Some mornings I just don't feel like being the cruise director

 HJ if you can get a link to the clip afterward, please share! Your gardens are gorgeous would love to see them on video.

I am closed this week WOO HOO so I am enjoying not talking to anyone!!! 7 whole days of freedom. (not really I am doing renovations but I am enjoying the quiet)

Rupes come and see us soon, lock the door put the gone fishin' sign out.    If you got PAII in Jan please stop here on the way!

I will check back closer to Jan on all of this and see what we can set up.

I find that very hard to work with. Gomez could get Harpo Marx to talk, but I'm not like that. I'll join in, but I can never get a conversation going.

You can only do so much. It happened to us a few times. You are not the "Cruise Director"  You provide the breakfast and you can do only so much to get people talking...after that...WALK AWAY...they are all adults. Check to see food is ok and let them alone.

Yep, we would get them.  But fortunately, I am married to Mr. "Never Met a Stranger".  ;-)  He can get anyone to talk about anything and not seem pushy.  It's a gift....

Some people are just quiet and that's OK, too. 

HJ wrote: I forgot mention in my seperate table post that the morning after the 3 new tables were delivered and sitting in the garage waiting for an opportunity to re-arrange the dining room a lady from Texas comes down to breakfast and says "We'll sit on the big table so we can talk to people". Aaaahhh.

No, there is not just one 'best' way in this business.  We have 2 tables that we have end to end, creating one large table.  Most of the time it works well, some times we do have to play cruise director (perfect association btw) to get things started, other times nothing works.  Ya just gotta go with what flows that morning.  The funny thing is that at times we do pull the tables apart to make two six-tops, thoses seem to be the times that people are talking the most - and to the people at the other table!!!!  Sometimes you just can't win. 

This morning. One table. 4 people. Not speaking to each other. Or me.

Thanks y'all, I like listening to the way things work at other people's places...makes me grateful for the very nice guests we DO have (whether they talk or not!).  I think we're just getting to that point in the season...we're tired and they're still a LONG way to go.  BUT, no check-ins tomorrow, so I will be making some plans to get out for a few hours.

doesn't bother me one bit.

just put on whatever music suits YOU and let them relax. not everyone talks at breakfast.  some start the day quiet.  some might have something on their minds. especially a 'normally talkative' couple. 

Keep up the good work y'all!

Guests never realize they are one of so many - like the 6 weeks nonstop guests.  Innkeepers are tired...but we can still smile...never let them see ya sweat!

My theory is if they are separate tables then that makes it easier to not talk.  I mean, sorry to state the obv, but that may be one reason they picked a B&B, no communal table.  Then we have other guests who may be here on their own midweek off season and sad they have noone else here to chat to.  Our overseas guests especially love the one table and the conversations.

But alas, we offer breakfast delivered to the room should they really want privacy and no conversation.    

I'm the one in the kitchen cooking, my partner looks after the dining room. Some morning he comes out to the kitchen and says "I give up trying to talk to this lot!!!" and leaves them to get on with it.

We used to have a table for 4 and a table for 2, which meant often two couples who didn't know each other would have to sit together, but we found out that many people didn't like this so we bought 3 tables and re-arranged the room so they are seperate. On their next visit two of our regulars admitted that previously they always made sure they were the 1st down to breakfast so they could have the table for 2.

I think now people are less inclined to talk and the other half has to work harder to get them to talk. But hey, sometimes it just isn't worth the effort, especially after 6 weeks without a day off, as now!!!!

My problem is evenings.  After all that the day requires, all the check outs, checkins, cleaning, laundry, marketing, shopping, small talk and recommendations, yardwork....

Come 8 or 9pm, and there's a knock on the door to our living room, I just want to relax and have DH get it, but he won't, he works full time and doesn't want to deal with guests after he gets home...so it's me AGAIN.  That gets old.

Edited to add:  I NEVER hang around at the breakfast table to jumpstart conversations...they're adults, and they're on their own for that.  There's almost always one person (usually a man) who is more than happy to do all the talking and/or jumpstart a conversation.

"The Show Must Go On!" Bada boom.

Yeah week after week of cruise directing gets old, sometimes you feel like, come on just bring up a topic people, do I have to do everything!

I would have THAT over the guest, who was very sweet, do not get me wrong, yesterday and only yesterday - talk talk talk...Anything you changed the subject she had it covered.  I even brought up the mental institution for the criminally insane...oh her uncle is the butcher there.  No I am not kidding. rat tat tat...

There must be one who is dominating the silence?  Hey if they want silence and boring breakfast let em av it!

Or no, you can cook serve clean up check out answer questions AND do the song and dance routine.  I am off the hook today, two younger couples and I will leave them to talk or not.  They won't be prodding me with questions "So how long have you been doing this? Was this your family home?" etc etc  They don't care.