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Dinner mate stories


Ken Greco
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For the experienced cruisers we all have the stories in the MDR of siting with strangers and the crazy things that are discussed at the table. My last cruise we had people for the UK, Canada and the USA. As the week went on the one couple from the US started telling accounts of what went on during the cruise. The last night the couple told a story about a couple they met that would make even a sailor blush. The Canada and UK were really taken back. How about other table stories out there?

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For the experienced cruisers we all have the stories in the MDR of siting with strangers and the crazy things that are discussed at the table. My last cruise we had people for the UK, Canada and the USA. As the week went on the one couple from the US started telling accounts of what went on during the cruise. The last night the couple told a story about a couple they met that would make even a sailor blush. The Canada and UK were really taken back. How about other table stories out there?

 

Well now... Thank you for asking!

 

Worst, worst, Worst experience was the couple from Canada who looked me in the eye the first night at our traditional dining table that told me: "we prefer to sit with French -speaking people." I looked at them as I thought to myself: "GO Find YOURSELVES... another table!"

 

They read my mind and did so the next evening. I dined with another pleasant couple who was at the table."

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We mostly have had very pleasant table mates. Freshest in my mind was our last cruise earlier this month. We were at a table for 6 that had been expanded to 7 (add another chair!). There was one other couple and a trio of one man who I called chuckles and two women who I called his harem. I don't know the relationship of the harem. Chuckles featured himself as a comedian and everything he said or anyone else said he turned into a joke. His harem remained silent except on one occasion one of the harem said something and chuckles congratulated her on "making a joke". Meanwhile we and the other couple just stared at them as chuckles monopolized the conversation. They did not come back after that first time. I suppose we were not appreciative of chuckles' "humor". I did later see chuckles on the ship with his harem.

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Our honeymoon cruise and DH’s first cruise. Table for 6, late traditional, back before Anytime or Specialty Dining were created.

 

One couple was a hoot however they sometimes didn’t show for dinner. But when they did, he’d order one of each entree and eat them all! He didn’t eat at all during the day. Totally fascinating watching this and he enjoyed his meal.

 

Now the reason they may have skipped dinner was due to the other two. Two very nice ladies: daughter and her elderly mom but daughter was supposed to be cruising these 17 days with her husband!! He bowed out shortly before the trip so mom came along. Daughter was none too happy with her husband and it was all too obvious. No one could converse with the mom or she with us as some problem with her hearing aids and no fix available.

 

When the other couple was gone, it was essentially a table for 3 as the 4th couldn’t hear any conversation and if she were to create conversation, she couldn’t hear the reply. Daughter, in the meantime, was in a pretty sour mood which didn’t enhance conversation either. But as I stated earlier, they were nice ladies when one was able to track the conversation and the other wasn’t thinking about how ticked off she was at her husband.

 

We tried changing tables but other places weren’t available since only the 2 seatings.

 

Fortunately, this one small blip in the trip didn’t keep DH from wanting to cruise again!!

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Not going to get into a long(er) post unless somebody responds to this.

 

 

Was at a table once with a person that stated "Call_Me_Barn" as his name, which I later learned was Theo...

Edited by voljeep
typos
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First, I'll say I've met some wonderful table mates on cruises. However, after 16 on Princess there have been some that were very 'memorable' (I won't mention nationalities as there are wackos in any country):

 

- The 'Dog Lady'. Married, older woman with no children... and her dogs were only thing she could talk about.

- The 'Comedian'. Single, goofy, middle aged guy who could only make really bad/boorish/inappropriate 'jokes'.

- The 'Grand Dame'. Single, older woman with 500+ days on Princess who considered every captain and maitre d' in the fleet to be her 'best friends'. :rolleyes:

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Well now... Thank you for asking!

 

Worst, worst, Worst experience was the couple from Canada who looked me in the eye the first night at our traditional dining table that told me: "we prefer to sit with French -speaking people." I looked at them as I thought to myself: "GO Find YOURSELVES... another table!"

 

They read my mind and did so the next evening. I dined with another pleasant couple who was at the table."

 

You could have had some real fun if you had replied, "we prefer to sit with those who speak real French."

 

Hank

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I once shared a table that included a coach driver that told us his company had suspended him for a month because he had a blind person board the bus with a guide dog. Apparently he helped the guy to his seat and borrowed his white stick, dark glasses and guide dog. He had them with him while he sat in the driving seat welcoming people aboard. Whilst everybody found this amusing someone complained to the company.

 

Regards John

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Well now... Thank you for asking!

 

Worst, worst, Worst experience was the couple from Canada who looked me in the eye the first night at our traditional dining table that told me: "we prefer to sit with French -speaking people." I looked at them as I thought to myself: "GO Find YOURSELVES... another table!"

 

They read my mind and did so the next evening. I dined with another pleasant couple who was at the table."

 

They were probably from Quebec and not comfortable in English. Maybe they found some others from home to dine with.

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We have generally had lovely tablemates. But we have had a few duds that provided hours of entertainment when we were on our own and discussing them!! And yes, they may have done the same!

Never felt the need to change tables!

 

Have observed that often when you think you can't bear someone after only the first night, almost everyone improves as the week wears on.

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Wife and I sat next to a table of seniors, they spoke loudly enough for us to hear every word. The conversation about their ailments went on for at least 10 minutes. Each person giving the story of their body. From the terrible gout to gastro intestinal disorders. We laughed pretty hard that night it was quite comical for table talk.

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I once shared a table that included a coach driver that told us his company had suspended him for a month because he had a blind person board the bus with a guide dog. Apparently he helped the guy to his seat and borrowed his white stick, dark glasses and guide dog. He had them with him while he sat in the driving seat welcoming people aboard. Whilst everybody found this amusing someone complained to the company.

 

Regards John

 

 

 

That was a bad joke on the blind person and would have also complained the driver.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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We usually get a table for two, best story I have is being invited by the Captain with other guests to his table for dinner... Captain was near retirement and entertained all of us with stories about himself. The best one is the crew talked him into being part of the crew talent show, they even created a costume for him which was balloons and had him do his version of a sexy dance ... he said he had a great time and the crew love it --the front office i.e., head quaters was not as happy about it. This Captain even invited all of us to his cabin for a tour after dinner... was a fun evening... may years - not on Princess. I think it was on a small RCCL ship.

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You could have had some real fun if you had replied, "we prefer to sit with those who speak real French."

 

Hank

 

LOL, my dh is from Paris originally when we go to Quebec, it takes a bit but he generally figures out what they are saying after a day or two there.

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Worst table mates were at an 8 top. DW and I were seated with 6 other ladies, on a trip out of New York, who spoke little to no English. Seemed to take forever for that meal to end. Found out through some conversation and hand jesters they were all Russian and lived near the port.

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Worst table mates were at an 8 top. DW and I were seated with 6 other ladies, on a trip out of New York, who spoke little to no English. Seemed to take forever for that meal to end. Found out through some conversation and hand jesters they were all Russian and lived near the port.

 

 

I really would love to know how they decide who to sit together

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I really would love to know how they decide who to sit together

 

So would I Mr Gut. But you know on reflection in 18 Princess cruises and a few on other lines, we have only ever had one table of odd balls, it was tough, but we stuck it out. We have been very lucky on 99% of occasions with TD in the MDR. We prefer to sit with international passengers, more interesting and stimulating conversation most of the time. Now last November we were on Island Princess out of LA - Panama Canal, a couple of weeks after the US election, never heard DT mentioned once. :halo: Not that it would have worried me.

 

But my pet hate is having table mates who arrive at the table late !!

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So would I Mr Gut. But you know on reflection in 18 Princess cruises and a few on other lines, we have only ever had one table of odd balls, it was tough, but we stuck it out. We have been very lucky on 99% of occasions with TD in the MDR. We prefer to sit with international passengers, more interesting and stimulating conversation most of the time. Now last November we were on Island Princess out of LA - Panama Canal, a couple of weeks after the US election, never heard DT mentioned once. :halo: Not that it would have worried me.

 

But my pet hate is having table mates who arrive at the table late !!

 

 

We usually get a two top.

 

So poor Mrs Gut always gets a weird table mate.

 

For us it’s one of the few chances we get to have “us” time.

 

But on the occasions we do share we have had great table mates 99.99% of the time.

 

But I do scratch my head when I read about people who don’t speak the same language getting sat together

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We usually get a two top.

 

So poor Mrs Gut always gets a weird table mate.

 

For us it’s one of the few chances we get to have “us” time.

 

But on the occasions we do share we have had great table mates 99.99% of the time.

 

But I do scratch my head when I read about people who don’t speak the same language getting sat together

 

 

I love a table for 8, Mr Gut, I like to tell 'War Stories.' Most believe them, they are true.:halo: We already got confirmed for table of 8 in the MDR Traditional, next year on Sapphire x 2 and Royal x 1. Probably be the United Nations, but that is what we like. I do speak a bit of Spanish and German, but who knows who we will have on the table, all part of the adventure.

 

Buenos Tardes, Senor & Guten Abend mein Herr.

:cool:

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I once shared a table that included a coach driver that told us his company had suspended him for a month because he had a blind person board the bus with a guide dog. Apparently he helped the guy to his seat and borrowed his white stick, dark glasses and guide dog. He had them with him while he sat in the driving seat welcoming people aboard. Whilst everybody found this amusing someone complained to the company.

 

Regards John

LOL,that's a classic.You always get one miserable sod without a sense of humour.We had a one armed bus driver on an Aus excursion once.Cheers,Brian.
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Well now... Thank you for asking!

 

Worst, worst, Worst experience was the couple from Canada who looked me in the eye the first night at our traditional dining table that told me: "we prefer to sit with French -speaking people." I looked at them as I thought to myself: "GO Find YOURSELVES... another table!"

 

They read my mind and did so the next evening. I dined with another pleasant couple who was at the table."

 

 

Wish I had been there. I would have enjoyed telling them, in French, that I preferred to speak French only to people who speak French properly.

 

I wouldn't have really meant it, but the Québécois have a very distinct accent, as well as some notable grammatical differences to classical French but it would have let them know what I really thought about their comment.

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The funny story my wife likes to tell is of a young couple (in their 30's) and a very pompous man on an all British table for eight people.

 

The first night conversation started with the pompous man trying to impress the rest of us by telling us all about his important job, before moving on to ask us all what we did for a living.

 

I sort of ducked the question by playing down my role, as I could see that his need to convey his importance was very something he needed to do.

 

However, when he got to the young couple and asked them what they did for a living, the young lady simply said "We are in oil".

 

The man simply said "Oh" and that was the end of the conversation.

 

Later, after he had left, the couple revealed that they really were in oil - cooking oil - they owned a fish and chip shop in Brighton!!

 

Rather got the impression that it was not the first time they had used that line, but it certainly amused us.

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I love a table for 8, Mr Gut, I like to tell 'War Stories.' Most believe them, they are true.:halo: We already got confirmed for table of 8 in the MDR Traditional, next year on Sapphire x 2 and Royal x 1. Probably be the United Nations, but that is what we like. I do speak a bit of Spanish and German, but who knows who we will have on the table, all part of the adventure.

 

Buenos Tardes, Senor & Guten Abend mein Herr.

:cool:

 

 

I find there’s always someone who wants to know what you do for a quid, if you tell them, there’s all sorts of questions flow, if you don’t the rest of the cruise they’re trying to find out.

 

Then there the one who wants everyone to know he is smarter, richer, more successful than everyone else, and well, I’m not as patient with that type as I never was, if you get my drift.

 

So easier to spend catch up time with the Beautiful one, something we tend to miss out on a lot at home.

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