Thread: Dinner Questions -- any questions too personal?

On your cruise, when sitting at meals with strangers, are there questions that you always ask? Or there topics you tend to stay away from? Are there questions that you would find too personal to answer about yourself?

I'm a pretty open person but last year we were on the Mariner and this couple that was celebrating their 1st year of marriage was at our dinner table.....I asked them when did they plan on starting a family and she seemed a little offended. They didn't show up for dinner for the rest of the cruise. I felt horrible! It's not that they couldn't have children, she obviously didn't like me asking about it. Lesson learned.

Originally Posted by packard89

I'm a pretty open person but last year we were on the Mariner and this couple that was celebrating their 1st year of marriage was at our dinner table.....I asked them when did they plan on starting a family and she seemed a little offended. They didn't show up for dinner for the rest of the cruise. I felt horrible! It's not that they couldn't have children, she obviously didn't like me asking about it. Lesson learned.

That sounds like a bit of an over reaction to a reasonable question.

Financial questions are off limits....
My home address is off limits unless I offer it......
How much I paid for the cruise is off limits unless the general conversation is about booking and I offer the information.....

It all depends on how much I had to drink that day

We definitely don't talk politics! We usually ask the general questions: where they're from, if they have children, how long have they been cruising--and all kinds of cruise related topics. I've found that talking about cruising is a good way to break the ice and find out likes and dislikes.

We've had good luck with our tablemates except for the time when we were seated at a table with a family who didn't speak English. We moved the next night.

Garry

Not a problem for us.

We always sit at a table for 2.

Originally Posted by packard89

I'm a pretty open person but last year we were on the Mariner and this couple that was celebrating their 1st year of marriage was at our dinner table.....I asked them when did they plan on starting a family and she seemed a little offended. They didn't show up for dinner for the rest of the cruise. I felt horrible! It's not that they couldn't have children, she obviously didn't like me asking about it. Lesson learned.

I hope the lesson learned was that some people will just simply over-react, not that you did anything wrong. You have no reason to feel horrible, it's a normal and natural question that plenty of newlyweds get asked.

Originally Posted by gkm

We definitely don't talk politics! We usually ask the general questions: where they're from, if they have children, how long have they been cruising--and all kinds of cruise related topics. I've found that talking about cruising is a good way to break the ice and find out likes and dislikes. Garry

Totally agree ... adding nothing about MONEY ( a big no-no)!

Money and sex.

But I do try to find out who likes to dance