Topic: Etiquette faux pas in the dining room

The dining table is a minefield for some people which may produce amusing or embarrassing results.

Obviously mistakes made by other guests are overlooked discreetly but we have all made at least one funny faux pas ourselves.

Seated at a seafood buffet once having ordered prawns which were served whole, a finger bowl with lemon placed on the table ...........( and no I didn't drink from it !! ) ........I rinsed my fingers and wiped them with the linen serviette / napkin.

Halfway through the meal , having a lovely time talking with other guests I discovered I had been drying my fingers on the corner of my white linen jacket now crumpled and damp , while the white linen serviette was stlll in pristine condition .:o

Life's too short to take it seriously.

Does anyone have any stories to relate ?

So far no issues, but many years ago in a hotel in Stonehaven, which is no longer there a couple sitting opposite us were at the coffee stage and his wife was trying to open the milk cup without success, so her husband leaned over and well he did open it but all over his wife, a few minutes later they were gone.

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So far no issues, but many years ago in a hotel in Stonehaven, which is no longer there a couple sitting opposite us were at the coffee stage and his wife was trying to open the milk cup without success, so her husband leaned over and well he did open it but all over his wife, a few minutes later they were gone.

Same again with us. No issues at sea so far. But when I helped out as a waitress many years ago. I launched a chap. (This was well before we started cruising) Dumbo that I was the champagne they ordered went all over him as I opened it. Any Jobs going for a Godmother? Carol x.

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So far no issues, but many years ago in a hotel in Stonehaven, which is no longer there a couple sitting opposite us were at the coffee stage and his wife was trying to open the milk cup without success, so her husband leaned over and well he did open it but all over his wife, a few minutes later they were gone.

That has to be the Commodore Hotel? Or the Mill Inn? My home town!

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That has to be the Commodore Hotel? Or the Mill Inn? My home town!

You are right it was the Commodore Hotel, but quite a few years ago now.

We were sitting in the piano bar on an RCI ship when a woman much the worst for drink, knocked into the waiter knocking a tray of drinks all over my husband,the silence and mess was embarrassing , we felt all all eyes were on us the woman had gone.he did get his DJ cleaned free of charge though.

I was laughing with a woman on my table, who'd spilt soup down her front. We were saying that this happens to women with a bay window all the time. I was congratulated by all for not spilling on my b.w.
I stood up to go, and my little silver jacket shifted an inch....and a lump of cauliflower fell out.
The 8 of us had to stagger out, we were laughing so much.
Jo.

Not a cruising experience, but sitting at an outside table in a Spanish restaurant once, I picked up the tomato sauce bottle, shook it and the lid came off. It went all over me including my hair. Everyone was killing themselves except for the waiter, who couldn't believe his eyes.

The embarrassment didn't end there, I had to get back to the hotel to change.

Few years ago DH and I stopped en route home from the Lake District at a very nice country cafe which may be called Country Harvest, not too far from Settle.

It had those 1950s type of sugar pourers which he just tipped into the tea instead of using a spoon. Unfortunately the top fell off into the tea, followed by all the sugar.

We laughed but nobody else did.
Liz

I've had a few of these type of things happen but mainly whilst waitressing, God they are embarrassing

The guy who stood up at one table as I was serving soup to the table behind and knocked me & the soup flying over the table. Luckily no one was hurt.

Working on banquetting duty at a wedding I was walking across the polished wood floor whilst carrying 4 plates and couldn't see my feet, slipped on a piece of dropped veg and ended up doing the splits but keeping all the plates level! (got a big tip for that display).

Have seen and been part of many more, but my favourite was a new barmaid that I was training turning round and asking me "Where's the lager & lime pump?" Couldn't stop laughing and she couldn't understand why!