Since then on most ships I never see the Captain except for the "sales reception" aka Captain's party, where he insists you take another cruise.

On Cunard, Princess, and NCL repeat passengers are invited to a special Captain's reception.

Nor do I have any recollection of seeing the Captain in the dining hall.

Do Captains still eat with passengers?

What is the criteria to get selected for the
Captain's table?

How do they keep others from feeling left out?

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Originally posted by desirod7:
On Cunard, Princess, and NCL repeat passengers are invited to a special Captain's reception.

Nor do I have any recollection of seeing the Captain in the dining hall.

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Do Captains still eat with passengers?

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What is the criteria to get selected for the
Captain's table?

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I also know that some passengers had a nice chat with the Captain and the Captain asked for their stateroom number...maybe its for an invitation to dine with him?

The Captain's table was in the Four Seasons Restaurant and we normally were the first ones in Seven Seas Restaurant, so I did not stumbled across the Captain eating with passengers...

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How do they keep others from feeling left out?

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Originally posted by desirod7:
Do Captains still eat with passengers?

What is the criteria to get selected for the
Captain's table?

How do they keep others from feeling left out?

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On another NCL (Freestyle) ship, I saw the captain eating by himself in the sushi bar. Inside information (FWIW) was that this was where he preferred to eat and could be found almost every night. Tucked away and almost invisible. But then, this was the ship on which I managed to invite the staff captain to dinner with my group on formal night - it turned out that he was a very pleasant man, but unfortunately not scintillating dinner party company by any stretch of the imagination.

As for the feeling left out, I think that making non-invitees feel left is part of the whole mystique of the captain's table. Why them? Why not me?

Reminds me of the old one: "Why is it that people who would never dream of dining with their chauffeurs always clamour to eat with the man who drives the ship?"

[ 08-16-2005: Message edited by: Globaliser ]

There is no rhyme or reason as to how people are selected to join him. Usually it's the VIPs and special guests of the line; for example on my recent QM2 crossing Stephen Payne was among the Commodore's guests at his table. I have had clients returning from cruises, overjoyed but also perplexed at why they had been chosen to dine with the Captain on occasion, for no discernable reason.

When I worked for Carnival and often sailed on other ships, I was a guest at the Captain's table several times: AMERIKANIS, CARLA C., RHAPSODY, INDEPENDENCE, and NORWAY among others. It was always an honor, but frankly could become boring at times, and on some ships you were obliged to go with the Captain's entourage to the show, to be seated in a reserved section.

On some ships, selected guests are invited to the Captain's quarters or officers' lounge for cocktails instead of dinner. I had this privilege on QE2, NORWAY, and CANBERRA.

There are other special privileges and honors granted to selected guests, too. For example, a few years ago on the NORWEGIAN CROWN, we were invited to be on the bridge during departure from Hamilton, Bermuda. Like dining with the Captain, you always feel a bit self-conscious, aware of other people staring and trying to figure out who you are and why you are there instead of them!
Rich

[ 08-16-2005: Message edited by: Linerrich ]

Me and Joost where invited to the Captains coctail party. Wich he held in the Explorer Lounge. It was a nice little party and i talked a view minutes in Dutch over Holland America and the ship.

There where passengers who where not invited and look angry to those who where. It was a little bit off fun i must say.

Captains inventation 1
Captains inventation 2
Captains inventation 3

Also, some lines create a two class feeling overdoing special programs for their frequent customers - I guess Cunard is leading in that.

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Originally posted by Maasdam:
On m.s. Zaandam i never saw the Captain diner in the Rotterdam dinning room. Maybe hé have his table at the first sitting but never saw him.

Me and Joost where invited to the Captains coctail party. Wich he held in the Explorer Lounge. It was a nice little party and i talked a view minutes in Dutch over Holland America and the ship.

There where passengers who where not invited and look angry to those who where. It was a little bit off fun i must say.

Greetings Ben.

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Ben - the Captain usually dines on the Lower Level at the 8:30pm seating. He has a big round table just to the right at the bottome of the stairscase. The Chief Officer has the same table for the early seating. Often if the ship is full and there are a lot of families on board, the Captain's table will be used for passengers. It seats 10.

I've only sat at the Captain's table once, and that was last year on the Rotterdam and that was because the Captain is an old friend. He had just boarded the ship that week, so didn't host a table at the first formal night. Usually when Peter and I were on board, we had an Officer sit at our table and we really enjoyed this. One cruise we were with the Head Nurse's parents, so she joined us on formal nights.

I have no idea how they choose who will sit at the Captain's table. When HAL has Hostesses, they usually did this, but now it's the Maitre'd I believe, unless some VIP is on board and the TA requests it.

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Originally posted by sympatico:

Ben - the Captain usually dines on the Lower Level at the 8:30pm seating. He has a big round table just to the right at the bottome of the stairscase. The Chief Officer has the same table for the early seating. Often if the ship is full and there are a lot of families on board, the Captain's table will be used for passengers. It seats 10.

I've only sat at the Captain's table once, and that was last year on the Rotterdam and that was because the Captain is an old friend. He had just boarded the ship that week, so didn't host a table at the first formal night. Usually when Peter and I were on board, we had an Officer sit at our table and we really enjoyed this. One cruise we were with the Head Nurse's parents, so she joined us on formal nights.

I have no idea how they choose who will sit at the Captain's table. When HAL has Hostesses, they usually did this, but now it's the Maitre'd I believe, unless some VIP is on board and the TA requests it.

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Me was told by the cruise director that we where goth oure inventation because we where Dutch, they other 4 Dutch passengers where invited to but only we and a other Dutch couple where at the party.

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Originally posted by Maasdam:

Me was told by the cruise director that we where goth oure inventation because we where Dutch, they other 4 Dutch passengers where invited to but only we and a other Dutch couple where at the party.

Diane whene i was the captain of the m.s. Rotterdam i would ask you to join every evening to sit an my table.

Greetings Ben.

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Ben - that's very nice of you, but I don't think I would want to sit at the Captain's table every evening.

I also dined on the DELTA QUEEN after the Great Kentucky Derby Steamboat Race with one of the Chief Engineers from the rival steamboat BELLE OF LOUISVILLE. He was treated quite royally by the DELTA QUEEN's dining room staff, and I can't for the life of me remember if it was the DQ or BofL that won that day!

At sea I've never been asked to the Captain's table on any of the blue water trips that I've taken, but I was at the QE2's Chief Engineer's table for the begining segment of her 2003 World Cruise. That too was a great treat. During the two week cruise other engineering officers were circulated through the table. Meeting the engineering staff and listening to their tales made for a most enjoyable cruise.

[ 08-29-2005: Message edited by: Frank X. Prudent ]

Being that Star's ships sail short itineraries, there is only one Gala Captains Dinner, which is held on Tuesday as part of the 4D/3N Sunday cruise to Ishigaki and Naha. The Wednesday and Friday sailings do not have it.

Usually the captain will take lunch in the Ocean Palace (waiter service) with one or two other officers. Dinner can be the same. There are occaisions where I have seen Captains and Officers in the self serve Mariner's Restaurant, where they are hovered over by very attentive staff.

Concerning who gets invited to the Captain's Table at the Gala, it will be VIP guests (government officials, entertainment/media personalities, Star Cruises office staff). If there are no VIP's onboard, it will be the Suite pax who are invited and/or frequent sailing pax (not high rollers---as they could care less!)

It is usually the "hotman" and/or Front Office Manager who selects which Suite pax will be invited.

I have been told that on occaision the Captain's Table at the Gala has only Officers present.

web page

Seemed we hit it off together from the first night out - we were all doing the back-to-back. I'd say we were a well dressed bunch, we truly enjoyed our conversations and had lots of (frequently loud) fun at the table - we had no complaints about our stewards, nor they about us!

I can't now recall if the Maitre'd came to our table to extend the invitation or if there was an invitation in our cabin. I do know that we had printed invitations so perhaps the Maitre'd came to the table to confirm that we accepted - really can't recall the details.

It was a truly delightful evening; pre-dinner cocktails and then the escorted arrival at the table. Captain Arjen C. van der Loo is a wonderful host. Our Hostess, Heather, a delightrful young lady, was a Cruise Staff member. A signed parchment Menu was delivered to our cabin prior to our leaving the ship.