Dining with strangers or just family

[purplelove]

I would like to know people's opinion about dining. Do you enjoy dining alone, with your family/friends or with strangers? I know many people like to meet new people and eating dinner is an enjoyable way for some of you to do that. I am a quiet person, who doesn't talk an awful lot. I am going on my first cruise in August - Carnival Sunshine. Do you eat with the same people each night or are you assigned with different folks each night? I will be with my 4 kids 9-15. Starting to think it might be good for me to get out of my comfort zone. Thank you. I would appreciate anything you have to say.

[Essiesmom]

This depends on whether you have traditional dining, or any time dining. If you have traditional dining, and there are five of you, chances are you will have a table to yourselves, unless you request to be at a larger table. If you chose anytime dining, when you arrive at the dining room, you can ask to have a table to yourselves, or to eat with others. Personally, we like traditional dining at a large table. Recently we had to settle for anytime dining, and each night asked to eat with others and met some interesting people. Some of them may even have found us interesting! EM

[Shmoo here]

I would like to know people's opinion about dining. Do you enjoy dining alone, with your family/friends or with strangers? I know many people like to meet new people and eating dinner is an enjoyable way for some of you to do that. I am a quiet person, who doesn't talk an awful lot. I am going on my first cruise in August - Carnival Sunshine. Do you eat with the same people each night or are you assigned with different folks each night? I will be with my 4 kids 9-15. Starting to think it might be good for me to get out of my comfort zone. Thank you. I would appreciate anything you have to say.

 

On Carnival it depends whether you have Your Time Dining or Assigned Dining. If you have Assigned, you will be seated at a table (most likely) with others. The same people every dinner, with the same servers.

 

For Your Time Dining, you will be seated at a table when you enter the dining room, you may or may not be seated with others. AFAIK, they will ask whether you want to be seated with others. It, generally, won't be with the same other people every dinner, but different ones. And your servers are likely to be different each night. Although, if you are seated with others your first night, I believe you can meet up to be seated together on subsequent nights. You might even be able to ask for the same serving team.

 

We've been seated with only family on the 2 cruises that we were a party of 5 and 6. All our other cruises (as a party of 2 or 3) we've been seated at 6 or 8 tops with other people. We've never had a bad table mate. And I'm somewhat reserved in my participation in conversations until I get to know the others. Sitting with the same people every night makes it easier to loosen up as the cruise progresses.

[purplelove]

Thank you for your quick replies!

[SadieN]

We like eating with others.

 

For ATD we have been very lucky having good table mates as most at the shared tables want to be there.

[Keith1010]

We used to dine with both family when the kids came with us and others and then when it was just us we dined with others but now dine by ourselves.

 

Keith

[purplelove]

Thank you. It's good to hear what other people think about dining on a cruise with others

[Bonnie J.]

We do not like any time dining at all. We like the same waiter who after the 1st night will bring my husband his milk without asking as my husband has to do with anytime. Often Carnival will put families together in traditional dining and you should ask for that. Some times teens want to eat with new friends in the buffet instead of with Mom & Dad. I email the maître'd before our cruises to ask for table size and location.

We have met some wonderful table mates and one couple has become our cruise buddies. We have cruised together every year since we met on Princess in 2006. Three times they have driven from Flint, MI to our house on the NC coast then we drive together to get on our ship. And, if you don't like your table mates the Maître'd will move you to a different table. We have visited other tablemates in FL, PA and even Canada!

Edited June 16, 2014 by Bonnie J.

[Nitemare]

Just back from a long weekend with our tablemates from a cruise we took in 2004. All got randomly assigned the same table on Celebrity and we've dined together about once/year ever since.

 

Never miss a chance to make new friends.

[navybankerteacher]

When we travel as a couple, we enjoy traditional dining at a large table - having a group you rendez-vous with each evening has always been part of the enjoyment. The fact that everyone else at the table enjoys the same approach makes it very likely that the group will be compatible - people who do not like that arrangement will select a table for two or anytime - no problem.

 

Of course, a family group travelling together is different - five or so in one group would dominate the table, making it less welcoming to singles or couples - so we would select our own table in that case.

[Karysa]

When we travel as a couple, we enjoy traditional dining at a large table - having a group you rendez-vous with each evening has always been part of the enjoyment. The fact that everyone else at the table enjoys the same approach makes it very likely that the group will be compatible - people who do not like that arrangement will select a table for two or anytime - no problem.

 

Of course, a family group travelling together is different - five or so in one group would dominate the table, making it less welcoming to singles or couples - so we would select our own table in that case.

 

Is there not a limited number per cruise for scheduled seatings and ATD on every line but NCL? If that is the case and ATD fills up then there will be those that signed up for ATD who might have really wanted that and now they have a scheduled time and will be seated with strangers in the traditional method.

[navybankerteacher]

Is there not a limited number per cruise for scheduled seatings and ATD on every line but NCL? If that is the case and ATD fills up then there will be those that signed up for ATD who might have really wanted that and now they have a scheduled time and will be seated with strangers in the traditional method.

 

That's not the way it works. ATD is flexible because of its nature. Assigned dining is constrained - no one is forced to accept a particular table or time. Too often, if you want assigned, you cannot get the time you want - early or late, so it pays too book early. Whoever wants ATD, gets it. Of course, because they have the "convenience" of being able to show up whenever they want, they run the risk of showing up at the same time as a lot of other people - and then they have to wait. Any time dining means that you get a table any time there is one available - that is one reason why I find NCL unattractive.

 

There is no way ATD can "fill up" - by it's very definition it is unlimited.

[cb at sea]

We really enjoy tablemates, so we prefer traditional seating. You will have the same tablemates for the entire cruise.

With MTD, you will be seated alone, with just your party.

[Putterdude]

We are empty nesters and eat as a couple about 300 days a year, we quite enjoy dining at a table of 6 to 8 people when cruising. Yes, we get the occasional dud for a tablemate but generally the matre-d does an out standing job putting people together.

[Karysa]

We really enjoy tablemates, so we prefer traditional seating. You will have the same tablemates for the entire cruise.

With MTD, you will be seated alone, with just your party.

 

I have read where cruisers sometimes ask to be seated at a large table with MTD or ATD. Is this option not available?

[Karysa]

That's not the way it works. ATD is flexible because of its nature. Assigned dining is constrained - no one is forced to accept a particular table or time. Too often, if you want assigned, you cannot get the time you want - early or late, so it pays too book early. Whoever wants ATD, gets it. Of course, because they have the "convenience" of being able to show up whenever they want, they run the risk of showing up at the same time as a lot of other people - and then they have to wait. Any time dining means that you get a table any time there is one available - that is one reason why I find NCL unattractive.

 

There is no way ATD can "fill up" - by it's very definition it is unlimited.

 

So MTD or ATD never fills up. So if you prefer MTD, having to book your cruise early is really not a factor. Good to know.

[TC1957]

We are empty nesters and eat as a couple about 300 days a year, we quite enjoy dining at a table of 6 to 8 people when cruising. Yes, we get the occasional dud for a tablemate but generally the matre-d does an out standing job putting people together.

 

We are also empty nesters but have been fortunate to never get duds for tablemates. Meeting and getting to know new people at dinner is one of the major reasons we enjoy cruisings...which is why we have decided we will never sail on the RCI ships that are dropping the traditional MDR (unless it is a completely free cruise...and that will probably never happen).

[CheckersMidwest]

On our first cruise, my family of 4 was seated with 2 other families at a tabletop. It was awkward the first night or so but after that, it was fun. We'd all talk about our day and we each did something different while in the ports so was nice to hear about the adventures.

 

Last cruise we were really disappointed when they seated us at our own booth. However, after a couple of nights we realized it was nice for us to catch up too since we often went our own directions during the day. Also, dinner did not take as long with just the 4 of us. We'd be finished quicker and have more time to get to the show and our daughter could leave a little early if she wanted to change & get to 02 activities.

[RoxnDox]

My wife's not a very outgoing person and generally tries to avoid social outings with strangers. However, we took the chance with the assigned dining for our first cruise last week, and ended up at a table for 8 with a great set of random people. Two couples from Denver, one from SoCal, all very nice and down-to-earth people. We had a very fun week, and really enjoyed our wait staffers. I'd say take the gamble and see who you end up with :-)

 

Jim

[Warm Breezes]

On our first 3 cruises we sailed with friends and family so we had enough people to fill an 8 top ourselves. On our 4th cruise we were seated a table with an older retired couple, a younger couple on their honeymoon, and us, a family of 4 with a 9 and 12 year old. We had nothing in common. Our final cruise on CCL before they allowed anytime we were seated at a 4 top with just ourselves, perfect....except we were stuck dining at the same time every night. Since then it has only been anytime or freestyle for us.

 

We do not enjoy spending our dinners on vacation with strangers and we love the flexibility of dining when we are ready to, not when we have to. We go on cruises to reconnect with each other, not to connect with others. We don't particularly care if the waiters become familiar with us....however we have been known to ask for certain waiters that we enjoy and have had no issues being seated in their sections. We have only had to wait one time on CCL and one time NCL. Both were their elegant/dress up or not nights and both was for approx 15 minutes. NCL gave us a free glass of champaigne/soft drink while we waited. For us it is anytime/freestyle all the way.

 

Having said all this we did not enjoy anytime dining on Princess. It was an adult trip with just DH and myself and for a line that promotes itself as the "love boat" their MDR is not set up for couples wishing to dine alone. The first time we went we asked for a table for 2 and the hostess asked if we would prefer a larger table with others. I repeated that we would like a table for 2. She literally rolled her eyes at me before getting someone to take us to a long row of 8 tables for 2 along a bench. There was less than a foot between tables, very hard to squeeze into. It was like a table for 16 and not a table for 2. There was no private conversation and we were very uncomfortable with it. The 2nd time we tried it we went throught the same speil right down to her rolling her eyes at me again. When they tried leading us to the same table, DH asked if we could be seated at one the many empty 2 tops at various locations not on the bench. They acted like we were asking for the moon before finally "finding" us one. We didn't return to the MDR after that. It wasn't worth the hassle. We never had that on CCL or NCL.

Edited June 16, 2014 by Warm Breezes

[purplelove]

When we travel as a couple, we enjoy traditional dining at a large table - having a group you rendez-vous with each evening has always been part of the enjoyment. The fact that everyone else at the table enjoys the same approach makes it very likely that the group will be compatible - people who do not like that arrangement will select a table for two or anytime - no problem.

 

Of course, a family group travelling together is different - five or so in one group would dominate the table, making it less welcoming to singles or couples - so we would select our own table in that case.

 

we are a party of five, so do you know if carnival has tables bigger than 8? I sure wouldn't to dominate the table.

[purplelove]

Thank you all for your opinions! still don't know what I want, but maybe we'd end up at our own table anyway because we are already 5 people. I could request to be with others, like someone said.

[KirkNC]

We choose open seating so,we are dining with new people every night. You get to meet lots of people that way and it's amazing how often you will see them around the ship.

[Bonnie J.]

Carnival does have tables for 10. Usually at about 2pm you can meet with the Maître'd in one of the restaurants and request a table or see what table you have been assigned to. He can also tell you if there will be other children at that table. Check your 'fun times' for actual time and where he'll be. Fun Times is daily news & you'll find it in your cabin or ask Guess Services where & when.

[cruiserking]

Hello Caroline,

 

I would highly recommend requesting a larger dinner table. We have met some of the most wonderful people over dinner aboard cruise ships and continue to cruise with them.

 

It's such a pleasure to see your dinner pals each evening and recount your day's adventures ashore or aboard ship. We often bump into them and play pub trivia together.

 

If you have lunch in the main dining room you will be seated with other people anyway. The Lido Buffet is fine for meals but, it's always nice to have a proper sit down meal with waiter service.

 

Have a great cruise.

 

Jonathan