Have they dropped a course in the MDR?

That reminds me of the tablemates who at every course after they saw what everyone else was served said "I want some of that too". So we had to wait for them to get served and finish before the next course came. Because of that we were the last table to finish every evening. Which they complained about.

 

 

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Why not just order on? You have no obligation to wait for others.

Choosing to eat at a larger table with "strangers" offers the opportunity for all kinds of "challenges'. After a couple of those years ago, we choose the table for two if traveling as a couple. We enjoy lunches and drinks with others. But we aren't going to run the risk of dreading dinner time.:D

It is not the tablemates that I find annoying. .it is sitting with no food while a course is being eaten by others...especially when I am hungry . I have no desire to order more food than I need.

Don't they bring you something as a placeholder when you're sitting out a course? It's standard operating procedure in a fine dining restaurant.

Why not just order on? You have no obligation to wait for others.

 

 

 

Choosing to eat at a larger table with "strangers" offers the opportunity for all kinds of "challenges'. After a couple of those years ago, we choose the table for two if traveling as a couple. We enjoy lunches and drinks with others. But we aren't going to run the risk of dreading dinner time.:D

How could we order on? We had already ordered. We had to wait to get our already ordered food.

We always ask for a large table as we enjoy meeting new people.

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So..again I ask, if you are irritated and hungry sitting with others, why aren't you sitting at a table where you can eat on your own? OR...

 

Have you tried just ordering your courses and then leaving the table? It's done all the time. ;)Then you won't go hungry and annoyed with your tablemates.

Actually we often dine at the buffet sitting outside enjoying the ocean. The cook to order selection is good... and we sit with others.. and no we don't sit on our own and love the company of others .. just don't like sitting with no food through 2 courses

and I didn't use the word irritated.. We sit nicely and converse with tablemates and do not complain

Ordering a course ahead and leaving is rude

This is not really an issue .. I am just very happy with the change

How could we order on? We had already ordered. We had to wait to get our already ordered food.

 

We always ask for a large table as we enjoy meeting new people.

 

 

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You said you had to wait while others went on for another entrée.

I'm suggesting you did not have to wait.

Your server can easily bring your next course. Just ask. Your choice. ;)

No one is restricted to all or nothing when sitting with a group. The servers are willing to bend.

Interesting comment re "placeholders" which generally do not exist on ships. But it brings up another issue. There is a skill to socializing during dining at a larger table. Many of us love to socialize and are very comfortable whether we have food in front of us or are just chatting with others at the table. But these days there seems to be many folks that have forgotten, or never learned, how to socialize face-to-face. Many families no longer eat together (when I was a kid we always dined as a family), and even when they do you might often see one or more texting away (at the table) with total disregard for everyone else. We have actually watched folks in fine dining restaurants texting throughout their meals and never chatting with anyone. It is sometimes comical to watch a table of 4 where nobody talks and everyone texts (we sometimes wonder if they are texting each other). In our home we have a rule....no phone or texting at meal time :). But you take many of these folks who spend half their life on social media...and they really have no clue how to socialize unless it is on their smart phone. A good friend (who works in IT) says it should be called "anti social" media...and he has a point.

Hank

This is not really an issue .. I am just very happy with the change

I doubt it will make any difference. ;)

Princess has had their menus set this way for awhile and no one questions choosing an appetizer, soup AND salad. Dh likes to try a little of each. I usually take a salad and maybe an appetizer. Never soup.

It's a known practice that people choose as much/little and as many/few dishes as they like. Celebrity servers will let their customers know they can choose what they want. If they don't, they aren't being good service providers.

It is not the tablemates that I find annoying. .it is sitting with no food while a course is being eaten by others...especially when I am hungry . I have no desire to order more food than I need.

A table for two in Select dining will solve that problem.