Mitch,
Funny story but I think you are pulling our leg! My father-in-law had a glass eye and I don't see this being pulled off with much ease!

You dawg Mitch. :D :D :D That was a good one. :-)

Mitch, that is a scream!! :-))

My grandmother always had a good response when people started pushing religious views on her. When the subject of going to Heaven came up, her reply was something like, "I don't worry about that because I don't want to go there. None of my friends will be there, and I'm told that all they ever do in Heaven is polish silver." This always horrified a religion-pusher, and they ran away thinking she was about to be struck by lightening!! :-O

A table for 2 is the way to go. You can meet & talk to strangers all day around the ship but to be stuck for 1 1/2 hours a day with non-compatible people is agony.

We don't have to wait while everyone eats courses that we don't eat and don't have to think about who's ordering/drinking/sharing wine, etc.

People that love it seem to mostly have a good time but we learned the hard way to enjoy our own company.

2 is OK for some but we like to meet new people and in fact had stayed in touch via emails, at least for a while w/ some of the tablemates we've met. Its nice to compare notes with tablemates after a days excursions too. Personally I'd chance getting a bad tablemate which can easily be remedied vs. being at a table for 2. One yr. our some and his girlfriend accompanied us. We had a table for 4 and that was fine. To each their own IMHO. :-)

He had a spare glass eye. Actually, many Australians who are cricket fans would know of him. He's a guy called Michael Coward, and one of Australia's leading cricket writers. He writes for "The Australian" newspaper.....

Mitch, that is beyond disgusting and not at all funny. If you don't like your dining companions, you simply ask the maitre d' for a table change.

This WAS funny...stupid but funny. Sense of humor sometimes leave the house but it might be back.

That's a nasty problem, but I think having unresponsive tablemates can be nearly as bad. We sat twice (open seating) with a father/daughter set; the woman just had no conversation. I tried and tried but could only elicit "yes" or "no," followed by silence.

We've been very lucky with tablemates and stay in touch with a few. On occasion, there have been a few with absolutely nothing to say. They sometimes don't 'show up" again, too shy. We've had a few religious and stiff types, but that was okay; we didn't have to worry about offering them our expensive wine.They've always been pleasant, though. If people are intolerant of those who drink or gamble on a cruise, they are in the wrong place and should be the ones who change seats.

It just reafirms my preference of open seating where you can always eat when and with whom you prefer.

Well, I personally enjoy the experience of tablemates. Last summer, on the Carnival Liberty in the Mediterranean (inaugral cruise!), we had the most wonderful tablemates! Every dinner we'd share our day's adventures. I don't know about other cruise lines, but Carnival attempts to pair up tablemates with similar interests/ages. I'm nineteen, and they have always put me with a male my age ;-)
Last spring break, Carnival thankfully put most of the partying spring breakers into one giant clump. I was with my family (no tablemates this time) on the above balcony. It was an interesting social experiment-table dancing, drinking games, stealing the captain's food, usual fare ;-)

The biggest problem with obnoxious people is they don't know they are obnoxious.

Suerich68!!! Don't shoot the messenger *rotfl* I am simply conveying what a friend did!

Sorry, Mitch,

Please pass along to your friend that what he did was disgusting!

And than what?

I enjoy larger tables myself. BUT the most obnoxious tablemate was a man who kept dropping his napkin and touching my friends leg under the table! He claimed to be blind (he did stare off into space quite a bit)but when he compared the size of my breasts to my friends we decided he was not blind!!! Was obnoxious to the wait staff who happened to be from India and of Hindu persuasion but he would talk about his protestant'ism', which they did not understand (nor did I for that matter)! Fortunately we were with a group of travel agents sharing multiple tables and we moved after that night. It was funny (sad really) looking at the empty seats next to him as the cruise went on.....

As someone suggested, simply go to the Captain and ask for a new table for the balance of the cruise. We have done that and it worked perfectly.

That is to say go to the Captain of the Dining Room...not the ship :-)