Table-mate nightmares anyone? Obnoxious adults?

[rae519]

We've had excellent table mates with the exception of the parents who were drinking heavily and ignored their child. Sad but the child was definitely looking for a response from them, unfortunately for us, it was a NEGATIVE behavioral response.

DISBoard friends that we've shared tables with have been the best mates of all!!!!! Karen and Ed, Paul and Kaye and then friends we've made Shelby, Alex and John! Can't beat the DISboard for making friends and getting great tablemates!

Rae

 

[dan and scott]

No "Julia"didn't come back to eat at our table and we didn't see her the rest of the cruise since it was a Wonder 3-day.
She most likely couldn't wait to get back to her boyfriend and "clients". What she originally told us was that American Express was having a conference on the ship and that was why she was cruising. She definetly was a "free" spirited woman!!LOL!

Incharge- yes we are still cruising on 9/6.


Scott

 

[Moosysmom]

My dinner tablemates were grand, they were my friends I was cruisin with. 4 of us, table for 4. But lunch at Lumiere's was always interesting, I was never sure who I would end up with. (I kept losing my friends during the day, not on purpose, just doing different things,). The first time it was great. I had some people that stood in front of us in line, and I was fun catching up, then a Disney Cast Member joined us (on her first 7 nite, and had been sea sick) but the 3 time I ate there it was a family of 6, and they were rude, loud, obnoxious. The kids kept swearing and telling the mother, where to go. The completely ignored me, except for one kid making a comment about my size (I'm not petite, but I'm not huge either), so I finally just left. Luckily they showed up just as my lunch was arriving, but they were horrible.

 

[MBFergie]

I love reading these stories but........

What if one day after my cruise I log on and read a story about my children misbehaving and ruining some family's trip that they saved up for the last 5 years for, to go on before their children left to join the service to protect our country.

I'd like to think we are responsible parents who expect their children to behave, but after dinking $35 worth of soda and all that ice cream they want to eat what's a parent to do.

Okay, they don't drink soda..but ya'll know what I'm saying. Kids are kids. Mine are "full" of personality and bicker (okay...fight) 24/7. Somebody tell me if the dining rooms are filled with model children or rather tell me they are not filled with model children.

Think I can give them something to calm them (JK).

Hoping they love the kids programs again and we can use that as an incentive to behave. Last time we cruised they only ate dessert with us, while we had our appetizers, and they took off for the kids programs.

Marie

 

[ducklite]

One of my biggest fears with cruising was my teenaged DS's not so perfect table manners. He's polite and well-behaved, but I was concerned with stuff like elbows on the table, using his finger to scoop corn or rice onto the fork, using the wrong utensil, holding his spoon like a shovel, grabbing a roll and slathering six pats of butter on it then stuffing half into his mouth at once, things like that.

I was relieved when our tablemates also had a teenager who had very similar table manners as my son...so I didn't worry about it any longer

We're still working on the mannners, but with teens you choose your battles wisely.

Anne

 

[Moosysmom]

I should have added. These kids were older, definitely teenagers and the mother laughed at them when they made the comments about me.
I don't have a problem with elbow's on the table, (I'm the worst), using the finger as an additional spoon are no big deal to me. But swearing, and saying mean things about people you don't know is bad.

 

["Ginger"]

We have only had 1 cruise were I would have given anything to change tablemates. Actually it was their 4 year old son who was the problem. This kid must have been a octopus in his former life and was still holding on to his past. From the moment they sit him down till they left the table he would grab everything he could and throw it. These people had no control over this child what so every. They would take turns trying to keep him amused while the other would eat. Our DD was the same age and I am not saying she was a perfect angle but she was even amazed at this kid. We had to hold on to everything if we wanted to use it during dinner other wise the servers had to remove it from the table. On our last night one of the servers had just had enough, she started throwing things at him. Since that cruise we have had great tablemates. I guess 1 out 5, so far, is to bad.

 

[rae519]

Ginger - was he the "cousin" of our little hell-on-seas? The child seated with us and the drunk parents was spitting, taking things off our plate to eat and trying to knock drinks over "by accident".

It's not the little ones misbehaving, it's the one who know better and whose parents don't care that are the most annoying!

Rae

 

[ducklite]

Originally posted by Moosysmom
I should have added. These kids were older, definitely teenagers and the mother laughed at them when they made the comments about me.
I don't have a problem with elbow's on the table, (I'm the worst), using the finger as an additional spoon are no big deal to me. But swearing, and saying mean things about people you don't know is bad.

That is inexcusable. If my son ever behaved like that, he'd be overboard.

Anne

 

[Buckaroo's Dad]

Hi Marie.

What if one day after my cruise I log on and read a story about my children misbehaving and ruining some family's trip

There's nothing like a court marshall at sea to complete a cruise...


Yes, Anne.

That is inexcusable. If my son ever behaved like that, he'd be overboard.

Not only overboard for "Buckaroo." There would be a ton of bubbles churning from his mouth due to all the soap...


Hey Incharge.

She must have gotten on the wrong ship. She meant to get on Canival

LOL...

 

[Mjasp]

Rae...Are you kidding!!! These strangers were spitting and taking food off your plate? UGHHH

We cruised with friends so didn't have those problems Thank Goodness



Moosysmom...How sad you couldn't even eat and enjoy yourselves.

Joanna

 

[trishy]

Okay, tablemates from hell - probably not. But we did cruise last year with some "undesirables". This family of 3 (ds5) had (1) no sense of humor at all; (2) no personality at all; (4) no manners at all. The kid was a little punk. For instance (and there were many "instances") my dd(6) was served her soup with the "big spoon" and was politely waiting while everyone was being served (as she was taught) this little punk took her "big spoon" because he thought it was "keeewwwwwllllllllll" - he puts it in his mouth - his mom takes the spoon out of his mouth and places it into her soup!!! Of course, the server had to replace the entire soup instead of just the spoon at that point. Ewww. Anyway, the guy was a terror. My dh likes to have a drink with dinner and these adults were avid nondrinkers ("preached" the dangers of it the first night we met) therefore, he received the glares throughout the week. The one night, the guy shows up in shorts and t-shirt (sweating) because he ran to the dining room straight from bingo. Anyway, our first cruise we went with friends and our next cruise we're going with friends - so it'll be good.

 

[inkkognito]

It's a shame that some adults let their kids run amok (and also that some adults have no manners themselves!). We once sat at a table with a mom and three year old daughter, and that little girl could have taught the adults how to behave! I've never seen a child with such perfect manners. She was absolutely adorable.
On another cruise, we had a little boy and his mom at the table. Every night he embarrassed her by taking large quantities of bread...the amazing thing was that he would eat every piece that he took! It didn't bother hubby and I, as the servers were always more than happy to provide more. I could understand how the kid felt, as I LOVE some of the breads, such as that delicious banana bread and the focaccia.
That same little boy had a traumatic experience at the aquarium in Key West (he was squirted by a conch). He told us the story, and he was so totally serious...it was all I could do to keep from breaking out in laughter. It still makes me smile to remember him telling that story.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[ncligs]

Originally posted by ducklite
That is inexcusable. If my son ever behaved like that, he'd be overboard.

 

[Buckaroo's Dad]

Hi trishy.

This family of 3 (ds5) had (1) no sense of humor at all; (2) no personality at all; (4) no manners at all.

It could have been worse so count your blessings. On second thought, let someone else count them for you...

 

[trishy]

Yep, I edited and forgot to change that. Too funny. I left out (3) Had no class at all - but then I realized the other ones already added up to that obvious point!! But thanks for noticing.

 

[hilltopfamily]

Originally posted by MBFergie
I love reading these stories but........

What if one day after my cruise I log on and read a story about my children misbehaving and ruining some family's trip that they saved up for the last 5 years for, to go on before their children left to join the service to protect our country.

....Kids are kids. Mine are "full" of personality and bicker (okay...fight) 24/7. Somebody tell me if the dining rooms are filled with model children or rather tell me they are not filled with model children. Think I can give them something to calm them (JK).
Marie

MBFergie: know just what you mean. Since we're on the same cruise, at least we will have sympathy for each other. We've been working on "cruise dinner manners" each night. Son--eats too fast & smacks lips too much! Daughters--don't use napkins enough! And unwilling to try different "non-kid" foods.

Don't see how they will ever last more than 30 minutes! LOL Seriously, thinking they may need to eat right away, go to kids clubs, as they likely will not last through a 60 minute meal without getting squirmy. I guess there's always Topsiders

 

[MarkRG]

I have to admit we have yet to have 'bad' tablemates. Mind you about half the time, we prearranged our tablemates by going with my parents.

I would share a couple of stories of really wierd table neighbors.

On the 7-day eastern we took a few years back, we had a family at the table next to us that it was very obvious that the grandparents were footing the bill(to the grandkids by one of the parents"Tell grandpa next year you want to go to Paris"). And it was also obvious how spoiled rotten the kids, both parents and grandkids, were. They would all get seated at one of the oblong tables, then make the servers rotate the table so the one woman was facing the forward motion of the ship. Like she couldn't have sat in the right chair to begin with?? Drama Queen extrordinaire. They were obnoxious in many other ways thru all 7 days. It honestly distracted the people seated around them.

Then, on the Feb Member cruise, the table next to us were the epitome of what we call around by us 'trailer trash'. I don't think any of them even owned a pair of pants, shorts all the way. Male parent in a muscle tee on one night even. And the only muscle showing was the beer gut. The little kid running amok in every restaruant every night. The teen daughter bringing a portable DVD player to dinner!! It was very surreal that someone could have no personal pride at all like that.

 

[scott62]

Originally posted by beschultz
When we cruised, we had our dinner reservations linked with Scott62 from the DIS Boards. We "met" on the thread for our cruise and our daughters became e-pals. Because we didn't plan on being together during the day, we could share stories at night. We had late seating and always managed to be one of the last tables occupied - still talking away!!

I would love to do the same thing for our next cruise. As the time draws closer, I will be looking out for that "perfect" match again!

Thanks Scott, Karen & Christine!

Thanks Beth for the wonderful post. We also very much enjoyed our evenings with you and your family. Those dinners with you made the cruise even more magical for us. I remember anxiously waiting the first night in PC to finally meet our table mates, celebrating Gretchen's birthday, meeting Pluto at the Character Breakfast, Mickey ice cream bars, chocolate lava cakes, and, of course, our last meal together in PC before leaving.

Remember to always trust Erasmo's recommendations and then
order a couple additional dishes to share!

I think everyone here should consider checking the DIS Board for a family comparable to your own on your cruise. Then make contact to see about having your reservations linked for dinner. That way you should avoid the "bad tablemates" since all of the DISer's I have met here were wonderful!

Scott

 

[dclwdwlover]

... Our assigned tablemates have ALWAYS been fantastic! We've been very fortunate.
But, when you go into breakfast & lunch & get just anybody -
Last cruise we really wanted to be alone in the am, but they sat us at a table with a (crazy?) woman who proceeded to tell us her entire - & I mean entire - life story. If that wasn't bad enough - she did it in front of her daughter - or should I say "Adopted, used to be foster child daughter' as SHE kept referring to her. Boy, did we feel bad for that kid. For MANY reasons!