they are never close enough to the table and are usually too low down so we always ask for a table with 2 chairs and no banquette. This is often met with a look of puzzlement and we just have to persevere with our request. Anyone else have this problem? Actually when you are in a dining room (on chairs!!) take a look at the people who are seated on a banquette. If there is a table for 2 the person on the banquette is always lower down than their table companion seated opposite on a chair and they look uncomfortable. 

[kruzseeka]

6 minutes ago, pennib said:

We hate having to sit on banquettes for meals as they are never close enough to the table and are usually too low down so we always ask for a table with 2 chairs and no banquette. This is often met with a look of puzzlement and we just have to persevere with our request. Anyone else have this problem? Actually when you are in a dining room (on chairs!!) take a look at the people who are seated on a banquette. If there is a table for 2 the person on the banquette is always lower down than their table companion seated opposite on a chair and they look uncomfortable. 

 

You are right and make a good point!  We do quite like the idea as described in my post on another thread because of other reasons and I suppose it helps with capacity to provide more tables for two (they are quite squashed in!) and it does make it easier to chat to others. But perhaps slighter higher benches would work?  Or cushions????   Perhaps not many people have made this point to them in the past as it could easily be taken into account in the design.   Come to think of it the booths in my local M&S cafe are low too.  Why?

[Fionboard]

19 minutes ago, pennib said:

We hate having to sit on banquettes for meals as they are never close enough to the table and are usually too low down so we always ask for a table with 2 chairs and no banquette. This is often met with a look of puzzlement and we just have to persevere with our request. Anyone else have this problem? Actually when you are in a dining room (on chairs!!) take a look at the people who are seated on a banquette. If there is a table for 2 the person on the banquette is always lower down than their table companion seated opposite on a chair and they look uncomfortable. 

Agree absolutely. Have dodgy knees and hate low seating!

[Jazzytelly]

I had a cushion on Ventura every day in the MDR recently, also on Princess, to alleviate this problem, plus pull the table slightly nearer. I was first offered one on Queen Victoria so ask for them now but there are normally ones nearby.
 

It might be that the restaurant staff don’t know what banquette seating is that may have been why they looked puzzled. We normally refer to them as bench seats. 
 

Always ask for a cushion.

[Ardennais]

Yes, we also used the cushions on Ventura. 

[kalos]

2 hours ago, pennib said:

We hate having to sit on banquettes for meals as they are never close enough to the table and are usually too low down so we always ask for a table with 2 chairs and no banquette. This is often met with a look of puzzlement and we just have to persevere with our request. Anyone else have this problem? Actually when you are in a dining room (on chairs!!) take a look at the people who are seated on a banquette. If there is a table for 2 the person on the banquette is always lower down than their table companion seated opposite on a chair and they look uncomfortable. 

 

We ask for a table for two, with chairs with arms . (their description not ours )

When handing us over to the waiter who's a distance away they signal by tapping their arm.

[yorkshirephil]

14 minutes ago, kalos said:

 

they signal by tapping their arm.

That would be the odds of 5/4 you would order soup, or 9/4 top of the head you wouldn't.

[kalos]

12 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

That would be the odds of 5/4 you would order soup, or 9/4 top of the head you wouldn't.

 

Prawns and shellfish were non starters 😉

[yorkshirephil]

2 minutes ago, kalos said:

 

Prawns and shellfish were non starters 😉

100/1 on the snails

[Happy afloat]

Green beans, odds on favourite!