We are at sea approaching our next port of call, Yap Island in Micronesia, which we are entering for the first time in our lives.
Oddly enough, there was a 'bump' last night around the time we crossed the equator, all at the dinner table felt and heard it!
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Today I will bore you by telling you about our table-mates. Firstly, dining at the main meal, dinner, on a ship, is the single-most thing that can determine if you go away with good memories of the cruise or not. Hard to believe. Some couples request a table for two, so they can hop around to other tables if so invited as often a couple at a larger table may decide to dine elsewhere for a night, or two, or more.
We ourselves generally ask for a large table for if you have one 'dud' at the table he is less of a factor. We are at table for eight this cruise, which is fine for us, however, if you have a 'soft talker' or a person with hearing issues it is hard for them to get all of the conversation, so they usually ask for a table for six. A table for ten is difficult because you will have difficulty addressing the whole table and that result is a lot of cross talking. OK I suppose. A table for four is out of the question unless you are travelling with close friends, and only for a short cruise.
There is one thing that you would not normally think about but that is that you can 'run out of conversation' at the table. How would you like to have dinner with the same people every night for 113 days in a row? Frightening isn't it. That is why we generally skip dinner on port days and on the other odd occasion as well. It gives the table the opportunity to invite new blood to the table for the night, it sort of mixes it up a bit.
We have had only one really bad table in our life, many years ago, a New York retired immigration officer who was a boor sat at our table. [Two week cruise to Northern Capitals and St. Petersburg]. He dominated the conversation and also hogged the front seat of any tour bus, him and his wife. He spoiled our trip. We have never been seated at a table with Jews, to our knowledge, nor French Canadians. For some reason those two groups are inclined to stick together and too many of any one ethnic group can be a bit intimidating.
There are several French Canadians on this trip and we have met many of them and most greet us like long-lost cousins. However, we do not fit in well in a group of say 10 of them because of the language issue, they speak English out of courtesy to us, but it does impair their ability to fully communicate and express themselves.
On a long cruise like this we try and indicate, on the very first night at the dining table, our indication that we may change tables on various legs of the cruise so we, and they, can get an opportunity to meet other people. On a four month cruise there is the likelihood of forming some relationship with someone who you just sort of 'click' with. Examples are, our good friends Ian and Judy in England, Rod and Lyn in Australia and Jim and Gail whom we are travelling with right now and last but not least, Keith whom I met in Europe in 1960. It is odd how long distance friendships occur and endure. However, right now we are not in the mode to gain new friends.
This table that we are at on this voyage is about the best we have ever had with strangers. We are all about the same mental and physical ages, non of us are complainers and nobody hogs the conversation and all have very interesting backgrounds.
Left to right:
Ken and Noreen: Ex US Army major, then with Boeing, later with NASA. A very nice man, not at all a braggart, he is giving some talks on the US Space Programme. His wife, Noreen a very interesting lady, also very easy to get along with.
Russ and Faye: Ex Aussies, moved to the US 40 years ago, lived in New Guinea and Indonesia before coming to the US. He is an economist, worked with the World Bank. Fascinating man
Mert and Bert: Educators, him an ex farm boy who ended up a professor at a university. Great to talk to, has similar views as me, great psychological mentor, we have some interesting talks.
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