Who will dine with me?

[dalitos]

This February will be our first time cruising, there is 2 of us, and we have chosen late dinner, table of 6.

Does anyone have any idea on how the dinner table companions are chosen by RCI?

We are both 29, sociable, will have fun with whomever they sit us! :D But I am wondering how they go about setting this up.. :confused:

[melsdt]

You will probably be with 2 other couples. We were a couple in our mid 20's from NJ. Asked for table of 6-8. Got table of 8, but two were no shows all week. Both couples were older than us, but the whole table was from NJ. I think they have someway of sorting it or attempting to sort it. When I have gone in the past as a family of four, we have always been with another family of 4. Hope that helped.

[spammie]

Who knows how they figure it out. On my first cruise with my husband on Voyager, they sat us at a table with a non-friendly mom, dad, 13 year old daughter and 8 year old son. Not fun! At the time I didn't know you could request to have your table changed. We left our kids at home and we were definitely not thrilled to be dining with other people's kids at our table. On our last cruise on Freedom of The Seas we requested a table for 2 and got it. It was heaven! It was right next to a window. I enjoy my husbands company so much and I don't like eating with strangers. When we go out to eat at restaurants we always sit by ourselves. :) Another thing to consider when you are at a large table, your server won't serve you until everyone arrives at the table. The family we sat with on Voyager were always 15 - 20 minutes late leaving us to sit there and wait for them. Good luck and have fun!

[FitzLA]

Just an FYI...you can request a table of 6 but it is not a guarantee. You could end up with anything from a table of 2 to a table of 12.

[dfgf]

On my first cruise, the wife and I (late 20's and early 30's) were seated with 3 other married couples, all in their 20's. Had a great time.

 

Second cruise, the wife and I were again seated with 3 other married couples, all in their late 20's. 2 of the couples were traveling together. Again, had a great time.

 

Third cruise, the wife and I were seated with a young couple (20 and 21) on their honeymoon and 2 couples in their 50's. The only thing we could figure out is that we were all 'southerners' (Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi and Kentucky). Had a terrible time. No conversation, really, that first night. On the second day we were called by the dining room to tell us that they were breaking-up our table. So, apparently, one of the other couples complained. That was fine with us because we were moved to a table with two awesome people with whom we're still friends. (In fact, we're even making plans to vacation together later this year!)

 

Fourth cruise was me and 5 friends. We ended-up at a 6-person table all by ourselves.

 

Until that 3rd cruise, we had assumed that they always segregated people by age. Now I think that it might be more random than people assume.

[barbarah33]

I think any cruise line will try to seat you either with people your own age and, if that's not possible, perhaps from the same area of the country. With one exception I have always been extremely lucky when it comes to my dining room assignments and I have made some wonderful friends that way - including the guy I am cruising with in 3 weeks. Just remember that if you really are unhappy after the first night simply ask to have your table changed. It isn't worth being miserable or 'dreading dinner' on a vacation over.

[critterchick]

We often see no rhyme or reason in how are tablemates are selected. On one ship (Monarch) they go by cabin category and age of cruisers (the maitre d' told us that when we were checking out our assignment one time). On other ships, there's been no apparent pattern - young honeymooners, retirees, people from across the country, people from the next town over.

 

We always request a large table and if we don't get one, we stand in line to change it. That way we improve the odds of getting along with our tablemates.

 

dfgf, I'm surprised that they moved you from your table instead of moving whoever complained, but I'm glad it worked out for you!

[cruisegirl1]

Can’t figure out the pairing. On our 25th anniversary they sat us with two sets of (young – younger than our children) newlyweds and two single 30 something ladies.

 

Go figure!

Marci

[geojobes]

On our last cruise we were celebrating our 24th Anniversary. They sat us with 3 Honeymooning couples. They were an early 30's couple, an mid 30's couple & an late 30's/early 40's couple. It was great! We relived our earlier days together & gave them an insight of what the future would be like for a still loving couple. We really had a great time. I couldn't have asked for better dining partners.

[Twice_a_year]

On our first cruise we were put on a table with a late 20's/early 30's coulple from Atlanta, two single southern women, and us , a 50's long time married couple from New Jersey.

 

We had a great time. So much so, that a college prof from USC and his female companion at a table for two next to us finnally joined our table for desert for the final three days. Since then, we have been at tables of 12 to tables of 4, we have ALWAYS found the tablemates to be most enjoyable - some more so than others. After all, you're on vacation and most people WANT to enjoy the trip.

 

If you can't find fun - look elsewhere!:)

[jimbug]

On HAL, in our group it was me, my best girlfriend (in our 20s), and my mother (early 50s). We were seated with another mother traveling with her 2 adult daughters...so, to me, that made sense, even though they were dreadful table mates.

 

However, on Princess, it was the 3 of us again from OK, seated with an elderly couple (late 70s) from CO, a gay couple and their female friend from CA. We never could figure that one out, but we had the most delightful time with that group! Seems like the "random" pairings work out the best...

[Host Kewlguy]

Supposedly they arrange the dining room seating according to age although we've been seated with passengers our age as well as 30 years our senior. There seems to be no rhyme or reason. They probably just pick names out of a hat. :)

[christygobar]

On our last cruise, it was a table of 8 single women :) We had all traveled in pairs of friends. I definitely don't think that was a random sitting.

 

I'm a late 20s solo traveler next time, so hopefully they will put me with some others my age or other solos traveling as well.

[cb at sea]

Don't worry about it--if you really can't stand who you've been seated with, ask to move. We've been extremely lucky--have had some WONDERFUL tablemates! Looked forward to dinner every day! So much fun! One couple had been upgraded to a HUGE suite, so we took the tour! They were so nice!

Everyone is on the ship to have fun--and fun you shall have! Enjoy!

[erin_cruisers]

A poster above said "the luck of the draw", and their right, but you know, however they do it, you may or may not all get along.

But go into it with a smile and positive attitude, and ya just never know!!

We have been so darn lucky on both cruises. The first time we were really nervous too, but so was everyone at our table - all 1st timers (never mind the jokes!:rolleyes: )

but, you know it was fabulous, we all became fast friends!!

Second cruise was OK, and next cruise? who knows but we like to meet new friends, thats just us.:D

[Ephraim]

We have only been on two cruises with assigned dining. The first was a horrible experience. Carnival assumed that two men travelling together wanted to be at a table with 4 women. Wrong. We are two Gay men who are in a committed relationship, we just have no interest in being hit on by women. On the last night, one of the women got drunk and thought that she was giving me a friendly slap on the back... it wasn't friendly... I went flying. Not the best moment of my life.

 

On the other hand on Princess, we met someone online and arrange to have him meet us on our table and omeone else that we met from CC also moved to our table. The other two couples were British and a nice Texan. The table worked out extremely well and we enjoyed each other's company so much so that we even spent some afternoons and evenings together. We still correspond with most of the people who were on the table.

 

So, you never know. I do know now that if it isn't working, to ask for another table. Honestly, I think most people can be good company, if they want to be. It isn't a good idea to mix families with couples, though. Frankly, while I would be much happier to be at a table with other couples. Younger couples and English-speaking non-Americans, since they are usually more open and there are less problems. I would HATE to be placed at the table of someone religious because one of us would end up being very unhappy (my guess is that it would be them, because I'm not about to apologize for who I am or to hide it.)

 

It's one of the reasons that we like personal choice dining, we meet people on the ship and then go to dinner with them, having many different dinner companions. We have had some wonderful experiences that way.

[Cruisin Oma]

My husband and I have always had a large table since our first honeymoon cruise. It is one of the things I find most enjoyable - meeting up with virtual strangers every evening and going over the exciting day with them - it allows me to experience events on the cruise I may not have participated in and find those excursions I must do the next time I come back! And by the end of the cruise you have so many new friends!

 

We have never had bad tablemates so maybe we have been lucky. One thing we do like to do, you will find people generally always sit in the same seats. After the first couple days, my husband and I generally change sides, so we can switch couples we converse with. It may be bad table ettiquitte - I know people are generally surprised, but it allows you to converse with the other couple and keep your voice at a decent level.

[SLH]

This February will be our first time cruising, there is 2 of us, and we have chosen late dinner, table of 6.

Does anyone have any idea on how the dinner table companions are chosen by RCI?

We are both 29, sociable, will have fun with whomever they sit us! :D But I am wondering how they go about setting this up.. :confused:

I have mostly cruised on my own now I cruise with my dd and always request a large table. I can't remember any of my 12 cruises where my tablemates weren't friendly and talkative. I've sat with families as well as couples and other singles.

[dfgf]

Third cruise, the wife and I were seated with a young couple (20 and 21) on their honeymoon and 2 couples in their 50's. The only thing we could figure out is that we were all 'southerners' (Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi and Kentucky). Had a terrible time. No conversation, really, that first night. On the second day we were called by the dining room to tell us that they were breaking-up our table. So, apparently, one of the other couples complained. That was fine with us because we were moved to a table with two awesome people with whom we're still friends. (In fact, we're even making plans to vacation together later this year!)

 

I should follow-up what I posted with this - they ended-up moving the entire table and scattering us over the dining room. Apparently they had a large family that they were trying to put together at one table. I guess when someone from our table complained, they moved all 4 couples. We ended-up bumping into the honeymoon couple and they, like us, weren't the ones that complained but were thrilled with their reassignment.

[webteach]

I specifically requested a small table for my 77 year old mom and my mentally ill brother and me because I didn't want my brother's random chatter to interfere with anyone's dinner. RC put us with a young couple with a 2 year old. Ridiculous. The child was tired, the couple was by turns bored and flabbergasted, and I felt like a hostess every night. Tried to change the table as soon as I saw it but no luck. Too bad for

the young couple.

[Heidict]

Not sure how they do it. On our last, and first cruise, my DH and I ended up at a table with 2 sets of mothers and daughters. My DH was the only guy at the table.

 

They were nice, but one pair kept showing up late for dinner. Sometimes 30-45 minutes late. :eek: Hoping that this time around we get some couples so my poor DH will have someone there with testosterone to talk with.:p

[Jay Bee]

We have only been on two cruises with assigned dining. The first was a horrible experience. Carnival assumed that two men travelling together wanted to be at a table with 4 women. Wrong. We are two Gay men who are in a committed relationship, we just have no interest in being hit on by women.

 

How very uncomfortable. As a woman who occasionally travels with other women (none of us are gay), I would love being seated at a table with gay men. It's refreshing to have the element of someone being "hit on" taken out of the experience so that you can enjoy talking.

 

Jan

[VATechCruiser]

I don't think there is any rhyme or reason. One my one previous cruise my family and I sat at a table of 10. It was me (22), my brother (24) and my parents (both late 50's/early 60's). We are from Northern Virginia, USA. We sat with 3 couples on their honeymoon's. 1 couple in their 20's from England, 1 couple in their 30's from Ireland and a couple probably in late 30's/early 40's also from Ireland. We had the best time! Everyone was so nice and had great conversation, I love sitting with people from different walks of life, it so neat to meet people with different lives than yourself. We actually ended up hanging out with the other couples every night after dinner (at shows, bars, etc.) and we got an invitation for a place to stay in England if we want. I like meeting new people so I enjoy sitting at big tables and making friends. My veiwpoint is, if you don't want to converse with new people and make friends, then don't request a big table (although I know sometimes you don't get what you request), but still try to make the best of every situation!

[sal7202]

I have seen no pattern in how they arrange dinner seatings either. We have been seated with every age group from very young newly weds to folks our own age (50's), to elderly people, on various cruises with Royal Caribbean. The one constant has been that they have always managed to seat my wife & I at the same table, so I will give them some credit for that.

[critterchick]

dfgf, that makes sense! It could also be that nobody complained, but when they were trying to find a table for the family, somebody on your waitstaff saw that you weren't compatible & suggested the switch. Anyway, I'm glad it worked out for you!

 

I have to day, the best tables we've had were the randomly-assigned ones. We've switched from small to large or from late to early, and have been seated with whoever requested a similar change - old folks, young whippersnappers, gay men, non-English speakers (at least it was Spanish & DH & I could get a few words out), you name it. We've always had a good time at those tables!