MDR - do you dine with just your party, or at a big table?

[Chrisconn]

We're going with our family of 4, two kids ages 9/11. Requested a table for four...but have been thinking...maybe it would be nice to sit at a bigger table and meet new folks!

 

How do they 'match' you with tablemates? Would they seat us with another family with kids the same ages?

 

Any opinions out there?

[toxicfairy]

When we cruised with our 2 teenaged daughters we sat with a family that had teens. We always sit at a large table so that we can meet others. We have never had a bad experience. When it is just my DH and I we have only been seated at tables with other adults.

[DonnaK]

It's been our experience that they really do try to seat you with people in the same demographic, such as with another family that has kids around the same age as yours. We've found that this is a wonderful way to make new friends, especially for our kids, and it helped them to appreciate the MDR from the time they were little because they looked forward to dinner because of their tablemates.

 

Remember, if your tablemates are incompatable, you can speak to the headwaiter and request a change...no need to put up with it all week and be unhappy.

[packedandready]

We've had good experiences and not so good experiences with tablemates. Never had BAD ones, just not so good:p.

 

The last few cruises we've been on we've chosen MTD and always request a table for 2. The tables are really close together so if you want to have conversations with those around you it can easily be done. However, if you don't, you don't feel you have too.

 

Love MTD.

[travelberlin]

In our case, we were sitted at a table whit people who did not have any thing in common with us. We have still enjoyed though. It was interesting to meet people who are so different and from whom who could learn so much...

[blueblock]

I love the big table experience - for me, meeting new people is part of the fun of cruising. But not everybody feels the same way, which is why they offer smaller tables and My Time Dining.

[Wilda]

We usually get seated with just us. Last time we were seated with others we had our 9 year old GS and guess what...not only were there no kids at the table but our table mates had left their kids at home:o Had a horrible wait staff and tried to get our seat moved the first night...we were offered a table right next to our original with the same wait staff. We ate in the speciality restaurants A LOT!

 

Kids will make tons of friends in AO and to be honest...I don't go on a cruise to make small talk with strangers during my meal. I am surrounded by people all week at work and am constantly "on". Call me antisocial if you want...it's decompression time!

[cb at sea]

It IS more fun at a larger table! They do try to put families with families....go ahead and try it....if you don't enjoy yourselves, you can change, but we look forward to dinner in the dining room nightly BECAUSE of our tablemates! So far, we've never been seated with anyone that we didn't get along with!

Everyone is there for a good time...and since dining is more than just eating, having new folks to talk to makes it a good time. It's only 1 1/2 hours!

[SECdawg]

We have always cruised with our son starting when he was around 9. Only twice have we ever been seated at a table with any kids and both times it was a girl a few years younger than him. Most of the time we have been at tables with adults our age or older. Our son never minded, he is very social and comfortable with just adults. We really enjoy meeting other people and always ask for a big table. We have been at tables from 5 - 10.

[Susie51]

DH likes to have a small table, so for the three of us we requested a table for four. We have eaten in the dining room for breakfast with open seating and have had some bad experiences, but usually it is fun to meet new people.

 

When our daughter was young we were with other children at the table, but as a teen it seemed to be just adults at the table, but we cruised in the off season, so that could be the reason.

[dz9yvr]

I agree with Wilda. I don't go on a cruise to make small talk with strangers. It's always MTD dining for us with our own table. I don't think I would ever cruise on a ship that did not offer some sort of MTD option.

[Denise5374]

We do only our family. We are so busy during they year that our vacations is that time to reconnect with each other.

[micmacmissy]

We have dinner with just our family every night, and my kids are very social and chatty, so I think we might try a bigger table.

 

But I'm curious...how exactly does MTD work? Do you pick a time for the whole week, or each night pick what time you want to eat?

 

8:30pm is too late for our kids, but then again 6:00pm is pretty early, especially after a port day!

[Desert Cruizers]

We enjoy being seated with others at a table of 6 or more, this way we meet and make new friends. We have never had a problem with one exception, the husband of a couple on our 2nd cruise, complained about every little thing. I chatted with his wife most of the time.

[DonnaK]

We have dinner with just our family every night, and my kids are very social and chatty, so I think we might try a bigger table.

 

But I'm curious...how exactly does MTD work? Do you pick a time for the whole week, or each night pick what time you want to eat?

 

8:30pm is too late for our kids, but then again 6:00pm is pretty early, especially after a port day!

 

 

You can do both. You can make reservations for a certain time for the whole week, or for different times each night. You can even request the table/waiters you like. Or, don't make reservations and just show up whenever you'd like to eat each night.

[VernRDH]

We have done both. On our first cruise, it was me and DH, my DB and SIL and another couple that are mutual friends. So we had a 6 top just for us. Our next few cruises we sat with others, some good, some not so much. On FOS in '10, it was just our family and our friends (7 total) so we had our own table.

 

My dad and his GF always sit a large tables and have made so many friends that way. Whatever works for you I guess.

[Cruising89143]

Just a table for our party. Been there and done that and won't do it again. I have had my share of people who want to bring up topics that should not be discussed with strangers. Plus some people are just too nosey.

[PinkLemonade]

I prefer to have a table just for the people I'm with...it is a nice time to talk about what you did all day (since you may split up to do different activities).

 

I am not against socializing with others, but that can be done on the pool deck or during other activities...I don't want to be forced to have a conversation with people I may have nothing in common with during dinner.

[pabrett46]

We got pretty lucky on our last cruise. My two kids and I were sat at a table with a lady and her daughter who was in University. It was a great experience. They were both avid cruisers so it was nice to chat about different cruise lines and experiences they had. They were both ok with dining with my kids who were 12 and 8 at the time..everyone seemed to get along fine. I do agree with the other posters about reconnecting. There were times when it was great to sit down to supper and talk about the day we had. Our tablemates would take that opportunity to talk amongst themselves as well. Our experience was good. I had heard from a fellow in our roll call who was travelling alone say he was put at a table with another couple who didn't speak any english, he requested a change which he did get.. but the new table the people didn't show up for suppers so he was often dining alone. So I guess it can go either way.

 

pabrett46

[msfly]

Just a table for our party. Been there and done that and won't do it again. I have had my share of people who want to bring up topics that should not be discussed with strangers. Plus some people are just too nosey.

 

Same here. Strangers can reveal too much sometimes.

[Marysunshine]

All our other cruises we sat with others and most of the time it was great. One time, just boring. This cruise I requested a table not larger than 8. I hate the long tables for 10 and 12. You only get to see and chat with the person directly across from you.

So, hoping the mid size table works for us.

[packedandready]

This thread where many talk about how they enjoy eatting, visiting, meeting new people brought something to mind. Don't have a large mind so nothing important:D

 

Just wondering.......IF...the cruiselines tradition had been to sit people

with just their party (like most restaurants) and now all at once decided to set "strangers" together, would the opinion change?

 

Would folks happily embrace their "new friends" or be "dismayed" to be made to interact with "who knows what"?

 

I'm certainly not being nasty or trying to change minds, just wondering.

[time4u2go]

Count us as another family that likes our own table. Nothing wrong with either way...just our preference.

[babyher]

All of our cruises it has just worked out that we had a table just for our party . We went with such a large crowd that we automatically made our own .

 

But I think all our future cruises will remain that way. We enjoy meeting people on cruises , in lounges , around the pool , all around the ship. But meal time , I like to keep it just us .

[Desert Cruizers]

I agree, a table of no more then 8 makes it easier to chat with everyone Our last cruise which was for 10, we chatted mostly with those at our end of the table, yet we had a wonderful table, we were all from Calif except one lady from Florida. The only two men were DH and another ladies husband, & DH who loves to talk didn't have a chance.:D