How to Dine at a Table With Other Passengers (Strangers)

[Lukehead]

When we go to the dining room (for flexible seating) we always indicate we're happy to share. Sometimes we are seated with others, sometimes at a small table but adjacent to another so it's almost the same. Occasionally it just doesn't work. We usually do MDR and simply request a table of 6 or 8. Have met some really nice people that way (as well as a couple of duds) If you want to be with different people each night you'll have more success with "any time". If you want to stay with them, just set a time between yourselves and show up together.

[lenquixote66]

We were on a cruise once when seated in the MDR with 4 other couples met one couple that we had 10 great dinner conversations with them .On the last night we exchanged home phone numbers,cell phone numbers and home addresses .The feeling was that it would be the beginning of a rest of life friendship.We had a phone conversation a few days after arriving home and the husband of the couple was totally different,expressing comments that he could not do in mixed company .That was our last communication.

[mcollins3549]

IDK what cruise lines you have been calling ... but:

 

NCL doesn't have dinner seating times.  I travel alone almost all of the time and I tell the dining room when I enter that I am open to sitting with others OR having others sit with me.  I don't plan it before hand and I have had several great people seated with me. 

 

Carnival - I typically get 'My Time Dining' and say the same when I arrive at the dining room.  

[AKJonesy]

I mostly don't like to sit with other people at dinner because I've heard all of my husband's military and airline stories over and over and over.  On HAL, they've had the military meet ups and I'm glad that he can go to these meetings and talk with other military veterans.  🤣

[Hlitner]

5 hours ago, AKJonesy said:

I mostly don't like to sit with other people at dinner because I've heard all of my husband's military and airline stories over and over and over.  On HAL, they've had the military meet ups and I'm glad that he can go to these meetings and talk with other military veterans.  🤣

ROFL!  As a vet, who does not like to talk about vet things, I get it :).  I once went to one of the veterans get togethers on a cruise and discovered how some vets just like to tell "war stories.'  My reaction was, boring!  Another interesting thing about vets is that many of us who served in a real war zone generally prefer to forget about it...and certainly not relive some of the experiences.  I will admit that airline stories sometimes get my interest :).  

 

We love sharing tables on cruises, and socializing is about looking for discussion topics that engage most (if not all) at the table.  On cruises, talking about cruise, travel, ports, etc. is usually good conversation starters.  Sports is also a good topic (especially among men).  I do think that face-to-face socialization comes easier to we seniors, and that many younger folks only know how to socialize on a phone!  Just witness the number of folks, in restaurants, who spend a good part of their meal texting rather than interacting with their tablemates.

[John Bull]

14 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Just witness the number of folks, in restaurants, who spend a good part of their meal texting rather than interacting with their tablemates.

 

Unfair, Hank 

We used to think the same.

 

But one evening we noticed that altho' the young couple at the table next to us were both texting, they were actually texting to each-other. 🥴

I'd love to see their phone bill if they did that on a cruise ship 🤣🤣🤣

 

JB 🙂

[DeniseTr]

Thanks for the topic.

Pre-covid, I went on a Carnival cruise and met some incredible people by sharing tables. As a solo cruiser, it made the cruise awesome. We even planned our mealtimes to continue sharing,

The next year I went on Royal C, and  it was like they didn't know how to do it. They kept putting me off in a corner by myself even though I was asking to share. 

I'm looking g forward to a Carnival cruise now, and am excited to see it's happening again.

[JDincalif]

On 11/8/2023 at 1:19 AM, John Bull said:

But one evening we noticed that altho' the young couple at the table next to us were both texting, they were actually texting to each-other. 

Texting at table when data plan permits comes in handy for those of us with difficulty hearing who simply who want to hear each other (or gossip about others) in a noisy dining room.

 

We do prefer tables for two where we have our personal space with the the  option for conversation with others when all are agreeable.

Edited July 17 by JDincalif

[Markanddonna]

Things with dining have changed recently on Celebrity. We signed up for early dining to share a table but discovered our assigned table was changed from the one we were told when checking in. Our new table was for two and NO ONE was seated next to us until 5 mins before we left. It seems that the four main dining rooms are a combination of fixed and flexible dining. 

 

So, we went to the concierge at the restaurant, who suggested we just show up at any of the restaurants whenever we wished and ask to share a table. That worked quite well until we discovered that we got weary of starting with a fresh group of people each night. The conversations never got beyond where are you from, are you a regular Celebrity cruiser, what are your plans for the other ports, etc. On the last two days out of 13, we chose to eat in the buffet since the experience was not great. We never made friends with anyone we met at the MDR.

 

We also learned to sort of scope out the people at the table we were being led to. We had endured two nights seated with a couple who didn't talk. She had severe dementia, and her husband was frazzled by her outbursts. We looked to see if the people were talking or just sitting silent looking at their silverware. 

 

Celebrities' efforts to expand open dining were rather a failure in our eyes.

[MBP&O2/O]

Too many years at sea on fixed time dining on a shared table with the same people for months on end ... no more shared tables for me tyvm🫡

[runner15km]

Do not discuss politics, religion, careers and sxual orientation. 

[clo]

19 minutes ago, runner15km said:

sxual orientation.

Why not?

[ldubs]

5 hours ago, runner15km said:

Do not discuss politics, religion, careers and sxual orientation. 

 

Can we add the need to discuss medical issues to the list?  I'm sorry if someone has irritable bowel syndrome but have no interest in hearing about it.   Asking about careers, I've read on these forums, is a common American ice breaker thing that is apparently not done in other countries.   

Edited July 19 by ldubs

[DeniseTr]

Careers can be ok as long as its not too detailed. Your table mates are likely to include several retired people, and it's an interesting and engaging topic.