Has anyone disliked their tablemates?

[yamahaboy]

Our first Disney cruise was on the Magic in late January of '03. This was only a few months after the cancelled cruise due to the Norwalk virus and there were constant reminders to wash hands, etc all over the ship. Our dinner the first night was at AP and our family of 5 was seated at a table for ten. Another family of 5 was seated with us. They weren't very friendly but we figured we'd make the best of it until they mentioned that their daughter, who was about 8, was not feeling well. We sympathized with her at first since this was the first cruise for my children as well and the seas were a little bumpy, however, before we even received our appetizers, we glanced over and noticed that the Mom had brought a plastic bag to the dinner table and the little girl was vomiting into in right at the table!! It was unbelievable!! Luckily, the mom and daughter left the table and that was the last we saw of that family for the entire cruise. We found out from our servers the next evening that the family had been asked to leave the ship in Key West b/c of Norwalk-like symptoms and Disney was not taking any chances!! Needless to say, we were not sad to see them go!!

 

[CinderellaIam]

We're cursed...

Three cruises, three tables of crabby, whiney table mates. From the sisters who complained everynight about the food being to rich, too spicey, too exotic..guess she expected meat loaf and mashed potatoes? To the mother who's three year old was such a burdon to her that she kept complaining about him, when we found him to be well behaved and friendly. To the grandmother traveling with her grandchildren who didn't quite come to dinner, they would come in and order and then run off to the arcade, pool, pingpong whatever they felt like doing, and periodically show up to pick off their plates. To the ignorant dolts we sat with at lunch who upon learning that we were from NY pitched one insult after another at NY, our houses are too expensive, that Elizabeth Arden Salon gives the worst massages ever, the people who live there are so nasty...etc., etc.

Next cruise, I plan on asking for a table for 3 please!

However, we did encounter several very nice table mates at lunches.

 

[disneyohdisney]

In January, the three of us watched the family of 5 approach the first night. The 13 yo pointed out to her mother where to sit, then sat down right next to me. Her introductory comment was "are you saving your good clothes for the last night?"

Introductions....the mother started out by "Hello; we're the Jerry Springer Show." It turned out we had the girl, the mother, her ex husband, her ex husband's new girlfriend, and the grandmother. That's right - her ex and his girlfriend.

Turns out these folks were a riot from the git go. They were all friends, experienced cruisers, and I couldn't stop laughing along with them. The girl turned out to be very intelligent and outgoing, and the open honesty of youth!

Wherever they are, I hope we sit with them next time.

 

[ma2patrick]

I went on my first cruise 11 years ago for our honeymoon (RCL). We had such a fun table, by the last night we all conspired together and actually started "the wave". We managed to get 3/4's of the dining room to join us before it petered out.

Somehow I imagine there is an RCL board somewhere that is complaining about our table to this very day.

Anyone up for "Toss the Beachball"? (Just kidding)

 

[talicskai]

Originally posted by ma2patrick
I went on my first cruise 11 years ago for our honeymoon (RCL). We had such a fun table, by the last night we all conspired together and actually started "the wave". We managed to get 3/4's of the dining room to join us before it petered out.

Somehow I imagine there is an RCL board somewhere that is complaining about our table to this very day.

Anyone up for "Toss the Beachball"? (Just kidding)

I hope I get you guys on my next cruise! You sound like a lot of fun!!!

 

[Chattyaholic]

DH and I booked our first Magic cruise for our 25th anniversary 9 months ahead of time, and I had read in the brochure that "families are seated with other families and couples are seated with other couples" so I was very surprised to go to dinner our first night and see a box of crayons on the table.
We had a family of 5 seated with us, they had three daughters. The older two were fine, but the younger one was a bit annoying. And the parents talked on and on about all their money, their apartment in Japan, blah blah blah blah....Had I known then what I know now, we would have discreetly asked to be moved to a different table after the first night. But we survived.

Our second Magic cruise we were seated with another couple, a bit older than us. They were all right but we didn't make life-long friends with them. Same thing on our Carnival cruise as well.

Our Wonder cruise we had my parents with us, and I requested a table for four and we received it. However, the tables of four were side-by-side instead of back-to-back so we still felt like we were seated with other people as there really was only about 2' separating the tables.

We are in the "beginning stage" of planning a Hawaiian cruise for our 30th anniversary and I truly hope we can get a table for 2. I know a lot of people (probably most) enjoy sitting with other people, but I know there are others who feel as I do too, and would rather just sit alone with their spouse.

 

[tchoney]

Oh My Goodness! I really have a fear of being seated with another family with NO Table manners!! I absolutely could not eat beside anyone who smacks their food or chews with their mouth open!!!! That is a BIG NO-NO for me!! I'm really glad that our family of 7 will be seated alone! My family knows hows anal I am about table manners and are always using theirs! All 3 boys learned really early, if you want to eat, you will learn to eat properly. For me, this is very much like fingernails stroking a chalk boark and gives me crazy chills!

 

[StuartMI]

Ya know, having read all this, if anything like that actually happened to us -- girl throwing up at the table, etc, I dont know if I could hold back from saying something to them right then and there. I mean, I try to be reserved with stuff like that, but that REALLY goes over the line.