Table Hog Poll

[dosp]

How many people have seen folks "saving tables" whilst staring into space, while YOU stand there with cooling food (ESPECIALLY BREAKFAST), looking for a place to eat?

 

I know I have. And although some would suggest that you ask a "saver" if you can sit down at "their" table to eat, it is not unfair for those us of who have paid more than to eat breakfast at MacD------s, to have a moment of peace before embarking on an expensive shore excursion?

 

Steve

[mtd716]

Unfortunately this is just a fact of life when traveling -- we completely used to exactly this sort of thing at places like Disney. I expect the same on a cruise so it doesn't really bother me.

[dougp26364]

Maybe I'm part of your preceived problem. When we go to breakfast, we find a table first. Then my wife goes to get her breakfast. When she gets back I go to get my breakfast. In this manner, we are never left standing with a plate of food and nowhere to sit. We do not "hog" the table as we do not stay at the table any longer than is necessary to enjoy our breakfast.

 

I do not enjoy having a tray full of food while searching for a table. Therefore we find the table first and then go to get our breakfast. If this upsets you well then tough nuggies.

 

I can see it being upsetting if we were finished with breakfast and just sitting there watching the world go by for an hour or so with no food in front of us. The fact is that we don't do that and one person is sitting there without food for possibly 5 to 7 minutes while the first person fills their tray. IMO, this isn't a problem for anyone.

[cruislovin]

We had the "best one yet" happen on our last cruise on the Mariner! My DH and I had gotten our cold food, managed to find a table, then went to get our drinks and pick-up our egg orders at the same time which we usually don't do. We came back and found a couple had taken our plates, moved them to a table next to ours that needed to be cleared, and took our seats! It was obvious no one had eaten there and we were coming back to fresh plates of food and wrapped silverware. We were very upset by this behavior but people are often rude and it is what we, unfortunately, have come to expect.

 

So look out! Once you secure a table and chair make sure you leave someone behind to "guard it" for you!

[madelinerose]

So glad DH and I do room service breakfast on our balcony. ;)

[stretch]

I don't know why all of a sudden this has turned into a hot topic.

If it's just you looking for a table, plop yourself down at an empty chair and start up a conversation. If it's two or more, one of you find a table and hold the number of chairs you'll need and the other can go get a plate or just look around, something will come open or walk till you find a spot. If there's an empty chair at a table, it's for you.

Stretch

[Beffy1167]

OK...So what time is the crowd at breakfast? DH and I are fairly early risers--never go looking for breakfast any later than 8 am.....and have NEVER encountered a restaurant so crowded that there wasn't a table for us.

[Serious Cruisers]

My pet peeve is those that insist on using the Windjammer as a lounge area and sit there with one cup of coffee during sea days at meal times, or even better playing cards!!!

[Leejnd4]

Steve, dude, you seem to be really hung up on this, as you posted about it so frequently in the former (now gone) table-hog thread. Has this happened to you that often? You do devote quite of bit of time and energy to this topic.

 

As I said earlier, truly I have never seen anyone save a table and then just leave the premises for lengthy periods. I have seen plenty of people (myself included) put a magazine or book or whatever down to save a table and then go get food, but they (and I) have never been gone from that table longer than it took to fill up their (or my) plate. I have absolutely no problem with this, as it truly is NOT pleasant to wander around the restaurant with a full tray, trying to find a seat. I much prefer to know where I'm going to be sitting once I've gotten my food.

 

I see this as no different from dropping your towel on a pool chair, hopping in for a quick dip, and then returning to the chair to lounge. Would that be hogging a chair? NO! You are only a chair hog if you leave the pool area for an inordinately long period of time (20 minutes per RCI policy, 30 minutes per Carnival policy).

 

On the other hand, the problem I HAVE encountered is (as Serious Cruisers mentioned) people who really do hog a table by remaining there long after they are finished eating, playing cards or reading or having a family gathering that could just as easily be moved to a more appropriate location than the restaurant, which is supposed to be used for eating. The ships are filled with lovely, comfortable locations where people can read, relax, play games, and have quality family time, without taking up the limited space there is for EATING.

 

LeeAnne

[stretch]

My pet peeve is those that insist on using the Windjammer as a lounge area and sit there with one cup of coffee during sea days at meal times, or even better playing cards!!!

 

With as many tables there are in the Windjammer, both inside and outside, I just don't see where it would be a problem. I'm sure that only a couple of tables would be tied up with card players at any given time. Could it be that the complainers just wanted that perfect window table??? If it's all that big a deal, get the food and take it back to your cabin and for God's sake lighten up a little. Life's too short to get all in a wad over such rediculously petty things.:eek:

StretchO

[hstrybuf]

I know I've answered this one at least once or twice in the last couple of days. Must have been a poofed thread?

 

Anyway, we've never had a problem finding a table before our food went cold.

[Leejnd4]

Stretch, the times that this has happened to me, my cabin was SO far away that my food would have been congealed by the time I got there (not to mention the hassle of taking a full tray on the elevator!)

 

I'm not "in a wad", I'm simply airing a gripe I have with some passenger's behavior. I HAVE seen times in which tables were occupied for hours with groups of people who were not eating, during peak meal times when other pax were wandering around with heaping plates and no seats. This seems to be an issue mainly on sea days, and in my experience, more at lunch than at b-fast.

 

And see, I have this absurd trait -- I'm an optimist, and I like to believe the best about people. So I have this naive belief that some potential table hog will read this, recognize themselves, and the next time they're on a cruise, they'll go move to a lovely lounge area once they're done with their lunch, so others can sit down to eat. :) Of course, I posted all this before, but that thread's gone now, and hey Steve started it up again, so I thought, what the heck I'll repeat myself! :p

 

Meanwhile, Steve, I do have the number of a good therapist! ;)

 

LeeAnne

[Serious Cruisers]

Do I read a book on the seat in front of your favorite slot machine???

[dosp]

I myself have no further interest in this topic or thread

 

I was "told" to post a thread "properly", that there were certain protocols of how to go about this...and that....so here it is.

 

I would rather participate in a novacaine-free root canal, but perhaps that activity would be better fodder for the therapist you mentioned.

 

Now, I will no longer be glib and fun.

 

Procedures, you know.

 

Steve

[stretch]

Do I read a book on the seat in front of your favorite slot machine???

 

Ok, now we're getting somewhere! :eek:

You mentioned "Favorite", so it all boils down to you wanting a "Particular" table that YOU have deemed to be YOUR favorite, your personal property, damn anyone else!

And this is just a desperate attempt to justify YOUR desires.

As to your post quoted above, you really need to think in terms of apples to apples. I doubt very seriously if someone would sit and read in front of MY favorite slot machine (all slot machines hate me), but if they did, I'd just sit at the one next to them and chain smoke till one of us turned green, or just find another "almost favorite" machine to feed. Lighten up, lifes too short.

StretchO

[Leejnd4]

Stretch, for some reason it seems I can't make myself understood that this had nothing to do with "prime" seat locations. It had to do with sitting at all! If I haven't conveyed this properly, I do apologize.

 

Count yourself as fortunate that you personally haven't encountered this situation. I, however, have. I didn't care if I was sitting in flipping Siberia, as long as I got to eat my food before it grew hairs! And I admit to feeling some resentment to the groups who were camped out for the day at tables. And yes, they did happen to be along the windows, but then if all these window tables weren't occupied by non-eaters, there would have been more open space in NON-prime locations for people like me to EAT!

 

Speaking of lightening up, I think you misunderstood Serious Cruiser's point. It appears to me he was simply presenting an analogy of inappropriate use of seating space, i.e. reading at a chair in front of a slot machine, thereby preventing someone from using that chair for it's intended purpose, which is to funnel massive amounts of one's hard-earned cash into the gaping hole of the casino. ;) I know that if I was hellbent on dumping my paycheck onto a slot machine, and there were no open ones, I'd be a little irked at some dolt sitting there reading his Tom Clancy novel in front of an unused machine. But that's just me! :)

 

LeeAnne

[Serious Cruisers]

Your right on Leanne. Reading a book in front of a slot machine or playing cards in a restaurant????

 

Happy cruising everyone.

[colette5479]

Stretch, for some reason it seems I can't make myself understood that this had nothing to do with "prime" seat locations. It had to do with sitting at all! If I haven't conveyed this properly, I do apologize.

 

Count yourself as fortunate that you personally haven't encountered this situation. I, however, have. I didn't care if I was sitting in flipping Siberia, as long as I got to eat my food before it grew hairs! And I admit to feeling some resentment to the groups who were camped out for the day at tables. And yes, they did happen to be along the windows, but then if all these window tables weren't occupied by non-eaters, there would have been more open space in NON-prime locations for people like me to EAT!

 

Speaking of lightening up, I think you misunderstood Serious Cruiser's point. It appears to me he was simply presenting an analogy of inappropriate use of seating space, i.e. reading at a chair in front of a slot machine, thereby preventing someone from using that chair for it's intended purpose, which is to funnel massive amounts of one's hard-earned cash into the gaping hole of the casino. ;) I know that if I was hellbent on dumping my paycheck onto a slot machine, and there were no open ones, I'd be a little irked at some dolt sitting there reading his Tom Clancy novel in front of an unused machine. But that's just me! :)

 

LeeAnne

 

 

You go Girl:p

 

Very well said indeed. All of these threads devoted to this subject have made me wonder. I think most on CC agree that it is agrivating to have chair hogs on deck. What is the difference with a table hog? Nothing.

 

Just because you have personally never had a problem finding a table in the Windjammer doesn't mean someone else HAS NOT had the problem. I find it sad when you see people playing cards at the tables INSIDE the Windjammer,not eating, when elderly people were having to walk UPSTAIRS, with plates and drink in hand. Yes, I DID see this because I was among them. Granted, it was at lunchtime and during a rush. What's wrong with taking the game of cards elsewhere? Nothing.

[scapel]

We had the "best one yet" happen on our last cruise on the Mariner! My DH and I had gotten our cold food, managed to find a table, then went to get our drinks and pick-up our egg orders at the same time which we usually don't do. We came back and found a couple had taken our plates, moved them to a table next to ours that needed to be cleared, and took our seats! It was obvious no one had eaten there and we were coming back to fresh plates of food and wrapped silverware. We were very upset by this behavior but people are often rude and it is what we, unfortunately, have come to expect.

 

So look out! Once you secure a table and chair make sure you leave someone behind to "guard it" for you!

Well, I think I would have had to stop and be very pleasant and I would first have asked if they spoke English. I would then ask where they were from. Maybe mix a little OH, what do you do there. I would probaly get around to asking if they realized they had taken our table moving our food causing us to return to the buffet line since we could not be sure what poisons might have been placed in the food.

Before asking if they realized what they would have done, I might have found out what there cabin number was.

I wouldn't have been mad, just surpirsed and would have enjoyed having something to talk about with my tablemates that night.

I have gotten up to get something else at the buffett line and come back to find that my wife while talking allowed the waiter to take my plate before I was finished. I took this as an omen that my health was being protected by the Almighty.

If they ignored me I would have gone and gotten my camera and taken their picture. Now I got to shoot them didn't I.

Joe

[dosp]

Although this poll is less than scientific, it looks like it's running at 2:1 for folks who are NOT (or have not) experienced this problem.

 

It NEVER happened to me on the Sovereign, but it happened several times on my last two trips on the Mariner. Even though I had a quick red hot moment (I just wanted to sit and eat and get off the ship to go ashore), it absolutely did NOT spoil my cruise.

 

It just seems as though if one third of the posters have gone through this, maybe RCI should take a look at it. They do a copious amount of research, and all the lines go the extra mile to keep cruisers happy.

 

So, if I said I was 98% thrilled with my cruise experience, they would most definately be pleased. But ANY research Dept would still be interested in hearing what the 2% dissatisfaction was all about.

 

Steve

[Seaside2358]

Well I can truly say it has happened to us on numerous occasions. That is why we usually get room service. We had a bit of turbulance on our last cruise. People had their heads down on the tables waiting to heave. For pity sake stay in bed if you feel like that. Sheez...

[colette5479]

Well I can truly say it has happened to us on numerous occasions. That is why we usually get room service. We had a bit of turbulance on our last cruise. People had their heads down on the tables waiting to heave. For pity sake stay in bed if you feel like that. Sheez...

 

 

Now that's really gross....That's something I hope never to see:eek:

[joyceyw]

Maybe I'm part of your preceived problem. When we go to breakfast, we find a table first. Then my wife goes to get her breakfast. When she gets back I go to get my breakfast. In this manner, we are never left standing with a plate of food and nowhere to sit. We do not "hog" the table as we do not stay at the table any longer than is necessary to enjoy our breakfast.

 

I do not enjoy having a tray full of food while searching for a table. Therefore we find the table first and then go to get our breakfast. If this upsets you well then tough nuggies.

 

I can see it being upsetting if we were finished with breakfast and just sitting there watching the world go by for an hour or so with no food in front of us. The fact is that we don't do that and one person is sitting there without food for possibly 5 to 7 minutes while the first person fills their tray. IMO, this isn't a problem for anyone.

 

This is exactly what we do.

 

I just got off the Mariner this past Sunday, and last Sunday day of embarkation they were asking people to vacate their tables if they were finished with their lunch. Since we couldn't get into our rooms until 3:00 and we didn't board until 1:00 a lot of people were walking around with plates of food and nowhere to sit.

[Leejnd4]

Ah-HA! So it really does happen -- and not just to me! And it really is annoying! ;)

 

Just FTR, I doubt if a single person in here sharing their experiences allowed it to ruin their vacation. I certainly didn't, although it did result in cold casseroles. IMO, one of the values of this board is for people to share their little gripes and see what others think, so they know if others are feeling the same way. And I'm still absurdly convinced that somewhere out there in the cruising cosmos, there are chair and table hogs who've read these threads and re-thought their behavior. Hey, one less table hog means one less cold, congealed meal! :D

 

Changing the world begins with a single step...and a single person willing to take that step. :)

 

LeeAnne

[rykersdad]

We're a very shy couple, and if it was really busy, and no tables to be found, we would just order room service, and stay in our rooms. Do you have to pay for room service?