Craziest table mates you have had.

[Dawg91]

Oh, let's get back to the crazy table mates and quit debating religious stuff on this thread.

 

[DWGal210]

Oh, let's get back to the crazy table mates and quit debating religious stuff on this thread.

This thread (except for the last 1-2 pages) has been a fun read and I would hate to see it closed.

 

[phinz]

I've never heard the term, "Jesus bullies".

I didn't coin the phrase. The poster I responded to did. I'll quote it for you so you don't have to actually go back and read the thread.

Thanks for the responses. Catholic Grace is really brief, and I can sit through that quietly & politely, no problem. A quick blessing of food is one thing. My husband's extended family is what I not-so-politely call "Jesus Bullies." The kind that make you hold hands, bow your heads, and then recite a litany of everything they are grateful for and who needs to be watched over, etc., before every meal. And you don't have a choice. My husband and I both hate it, but tolerate it since they are family. I'm not sure I could handle that on a cruise with strangers, however. Always wondered the etiquette on this.

 

[OceanAnnie]

Phinz, I didn't think you coined it. I saw you had it in quotes.

 

[Carrie in AZ]

Here's something kind of fun....

Our neighbors invited us to their Passover dinner last night, and we were seated with our friend's brother and his longtime girlfriend, they are probably in their late 40's. We've met them before but don't know them well. I was trying to make conversation and knew they enjoy cruising so I asked them about their cruises. They have sailed on five RC cruises and are cruising again in May.

Anyway! Since I've spent a lot of time reading this thread, I thought I'd bring up table mates. We started off by talking about the wonderful table mates we've had on our cruises and then I told them I have been reading about crazy table mates and the gal jumped right in! LOL! She went on to say that one cruise they were seated with a couple where the woman didn't like one thing and sent EVERYTHING back!! I couldn't believe my ears! I've read it here a few times and then I was hearing about it from someone else who had experienced the same thing.

And, like SO MANY of us, they had amazing table mates. She said they saw their new friends in a port one time and they all decided to head to a bar to have a few drinks together! Our experience on our one and only cruise this past October was an absolute home run, hit the jackpot type of experience with our table mates -- we loved them!

From all I've read and heard, it sounds like it is a positive match up more times than not. Happy cruising, everyone!!

 

[dancingswiffer]

As long as it is done quickly and unobtrusively and with no expectation that the non-believer join in, it is certainly not bad manners for someone to practice their religion. I'm not going to ask your permission before I engage in any reasonable religious observance, because, like most individuals of any religious persuasion, I don't care if my religion makes you uncomfortable. I'm not praying for your benefit; I'm doing it because that is what my faith requires of me and what I believe that God would want me to do. I have the right to practice my religion regardless of your feelings about it, just as you have a right not to practice any religion at all. Being religious is not bad manners, but being disrespectful of others' beliefs or expecting them to request your approval before displaying them is.

Amen

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

Amen

"amen!" That is perfect...

 

[fnrsgrl]

Thank you for proving the point I made in my original statement that started this whole kerfuffle.

The point is that believing it's rude for me to practice my religion in front of you without asking your permission is ridiculous. No one is ever going to ask your permission for that because they don't need it. Your feeling of discomfort at hearing another's prayer is your problem, and if you have a problem with it, you should be the one to ask to change tables.

Keep in mind that the OP asked what the etiquette for dealing with "Jesus bullies" was, and I said that they had no etiquette so there was no etiquette. It looks to me like there might be a bit of a difference between those kinds of people and the ones who are getting all in a lather right now, if the way those people say they behave is truly the way they behave.

As to myself personally, at a communal table or when dining with those that do not share my beliefs, I simply close my eyes and pray silently to myself for a few seconds. However, I know plenty of people who say a brief, audible prayer with their family, and I believe they have a right to do so, and to do so without another group rudely interrupting them from the other end of the table.

Oh, let's get back to the crazy table mates and quit debating religious stuff on this thread.

Sorry! Personally, I felt the need to defend my faith(and the right of others to practice theirs) a bit, but I would really like to see the thread go back to its original purpose as well. It's supposed to be funny, not an attack on others and their beliefs. I won't say anything else on the subject.

 

[SDGoofy]

Oh, let's get back to the crazy table mates and quit debating religious stuff on this thread.

I agree. "Let it go, let it go......"

 

[nouche1]

My first cruise is booked. I don't have funny DCL stories. I am grateful for those that have shared. This thread makes me smile and laugh. Please, please, please let's get back to table mate stories.

 

[Spacecase1]

So true, they are in a no win situation. You ask a kid to be taken out, Mom (or Dad) blows up the internet with "my kid has special needs and we got kicked out of a dining room on a XYZ Cruise ship". It is on MSNBC and Fox and it is a big pain in the butt for the cruise line. I was amazed they let the guy stand there and yell at the table, but I hate to say from what I heard Disney does not do much better in dealing with disruption in the dining room.

I was very surprised on my last cruise, which was a four day on Princess (AWESOME cruise, by the way, not everyone on Princess is 95 years old, who knew?). Anyways, the muster drill was inside and you were seated in a lounge or theater. As such, it went on a long time as the recording reminded you of many different regulations. MUCH longer than a Disney or Carnival drill. A baby in front of me was a tad fussy, not even on my radar as a parent, he maybe screeched twice. Seriously it was not a big deal, typical little kids stuff. Two different crew members starting moving towards her to tell her she needed to step out, as her child was disrupting the muster drill and other passengers needed to hear the info. The mom huffed and took the kid out. I was actually very impressed, I told the cruise director later. To me the muster drill is deadly serious, people need to hear the info. Well done Princess!

I have had delightful cruises on Carnival, and I think from this thread, it is clear Disney has its share of nuts also!

If some guy got in my wife's face like that, I do not think I could stay seated.

Our first disney cruise our daughter was 21 months (not what I preferred but a family trip). She freaked out at the fire drill and once we mustered they let DH take her to the hallway. Took of the vest and he calmed down.

I guess I am a bad table mate. We have previously been seated with what I assumed are nice retired couples, but I usually get barraged with the Spanish Inquisition: what do you do? Oh, you work? Where do you live? How long? Etc. it's like meeting your to be mother in law. I'm not a big friendly to stranger person so it always shuts me down, big time. I know I know, why the heck am I on a message board. Call it self imposed therapy!

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

I agree. "Let it go, let it go......"

Oh, good one! (Mostly my husband sings that song before he's about to let one -insert roll eyes and laugh-) but it does go with a lot of real life situations!

 

[Cruella 66]

"As long as it is done quickly and unobtrusively and with no expectation that the non-believer join in, it is certainly not bad manners for someone to practice their religion. I'm not going to ask your permission before I engage in any reasonable religious observance, because, like most individuals of any religious persuasion, I don't care if my religion makes you uncomfortable. I'm not praying for your benefit; I'm doing it because that is what my faith requires of me and what I believe that God would want me to do. I have the right to practice my religion regardless of your feelings about it, just as you have a right not to practice any religion at all. Being religious is not bad manners, but being disrespectful of others' beliefs or expecting them to request your approval before displaying them is."


Well, said! Rock on….

 

[Saamh]

"As long as it is done quickly and unobtrusively and with no expectation that the non-believer join in, it is certainly not bad manners for someone to practice their religion. I'm not going to ask your permission before I engage in any reasonable religious observance, because, like most individuals of any religious persuasion, I don't care if my religion makes you uncomfortable. I'm not praying for your benefit; I'm doing it because that is what my faith requires of me and what I believe that God would want me to do. I have the right to practice my religion regardless of your feelings about it, just as you have a right not to practice any religion at all. Being religious is not bad manners, but being disrespectful of others' beliefs or expecting them to request your approval before displaying them is." Well, said! Rock on….

One of the things I enjoy about having table mates is the opportunity for my children to see the differences in people, differences in families, etc. Different religious beliefs (as long as they aren't as one poster mentioned "Jesus bullies"), different accents, different eating habits, clothing styles, tattoos, piercings, sexual orientation. They are going to encounter all of these differences in the real world so why not share a table with some new people and show our children that even with differences we all have a lot of similarities.

 

[Freesia123]

The worst kind of table mate for me are those who chew with their mouths open. It completely grosses me our.

 

[nouche1]

The worst kind of table mate for me are those who chew with their mouths open. It completely grosses me our.

And talks at the same time so food flies everywhere. Ewww

 

[DWGal210]

The worst kind of table mate for me are those who chew with their mouths open. It completely grosses me our.

Ugh, I know it. This is one of my biggest pet peeves is when people are "loud" eaters, if that makes sense.

My best friend's husband eats like that, and it's hard to go out to eat with them I honestly don't know how people can chew / smack their food like that, and not realize how disgusting it is. Blech.

 

[phinz]

Ugh, I know it. This is one of my biggest pet peeves is when people are "loud" eaters, if that makes sense.

My best friend's husband eats like that, and it's hard to go out to eat with them I honestly don't know how people can chew / smack their food like that, and not realize how disgusting it is. Blech.

Andrew Zimmern (Bizarre Foods host on Travel Channel) does this and it drives me *nuts!*

 

[LLMDisney]

Just went on the Dream last week. It was our first Disney cruise.

We were expecting to be seated with another group since there are only 3 of us. The other family there was totally not expecting to share a table with anyone. They were livid when we were brought to the table.

It was a table with 8 spaces and they were spread out so there was an empty seat between each of them (they were a family of 4). They didn't move over so we could sit together. My DD (7) sat next to their teenage son who glared at her. I had her get up until the staff could figure out what to do to accommodate this family as they were making a scene. The family left in a huff and the tables around us asked us what the problem was. It was slightly embarrassing to have a group of people so upset to sit with you but we realize it was them not us.

Eventually, the father came back in the middle of the meal to apologize to us which was nice but at that point, we were trying to forget the whole ordeal.

The rest of the cruise, we ate at our own 4-top table and it was quite nice. We never saw that family again. No idea if they made new arrangements or skipped the rotational dining all together.

 

[DWGal210]

Just went on the Dream last week. It was our first Disney cruise.

We were expecting to be seated with another group since there are only 3 of us. The other family there was totally not expecting to share a table with anyone. They were livid when we were brought to the table.

It was a table with 8 spaces and they were spread out so there was an empty seat between each of them (they were a family of 4). They didn't move over so we could sit together. My DD (7) sat next to their teenage son who glared at her. I had her get up until the staff could figure out what to do to accommodate this family as they were making a scene. The family left in a huff and the tables around us asked us what the problem was. It was slightly embarrassing to have a group of people so upset to sit with you but we realize it was them not us.

Eventually, the father came back in the middle of the meal to apologize to us which was nice but at that point, we were trying to forget the whole ordeal.

The rest of the cruise, we ate at our own 4-top table and it was quite nice. We never saw that family again. No idea if they made new arrangements or skipped the rotational dining all together.

I'm sorry you had that experience. Some people have no class.

I never understand why people have to handle things like children throwing hissy-fits. If you really didn't want to sit with another family, just kindly ask the restaurant manager to be seated by yourselves. Easy peasy. It certainly doesn't warrant a Defcon-1 level meltdown.