Dinner seatings

Author Message   Leah M. Paladino Junior Member Username: Usmc_wife Post Number: 6 Registered: 08-2004 Posted on Thursday, March 11, 2010 - 08:49 am:    Okay, I give. Best to stick together as much as possible. Thanks to everyone for the input. See you soon!   Richard Burn New member Username: Rhburn3 Post Number: 5 Registered: 07-2008 Posted on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 - 06:30 pm:    Rick and Linda Burn want to be with largest group of SPATS. I like the idea of 5 tables to mingle and folks move between each table for different settings. We are more than willing to stay with the early sitting to maximize contact. One other comment: I think the first night out may be open sitting. It has been on cruises we have been on.   Leah M. Paladino New member Username: Usmc_wife Post Number: 5 Registered: 08-2004 Posted on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 - 12:23 pm:    Thank you all for sharing your thoughts on seating times. I agree with the thinking of maximizing our time together. Jason is a recent retiree and we have only traveled space-a active duty, so we are especially looking forward to hearing about the adventures of the retirees in the group. Wow - 9 times to Italy!! My quandry, and the reason I was trying to find out if there are any other late diners, is that I promised my husband we would make this a relaxing weekend. We spent 5 of 8 years on Lejeune apart due to deployments and haven't spent a weekend together alone without our three children since 2004. We will want to take advantage of activities during the day without feeling like we have to rush back to our room to shower and dress for dinner. We are more apt to grab a happy hour snack and make the most the entire day by dining later. Aside from meeting at dinner, I am hoping we will meet informally throughout the day to get to know one another and share stories. So, if there are any other "night owls" in the group, please share your thoughts...   Garee Michael Harrison Intermediate Member Username: Gareemharrison Post Number: 117 Registered: 06-2003 Posted on Tuesday, March 09, 2010 - 01:39 pm:    Our preference is early seating and then we get to see the early show and listen to the music and dance. 3 yrs ago, the 16 of us had no problem switching around and getting a chance to visit with everyone and hearing about their travels. The Space A news is the best!We've been to Italy 9 times and can share about that. We wanted information abt. getting to Alaska and back. There are so many ways to travel and via Space A is the best!   James Blandford Member Username: James Post Number: 10 Registered: 09-2003 Posted on Tuesday, March 09, 2010 - 12:26 pm:    In thinking about the topic.....on a regular cruise that we would take for 10 to 20 days the dining time would be important. BUT on this cruise that's purpose for a "reunion" and networking for Space A information etc and ONLY 3 days.......it is more important to gather as a group at the dinner dining. Multiple tables and shifting each night to get exposure to everyone is important. Our hopes are to meet like minded travel adventurers and foster new friendships. Maybe Cheryl could put a list together of everyones names and contact information!?   Dirk Pepperd Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 982 Registered: 06-2003 Posted on Monday, March 08, 2010 - 07:55 pm:    If there are people that prefer the second seating that's ok. There will be plenty of opportunity to mix and mingle. One thing I found about these cruises is you definately won't go hungry!!   Bill Docekal Intermediate Member Username: Bill_d1 Post Number: 111 Registered: 06-2003 Posted on Monday, March 08, 2010 - 07:38 pm:    On the Space-A group cruise 3 years ago in 2007, there were 16 of us on the cruise, and we were assigned two adjacent tables for the evening meals, with each table seating eight. We had open seating at these two tables, and some of us alternated between tables over the three evenings to get to know everybody. This worked out quite well, and this was quality time to get acquainted with each other and talk “Space-A”. Cheryl arranged an open-bar cocktail party with unlimited drinks one day, where we took the “obligatory group photo”. We all had a good time. The breakfast and lunch meals and the shows and other activities were largely on our own schedule. I don’t know how the 2010 cruise will be organized, but if the group had 5 adjacent tables reserved (for a group of 40 or so with each table seating eight) for the evening meal, you would be pleased with this arrangement. I hope you all have a great cruise.   Leah M. Paladino New member Username: Usmc_wife Post Number: 4 Registered: 08-2004 Posted on Monday, March 08, 2010 - 04:54 pm:    Thanks for the info, James, and the comment, Rick. I am guessing that we will have time during the cruise to meet as one big group. And, since we can't all dine at the same table anyway, is anyone opposed if some members of the group prefer the later seating for dinner? I am thinking about this issue now because it will be easier to change seating arrangements and keep the late-seating group together before the cruise fills up. So far it looks as though we have at least four who prefer the later seating (Rick/Linda and Jason/Leah). Anyone else?   James Blandford Member Username: James Post Number: 9 Registered: 09-2003 Posted on Monday, March 08, 2010 - 03:27 am:    I asked Cheryl that question via email....her answer was that the group was scheduled for the early seating. See you all Wednesday evening before the cruise.   Richard Burn New member Username: Rhburn3 Post Number: 4 Registered: 07-2008 Posted on Sunday, March 07, 2010 - 10:23 pm:    Leah has asked a good question. Linda and I are late diners, but we will go either way. If there are offerings for either sitting, we would go late. I checked our reservation, and it does not show the dining time. With the cruise only 3 nights (first night is usually open seating), we will only have 2 nights. Look forward to learning about the dining plans. Rick and Linda Burn Holland, MI   Leah M. Paladino New member Username: Usmc_wife Post Number: 3 Registered: 08-2004 Posted on Sunday, March 07, 2010 - 08:02 pm:    Does anyone know if the plan is for the entire group to dine together at the early dinner seating? I noticed we are confirmed for the early seating. I have never cruised with a group and don't know if there are meetings or plans that center around all of us dining at the same time in a group of tables. If this is the case, the early seating makes sense. If not, is anyone interested in forming two sub-groups for dinner - one for the earlier and one for the later seating?