Do you get seated with other people?

[MrPete]

I find it one of the best things about cruising. And have lucked out every time.

[truecruiser]

whenever we have travelled alone as a family of 5 they have seated us alone. whenever we have travelled as just 2, we were put w/ others. whenever we travelled w/ friends or family, we have been put w/ them b/c our reservations were linked for dining.

 

oh, i shld add that the exception to being seated alone as 5 is breakfast in the dr. we are always seated w/ others during open seating there.

[thoneycu]

Our 1st cruise we asked for a table for 4, didn't like the location and asked to be moved to a larger table, we got stuck with a sort of weird family, the husband talked but the wife hardly said a word, they had 2 boys that were quite a bit younger than our dds so there was not much to say to them and it was kinda awkward. Plus the way ww were all seated around the table, us on one side and the other family on the other made it difficult for our family to talk to each other, the table was huge. This last time we did not request a table for 4 and got one anyway, a booth right in the middle of all the action, it was perfect, plus that was the only time we actually got to talk to our dds for more than a couple of seconds!

[CatgirlNC]

My first cruise we were a group of 9, so we had our own table.

 

My second cruise was just me & my mom. I was hoping we'd get a large table full of interesting people, maybe other mother/daughter combos. We ended up at one of those booths that can theoretically seat 6, but I wouldn't want to try! Two other women showed up, I don't know if they were sisters or friends or a couple or what. One sat down, the other went immediately to the maitre'd to change tables! So, the first night it was just me & my mother. The second night, we were wondering if we should ask to change tables to be with other people, but then an older couple came to be seated with us, after not liking their original table. They probably wouldn't have been our first choice for table mates, but at least we had someone to talk to.

 

So, for my upcoming cruise, I'm going with my boyfriend. I hope we get seated with 4 or 6 other people around our age. It's a good way to meet new people and I enjoy talking about what people have done all day, which excursions they went on, etc.

[Adeena62]

I'm not a fan of making small talk with strangers. My husband on the other hand, can strike up a conversation with someone standing behind him in the line at the bank, and walk away with plans to go golfing with him the next day. It just comes easily to him. We went on our first cruise in April, and we were sat at a four person booth the first night. No one else showed, so they removed the two extra plates, and from that night on, it was always just the two of us. It was very nice, actually. :)

 

I haven't heard too many horror stories about bad tablemates here though. You may be pleasantly surprised who you are sat with, or if it really bothers you, I would just request a table for two.

[MizzCard]

Having interesting table mates is one of the highlights of my cruise. Wouldn't want it any other way!

If you're not up for small talk, why not just call in room service?

[JaguarGirl]

Though we have never done it, I have seen people request to be seated next to a window or a booth. at breakfast and at lunch.

[belleebutton]

i loved our tablemates. it was just me and my DS and our first cruise. they had two teen daughters and we had fun every night finding out about each others days. i went to the shows and stuff with them after dinner. my son would go on to club02 with his new friends and it kept me occupied in the meantime since i am shy.

i hope my next cruise has great tablemates too!:rolleyes:

[CatgirlNC]

I'm not a fan of making small talk with strangers.

 

After the first night, they aren't strangers anymore!

[MarriedInStThomas1807]

If I were you, I wouldn't even worry about it. There are other places to eat on the ship. Maybe your tablemates will be those type of people that like to eat at the pizzaria or somewhere where you don't have to dress up or do anything formal. I'm kind of nervous about that with my next cruise too. This last cruise we went on we got married and had 6 others with us so we got our own table, but this time it's just going to be the 2 of us. But who knows.. maybe the 8:00 seating will be too late for some people to eat.

[wizard-of-roz]

Lucky: I'm with you.....the older I get the easier it is to talk to strangers!

Heck, if they're going to kidnap me....it would just be another traveling experience, under my belt! :cool:

[cruzy-sue]

I think possibly one of my favorite things about cruising is being seated at a large dinner table with various people. Our first cruise was 10 years ago on the Celebrity Millennium and we met really nice people who we socialized with throughout the cruise. Ever since, we always choose to sit with a large group.

[KandCsailing]

We were seated at a large table on our first cruise (and honeymoon) and we loved it so much that on our second we changed from a 2 or 4 up to a 10 again. We were all similar in ages and it wasn't really small talk after the appetizers because by then we were discussing what we had planned or what they had already done on previous cruises to the same ports. We learned a lot about Belize from one couple. Another couple came to the triva games with us everyday and had a blast. It was also funny when the couple that you know has gone for an all-day-booze-cruz does not make it to dinner.:D

[ParrotRob]

Your Maitre D'hotel has a lot of information about you, like where you're from, your age, any special occasions you're celebrating. I have heard (although I can't confirm) that part of his job is to assign tables, and that he uses this information to try to assign tables to people that are of similar age groups, or whatever else he thinks would make for compatible tablemates.

 

If the two cruises we've been on are indication, that's right. Both times we've been seated with people in pretty much the same age group as ourselves that we've hit it off perfectly with.

[Kurbanfan]

Our first cruise they sat me and dh with two other couples that did not speak english.....

After that we have always cruised with about 6 to 8 people so we always get our own table..........

So beware it's not always pleasent........