Not so great table mates

[Redeemed&Loved]

Thats the thing, I LOVE to meet new people the idea worries my mum, but Len and I love it,

I'm with you on this! Can't wait to see who gets to put up with us in September!

 

[Feebs]

I keep reading this thread, looking for a story that starts out with "there were these two sisters...."

We are actully great tablemates but there was a time where one of us might have had to many pre dinner martinis....

I know how you feel - whenever I see these sort of threads I think are they talking about us
On our second cruise we met the server we had on our first cruise - he said I remember you, you were the ones with all the wine bottles on the table!

However in response to the OP - I have hearing difficulties - so we try to sit alone.

 

[FairyGrandmother]

We will be on our 3rd & 4th cruise this Sept, there will be 3 of us myself my DD and her partner I am hoping that we are seated at a large table maybe with some kids. On our first cruise it was just my DD and my self and we were seated at a table for 8 with just adults. No problems there just no real interaction with the servers. They seamed to spend there time at the tables with kids. On the 2nd cruise we took my DGDs' and had a table for the 4 of us the serving time was great and spent a lot of time with the girls (Michelle still keeps in contact with our assistant server on facebook). On the night we went to Polo the girls went to dinner alone and the servers did a wounderful job of taking care of them. The girls are young ladies of 9 and 14 and enjoyed being teated as adults for that evening.

 

[orlandothebeagle]

My DH doesn't like the idea of being with others either. He feels more comfortable with just our family, & I think I would too. It seems like if we go to a function where you sit at big tables with other couples we either get put with the ones who never say anything even speak to you or the couple who have already had way too many drinks before they ever get to the table.

How many is too many?

 

[2BoysMom]

I love meeting new people!

My first cruise was our honeymoon cruise on Celebrity in Jan. 2002, we had a table of 8. Two sets of mother and grown daughters, a married couple celebrating 20 years together and my new DH and I, so all adults. But we had a blast! Well, at least 3 of the couples did The Anniversary couple were nice, but were from the midwest (no offense, friends!) and just seemed a little out of their element. One of our tablemates was having an affair with the Prime Minister of Canada (is that what they are called up there?), so that was juicy fun! I just remember laughing and laughing.

My first DCL was a big family get together. My DH and I and twin babies, my DB and DSIL with two kids, my mother and sister. 6 adults, 4 kids. So, we ended up with a table by ourselves (not requested) and again, just laughed and laughed.

Our last May cruise, we had a Grandmother with her 2 grandsons, 1 slightly older then my boys, 1 slightly younger. No big rounds of laughter, but I think we had very nice conversations between the adults, and having to attend to our individual broods. I sure hope I look as good as she did when I am a GM. Her line of work was designing bikinis. Very fancy, glitzy, expensive bikinis! Of all things! So, I like to meet new people, and learn new, fun things about others that I share this planet with.

Who wants to sit with us on the May 7, 2011 cruise???? Any takers?

 

[smeecanada]

Thanks to my last cruise I am traveling with one of my table mates again this Sept on the Med and TA and sharing a cabin (as it is more economical than having your own). Hopefully we will not kill each other, but will be linking up again with people on our cruise meet thread.

Hi, Johanna !! Hope you have lots of fun in the Med and on the TA with Kimmie....

 

[kcashner]

I decided to share another really positive "sitting with strangers" story. Typically at breakfast and lunch if you enter the dining room as a single or a small group they will ask if it's OK to seat you with other people. I usually say yes, and then when we approach the table, ask the people there if it's ok that I/we join them.

On one occasion my then 17 year old DD and I were taken to join a couple about 60 years old. The husband was visibly upset and loudly whispered to the wife that she should have told them that they didn't want other people. It turned out that we had a great deal in common. We sat there talking all thru lunch and probably an hour more; the head server finally came over and politely offered beverages "to go," but that they needed to be able to prepare the dining room for dinner!

Moral--give others a chance. If it doesn't work, ask to be moved!

 

[geffric]

ok, so I am looking thru this thread to see if I am one of "those" people that people write aout.. LOL

Anyway, since we usually take the kids, we sit with them as a family and it was fine until they became tween/teen.. then they could wait to go off with the friends.. dinner, which was mandatory for them, was them eating as fast as possible and then leaving.. not a lot of fun for DH and I.. so on the EBPC, it was just Dh and I... and another family from the cruise thread let us join them.. they were great and we would definitly sit with them again..

on the next cruise, i am hoping to link up with others and have the "kids" sit near us with other college aged kids..

 

[birkner]

My favorite DCL table mate story comes from my first DCL cruise with my GD Aspen when she was 10 years old. I had booked this cruise for us on a Wednesday when I found the DIS boards and left that Saturday on a Mexican Rivera cruise.

DCL seated us with three other GM's who were traveling with their respective GD's. Two of the three girls were my GD's age and they became immediate friends. The third girl was about 15 and had planned this trip with her GM. She didn't really interact with the other girls because she found a 17 year old boy. That is another story....

Aspen was hooked on the cruise from the first. I can not imagine how DCL managed to seat us so perfectly with only three days notice.

 

[orlandothebeagle]

Hi, Johanna !! Hope you have lots of fun in the Med and on the TA with Kimmie....

My favorite DCL table mate story comes from my first DCL cruise with my GD Aspen when she was 10 years old. I had booked this cruise for us on a Wednesday when I found the DIS boards and left that Saturday on a Mexican Rivera cruise.

DCL seated us with three other GM's who were traveling with their respective GD's. Two of the three girls were my GD's age and they became immediate friends. The third girl was about 15 and had planned this trip with her GM. She didn't really interact with the other girls because she found a 17 year old boy. That is another story....

Aspen was hooked on the cruise from the first. I can not imagine how DCL managed to seat us so perfectly with only three days notice.

Nice to hear "nice" stories.

When we went to bfast we usually met other dissers in the line and sat next to them, always a pleasure....it makes me smile just thinking about friends we met.

 

[heatherwillmom]

How many is too many?

The time that the couple passed out onto the table by the end of dinner was too much.

 

[AStamm]

I had a terrible tablemate experience last June. I took DS on a mother/son only 7-night Eastern cruise for his birthday. I'm usually a rather timid person when it comes to uncomfortable situations, but no way was I going to let this one go and be miserable all week.

DS and I were the last ones to the table and when we got there we found a man, teenage girl, woman, and young boy already seated. I got the absolute coldest glare from the woman and none of them said "hello" in return when I greeted them. When our assistant server came to take drink orders I could hear the woman mumbling about how "unacceptable" this seating arrangement was. Almost on the verge of tears (my step-father died that morning after a 6-month battle with cancer and I had been crying earlier, so emotions were running high already), I found the courage to say something to the server like "It's obvious this woman isn't happy my son and I are here. Is it possible to find us another table". She snipped back something about how I didn't even know here and grabbed up the boy and left.

Turns out the man and teenage girl at the table weren't together with her and were just as uncomfortable with the situation as I was. We both speculated she must have never been on a Disney cruise and didn't know she'd be seated with strangers, but that wasn't the case as I saw here at the Castaway Club party later that week.

Thankfully the four of us remaining at the table got along just fine and had nice conversations throughout the week. DS even played at Castaway Cay with the girl and still talks about her almost one year later.

DH and BFF will be with us on our next cruise in November and we've requested a private table...that experience was enough for me!

 

[clawmachine]

Admittedly I am one of those people who can strike up a friendly conversation with just about anyone, anywhere, but I am also guilty of having judged someone as being "rude" or unsociable before really giving them a chance. Sometimes it is simply that some people take a very long time to assess *you* before they will open up and seem friendly. This might be because of shyness or it might be because they have a real anxiety in social situations and/or they have been burned by a bad past experience. My thinking is that the truly anti-social types either won't be on a cruise at all, or else will go out of their way to either sit alone or go to the buffet or Palo whenever possible to avoid conversation. A lot of the rest can probably be brought out of their shell if only one person is willing to enthusiastically get the ball rolling. JMO, but then again, we've been really blessed with our tablemates thus far on 4 cruises.

 

[aanderson5]

One of our tablemates was having an affair with the Prime Minister of Canada (is that what they are called up there?), so that was juicy fun! I just remember laughing and laughing.

I am finding all these stories very entertaining. I had to comment on this one. I seriously think/hope this person was pulling your leg. I can't imagine anyone having having an affair with Jean Chretien, our PM in 2002.

 

[acourtwdw]

I love meeting new people so the mixed table idea doesn't bother me. My Dsis and I were seated at a 2 top for a 4 day DCL cruise and were disappointed. I love traveling with my sister but after spending all day with her, it is nice to have other people to rehash the day with.

Also, I have trouble hearing when there is a lot of background noise. So in the dining room, I'm not being anti social, I just can't hear what you are saying.

 

[2BoysMom]

I am finding all these stories very entertaining. I had to comment on this one. I seriously think/hope this person was pulling your leg. I can't imagine anyone having having an affair with Jean Chretien, our PM in 2002.

I was wondering if someone was going to catch that! I'm afraid I have to admit ignorance of Canadian politics, but my DH and I were convinced she was telling the truth. When all of us said to her mother, "OMG, is she telling the truth?" Her mother just closed her eyes and nodded, Yes.

She was a single woman in her late thirties or early forties, a lawyer I think, and seemed rather happy she was somewhere where she could talk about it openly without getting into trouble. None of us were Canadians, and none of us worked for tabloid media, so it was quite interesting conversation at times.

I looked up Mr. Chretien's picture after you posted..... must be she went for the power....

 

[wcw57]

as for recognizing people:

I read a story a few pages ago about a LOUD family who were sucking up to Grandpa and Grandma (the payees)....there was MUCH more to the story...maybe page 3 or 4

anyhow, after reading the story I read it to my DW. The I asked "who were they writing about?"

she said " The XXXXXXXXXs" (real name not used) They are related to us and took ONE Disney Cruise years ago.....were not very happy with the accommodations....well, fit the story PERFECTLY!

I'd be most curious to know when this story took place from the poster...I'll bet ANYTHING it was them

we always have said, we love the family well but would never want to be stuck sitting near them in a restaurant or, God forbid, a Cruise ship! No escape possible.

I know they don't read these boards but I still played it safe by omitting the names...

PLEASE tell me when this story took place....it HAS to be them

 

[dylan'smom]

as for recognizing people:I read a story a few pages ago about a LOUD family who were sucking up to Grandpa and Grandma (the payees).... They are related to us and took ONE Disney Cruise years ago..... we always have said, we love the family well but would never want to be stuck sitting near them in a restaurant or, God forbid, a Cruise ship! No escape possible.

Now that's funny! I don't have the info you're looking for, but your post reminded me about when we went with some of OUR family in 2001.

My nephews ages 7 & 10, ordered from the adult menu every night & ate fish with their HANDS! My DS9 used a knife & fork & dressed well every night. Well, they were dressed very well too, but had fun rubbing their mess on my son & his clothes (tux included). Ugh. NEVER again! And these were our relatives!!

bev

 

[Gigi22]

The only awkward tablemates story I have, after 30 cruises, involves another cruise line. Long story short, we were sailing over Easter. Cruise ship was absolutely full. We were seated with a lovely European couple (she German, he Italian) and unfortunately no one had a very good command of any common language. We teetered along using French and English. It made for a difficult time. They seemed a very nice couple though.

 

[SoCaOC-Mom]

I am finding all these stories very entertaining. I had to comment on this one. I seriously think/hope this person was pulling your leg. I can't imagine anyone having having an affair with Jean Chretien, our PM in 2002.

I can. Jean is a pretty tough man who beat an intruder with a lamp and held him till the RCMP came and also choked out a protester who hit him in the face with a cream pie. So it wouldn't shock me if as an alpha male he was also very virile.