Disagreeable Table Mates and Options

[DisneyPiPhi]

We had a private table on our first DCL cruise, and enjoyed that very much. We'll request it again. I don't like making small talk, especially in loud restaurants, but I do like catching up with my husband and kid after a busy cruising day. We also don't want to eat at someone else's pace and schedule - i.e. waiting for late tablemates, or having to rush through dinner because tablemates are only ordering entrees and then leaving, etc. We also have allergies and I prefer to deal with that for just our family.

 

[tinkerone]

Just back from our cruise and this is our experience.
I had requested a private table before we sailed. Verified this was on file twice before our cruise. It's the first time I did not go to the dining changes table upon sailing as we had never had an issue before with our request. First evening we were lead to a table for 8, 3 other couples were already seated. I stopped the server just steps before we actually arrived at the table to be seated ourselves and asked the server about the possibility of changing our table at that time. She was very nice and took us back to the front of the restaurant to speak with the head server. I explained what I was feeling and how I would be more comfortable with a table just for us as I didn't find small talk with strangers relaxing or enjoyable. He was very accommodating and changed our seating to a table for the two of us. It was a four top so I think we were very lucky. I will add this was early dining and I was fully prepared for him to tell us we would need to switch to late dining but this never happened.
I know lots of people enjoy conversations with new people but we don't. We did it one time and while the people were perfectly lovely I found the whole experience draining. Not something I hope to do again.

 

[ghtx]

they must not like us. I’ve requested a private table at Least 10 times and only granted it ONCE. Our recent cruise we were celebrating our 30th anniversary and still had tablemates. One couple never came and the other couple spoke French and we didn’t. The gentleman spoke English so had to translate to his partner. We had a lot of awkward silence. Most of our tablemates have been pretty good.

Are you a party of two? I wonder if it is easier for larger groups to be assigned their own table w/o tablemates than it is for smaller groups. We are a party of five and are currently batting 1000 (one for one) on requesting our own table.

 

[JARNJ3]

On our recent cruise on the Dream in August, it was just my wife and I. We gambled and decided to see what we'd get as far as table-mates. Ended up at an 8-top with 3 other couples. I'll admit, having 4 couples made conversation a bit hard because you didn't want to exclude anyone, but try talking to a person on the other end of the table!!!

Admittedly, I think everyone was surprised the first night, and things were a little awkward. Second night got better, and by the third night, everyone was talking like old friends.

This is a similar experience to what we just had in June on the Med. My sister and I were grouped to a table with 8 people - all female "couples." Two of the women left because (after 2 nights) they couldn't get used to the late seating. But the others - a duo of best friends from Australia and a mother-daughter from Brazil were delightful company. They made the table smaller, so there wouldn't be two empty seats.

We ended up friending each other on Facebook

 

[JPTexan82]

Well my wife and I always enjoy the couples we have had dinner with. One time a couple even offered us some of their cocaine, but we didn’t take them up on the offer.

 

[n2mm]

Are you a party of two? I wonder if it is easier for larger groups to be assigned their own table w/o tablemates than it is for smaller groups. We are a party of five and are currently batting 1000 (one for one) on requesting our own table.

yep, when we are 2 we never get our own table. When we are with the family or friends we always get our own table.

 

[ImprovGal]

Well my wife and I always enjoy the couples we have had dinner with. One time a couple even offered us some of their cocaine, but we didn’t take them up on the offer.

Ha! A woman offered me cocaine once on a Wonder sailing, but it was in the deck 3 fwd restroom rather than at dinner. She then got angry when I declined and complained, "I thought you said you were a comedian!"

 

[Kaertos]

As an update, we just got back from our cruise and, I must admit, that our table mates were delightful. I don't know if they're people I would seek out or hang around with "in the real world", but for a few nights, our collective love of all things Disney was a great common ground for us to have perfectly wonderful conversations. So, all my angsting at the beginning of this thread was all for naught. Thanks for all the advice though!! Knowing we had an easy out made it so much easier.

 

[DisneYE]

As an update, we just got back from our cruise and, I must admit, that our table mates were delightful. I don't know if they're people I would seek out or hang around with "in the real world", but for a few nights, our collective love of all things Disney was a great common ground for us to have perfectly wonderful conversations. So, all my angsting at the beginning of this thread was all for naught. Thanks for all the advice though!! Knowing we had an easy out made it so much easier.

Good to hear.
All of our experiences with table mates in the cruises we've done were very positive, pretty much what you say: Disney being the common denominator, then we get to talk about the day and the port adventures. I email occasionally with a couple of table mates but we're not "friends"... I still think 'disagreeable table mates' as the subject of this post says, are in the minority.
I love this thread though.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

We were a party of 5 adults and were seated with a party of 3. Dad, mom and adult daughter. We went around the table introducing ourselves to them and mom and daughter joined. It came time for dad and he didn't want a part of it. He didn't want any table talk. Would grumble if spoken, too. Mom and daughter seemed great but a bit nervous over what dad thought. Characters came around the table and dad actually shooed them away. The next night was even worse. We never saw them after the second night. He was certainly a bundle of joy. We tried but he wanted nothing to do with any of us.

 

[WanderingAlice]

I always prefer private table. I’m definitely more of an introvert. My job involves communicating with clients all day, so it’s nice to have a “mental break”. I don’t mind chatting it up with people on my vacation, but I’m not going to go out of my way to, when I know I can request a private table. I’m there to relax and unwind with my own group.

 

[SorcererPanda]

We were a party of 5 adults and were seated with a party of 3. Dad, mom and adult daughter. We went around the table introducing ourselves to them and mom and daughter joined. It came time for dad and he didn't want a part of it. He didn't want any table talk. Would grumble if spoken, too. Mom and daughter seemed great but a bit nervous over what dad thought. Characters came around the table and dad actually shooed them away. The next night was even worse. We never saw them after the second night. He was certainly a bundle of joy. We tried but he wanted nothing to do with any of us.

I had a similar experience on my recent cruise, but with our neighboring table. Both our tables were parties of 2, couples. The gentleman was very friendly and we'd happily make small talk and joke around. His partner, however, just looked uncomfortable, every time my s/o and I spoke. She was visibly very upset; She'd scowl and sneak in a dirty look or two. Their dynamic was similar when interacting with our dining team. It was unfortunate to both endure and to watch it happen to our servers. With that, I was very glad I had gone to dining changes to ask for a private table upon sailing.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

I had a similar experience on my recent cruise, but with our neighboring table. Both our tables were parties of 2, couples. The gentleman was very friendly and we'd happily make small talk and joke around. His partner, however, just looked uncomfortable, every time my s/o and I spoke. She was visibly very upset; She'd scowl and sneak in a dirty look or two. Their dynamic was similar when interacting with our dining team. It was unfortunate to both endure and to watch it happen to our servers. With that, I was very glad I had gone to dining changes to ask for a private table upon sailing.

I felt bad for our server and asst server. He was not nice to them and of course we went overboard to make up for his actions. He probably didn't like us for that either.

 

[auntlynne]

...

This has nothing to do with this thread.
I just loved that you sailed for over a year on a 7-night cruise, per your signature.

 

[ivanp91]

I just did a cruise on the Fantasy, followed by the EBPC on the Wonder. Normally we request a private table, but this time we decided to forego it. On the Fantasy we were sat with 4 others that we couldn't have clicked better with. We have kept in touch with all of them and some of the best memories of that cruise involved dinner time.

Weirdly, between the two cruises I started getting really anxious about having tablemates for the 14 nights on the Wonder. I really wanted to put in a request for a private table before it was too late, but my partner pushed for us to see how it went. It was a really odd situation in that dinner was an uncomfortable experience in which conversations would frequently turn political, there were debates about things like gun control, and others began talking down to our servers... but on the other hand these same people were great to hang around in a less formal environment (pool deck, theatre, adult shows). During the second week we actually did end up asking for a private table on the opposite seating, to stay with our servers, and even told our ex-tablemates as much. Still got along with them great otherwise up to the end of the cruise... as I said, it was a very weird situation.