8/9/12 around 8:30pm, Monet Dining Room

Well tonight was one of the most awkward dinners I’ve been to in a very long time. Not only is it awkward to eat dinner with 8 people you have known for about 5 hours total, but it’s also awkward when they get into a rather heated argument at the table, push plates around, and keep asking you for your opinion on how to rectify the situation.

Such was dinner tonight.

This cruise is different than some of the others on which we’ve traveled. People do dress up for dinner, as they are supposed to, but they don’t actually attend dinner. I suppose they eat elsewhere, or order room service. I just know they don’t eat in the dining room.

We typically get a table with 4 people, including us. That’s good and bad, because if you get stuck with people you don’t like, it’s really bad. If, however, you happen to get good table mates, you have the opportunity to have more long-term friends. We did that last time we traveled, and we still talk to our new Puerto Rican friends every chance we get. This time, we ended up at a table of ten. At first it bothered me, but then I figured out that it was actually nice because I didn’t feel like we had to entertain the other couple or really worry about using the right fork (yes, I know my way around a utensil area quite well, but I really like to eat-eat with a small fork because I do at home regularly, so there is the problem). We are able, at such a huge table, to still have our own conversation without feeling like we are being rude to the other guests.

Last night was a real test of this new theory. We arrived, and we were the only two at the table for a while. About 5 minutes later, another couple showed up, obviously very mad at one another. AWKWARD!

Not only was she giving him the vicious cold shoulder, but he kept asking Sweetie what he was supposed to do to rectify the situation. Also AWKWARD!

We sat mostly in silence, to them at least, for about 10 minutes, although it felt like about an hour. I have never eaten bread so slowly or remarked how good the potato soup was before in my life.

In a former relationship, I had many awkward dinners, lunches, brunches, and breakfasts. It was awkward because the person with whom I was situated at the time made strange comments to the staff and his table companions. I know awkward. I lived it. But, last night’s awkward not only reminded me of my former weirdness, but it made me feel sorry for the both of them for making such a spectacle in front of us and the waiters.

Finally, after 10 or 15 agonizingly long minutes, another couple arrived. The first one started fighting again, using some pretty strong language at one another, and not being very cordial to the rest of us. Other tables were staring at our table. AWKWARD!

They finally left, and then the fourth couple showed up. They had actually waited, on purpose, for the first one to leave so they did not have to listen to it. Apparently something had also happened the night before and earlier today that had tipped them off to the situation.

Oh, if we had only been so lucky.

We skipped dinner the night before, and we had no other inclination that something was up.

Hopefully things will either (a) have improved, with no more fighting, (b) they got another table, or (c) they choose the buffet tonight. We are good with any of the three. We are on vacation. Listening to another guest fighting just isn’t very relaxing.