Memorable Tablemates - Got any?

[jillybabes]

The couple that compared dinner nightly with Celebrity or Holland America, they would complain to us if something was not right but not to the wait staff...We toughed it out for the cruise as the table for 8 was down to 4, but will never, ever do it again...Next time we will change tables...

The couple that made us wait to eat til they had taken pictures of every appetizer, entree and dessert, and would then switch the entrees with each other after half was eaten! Later, Jill:cool:

[Married on Enchantment]

For the most part we have had great tablemates. However we usually have a group of eight or more and it is our group at the table. I would say that the only annoying thing we have had is people who are not ready to order when they have had plenty of time. Another is eating soooooo slowly that it takes 30 mins to eat a salad. I do like to chat and enjoy my meal but that is way too long for a salad. It makes everyone wait a long time for the next coarse. Many nights our tablemates were the only ones left in the dinning room.

[BillOh]

. One of them commented to us that they didn't come on a cruise to dine with "old" people.

 

Didn't they preface that with, "No offense intended"? That phrase makes it perfectly acceptable. ;)

[BillOh]

#1 Two couples, both men retired. They were retired from NASA. They were two of the team from the Apollo 13 mission that also resulted in disaster after the onboard explosion. These two men were part of the small group that 'invented' the oxygen scrubber the astronauts built, on board, that saved their lives!

 

 

 

Wow! Lived through it as a 12 year old, Loved the movie.

[gkyagermom]

Last year we were seated with a nice couple from FLorida who cruise a lot. Seems he's a police officer down there.

 

I happen to work at a police department in Vermont. The first night he says "Vermont? I knew a guy named Brian who moved up to Vermont".

 

And wouldn't you know it---it was MY department he went to work for! It really IS a small world after all! (apologies if you're now humming that little ditty over and over)

[chipeneezer]

I am having a great time reading these stories.

 

I am going on my first cruise next month. I'll probably get back from my cruide and check this thread. As I'm reading I'll be laughing my head off about some jerk and then realize "Hey! Wait a minute, that's me!":eek:

[jd10367]

In Sept. we were on Voyager. My parents were supossed to go with us but had to back out 72 hours prior to sailing. We were at a table for 4. We sat down for dinner and after 15 minutes nobody came to sit with us, so we explained to our waitress that the other couple was supossed to be my parents so the seats might not be filled. After we ordered and just finishing up our apps. the couple came in and sat down (now this is almost 35 minutes late). They were a very friendly couple from England, however they were never on time. The earliest they ever got there was 15 minutes late. We always ordered without them. One night we decided to eat at the WJ instead of going to the dinning room. The next night when we went back to the dinning room, there was nothing but complaints coming from the couple. They had to wait 20 mintues before their order was taken, never got their rolls. etc. "Tip night" they were no were to be found. The worst part was our service got compromised because they were late. The poor waitress had to run back and forth, getting their salad while getting out entrees. We wanted to see shows so we couldn't hold back dinner for them.

[kicker]

On Sovereign OTS last summer we had a table next to a very nice young honeymoon couple. It was their first cruise - the husband thought about events like the Belly Flop contest but was too timid to enter. We talked them into going to The Quest the last night. We didn't know they were in the room until we saw the husband taking part in the Quest parade, dressed in the usual Quest regalia! As he passed us he gave us a sheepish look like, "Oh well, no choice but to go with the flow". We had a good laugh when we ran into them the next morning.

[jagsfan]

We went to see the maitre d' to change from late dining to early. we were

on Princess, before there was anything but traditional seating.

Anyway, we had to wait for the couple before us to finish. They were

dressed up, he in a white suit and white shoes, she in a beautiful white cocktail dress.....both with lots of jewelry. This was early afternoon

before sailing. He was yelling in Spanish, and the maitre d' was trying

to calm him down. Then the wife started yelling. The maitre d' finally

told them he couldn't promise anything, but by the 2nd night they

should get what they wanted. We were relieved when they walked

away, because they were downright scary. We told the maitre d',

as quietly as we could (in case that would help) that we needed

early seating. He told us by the 2nd night he thought he could

accomodate us. I told my DH he'd probably trade us with the other

couple and we'd both be happy. Sure enuf, card under the door that

night gave new dining arrangements.

Got to our table the next night. It was a table for 4 in the corner that

had been put there just for us. Guess who our tablemates were?

I figured it would be WJ from that night on, but they turned out to

be charming. They were from Rio de Janeiro, and wonderful table

companions......you never know.

I have found over the years, that you can meet some great people

at your table, or at least people you can talk about for years.

[lastofthebohicans]

We were on a 11 night Summit cruise to the Western Carribean. We had the late seating at a table for 8. There was a couple from Chicago, a couple from England, and a couple from Baltimore.

 

The gentleman from Chicago was a nice enough of guy, a bit of a stuffed shirt but likeable. The gentleman from Baltimore was a character. He seemed to live to push Chicago's buttons. The poor couple from England didn't seem to know if Baltimore was trying to be funny or a jerk.

 

One of the nights we had a Senior Staff Engineer, a Greek fellow, sit with us for dinner. Chicago was fascinated by the workings of the ship. He was peppering him with questions about the engines, the size, and almost everything else. He finally asked one question too many for Balitmore.

 

"Chicago, I can't believe you just used the word "desalination" on your vacation." Baltimore blurted out.

 

Chicago asked what Baltimore wanted to ask the Crew member.

 

Without batting a eye. Baltimore turns to the crew member and asks "Does the uniform get the ladies all hot and bothered when you are in port?"

 

The crew member turned all red, said with a pronounced greek accent. "No. no. no. I have a wife back in Greece. I'm very happily married."

 

Chicago could not believe that was the question the Baltimore wanted to ask. I don't remember much more than that, becuase I was laughing so hard I started to cry.

[rclcruzer]

We have cruised with our friends, so that's easy, (lol) and then our family of 5. When we are with our kids, we have only sat alone as a family once, that being our best experience. We have a bad memory, and a so-so one.

Bad memory, Explorer: The famil from hell.....!!! Of course their true colors really took a toll on us the 3rd night, by then, to late to change tables (per Head waiter). They were so vial I can't even begin to explain. The couple had 2 (VERY BRATTY OPEN MOUTHED SEE THE FOOD WHEN CHEWING NON MANERD) kids, as well as the un-manered adults. The wife would come into the dining room exactly 45 minutes late every night, and then demand loudly to hurry up with her food. Husband echoed her orders just as loud as his wife. Barking is more like it. We could not believe what we were witnessing.The 4th night on, we ate in the WJ. The last night we came back, ate quick, (dined and dashed!) told our waitress and staff we felt sorry for them, as well as they told us they were sorry for us. (We came back to the dining room as they were preparing for the 2nd seating) It was horrible. I could go on and on.

On the Freedom, we had a family of 3, plus the Grandma and Grandpa, who did not speak english at all. The wife was very timid and shy. The 9 year old daughter, played with her Nintendo DS at the table the entire time, looking down, never up, and only picking at her dinner, never finishing her meal once. No biggie, I am their to talk with my family anyway.

HOWEVER, just my luck, the husband was as Attorney, like my own. YIKES!

I lost him to shop talk almost every night! But that's ok, It's something you get used to after awhile :D

So that's my 2 "memorable" table mates! Not that memorable if you ask me :(:(

[MGilly]

Our first RCCL cruise was on the Voyager. We (husband, wife, two teenagers) had been assigned to a table for eight. Our table was right at one of the balconies overlooking the other two levels of the dining room. The other seats at our table were filled by two elderly sisters and the son of one of them, along with his girlfriend. Son and girlfriend were in their late forties. Son was a doormat for his mother and girlfriend, and the aunt barely spoke to him at all. All these people did was complain about how they got stuck way up here on the third floor of the dining room while the "good son" and his family were down on the first level, near the captain's table. Then they would peer over the balcony, looking for "good son." After one or two nights of this, we called the matre de' and suggested that these people would be happier sitting near the rest of their family. The matre de' thought so, too, and tried to arrange it. The next night, "good son" and his wife appeared at our table with all kinds of reasons why these four would just HATE sitting down on their level! It was so obvious that they didn't want them anywhere near the rest of the family! After that, we felt sorry for them and tried to include them in as many conversations as we could. It was always funny, and a bit sad, though, to watch the three women (especially the girlfriend) make that poor man feel so awful. I really hope that somehow he grew a backbone and told them off before he broke down and married that witch!

[MGilly]

Sorry! Double post. (Boards are REALLY slow tonight!)