What kind of tablemate are you?

[Chattyaholic]

DH and I would prefer a nice table for two, but that is never possible unless it's Palo's so we always resign ourselves to the fact that we have to sit with strangers at dinner. We are on the cruise to spend quality time with each other, not to make life-long friends with other people. I'm sorry if that sounds rude. On our first Magic cruise we were seated with a family of 5. Since we weren't traveling with children (we were celebrating our 25th anniversary so both our children were grown by then) I was very surprised to be seated with children. The two older ones were fine but the youngest caused a few problems. The family was nice enough, and conversation flowed fairly easily, but it was still uncomfortable. On our second Magic cruise we were seated at a table for 4, with another couple a bit older than us. Although that situation was better than the first, we still would have preferred just being by ourselves. On our upcoming Wonder cruise, when I make final payment in another week, I am going to request a table for 4 as my parents are going with us and my DF has some health problems and it would just be easier for him not to have to make "small talk" with strangers. It will be nice having a smaller table and not be forced to have dinner with strangers.

 

[jrabbit]

We have really enjoyed sharing dinners with others while on the cruise. We are kind of shy, but after a couple of meals we open up and have a wonderful time sharing with the other families. We have always shared a table with at least one other family, usually two or more. Its been a lot of fun to get to know someone else from a different part of the country or another country!!

Note:
With a "name" like Chattyaholic I would think that you would enjoy other company rather than just your family

 

[markey]

I have requested a table for 4 on all our cruises, have gotten 2 out of 4 times. We travel with our grandkids now 8 and 9, but are not rocking chair grandparents, best part about this summers trip was the banana boat ride and wave runners, we are both in good health and very active. We have had very nice and enjoyable dinner companions, both this year and last. This year our gd made instant friends with their daughter, she even joined us for dinner on their Palo night. But I ask for the table for 4 because I don't want the other couple to feel uncomfortable, they usually match the kids ages, and we are usually old enough to be their parents. I enjoy company and meeting new people, but don't want to make anyone elses trip less then magical. Any opinions?

 

[KathyTX]

Originally posted by markey
But I ask for the table for 4 because I don't want the other couple to feel uncomfortable, they usually match the kids ages, and we are usually old enough to be their parents. I enjoy company and meeting new people, but don't want to make anyone elses trip less then magical. Any opinions?

Some of our most cherished cruise memories are of new friends we've met who have been older than us! We've had TONS of fun trying (and often failing) to keep up with some of these retired folks.

Whether our tablemates have been our age, our parents' age, or even our GRANDparents' ages has never been a concern. In fact, the only stinkers we've ever been seated with have been younger...

I think that being seated with your family could only make anyone's trip *more* magical, markey!

(I tend to like bigger tables, of 8 or 10. The more folks, the more likely you are find lively and entertaining conversation. Although we've had some pretty rowdy and silly times at tables for 4 with new friends, too! )

 

[BethC1952]

I'll start by saying DH tells me all the time that I'll talk to anything that will listen. I'm very sociable. I've been in politics for many years and have learned the art of small talk, and love to practice!

On our first cruise, we were seated with three other couples. One couple was on their honeymoon, and they didn't say much to anyone except each other. The rest of us enjoyed some small talk, but they were pretty quiet.

On our cruise last December, we (FIL, DH and I) were seated with an older couple from Toronto and a family of three from Wisconsin, whose daughter was celebrating her 17th birthday. We had a great time. We saw them all over the ship, and ran into them on CC a few times. We met the couple from Toronto at the cooking demonstration and the wine-tasting, and we had a great time.

On our December cruise, we're already a party of nine. I pity any other cruisers who will be seated with us, because we'll be really rowdy!

We haven't kept in touch with any of our dinner partners, but I suspect we'll keep in touch with this year's (we're all family!)

Beth

 

[Frieda]

If I am going to sit with people I don't know I think I would prefer a larger table. That way if I'm feeling a little shy I can sit and enjoy the conversations around me. Of course if everyone at the table is shy it would be a little uncomfortable and quiet.

I love talking to older people. Sometimes I find them much more interesting with a lot of stories and experiences to talk about.

 

[Cruise04]

We had our first cruise this past summer and I was very worried about making conversation with someone I didn't know - and with my family arguing with each other. They were AWESOME tablemates. Very outgoing - our kids were about the same age and we ended up having quite a bit in common with them. It was very relaxing and very fun. And we have kept in contact with each other as well.

 

[Worldtraveler777]

I think most people are pleasantly surprised by the tablemates assigned to them. I really enjoy meeting new people and finding out about the various places they are from. I prefer the larger tables with more people assigned to them. Tends to be more diversity and conversation.

As a TA, I also like to find out how they are enjoying the cruise and what their likes and dislikes have been. I try to advise them if they are having a particular problem while onboard.

On my last Wonder cruise, we sat with a wonderful family of 4 from New York and a woman traveling with her neice from British Columbia. The first night, I gave my tablemates Disney pins that TA's sometimes get from the Disney Travel Company. That seemed to break the ice and opened up conversation between everyone.

I have also done the 'Freestyle' NCL experience where you dine when and with whom you want. It's ok if you truly want to isolate yourself from others during the dining experience. I think, however, that my best cruise experiences have come from the brief dining times spent with assigned tablemates.

 

[inkkognito]

In 34 Disney cruises, hubby and I have ended up with table mates of all sorts, as well as at a table by ourselves a couple of times. The only times we were very unhappy was when we were alone. We dine together at home every day of our lives, so we welcome the chance to meet other people on our cruises. Even though we don't have children, we've had kids at our table on a few of our cruises, and those have been some of the most fun dinners. Hubby and I are kids ourselves (trapped in adult bodies), so we often chatted with the kids as much as with the parents. We've had people of various nationalities and family mixes. A couple of times, language barriers have limited the conversation (and on RCCL we sat with a couple where the man had had a stroke, so he had some difficulty speaking), but we always give it a try and chat as much as possible.
We've only had a really anti-social person at our table once. It was a large table, with two mother and adult daughter pairs and a pair of women who appeared to be a couple. One of the mothers would never speak, even though her daughter was quite social. I never figured out if she was offended by the female couple or if she was just like that normally, but after trying to draw her out, the rest of us just chatted with each other and still had some fun mealtimes.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[Shooter]

Our family (me, DW & 9 yo DS) are very outgoing and social. We enjoy meeting new people and sharing stories, likes and dislikes but we won't push converstaion onto to others however we have found our outgoing personalties usually loosen people up a little bit and after awhile we always feel like we've known others our entire lives.

This is always a scare for a lot of people but myself I am in sales and my wife who is in public realtions have always found that when you show attention to people, listen to what they're saying and make them feel like the most important person around people tend to open up and gain trust.

Last year the first night was a little awkward but each night it just got easier and easier and by the third night we were all old friends and have all (there were 3 other families) kept in touch through e mail and XMAS cards. We even bought the one couple who was expecting their second child a baby gift a couple of months after our cruise.

So if you're on the 11/8/03 Western cruise next week and you have second seating and we are sitting together... we're looking forward to getting to know you and adding you to our long list of people we call friends.

 

[LisaG520]

On our first DCL we sat at a table with 3 other couples. All of us had dinner at Palo's on different nights - weird that it worked out that way. So we only sat with each couple 2 nights. Everyone was nice and we all talked socially but we did not keep in touch with anyone of them.

I'm hoping for at least a table of 8 again to get a variety of people.

Shooter, we will be on the 11/8 at 2nd seating, maybe we'll see you there!

 

[Bellewish]

for the people DH and I sit with. He is hearing impaired and sometimes has a tough time joining in coversations that take place among groups of people particularly in noisy rooms so he usually remins pretty silent. I'm shy but outgoing if that makes any sense so I participate in conversations once they're already underway but I'm not likely to start one (kind of like on this board!).