Sitting with the same six nerds every evening on the cruise drove me crazy!!
Dec 16th, 2001, 01:50 AM
#43
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I have to agree somewhat with Eric. I agree that most of the people that are our friends we do not know today. There will be some small talk between us and them before we are friends and have that magic chemistry but we will get together slowly not be forced to sit with each other for a week-makeing small talk every day for two hours!<BR><BR>I vote for open seating where we only sit with a group for one night. If we wenjoy each others company we can choice to sit together again. Though it is our choice!
Dec 16th, 2001, 05:51 AM
#44
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I'm glad to see there are others who feel as I do. I completely disagree with the feeling on this thread that there is something "wrong" with a couple if they don't want to join in with the same group of people every night at dinner. I'm an individual taking a vacation and not part of a group tour. I would like to be the one to decide who I sit with and when.
Dec 16th, 2001, 08:25 AM
#45
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What's the Big Deal? Choose NCL or Princess that have Personal Choice Dining. Sail on the Carnival Spirit or Pride and eat at the Buffet, or Supper Club Several Nights.<BR>Most of you sound like such unpleasant people, I would not want to sit with you anyway.
Dec 16th, 2001, 09:41 AM
#46
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I wish I could but their schedule dosen't work with mine. I have a client related job where I spend five days a week all day talking and on this cruise I don't want to do anymore talking. It just seems like too much forced socialization to me. I really do enjoy getting to know people, but I think it should be left up to individuals not to how it best accomodates the cruise line.
Oct 8th, 2003, 11:25 AM
#47
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Another great thread about boring tablemates on cruise ships.
On my last cruise I noticed that the only people that looked like they were having fun were part of a large already established group. I noticed lots of organizations get people that know each other from church, school, employer, and other established organizations together on the same cruise ship. Otherwise preassigned tablemates from the "general population" rarely works.
On my last cruise I noticed that the only people that looked like they were having fun were part of a large already established group. I noticed lots of organizations get people that know each other from church, school, employer, and other established organizations together on the same cruise ship. Otherwise preassigned tablemates from the "general population" rarely works.
Oct 10th, 2003, 05:57 PM
#48
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A number of cruise lines have open seating--and have for years. In some ways, it is initially like assigned tables, since the maitre d' more or less matches you up the first night or two, until you form your own groups. But my first table on my first cruise 19 years ago was a maitre d' formed group of 6. Two decades later, the people I met at that dinner are close friends that I see as often as possible, and through whom I have met other now-close friends. Sometimes it REALLY works out.
Oct 20th, 2003, 08:42 AM
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Ok, I had to reply to this. We were on Celebrity Infinity 2 yrs ago and were seated with one couple our age who were great, and an older couple. The older lady was so embarrasing! She was really loud, ordered dessert for us all one night (no, we didn't have a say, she ordered one of each dessert for the table to "share"
, and for the finale, she decided to throw a birthday party for the male half of the other couple since his birthday was the closest to the time of our cruise. She ordered a piece of cake and had our waitstaff sing happy birthday to him! We skipped dinner in the formal dining room that night and went to the casual restaurant. The other couple could have killed us for leaving them alone with the crazy lady!
, and for the finale, she decided to throw a birthday party for the male half of the other couple since his birthday was the closest to the time of our cruise. She ordered a piece of cake and had our waitstaff sing happy birthday to him! We skipped dinner in the formal dining room that night and went to the casual restaurant. The other couple could have killed us for leaving them alone with the crazy lady!
Oct 20th, 2003, 09:54 AM
#51
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I just returned from my very first cruise - the Princess Grand Caribbean Western itinerary. My GF had sailed three times before on Carnival and always had traditional seating. She wanted late seating traditional dining on this trip.
Day one: We were seated at table 215 in the Botticelli dining room. There was a constant vibration directly under our table from the engine room. A Filipino couple our age (late 40's to fiftyish) were to our left, two single late 30's/early 40's single ladies across from us, and a couple with their 17 year old daughter to our right. Neither of us could quite put a finger on it but there was something about the attitude of the husband in the couple to our right that seemed to stifle conversation. Compounding the problem was a very dour Romanian waiter who seemed incapable of cracking a smile.
We discussed it later that evenign and opted to switch to Personal Choice dining. For our purposes it was a much better deal. We ate when we wanted, occasionally had to wait a few minutes for a table but got the same food with better flexibility. We shared tables a few evenings (always enjoyably so)and ate by ourselves on others (the romantic aspect of this was nice). We found the service to be just as friendly, solicitous and professional on the Personal Choice dining as others have described it being in Traditional Dining. Our vote on future cruises is for Personal Choice.
By the way.... we later discovered that the Filipino couple had exactly the same feelings that we did and also switched to Personal Choice with similar favorable results.
Day one: We were seated at table 215 in the Botticelli dining room. There was a constant vibration directly under our table from the engine room. A Filipino couple our age (late 40's to fiftyish) were to our left, two single late 30's/early 40's single ladies across from us, and a couple with their 17 year old daughter to our right. Neither of us could quite put a finger on it but there was something about the attitude of the husband in the couple to our right that seemed to stifle conversation. Compounding the problem was a very dour Romanian waiter who seemed incapable of cracking a smile.
We discussed it later that evenign and opted to switch to Personal Choice dining. For our purposes it was a much better deal. We ate when we wanted, occasionally had to wait a few minutes for a table but got the same food with better flexibility. We shared tables a few evenings (always enjoyably so)and ate by ourselves on others (the romantic aspect of this was nice). We found the service to be just as friendly, solicitous and professional on the Personal Choice dining as others have described it being in Traditional Dining. Our vote on future cruises is for Personal Choice.
By the way.... we later discovered that the Filipino couple had exactly the same feelings that we did and also switched to Personal Choice with similar favorable results.
Oct 20th, 2003, 08:20 PM
#52
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Although we prefer Personal Choice dining so we can pick what time we eat, we have always found something to enjoy about our tablemates.
On our most recent cruise, we enjoyed one couple so much that we spent a lot of time together, and are planning to travel together again.
On our most recent cruise, we enjoyed one couple so much that we spent a lot of time together, and are planning to travel together again.
Oct 21st, 2003, 08:36 AM
#53
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Actually.... we spent a fair amount of time throughout the cruise hanging out with one of the couples who was at our table the first night before we switched to personal choice. Although there was the one guy who seemed to put a damper on conversation, ourt primary resaons for switching were the dour grimfaced waiter and the constant vibration under the table - I could actually feel my stomach vibrating as we were eating. I was also a bit perturbed that we were put a table for eight when we had requested to be at a table for six. Our Filipino friends had specifically requested and been booked for a table of four and were also put at a table for eight. Using the Personal Choice, we sometimes shared tables and other times ate by ourselves. On all occasions we met other people, had good service and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
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Oct 8th, 2003 11:12 AM
