Choice of Table Seating

[Pies4u]

I celebrated my divorce by travelling alone on 2 separate RCI cruises. I had no idea about seating arrangements and table sizes. On the first I was at a table for 6 with 5 ladies - 2 youngish widows, a mother & daughter and a stunning solo traveller. I enjoyed that! Unfortunately, the solo traveller announced her engagement to the Maître D on the second evening - so that put the lid on my prospects. :p

 

However, the 2nd one was a bit weird, a table for 8 but only 7 turned up and one couple decided they didn't like one if the other couples after the 1st night, which left 5 of us. I got on really well with Chris & Andrea from New Jersey and we had a great time, not just at dinner but on trips and attending shows etc. it was sort of forced upon us but it worked ok - although dinner was often a tad strained with the other remaining couple being a bit caustic and irritating.

 

It all led me to conclude that if I ever travel alone again I would prefer a table for 1 tbh. I am used to staying in hotels on business on my own and like others have said, I prefer not to socialise with strangers. We don't primarily go on holiday/cruises to meet people, it is the itinerary and ship that determines where we go and the people are a just a bonus to us.

[Pies4u]

Edit: duplicate post.

Edited March 23, 2014 by Pies4u
Duplication

[sullaRaffaello]

I realized late in my shipboard experiences, that although I've always been with very nice people at large tables, maybe I was due for a bad one. So, on my last Cunard trip in Princess Grill, I requested a table for one, and got it. The only problem was that it was about an inch away from another table for two. Therefore, for all practical purposes, I was at a table for four. A very nice couple was there, but it defeated the purpose of getting a table for one. The other thing is that people all have different views on food. If I'm in the Grills, I want to focus on the exquisite food and service there. I find that a lot of people just want to yak-yak-yak, which disturbs attention to the food. Once in the Queens Grill, a very nice lady at my table kept asking me questions. It was apparent that she might as well have been eating a ham sandwich at a local luncheonette. This is why after a couple times, I stopped accepting invitations to hosted tables on Seabourn. Too many people, too much conversation. I find that my rapport with the wait staff goes up when I dine alone. I'm not anti-social by any means. I just do my socializing with passengers in public areas other than the dining room.

[Olliesmum]

Thanks for this information. I'm only on board for 2 nights so I won't be too upset if I don't get my timing right!

 

But it's handy to know as I'm looking at booking Grills for the June 21 2015 NYC-Southampton TA.

 

I would like to point out you DO NOT have to agree with your table companions to meet up all together each night at a certain time. One of the advantages of the grills is that you can arrive at the restaurant between a certain three hour time frame completely at your convenience. Just turn up for dinner when you want and leave the table when you want. When I've been in grills I have never made such arrangements with my fellow diners, it's never been suggested and it's never been commented on when we arrive at different times, or not at all.

 

Like a couple of other posters have said, meeting and mixing with new people is not an essential part of my plan when I go on a cruise and if I pal up with nice people it's a bonus. I'm certainly not going to be dictated by a bunch of strangers what time I'm going to have dinner when I have paid a premium to dine when I like. Otherwise I might as well stick to Britannia.

Edited March 23, 2014 by Olliesmum

[cruiseluvva]

I would like to point out you DO NOT have to agree with your table companions to meet up all together each night at a certain time. One of the advantages of the grills is that you can arrive at the restaurant between a certain three hour time frame completely at your convenience. Just turn up for dinner when you want and leave the table when you want. When I've been in grills I have never made such arrangements with my fellow diners, it's never been suggested and it's never been commented on when we arrive at different times, or not at all.

 

Like a couple of other posters have said, meeting and mixing with new people is not an essential part of my plan when I go on a cruise and if I pal up with nice people it's a bonus. I'm certainly not going to be dictated by a bunch of strangers what time I'm going to have dinner when I have paid a premium to dine when I like. Otherwise I might as well stick to Britannia.

 

I agree. We don't necessarily eat at the same time each night, which is one of the reasons we choose not to book a Britannia Restaurant cabin, so we request a table for two, but should we not get one on QM2 in a couple of weeks - which hasn't happened yet - we shall turn up when we want each night. The waiters are more than capable of working with this.

[Victoria2]

I would like to point out you DO NOT have to agree with your table companions to meet up all together each night at a certain time. One of the advantages of the grills is that you can arrive at the restaurant between a certain three hour time frame completely at your convenience. Just turn up for dinner when you want and leave the table when you want. When I've been in grills I have never made such arrangements with my fellow diners, it's never been suggested and it's never been commented on when we arrive at different times, or not at all.

 

Like a couple of other posters have said, meeting and mixing with new people is not an essential part of my plan when I go on a cruise and if I pal up with nice people it's a bonus. I'm certainly not going to be dictated by a bunch of strangers what time I'm going to have dinner when I have paid a premium to dine when I like. Otherwise I might as well stick to Britannia.

 

You are quite right. The choice of dining time is up to each individual. Luckily for us, over all our cruises [but one] all our dining companions have had a similar out look to ourselves. No one dictates to any one. The time of dining for the following evening is agreed by consensus and often preceded by drinks before hand, but the beauty of QG [and I suppose PG too] is, although we can dine together [and that's why we choose a large table] at a time which suits, if it doesn't suit, no problem.

On most of the cruises we've been on, as most tables seem to sit down to dine with a full table complement, I assumed the table companions must have a similar approach to the fellow cruisers we dine with. Or it could of course be coincidence everyone turns up to their table together, most nights.

 

I suppose one solution if you want to make sure you're not in a position where you might be dictated to by a bunch of strangers, is to have a table for two. :)

[Olliesmum]

You are quite right. The choice of dining time is up to each individual. Luckily for us, over all our cruises [but one] all our dining companions have had a similar out look to ourselves. No one dictates to any one. The time of dining for the following evening is agreed by consensus and often preceded by drinks before hand, but the beauty of QG [and I suppose PG too] is, although we can dine together [and that's why we choose a large table] at a time which suits, if it doesn't suit, no problem.

On most of the cruises we've been on, as most tables seem to sit down to dine with a full table complement, I assumed the table companions must have a similar approach to the fellow cruisers we dine with. Or it could of course be coincidence everyone turns up to their table together, most nights.

 

I suppose one solution if you want to make sure you're not in a position where you might be dictated to by a bunch of strangers, is to have a table for two. :)

 

As I mentioned in my post, I never have been dictated to and each time I have sat on a table of six.

[Victoria2]

As I mentioned in my post, I never have been dictated to and each time I have sat on a table of six.

 

Then that makes two of us as we've never been dictated to either.:)

[Leucothea]

When I travel in PG, I don't find the issue of timing at dinner to be a problem. We are on the ship to relax after all. Usually I have found there is a consensus regarding when we might arrive for dinner.

 

In Britannia Club, same thing. When I travel in Britannia, I find I often arrive when everyone else is having desert. Oh well :rolleyes:.

[BlueRiband]

One tactic that I found useful, if I arrived for dinner first, was to place my order but ask the staff to hold off on my entree until some of my table mates arrived. In PG, the staff served all of the entrees for a table at the same time.

[Olliesmum]

One tactic that I found useful, if I arrived for dinner first, was to place my order but ask the staff to hold off on my entree until some of my table mates arrived. In PG, the staff served all of the entrees for a table at the same time.

 

That is not my experience. As I have said, guests can come and go as they wish, it doesn't depend on what others on the table are doing.