The Rules of the MDR

[B-52]

By which direction you point your fork in?:confused::rolleyes::rolleyes:

 

East or west, depending if you're seated port or starboard.

Unless of course if you are sailing in the southern hemisphere, then it is all reversed.

[Langley Cruisers]

Rick and OB, we discovered the WJ for dinner on our Med cruise last summer. We had prepaid our tips and had every intention of going to MTD in the DR, but as Med cruises go, it was port-intensive and we were usually tired at the end of the day. We tried the WJ one evening, LOVED the outdoor aft seating on Brilliance, and went back for 12 nights! Seeing the sun set in a different port each night was absolutely bliss. It was so relaxing. Just incredible. :)

[Sunny Mom]

I'm amused that people seem to find these rules odd or offensive. It's pretty much how I was raised to behave at the dinner table.

 

 

I find it sad how many people do not have good manners when they go out to eat....whether it is on a cruise or at a nice restaurant near home. Besides the wine sharing, I was brought up in a middle class family where these were the minimum standards.

[Pushka]

I hope everyone can live up to your set of rules so that YOU have a nice experience in the dining room. Unfortunately, I feel that you are going to be disappointed.

 

I have one rule for the dining room: Mind your own business and don't worry about what other people are doing.

 

I agree. Seriously, this is one reason why it has taken 30 years to convince my partner to cruise again. And do MTD. Unless someone is blatantly obnoxious then simply ignore the rest. As for having to do the formal dining dress, as long as we are neatly dressed then that is it and I won't go scurrying to buffets which I hate just because someone else is playing dress up.

[cruise pup]

Still looking for our first cruise together!! The WJ has a better variety, we eat as little as we want, I can always get a steak done to my satisfaction, and I don't have to put up with someone trying to steal my leftover piece of shrimp, or the 21 rules of eating in the MDR!!:D

 

Rick

 

Which Windjammer is that? You certainly don't mean RCCL's buffet of horrors.

[cruise pup]

By which direction you point your fork in?:confused::rolleyes::rolleyes:

 

Who needs a fork when the good Lord gave you hands?

[rubrrick]

Which Windjammer is that? You certainly don't mean RCCL's buffet of horrors.

 

 

We must eat in different buffets!:D The one we eat in is wonderful!:);)

 

Rick

[cruise pup]

I find it sad how many people do not have good manners when they go out to eat....whether it is on a cruise or at a nice restaurant near home. Besides the wine sharing, I was brought up in a middle class family where these were the minimum standards.

 

I'll bet most of those slobs don't even know what a toothpick is for. That's why I stopped handing them out at the dinner table.

[EVALUATOR]

Hope the cat didn't knock the TV remote on the floor. Always have that next to my "Silverware" :p

 

 

We have to be careful where we put the remotes. Mrs E has one of those hospital beds with the remote for adjusting the head and foot positions. The other day, Bob, our cat with no tail, jumped up on the bed and plopped down on the remote. Just about folded the bed in half.:eek:

 

Still trying to get the wrinkles out of Mrs E.:)

[cruise pup]

We must eat in different buffets!:D The one we eat in is wonderful!:);)

 

Rick

 

 

You were spoiled by school cafeterias!:D

[Kellie Poodle]

Most of your "rules" are what we in the "old" days referred to as common sense...but I do take exception to this one:

 

12. If you ordered the wine package kindly offer to see if anyone wants a glass or two if you know you can't finish the bottle. A lot of times they will reciprocate.

 

I do not expect to share my wine package with anyone not in my party..nor do I expect anyone else to share theirs...I wouldn't expect them to share their coke, ice tea or other drink...why would I expect them to share the wine?

 

 

We don't share ours, either. We always get a wine package and usually have an open bottle of red and an open bottle of white so we can match our menu choice to the wine. We have never felt that anyone was insulted by our not sharing our wine. I think most people understand.

 

BTW, it's against the rules to share the coke if it's a coke package :D

[davekathy]

I hope everyone can live up to your set of rules so that YOU have a nice experience in the dining room. Unfortunately, I feel that you are going to be disappointed.

 

I have one rule for the dining room: Mind your own business and don't worry about what other people are doing.

 

Excellent advise.

[rubrrick]

You were spoiled by school cafeterias!:D

 

 

Now we are getting somewhere! I think that you hit the nail on the head!:D:D

 

Rick

[Kartgv]

We have to be careful where we put the remotes. Mrs E has one of those hospital beds with the remote for adjusting the head and foot positions. The other day, Bob, our cat with no tail, jumped up on the bed and plopped down on the remote. Just about folded the bed in half.:eek:

 

Still trying to get the wrinkles out of Mrs E.:)

 

This whole thread has been very entertaining, to say the least, but your post wins the prize!

 

We probably follow most of the 'rules' in the OP (wine sharing and 'fork pointing' being the notable exceptions), but wouldn't dream of telling others how they are expected to behave on vacation.

[Mississippian]

I think when people book a cruise they do so as a vacation to get away from work where they are already told what to do. I doubt on that when on vacation having additional rules to follow is attractive to them.

 

I understand the frustrations and I agree with some of the many complaints I see from people on this board but at the end of the day some people have the concept of "common courtesy" and some don't.

 

Some things you cannot control.

While I disagree with the OP somewhat on the need to share wine, everything else in his post is common courtesy. They are rules you can't get away from until you die.

[LESLIEKURZ]

I think when people book a cruise they do so as a vacation to get away from work where they are already told what to do. I doubt on that when on vacation having additional rules to follow is attractive to them.

 

Man I couldn't agree more. I've noticed a bunch of posts lately about how you should and should not behave as to not offend or bother anyone else on the whole ship. What is up with that? I promise I won't ruin your whole vacation with my walkie talkie conversations, dislike of children even when they are well behaved, my swearing mother, my own frequent swearing, my not formal enough formal wear, etc. but in return I must ask that you get off my damn back. It's my vacation too. I am not rude or classless. I know how to behave in social situations as I am sure do most other people on the ship but we're on vacation for cripes sake. Cut us some slack. We're trying to unwind, let loose and have some darn fun. Whew. Sorry.

[rubrrick]

Man I couldn't agree more. I've noticed a bunch of posts lately about how you should and should not behave as to not offend or bother anyone else on the whole ship. What is up with that? I promise I won't ruin your whole vacation with my walkie talkie conversations, dislike of children even when they are well behaved, my swearing mother, my own frequent swearing, my not formal enough formal wear, etc. but in return I must ask that you get off my damn back. It's my vacation too. I am not rude or classless. I know how to behave in social situations as I am sure do most other people on the ship but we're on vacation for cripes sake. Cut us some slack. We're trying to unwind, let loose and have some darn fun. Whew. Sorry.

 

 

You are always welcome in the WJ.......where the "real people" are......and just kick back and relax!!

 

Naaaaw....I do know that most people cruise for all of the goodies, but some of us have just cruised till we know what we like.

 

If you cruise more than 8 times a year.....cruising is different. And I'm not putting anyone down...... from thoses that can cruise once every 10 years, and every time it is so special. Frankly, I love sitting next to someone at the Schooner Bar, who is experiencing their first or tenth cruise, and chatting with them.

 

The first timers we try to help......the ones on the 10th cruise.....we just want to get to know.

 

And some that we click with.....well, we just have more fun!

 

Rick

[spcopps]

I don't understand the complaints about his "rules" these are just things everyone should do out of common courtesy. One thing lost on recent cruises is meeting your table mates and enjoying the new companionship. In the earlier years (10-13 years ago) we would always share a bottle of wine with our table, then the following night another couple would purchase and etc (and this was on Carnival not a luxury liner). If everyone agreed we would also all order 2 entrees and "share" the food to taste different items. Just this last cruise, one of my 4 year olds decided to be whiny during breakfast in the MDR and i quickly removed him, took him outside the entrance, and had a strong talk with him, we returned to the dining room and he was a different child. The couple sitting next to us actually commented that you don't see parent's doing that very often now :eek:. As for elbows on the table, even if we are home and one of my kids put their elbows on the table, I will excuse them until they are ready to return and eat as people and not animals. (forearms are OK but NOT elbows). OP I would LOVE to share a table with you and your family on any cruise anytime. I won't however, allow someone else's behaviour make my time less enjoyable, unless they are completely rude or disrespectful to the staff, then I would have to step up and put them in their place by reporting them to everyone who would listen. Let my bashing begin.

[AFS1970]

I thought the list was interesting, and mostly the same rules of common courtesy that my parents tried to instill in me. I really only saw a couple that I think have faded into time. I do not know if it was the OP or someone else, but it looked like there was an attempt to take a general dinner rules list and adapt it to cruising. Some worked better than others. The wine package one is a prime example, but this is such a new thing, I am not sure that etiquette has firmly been established for this situation yet. Oddly enough, most of these rules apply equally to the Windjammer as they do the MDR or any other restaurant. If you want to eat spaghetti and meatballs with your bare hands, then you probably should not leave home, let alone go on a cruise.

[sg1phileshipper]

Always, ask, "Are you finished with that?" before reaching onto a stranger's plate.

 

 

LMAO. You just made my day. Thanks for a great laugh.

 

Op, you forgot some rules

 

22. Always cut you meat with you right hand

23. Don't take your shoes off under the table

24. Don't get up to use the bathroom while having dinner

 

You will find that most people are very well behaved in the MDR, even though they don't live by your rules. I would say: "Live and let live" and lighten up some :rolleyes:

 

Thanks for a great thread, I'm having fun here

 

Cindy

[sg1phileshipper]

I think you misunderstood what I said; or you are trying to make a point; or maybe I didn't say what I meant. I would NEVER tell anyone that they were using the wrong fork and I really don't think that was the intent of the OP. I read the initial post simply as a way to point out that ALL people, whether on a cruise or at home, should have proper manners. I don't believe for a minute that the OP cares what fork anyone uses. And I don't believe that you believe that.

Anyway ... Happy Cruising!

 

 

I'm afraid that's not gonna happen. But wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone was polite and nice? No one cutting the line, no swearing, no pushing and shoving.... I'm all for :rolleyes:

 

Cindy

[gtsfanatic]

Is drinking straight from the wine bottle frowned upon?

[sg1phileshipper]

Is drinking straight from the wine bottle frowned upon?

 

As long as you use a straw, you should be okay :D

 

Cindy

[Ocean Boy]

East or west, depending if you're seated port or starboard.

Unless of course if you are sailing in the southern hemisphere, then it is all reversed.

 

And when the ship crosses the equator everything spins around in circles.

[Ocean Boy]

As for elbows on the table, even if we are home and one of my kids put their elbows on the table, I will excuse them until they are ready to return and eat as people and not animals. (forearms are OK but NOT elbows).

 

Maybe you could explain to me in some sort of logical way what makes forearms acceptable but the area where the arm and forearm articulate is such an offensive part of the body? Or, for that matter, how do the two areas separate animals from non- animals? Come to think of it, in all of the biology classes that I ever took I can't remember the elbow having any part in the classification system of human and non-human animals. Now, we could consider the opposable thumb as a more reasonable separation but since that would include all of the primates we would have to figure out what to do with all of the great apes in the MDR.