Craziest table mates you have had.

[100AcreWood]

Whoever gets to the table first gets to pick their seats. One of cruises, we didn't get to sit next to each other because the other family got their first every day and sat spread out so that their kids could talk to us to us the entire meal and the parents didn't have to sit by/talk to them.

That would have really ticked me off.

 

[bcwife76]

We lucked out with our first cruise and were seated with the most wonderful family. DCL did such a great job matching us up. Now after reading some of these stories I hope our luck with table mates continues on our next cruise!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Whoever gets to the table first gets to pick their seats. One of cruises, we didn't get to sit next to each other because the other family got their first every day and sat spread out so that their kids could talk to us to us the entire meal and the parents didn't have to sit by/talk to them.

After the first night of this, I'd ask the parents if they would please sit together so I could sit with MY family, please.

If that didn't work, I'd be speaking to the head server about a different table.

 

[DisneyNurse4Life]

Only been on one other Disney cruise and the only complaint of the cruise was the table mate family thing. Is there any way to get out of sitting with another family? I'l be traveling with a total of 4 people, including myself.
The family we were paired with, were very snooty, and seemed to act superior to my family. The father was a state trooper and the wife was a teacher. Both of their sons were always dressed in button down shirts and ties. What kid wants to wear a tie to meet Crush and eat dinner? We told them we were celebrating my graduation from Nursing school and the wife looked at me, and said, "Aren't you a bit old to be back in school?" In the field of nursing, learning is a never-ending process. I'd assume it would be the same for teachers. It's rare to find a nurse who ISN'T going back for a higher degree.
Anyways, the worst part was when we declared our family's love of Disney, and they acted like Disney was only for kids. THEY WERE ON A FREAKIN' DISNEY CRUISE, people!

 

[codex57]

Man, I can't begin to count how many times I had to pick my jaw up off the floor.

I've been lucky. The only time I ever had total strangers was on my honeymoon cruise on another line. It was an older "couple"? I still didn't fully understand their story. They weren't romantically involved. Same cabin, but separate beds. He was 80+ and had a scooter. She was 65ish? So a fairly significant age gap, yet she wasn't his caretaker or anything either. And just plain "friends" didn't seem to fit either based on what they told me. Still, lovely people. I still think fondly of them.

 

[codex57]

Only been on one other Disney cruise and the only complaint of the cruise was the table mate family thing. Is there any way to get out of sitting with another family? I'l be traveling with a total of 4 people, including myself.

The tie stuff doesn't bother me. People dress weird. The snooty comments are another story though.

Anyways, you just ask if you want a table by yourself. They can't guarantee it, but they'll try.

 

[Anisum]

I should preface by saying all of our tablemates have been wonderful even when we're from different countries and don't necessarily speak one another's language so well. That being said, when making small talk last time someone asked "If you could only have cheese or chocolate which would you choose?" as in the other would disappear off the face of the planet. We were all horrified at the thought of losing one of the two.

Anyway, even if I had a bad experience at this point I've had so many good ones I'd laugh it off and plan to be seated with strangers again next cruise.

 

[Tresmama]

We have been pretty fortunate in tablemates until our recent last Disney cruise. Our party of 4 adults one child were paired up with a family of 3. Two adults one child. They pretended we were not there! Would not say hello, or converse with any of us. The father sitting next to me literally turned his chair so that his back was to me. I felt awful. It made dinner so uncomfortable. The child also totally ignored and refused to make eye contact with our grandson. Very strange. If it ever happens again, I will ask for a change!

 

[Savikins]

Only been on one other Disney cruise and the only complaint of the cruise was the table mate family thing. Is there any way to get out of sitting with another family? I'l be traveling with a total of 4 people, including myself.
The family we were paired with, were very snooty, and seemed to act superior to my family. The father was a state trooper and the wife was a teacher. Both of their sons were always dressed in button down shirts and ties. What kid wants to wear a tie to meet Crush and eat dinner? We told them we were celebrating my graduation from Nursing school and the wife looked at me, and said, "Aren't you a bit old to be back in school?" In the field of nursing, learning is a never-ending process. I'd assume it would be the same for teachers. It's rare to find a nurse who ISN'T going back for a higher degree.
Anyways, the worst part was when we declared our family's love of Disney, and they acted like Disney was only for kids. THEY WERE ON A FREAKIN' DISNEY CRUISE, people!

Wow... I would've been extremely offended if someone told me something like that, or even if I heard them tell it to a complete stranger. You'd think grown adults on vacation would be polite enough or at least in too good of a mood to say things like that to other people, but I guess not... Having to eat my favorite meal of the day with such a terrible family definitely would have put a bit of a damper on my vacation. The outfit thing wouldn't have bothered me - I tend to dress in very over the top outfits (some complete with petticoats!) on cruises and in everyday life - but those comments would have made me seethe.

I've been very lucky. I've only had tablemates on my first cruise, a 3 night, and they were all similarly aged young couples. Both couples were very sweet, big Disney fans, and I'm friends with one of the couples on social media. We had some good conversations! The other 3 cruises I requested a private table for my bf and I and our request was granted each time. We did end up sitting in close proximity to others and usually we would strike up conversation with the neighboring tables, or they would strike up conversation with us. All of them seemed like great people.

I'm very excited to meet my tablemates for my upcoming Wonder cruise, and I'm definitely hoping to make some lasting friendships. Wish me luck!

 

[ivanp91]

On my first cruise (4 night Bahamian on the Dream, December 2013) we were sat at a table of 8. There were two American couples who clicked straight away and didn't really give my partner and I a second thought... no biggie as in cases like that we are pretty happy just talking between ourselves. The last person at the table was a Japanese guy who had just broken up with his girlfriend, and only he ended up on the ship. Of course he had two dinner tickets though. Made a point of saying to the servers "so because I have two tickets does that mean I can have two of everything?". Every night for four nights was the same scenario - he would put the two tickets on the table in front of him, and then order two of each course... and would only eat half of each. I get that sometimes people get full early on and physically can't finish what they order, but never before had I seen someone be so deliberately wasteful. What was the purpose? I paid for two people so I will order for two people (but only really eat for one)?

Luckily that was the only weird one I've encountered. On the Magic in 2014 we were seated with a lovely couple who would have been probably in their 40's. The wife was very sassy in a hilarious way. On the Fantasy a month ago one of my best friends and her sister, on their first ever Disney cruise, managed to get their seating changed and were our tablemates for the week. For our next cruise we've opted for a private table... we take our vacations seriously and if we weren't to get along with whoever we sit with would affect the memories of our trip (for example on our recent Fantasy cruise our servers absolutely despised one another and it showed, us and our friends dreaded dinner some nights, but didn't want to miss certain menus/restaurants. Still feel a bit funny about it even now).

 

[TiggerBouncy]

We have been lucky. We have always liked our Tablemates, and are facebook friends with all of them from our first two cruises. it's nice to get jealous every now and then when they get a chance to go to Disney and we don't. One of them we are just missing on our SWDaS cruise by a week. :-(

the last cruise was a little weird. It was a 3 day cruise, and they never showed up. The first night we figured they were just tired. The second, we figured maybe they had a reservation at Palo or Remy. the Third, we figured they must have just fallen overboard the ship.

 

[rubbergypsy]

Always had great table mates. Last cruise met two awesome families one from Canada and crazy Disney nuts. Facebook friends. The other had a daughter same age as mine teens. And they keep in touch still.

 

[SpaceSquirrel]

Is it possible to get a private table (there will be 3 of us)? I'm a bit of an introvert and just not interested in meeting new people this way :/

 

[RebelHawk]

Is it possible to get a private table (there will be 3 of us)? I'm a bit of an introvert and just not interested in meeting new people this way :/

My wife and I have always requested private tables on DCL cruises and so far have always been granted our request.

 

[SpaceSquirrel]

My wife and I have always requested private tables on DCL cruises and so far have always been granted our request.

Oh good, thank you!

 

[pandy1024]

Bumping for the newbies like me!

 

[Mr. Green]

Years ago the wife and I (this was before kids) were on a 3 day Land and Sea cruise. It was so nice to be on the ship after 4 days in the park. The first night at dinner we were sat with 2 other couples. The one couple was so fun and talkative. The male with the other couple talked nothing but how he was on the Atkins diet. I mean this was talked about to the point of being nauseating. Everything he put in his mouth was related to Atkins. A quarter way through the meal I requested more rolls and ate every carb they had in the dining room that night. The other "fun" couple and my wife realized what I was doing and were laughing at me. Luckily with Palo and being only a 3 day, we didn't see that guy again.

 

[LizGirl]

Bumping for the newbies like me!

Thanks! This is a great thread!!

 

[wilkeliza]

I'm always so worried when I read these that maybe I said something one night at dinner that someone took the wrong way and made me a bad table mate.

The only weird thing we had was the family that would sit on one side of the table of 8 so their 3 would sit at 3 of the 4 seats on one side and then our 5 would sit on 4 and 1. It made it where our group could never have a conversation to ourselves with out shouting across the table or passing the message down. It wasn't that bad but just slightly annoying by the end of the week.

 

[pandy1024]

So, what's the "official" etiquette with strangers at the table?
I am now imagining that we're going to be the crazies! DD is SUPER shy. It could take her all week to warm up to someone, even another girl her age (she's 6). So, if we get paired with a family with a 6yo girl, and she tries to talk to DD and gets the cold shoulder, we're going to look like the rude ones!

And how far does the conversation have to go? I'm introverted. I'm not good at making up chit chat and all that jazz. Sometimes I don't want to go into my life story and keep to myself / my family. Am I going to be the rude one if I end the conversation at the usual pleasantries? Or is the expectation to make friends and have a dinner as a group of 8 instead of 2 families of 4? Maybe I can hope that we all like the same hockey team or something... ?