My Time Dining - Table for Two

I'll be heading out on Allure for my first cruise in a couple weeks. I have MTD reservations made for my husband and I each night. We would prefer to eat alone. Are you more likely to get your own table with MTD over traditional? Is this something I need to request on the first night?

I'll be heading out on Allure for my first cruise in a couple weeks. I have MTD reservations made for my husband and I each night. We would prefer to eat alone. Are you more likely to get your own table with MTD over traditional? Is this something I need to request on the first night?

MTD assumes you want to dine with your own party. You have to request to share a table with others.

I've always done MTD and they always sit the two of us alone. If there's a particular set of wait staff you end up liking, you can always request them too. I've never done reservations. There's always a little line but they tend to sit everyone rather quickly. The longest I've had to wait is 10-15 minutes for the next available table. But I haven't been on the Allure yet, so it might be a whole different ball game.

I can't speak to the Allure, but in general, tables for two are very close to adjacent tables. You are alone, but there might be some chatter from your neighbors. I've never minded it but just a heads up it will not feel like an intimate dining setting.

I can't speak to the Allure, but in general, tables for two are very close to adjacent tables. You are alone, but there might be some chatter from your neighbors. I've never minded it but just a heads up it will not feel like an intimate dining setting.

We always ask for a table for 2 and I've met some very wonderful and interesting Paxs for breakfast, lunch & dinner.

As mentioned, much of the MTD seating is for smaller parties. We always go to the dining room after boarding to request a table for 2 and have never had an issue being accommodated.

You have to request to share a table with others.

On Anthem the MTD hosts seem to default to asking if you'd like to share.

I would suggest you go to the MDR after embarkation and request a specific table. In our experience on the Allure, many of the two tops are very close to one another and there is no privacy. You will hear other people's conversations and we've had people butt into ours. The Allure has some lovely two top tables along a wall and that is what we always request. No neighbors on either side of us. :)

I would suggest you go to the MDR after embarkation and request a specific table. In our experience on the Allure, many of the two tops are very close to one another and there is no privacy. You will hear other people's conversations and we've had people butt into ours. The Allure has some lovely two top tables along a wall and that is what we always request. No neighbors on either side of us. :)

Excellent thank you! It's our honeymoon and first cruise so it's good to know these things in advance!

Typically, the tables are close, so it is sort of like a joint table, however if you don’t eat every night at the same time you will typically not have the same table mates each night. Hope that makes sense. Since, we have been married 37 years that is normally a good thing. ;-)

JC

Excellent thank you! It's our honeymoon and first cruise so it's good to know these things in advance!

How wonderful !!! You will surely make memories on this trip:hearteyes:

I can not speak for Allure, but I do MTD on Grandeur of the Seas. It is me and my mom when we cruise. We have always been given a table for two without asking, but I know Allure is a bigger ship then Grandeur is so as other have suggested I would go when your board and ask them about it. As others have said the tables are close in the MTD area...we have never really had a problem with this, enjoy it really because the people at the next table will say hello how was your day and so on. I have only had 1 problem with this, last year on the cruise (we do 12 nights/13 days cruise) the first few nights the Host set us near a table of 4 "older" ladies. 3 of the four was always putting the 4th lady down, telling her what she should and should not to do or what she could or could not have off the menu, one of the 3 "bossy" women just thought she knew everything...she asked where we were from so being sociable we told her (I live in a resort town) and she started in trying to tell us things about the town that were untrue and we told her so. She got really rude and told us we must not live in the town because she spends 2 weeks a year in the town for the last 20 some years. After that we told the Host if he could not sit near them anymore. Sadly the Host told us later in the cruise that everyone that got sat next to them asked not to sit by them again.

So hopefully you will get some great next table mates over the rude ones like we were next.

Congrats on the wedding also. Hope it is a great rain free wedding and many happy years together.

Been on RCL a few times but never experienced MTD. The agent who booked said that our usual choice of 2nd TD was fully booked and MTD was all that was available.

Many of our cruises have been made so much fun by getting to know the large table guests as we like to meet new people.

How does that work on MTD, we dont want a table for 2.

On 10/8/2018 at 2:54 AM, l12345 said:

I'll be heading out on Allure for my first cruise in a couple weeks. I have MTD reservations made for my husband and I each night. We would prefer to eat alone. Are you more likely to get your own table with MTD over traditional? Is this something I need to request on the first night?

They ask us how many?every night we use MTD.

20 minutes ago, SimonDC said:

Been on RCL a few times but never experienced MTD. The agent who booked said that our usual choice of 2nd TD was fully booked and MTD was all that was available.

Many of our cruises have been made so much fun by getting to know the large table guests as we like to meet new people.

How does that work on MTD, we dont want a table for 2.

 

Usually the tables are only 1 foot apart so plenty of opportunities to speak to nearby diners.

Would it be possible for a party of 2 to ask for a 4 top instead of a 2 top? 

2 minutes ago, lassie in Ga said:

Would it be possible for a party of 2 to ask for a 4 top instead of a 2 top? 

 

Possible to ask anything, but I doubt they would allow two seats to be wasted in a situation where they need as many seats as possible.

You will be seated ONLY with your own party (in your case, a party of 2)....no worries.

55 minutes ago, cb at sea said:

You will be seated ONLY with your own party (in your case, a party of 2)....no worries.

That is NOT TRUE.  We only do MTD and have been seated with a family with children on a cruise last year.  We are a party of 2, so there goes your theory.  They did ask if it was ok.  

On 1/15/2019 at 7:48 PM, Snit13 said:

That is NOT TRUE.  We only do MTD and have been seated with a family with children on a cruise last year.  We are a party of 2, so there goes your theory.  They did ask if it was ok.  

I concur.

Past cruising experience is that during dinner hours if they are slammed the host will ask if you'd rather be seated sooner at a large community table.

In fact, on our last cruise this happened on 1 of the formal nights and since i wasn't feeling particularly social that day the hubs and i decided to wait for a private table. It changed our wait time from 5-10mins to about 25-30mins. We figure sometimes we wait that long for a table on land so no harm. (Disclaimer: we were walk ins that night - no reservations)

For breakfast, however, most days large community tables are the norm and a private table is a luxury. That being said, on more than one occasion we've enjoyed breakfast with 2-4 other people at the opposite end of an 8/10 seater which, in all honesty, feels just as private as your own 2 top so long as you employ the "don't make eye contact or any sudden movements and maybe the people will go away" thing 🙂

Not saying i don't like to socialize but until I've had my coffee and maybe a bite to eat, i can't really navigate strangers and chit chat. Instant human, just add coffee ☕😍

I'm slightly more enlightened now thanks! 
As I understand it then, I need to ask every night for a larger table - whilst we do enjoy each others company (really!) we do want to sit and socialise with others probably every night. We don't want a table for two at all.

TD used to be so simple!! I know its pot luck who you get as company for two weeks but most we find that most people relax after a couple of nights.

On January 15, 2019 at 4:31 PM, SimonDC said:

Been on RCL a few times but never experienced MTD. The agent who booked said that our usual choice of 2nd TD was fully booked and MTD was all that was available.

Many of our cruises have been made so much fun by getting to know the large table guests as we like to meet new people.

How does that work on MTD, we dont want a table for 2.

 

Just another thought...did you ask to be wait listed for traditional 2nd seating?  Also, go to the dining room when you board and see if the traditional seating might be available  at that time.  Sometimes the reps. you book with are not always aware of all the options.  Hope your cruise is great!