Topic: Dining companions Good or bad experiences

We have always gone for a table of 8 or 10 and had great dining companions until our cruise last year on Celebrity Solstice. First evening we were shown to a table for 2. At end of meal we said we had booked for a larger table so next evening they put us at a table with 6 very young girls. My husband and I are in our 50's. Nice girls but definitely not what we had in mind so it was a case of trying again. Third table worked out okay but this was the first time things didn't work out too well.

We go for a table for eight and have always been lucky and had good table companions. So much so that two years ago we met a couple from Colchester and have been a land holiday with them, another cruise with them, are with them on Arcadia for Christmas and New Year and have two further cruises booked with them. We are also still in touch with others we have met.

We returned just over aweek ago from a cruise through the Panama canl on the Celebrity Millenium and on our table for late dining we had booked a table for two.....but we was put on a larger table we had a couple from Las Vegas, another couple from San Deigo and a chap all by himself from Florida......it was brilliant..

by the third day we had cancelled the ships tours and was going with the others for our own tours......we all have become great friends and have all planned to meet up in las Vegas for a cruise to Hawaii...
The couple from san Diego moved there from England many years ago and we had so many intersting conversations....

infact the chap from Florida on the last night told us that on many cruises the other Diners did not want him on their tables because he was single and made sure in a discreet way got him moved.....he said they was all americans who did not want him....well that brought tears to our eyes .....he was a man who looked after his mother until she passed away last year ..........we all hope he meets the right lady one day.................

Dont really know where i should post this but this appears to be the most recent, i try this one, apologies if it in the wrong place> My partner and i our just back from an Island Princess cruise through panama, before we left we had read a lot of the forums, particularly, regarding seating at dining, now on the first couple of days we used the MDR for dinner, and had tables of 6 or 8, now as we both have hearing problems we found sharing a table , inspite of what many on this site say is a wonderful experience, the opposite was the case and it was very trying to join in or instigate a conversation. We then always asked for a table for 2,which although we sometimes had to wait (with a pager), we found suited us very well, as most 2 seater tables had another 2 seater next to them, we found that talking to the people on the next table was very much easier and enjoyable

QUOTE:

Dont really know where i should post this but this appears to be the most recent, i try this one, apologies if it in the wrong place> My partner and i our just back from an Island Princess cruise through panama, before we left we had read a lot of the forums, particularly, regarding seating at dining, now on the first couple of days we used the MDR for dinner, and had tables of 6 or 8, now as we both have hearing problems we found sharing a table , inspite of what many on this site say is a wonderful experience, the opposite was the case and it was very trying to join in or instigate a conversation. We then always asked for a table for 2,which although we sometimes had to wait (with a pager), we found suited us very well, as most 2 seater tables had another 2 seater next to them, we found that talking to the people on the next table was very much easier and enjoyable

Have that problem myself though about 50% deaf with my aid in I can hear most things till the dining room hubbub cuts in not to mention when the pianist and the bloke with the violin kick in then it is nearly 90%.
Try to lipread but leave it up to my dear wife who wows them all anyway to nudge me at the right times
I always ask the waiters to talk face on and once they realise you have a bit of a hearing problem they are as good as gold

Probably call me a silly old fart sometimes when they shout and I reply Im not that deaf

QUOTE:

Have that problem myself though about 50% deaf with my aid in I can hear most things till the dining room hubbub cuts in not to mention when the pianist and the bloke with the violin kick in then it is nearly 90%.
Try to lipread but leave it up to my dear wife who wows them all anyway to nudge me at the right times
I always ask the waiters to talk face on and once they realise you have a bit of a hearing problem they are as good as gold

Hi Bob,

My husband has the same problem, so we always have a table for two for that reason.

Much easier to chat to people in the bars than in the Dining Room, not so noisy!

Lizzie.

QUOTE:

We go for a table for eight and have always been lucky and had good table companions. So much so that two years ago we met a couple from Colchester and have been a land holiday with them, another cruise with them, are with them on Arcadia for Christmas and New Year and have two further cruises booked with them. We are also still in touch with others we have met.

We always opt for a large table and usually we have a great time. On our last cruise we shared a table with 2 other couples and 2 single women and we all got on well straight away. Our table was next to the one they keep for the Captains Table on formal nights and it must have been quite an annoyance for those sitting there as the noise and commotion from our table must have drowned them out. Our waiter really enjoyed our company too and he taught us table tricks and naughty napkin folding which only fuelled our laughter even more. On the night of the Baked Alaska parade we all waved our napkins however he had taught us how to fold them into bras and pants. He was roaring with laughter himself and he probably got into bother with the Matre'D but it was quite a hoot. We were usually last to leave the MDR and we always left laughing. This wasn't NCL, RCI, or Carnival, but Cunard. Every Dinner was an occassion to look forward too.