Craziest table mates you have had.

[over50visits]

Our very first Disney cruise ever (except the Big Red Boat) we sat for dinner and a group of 5 showed up. 3 women, one girl, one man. I remember the first thing they said - one of the women said "Hi, we're the Jerry Springer family." There was the man, his wife, his mother-in-law, his ex wife and his daughter. All the women seemed to be great friends and had a ball during the cruise. I don't remember the man ever, ever uttering a single word.

 

[sabrecmc]

We have, for the most part, had really wonderful experiences with table mates. Some better than others, of course, but my daughter likes having other kids near her age at the table, since she is an only child. It is usually just me and her, so we are often paired with other moms traveling with their kids. The kids entertain each other and usually end up friends who at least know each other in the kids clubs. That was nice!

Reading all these stories, it reminds me of when my daughter was 5 and she had this huge Queen Eleanor stuffed bear she got at the Disney Store in NYC right before we sailed. She loved that thing and took it everywhere with us on the cruise, including to dinner. Queen Eleanor had her own chair (did I mention she was big?). The server would bring the Queen a plate of honey each night, which I thought was adorable and my daughter LOVED. We didn't ask for that, but they made it fun for my daughter, and I really appreciated it. Hope we didn't freak anyone out, lol.

 

[nycdisneygal]

my parents! hahaha
We have otherwise always just had private table.

 

[CaseyCruiser]

On our seven Disney cruises we have met the most wonderful people as our tablemates. Except for one Fantasy Eastern Caribbean cruise. We had three couples at our table. One couple was from Wales and they were just great. The other couple was a little off. I will leave out the gross details but we talked it over with the couple from Wales and decided that no one else would want them and we would just make the best of it. They would eat all the bread so fast and then start yelling for food and eating so fast they would get sick. I do remember the man wearing blue jeans and a red flannel shirt for dinner. They never left the boat at any of the islands and didn't even get off for Castaway Cay. I wonder how they ever figured out how to get on the boat. We still had a night at Palo to ourselves and we did have a great time.

 

[lorimay]

Love these stories...

 

[85glht]

Love these stories...

Agreed! Can’t wait to sail again

 

[bakerworld]

We've enjoyed 5 cruises - all DCL. Our first cruise we were sat at an 8 top which our server said was going to accommodate 3 other couples. The first night was just us and another couple who didn't talk. I wanted the vegan meal and our server insisted that we try a dish that was different kinds of sausage - venison, beef and pork. There was something about that dish that upset my stomach so I refused dessert. The served brought me a covered dish for desert and, whipping off the server top, announced to the surrounding diners that I didn't want dessert - using my first name. Well, we never went back so I don't know if the other couples ever showed.

Our 2nd cruise we were with 3 other couples who were all our age - one couple from our area of PA. Two couples were quiet. One couple was Floridian and each night they'd order something and switch their plates mid meal. They wore the same outfit every night. Everyone was pleasant and responded. The Floridian couple I tried to not engage because the guy would go on and on. We called him the salesman although he said he was a merchant marine.

It's just us 2 so we prefer to be on our own because it is just more comfortable. We didn't realize we could ask until our 3rd cruise. They accommodated us on our 3rd and 4th cruise but our last cruise they seated us with another couple because the cruise was full. The other couple were two women who decided last moment to book a cruise for themselves to get a break from husbands and kids. They seemed nervous. The first night one put her glass down and somehow it spilled all over their side of the table. Another night they left without paying for their drinks but one came back like a few minutes later apologizing to the wine guy.

Except for that last cruise we were sat on the perimeter which I really enjoyed. The middle of the room is very loud. I do think it's a shame for the wait staff that the tables are so close together.

 

[auntlynne]

Not crazy people; bizarre combinations - where Disney thought to place us.

My teenage niece and I were seated with three young-married couples. I don’t think we cramped their style, nor experience, but, really?

On a long TA, again, teenage niece and I were seated with “similar” people. This time, a little more so, it it was a working mom and preteen daughter who just wanted to time alone (should have had a table for two), another mom + kid(s?), and a five-year old who’s mom appreciated my niece being the kid’s interactor.

That was followed by a pre-arranged seating in the Mediterranean with a family from Philadelphia. A totally different outlook on life than our Southern ways, and yet great fun as dinner partners. I loved seeing that years later, the daughter graduated from my niece and my college Alma Mater (I think the girls’ time there may have overlapped). I like to think her interaction with us may have had an influence on her choice of colleges. Thanks, DIS, for the individual sailing threads.

A great group was on a PC cruise. We were a table of about 12, gathered from members of our Meet & Greet found on this forum! Many of us had nabbed our cabins when offered at GTY rates about a month or two before sailing and were in close cabins on Deck 2 of the Wonder. Not unusual for a PC sailing, we had lots of couples, a few singles, many repeat cruisers (maybe all of us) - and one charming 2 year old, who stole the show, but never demanded to be the center of everything, nor caused any disruption.

 

[DisneYE]

9 Disney cruises later and we have never had table mates. We did not request separate dining for the first several cruises. It just happened and I have no idea why. We enjoyed it.

To be totally honest, after 2015 we started requesting dining by ourselves largely due to the shift in the American political scene. We are Canadian and have a very visceral response to MAGA political sentiments. We knew that dining would be a horrible experience for us should we be paired with Trump supporters.

We will continue to ask for separate dining for this reason until the political divide in the US is lessened.

I would hate to be seated with a person that prejudges their experiences as "horrible" just because of political affiliations of others. I'm indifferent to Trump or other politicians and would never become 'visceral' based on my feelings about x issue.
So, yes, please continue asking for your own separate dining table. TIA.

 

[figmentfinesse]

I would hate to be seated with a person that prejudges their experiences as "horrible" just because of political affiliations of others. I'm indifferent to Trump or other politicians and would never become 'visceral' based on my feelings about x issue.
So, yes, please continue asking for your own separate dining table. TIA.

That's not a very kind response. Trump stands for (in my opinion) a lot of terrible things so yes, it can be upsetting to be around people who support that.

To keep this reply on topic, we have only been on one Disney Cruise so far, and we were seated with two other young couples our age. They were both lovely. My s/o and I are considering asking for private next time though, we are worried what will happen if we don't get lucky again!

 

[anitag888]

On our last cruise we were seated with 2 families that were together - 4 adults and 4 children - pre teen through teen. Everyone spent the entire meal on their phones except for the moments that they bothered to look up and make fun of my disabled daughter. They were certainly old enough to know better, but I fault the parents for not paying enough attention to their own kids to recognize inappropriate behavior. I even spoke up and told them her name and invited them to engage with her.... We skipped that dining rotation the next time around and just went to the buffet.

 

[DisneYE]

That's not a very kind response. Trump stands for (in my opinion) a lot of terrible things so yes, it can be upsetting to be around people who support that.

To keep this reply on topic, we have only been on one Disney Cruise so far, and we were seated with two other young couples our age. They were both lovely. My s/o and I are considering asking for private next time though, we are worried what will happen if we don't get lucky again!

Biden, Hillary, Obama and a myriad of other politicians stand for a lot of terrible things too (also my opinion) but I don't judge people for liking or disliking them. I just don't care about ppl's political opinions, in fact, I make it an effort to avoid political, religious or gender discussions. I always try to change the subject when someone we're seating with start talking about these issues.
I'm sorry if it sounds unkind, but I don't want to be near anyone that is overly offended and declares she/he will become 'virulent' if they don't agree with someone else's political/religious opinions.
Leave your virulence at the port and enjoy the cruise.

 

[Chuck96]

I have an anecdote from my second Disney Cruise I have shared a dozen or more times since then. Our first Disney Cruise was a big family affair...my parents, my two siblings, our spouses (10 adults total), plus the four kids (I had the youngest, he was 18 months). Great time, but wife and I decided we wanted a cruise for two to try it out. We took our second cruise for our 5th anniversary, back in 2007. Just the pair of us. Our first cruise, we had sat at a huge table, just for the 14 of us. This time was about sharing. Disney being Disney endeavored to pair like with like. So we were with two other couples, one nearabouts their 20th year of marriage (from the Rust Belt), and another couple closer to our age that was on their honeymoon (from the Deep South). Both were pleasant couples, social and considerate, if quite a bit different. At our very first dinner, the ship was experiencing some waves, so we were rocking a bit. My wife wasn't comfortable, but she managed. She was luckier than her tablemates. Both of the other wives experienced some significant distress over the motion...I am fortunate, some time in the Navy gave me sea legs. The other two husbands were managing okay. Just before dessert, both wives decided enough was enough and headed back to their respective rooms. And herein lies the brief tale.

The desserts were very tasty looking ice cream sundaes. The newlywed husband was quite worried about his wife and her discomfort; he immediately excused himself to go to their room and check up on her, moments after she departed, just as the dessert arrived. Our waiter kindly sent his dessert after him. The more experienced husband calmly finished his sundae, chatting with us a little. He then reached over to his wife's setting, took her untouched ice cream sundae, and set about working his way through that as well, continuing to chat. When it was polished off, he smiled and excused himself, saying he should probably go check on his wife. My wife, of course, wanted to know what I would have done. I told her I would have respected her privacy, finished my sundae, and then immediately come to check on her (which possibly was true).

Therein lies the course of a marriage:
0 years - drop everything, rush to your side
5 years - three minute rule, I'll finish up real quick
20 years - let me eat that for you

I share this with my friends getting married, or recently married. One day, your spouse will eat your food as you dash to your room. Now that we are close to 20 years, I tell my wife I'd definitely steal her dessert if she isn't feeling well.

 

[85glht]

9 Disney cruises later and we have never had table mates. We did not request separate dining for the first several cruises. It just happened and I have no idea why. We enjoyed it.

To be totally honest, after 2015 we started requesting dining by ourselves largely due to the shift in the American political scene. We are Canadian and have a very visceral response to MAGA political sentiments. We knew that dining would be a horrible experience for us should we be paired with Trump supporters.

We will continue to ask for separate dining for this reason until the political divide in the US is lessened.

Wow! Just over politics? You don’t want to hear other views I guess....

Anywho, I am a Trump supporter who sat with people who hated him.... we agreed to disagree the first night and it was a pleasant time with diner with them the rest of the cruise. We kept politics out of the conversations. They actually keep in touch after 2 years... who would have thought...

 

[85glht]

Duplicate post

 

[dvcdisney]

Not a story about tablemates, but somewhat in line with the types of political conversation.

On one of our previous cruises, we met a couple while we were waiting to go into dinner. We were just making small talk when all of a sudden, the wife starts to grill us about our Prime Minister (we are Canadian). The couple was from Florida.

Anyway, we don't like discussing our political opinions and to be honest, we don't even discuss it with family or friends. I think we're all in line with certain topics not being discussed. We tried to explained to her that we would prefer not to discuss this and changed the subject. Although her husband understood, she kept quiet for the rest of the conversation to that point that she stopped listening. We couldn't understand why she was so upset that we didn't want to debate the topic.

With our experience, there seems to be more political discussions among people in the US. We met wonderful people on cruises and WDW and other places we've visited in the US, however, more than half the time, conversations turn to something or other about politics. And although it didn't seem antagonistic, we always feel it's better to stay away from those conversations and sometimes, people don't understand our reluctance to provide our views.

So I can really empathize with those who would prefer not to be seated with people who MAY discuss politics because, for us, it would ruin our experience. And sadly, it would change the atmosphere of what should be a nice pleasant light conversation.

Of course we can explain that we prefer not to discuss it, but not everyone understands or accepts our choice.

So I don't think people are prejudice in that sense. I think people may just not want to be in a situation where they have to spend nightly dinners with people who may not understand that politics is not a topic that certain people like to discuss. At the same time, if people are used to discussing that topic, they should be able to speak to those who are also comfortable with it. So, it's best for both.

 

[Pooh2]

All three of our disney cruises were a table for just the two of us which we enjoyed and would request in the future.

Our worst tablemates experience was on an Amtrak long distance train.
After the other couple introduced themselves, the husband asked us how much we paid for our fare and ranted about the price of the fare for awhile before changing to politics and trashing Christians.
The wife tried to reel him in without success.

We've had lots of long distances train trips with many shared tables and met lots of interesting people so we'll just chalk it up to a colorful experience!

 

[cmph]

Not crazy people; bizarre combinations - where Disney thought to place us.

I've only been on one cruise that wasn't with extended family (usually 3 generations too), so we're not used to worrying about table mate match-ups. But the one time (not DCL) was odd, so I get what you're saying! It was on Carnival, a Mexican Riviera years ago. My sister and I were teenagers with our mid-40s parents. They seated us with 2 guys in their 20s who were the stereotypical booze-cruise seekers and a mother/daughter approximately 60ish and mid-80s. Years later, in reading about DCL matching up table mates, I became convinced that Carnival did some crazy mis-matching on purpose just to mess with everyone and see what hilarity might ensue LOL.

 

[auntlynne]

I've only been on one cruise that wasn't with extended family (usually 3 generations too), so we're not used to worrying about table mate match-ups. But the one time (not DCL) was odd, so I get what you're saying! It was on Carnival, a Mexican Riviera years ago. My sister and I were teenagers with our mid-40s parents. They seated us with 2 guys in their 20s who were the stereotypical booze-cruise seekers and a mother/daughter approximately 60ish and mid-80s. Years later, in reading about DCL matching up table mates, I became convinced that Carnival did some crazy mis-matching on purpose just to mess with everyone and see what hilarity might ensue LOL.

That is some mixed up combining.

I’ve done one Carnival cruise - January 2020, SuperBowl weekend. I picked late seating. First night, one couple and three middle-age or better singles. At a table for 8 or 10. Realized that 4 of the 5 were bookings made in the last week; our rooms were in the same area. No planning or matching ages; basically, here’s the last table. They had great soups and way better desserts than Disney.

 

[dpswift]

I would hate to be seated with a person that prejudges their experiences as "horrible" just because of political affiliations of others. I'm indifferent to Trump or other politicians and would never become 'visceral' based on my feelings about x issue.
So, yes, please continue asking for your own separate dining table. TIA.

This past year with Covid has been quite an eye opener. It is disgusting the amount of people that unfriended people on social media just because they did not agree with their political views.
I much preferred it several years ago when people treated politics as a sensitive subject. I cannot imagine discussing politics with table mates that I just met