Have you ever not liked your table mates??

[Keys2Heaven]

So, if they weren't going to show back up, why did you feel the need to move tables? They weren't being selfish, but it sounds like you were, though.

 

I perceive the issue to be that Micha's Granddad wanted to be seated at a table with others. Maybe that is one of the highlights of their cruise....meeting and conversing with new people. When their table mates decided they would rather eat on lido, they were left by themselves.

 

The table mates were asked if they were coming back and were told "probably not", but still wanted to leave their table reservation intact. They wanted the best of both worlds.

 

Sounds to me that the real issue most of you have is when Micha's Granddad said that he found this selfish. Perhaps it is a bit selfish to have your cake and eat it too.

 

If it were me, I wouldn't have said anything to them, I just would have asked to be seated at another table.

 

Maybe YTD would be better for them?

[Jesziegler]

Funny story, I'm from the Ann Arbor, Michigan area and a BIG Michigan fan. Our last cruise they sat my husband and I, with a couple from Columbus, Ohio. He was a BIG Ohio State fan. Let's say, he did not like my Michigan gear I would wear to dinner. lol

[fuddrules]

Believe it or not there has always been a stigma attached to THAT word when an ignorant person uses it to refer to someone else. The fact that stupid kids in years past tried to use it flippantly does not change the ugliness behind the N word.

 

Incorrect. The difference between it's use in the early 80's vs. today is night and day. I lived it. You musta been in a lily white area.

 

Then: Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me.

Today: I get triggered if....(a bunch of stuff).

[asalligo]

Ridiculous to ask them to cancel their table when they told me they planned to never come back?

 

Seriously?

 

Yes, sorry, you were in the wrong here. They have no responsibility to be at dinner in the MDR or not, and also no responsibility to let anyone know their plans. I would not have been happy about you mentioning it to me if it were me.

 

I know that I like to decide my evening plans last minute. I may eat in the buffet and I may eat in the MDR. All depends on how I feel today, what the menu is in the MDR, whether I am tired from an excursion. No pressure is the theme of the day.

[h_blond2]

Ridiculous to ask them to cancel their table when they told me they planned to never come back?

 

Seriously?

 

Yes, it was ridiculous. In your post, I believe you quoted them as saying as they probably wouldn't come back. Big difference from them saying absolutely not coming back. Even if they had decided to not come back, it was not your place to tell them what to do. I don't blame them for not wanting to sit with you.

[pjhootch]

Incorrect. The difference between it's use in the early 80's vs. today is night and day. I lived it. You musta been in a lily white area.

 

Then: Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me.

Today: I get triggered if....(a bunch of stuff).

 

Sure- New York City in the 80’s was a lily white area. Right. And in the 70’s. Why do you assume I am white?

[Buckimion]

Funny story, I'm from the Ann Arbor, Michigan area and a BIG Michigan fan. Our last cruise they sat my husband and I, with a couple from Columbus, Ohio. He was a BIG Ohio State fan. Let's say, he did not like my Michigan gear I would wear to dinner. lol

 

Nothing like a five (now six) game win streak to make Michigan fans more palatable.

 

Go Bucks! :p

[dabear99211]

Hi-Husband and I love to meet new people when we are cruising. We also like to sit with people for dinner. Our last experience doing that wasn't great. The people were rude, racist, and just all-around horrors. We couldn't get away from them fast enough. Then of course we would see them all over the ship and they would want to stop and talk to us..we would just say quick "hello, how is your day?" and keep moving.

We want to be able to sit with others again..but now we are a little nervous about it.

 

In my over 400 cruise days with Carnival and always sat at a large table with others, I have never had rude or racist table mates, yes there were some people that I didn't care that much for but that probably was more because of the big differences in mine and theirs personalities and social manners.

[The4Cruisers]

Yes, it was ridiculous. In your post, I believe you quoted them as saying as they probably wouldn't come back. Big difference from them saying absolutely not coming back. Even if they had decided to not come back, it was not your place to tell them what to do. I don't blame them for not wanting to sit with you.

 

Step away from the keyboard... :D

[KmomChicago]

I don't know if he was saying it, but based on this thread, I would say you are correct.

 

Hey now, be careful, we is that riff raff of which they are all speaking!!! But I think we still know how to speak to people at dinner in a respectful manner and avoid controversial or hateful topics.

[ALFLAFA]

35 cruises under our belt can’t say we ever had bad table mates moreover we made a lot of new friends. We have had a private table maybe 8 times and only one time had a couple that after the first night moved to another table but I am thinking it was motivated by the fact they didn’t speak English.

 

 

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[BigBlue21629]

Do you have to sit with other people?

[finoky]

We have had "tablemates" only once and never again. We had a rectangular 8 top by the window. No matter how early our group arrived this couple would already be there, sitting closest to the window, across from each other. All they did was complain about everything. I bought a bottle of wine for us and to be polite I offered them some. They proceeded to talk about how bad it was. The rudest people we have ever met on a cruise. This was very early on in our cruising life and learned our lesson. Now we only sit with the people that we cruise with. No more strangers for us.

[mumofsons]

Many years ago we were on the Mariner of the Seas - we were taking my mum on her very first cruise. There were my mum, myself, DH and DS x 2 - we were sitting with a family Grandpa/grandma mum and two kids from South Carolina. They were obnoxious from the start, one night the grandfather starts spouting off about F'ing Canadians coming to Myrtle Beach swimming in the cold ocean - I grew up in Canada and of course my mum still lives there. My sweet 12 year old looks gramps right in the eye and said - you never know who you are sitting with..he didn't get it but my family laughed - he probably thought we were crazy. Thankfully most nights he was too busy in the casino with gramma to show up for dinner.

Not as gross as some of the stories but after that - we rarely sit with others.

On the other hand - a few years ago we had a huge cruise critic group on a 15 day cruise to Hawaii - we had four tables and sat with many of the people we had communicated with for months - that was GREAT!

[rtfnl]

I was seated with the same lady on 3 different cruises who I didn't enjoy making small talk with and I didn't talk to her the entire dinner. My parents tolerated her. It was GREAT when my brother separated from her.

[goldenrod]

This is one reason we love anytime dining. If we feel like eating alone no problem. We usually like eating breakfast with others and that’s usually fine. And lunch to but at dinner not so much and if we are at a large table it’s just that one time. Back in the pre anytime dining we had some not so great table mates the worst was one that wanted us to bow our heads and pray, don’t like people imposing their religion on me. We moved the next day!

 

 

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[courtlynndear]

We did not like the people we sat with this cruise. Was pretty bummed because anytime we sat for breakfast, we enjoyed the people we sat with but dinner, no. I was wondering if you can request a change (I know now you can) or how they pick who you sit with or where. We just ignored them, though. They were honestly kind of gross and completely lacked basic table manners (I know were on a cruise but still). I’m 29 but my generation usually irritates me, honestly.. we would rather sit with older couples haha. I was also curious how seating is done. Very interesting.

[Nipo]

Oh yes! When we travel, one point of the whole thing is to get away from home and NOT see other finns around. That's the reason I never book thru finnish travel agencies. Once the cruise line had got a not-so-great idea to seat us in the same table with an other finnish family that happened to be on the same ship! Oh ****, they were terrible, nasty and did not talk to us, we literally tried to sit as far from each other as possible and not recognize each other at all.

 

Much later did I found out that the couple was my husbands previous clients (he's not allowed to talk about his clients and they didn't mention the matter) that hadn't had so pleasant experience with his employee. So actually I was the only adult in the table not knowing why no-one talked to each other and felt so annoyed.

 

Not traveling with that cruise line anymore.

[Computer Nerd]

Hi-Husband and I love to meet new people when we are cruising. We also like to sit with people for dinner. Our last experience doing that wasn't great. The people were rude, racist, and just all-around horrors. We couldn't get away from them fast enough. Then of course we would see them all over the ship and they would want to stop and talk to us..we would just say quick "hello, how is your day?" and keep moving.

We want to be able to sit with others again..but now we are a little nervous about it.

 

On our son's graduation cruise in 2013, we set with a family that I just couldn't stand. Mid way through dinner I went to the MD and requested a new table for the next evening. We were put with a lovely family at a table with a better view and better service. We never saw the original family again. No need to be nervous as you will most likely never see your table mates again after a cruise.

[Computer Nerd]

Few years ago we were on a 14 day cruise and we were seated with another couple and his mother.

 

Three days or so all was well and than they stopped showing up. Asked them if they planned on coming back and they said probably not they prefer lido.

 

Asked them if we could tell the MD they are giving up the table? They refused just in case they wanted to come to dinner one night.

 

I than said that was not nice as they were forcing us to have dinner by ourselves. The guys answer was why should that be their problem. Looked at him for quite a while and turned my back on him saying he was incredibly selfish.

 

So we wewnt to the MD and moved to another table.

 

I'm sorry' date=' but I feel it's ridiculous to expect table mates to entertain you for the entirety of the cruise. Perhaps they didn't care for [i']you[/i] and found it easiest to simply not show up. It really isn't any of your business if they show or not.

 

I have to agree with Fyree. They didn't force you to do anything which is proven by your last line. If you had sat at the table by yourself for the remainder of the cruise that would have been your choice (and some people might have liked having a 4 top for themselves for the extra room it provides).

[Computer Nerd]

Believe it or not there has always been a stigma attached to THAT word when an ignorant person uses it to refer to someone else. The fact that stupid kids in years past tried to use it flippantly does not change the ugliness behind the N word.

 

Wow. So now my mom who grew up in the 40s and 50s is ignorant, flippant, and ugly according to you. FYI, you moral beliefs don't rule the world.

[Computer Nerd]

I don't know if he was saying it, but based on this thread, I would say you are correct.

 

Actually, most of the riff raff have left Carnival. :*

[Computer Nerd]

Do you have to sit with other people?

 

No, you can always get up and leave any time you want.

[pooksma]

Only once, but they were family so...;p;pno surprises

[Anyislandwilldo]

We always request a table for 2. We both are hard of hearing and with all the back ground noise in the dining room, it makes it hard to hear the table mates. Even at a table for 2, we still have a hard time hearing each other.

 

Another item of interest to me would be if the table mates didn't show up on time. I'm there on time to eat and I would expect the courtesy of the other people to show up on time. Just off the Victory and noticed people coming in at 6:30!! There was a sign in front of the dining room that stated if you show up late you were invited to enjoy your dinner on the Lido deck.