We were a group of 14 (12 adults 2 toddlers) on Beyond recently. I know you said you like to sit together but we sat "nearby" each other, with groups of six, four and four or similar. That way people could come and go for lunch or a walk or a gold by the inch sale or whatever and there was still a good mass of occupied seats in the smaller groupings. We will also usually try to get some seats in the shade and some in the sun, which moves around during the day so we can also switch it up. That said, even in those smaller groupings, I was often on deck before 7:00 a.m. and many chairs were taken... or "reserved".