There's a chance you would have to sit with other passengers for a meal during your Royal Caribbean cruise.
Sharing a table with other guests is a cruising tradition going back decades, and it's still in use in a few situations.
Some people like the idea of being seated with others because it adds a social aspect to the meal, and it's a way to connect with others. You rarely encounter such opportunities in today's society outside of cruising.
However, some people would greatly prefer not to deal with making conversation and other pleasantries during their meals. Or they simply prefer to enjoy time with their own family.
Here's what you should know about being seated with strangers on a cruise ship, and when you can avoid it.
The best chance to sit with other passengers is in the Main Dining Room
The Main Dining Room is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the highest chance you'll be seated with someone outside your party is at dinner.
With Traditional Dinner, Royal Caribbean comes up with a seating arrangement to accommodate as many people as possible. There are small and large tables, and it's not uncommon to see a few couples seated together at the same table.
There's no way to know in advance what your table assignment will be, so you'll have to wait until you board the ship to see.
Dining room table assignments are indicated at the bottom right corner of your SeaPass card, but you can also go to the Main Dining Room on embarkation and ask the staff there to verify for you.
If you have selected My Time Dining for dinner, the choice to be seated at a larger table or wait for a private table will be handled as you check-in.
Breakfast and lunch don't have pre-assigned tables, so you'll be seated on a first-come basis.
Generally, you don't get asked to sit with other passengers, but if the dining room is busy, they sometimes will. Especially with small groups.
You could ask for a private table, but you may have to wait longer.
How to request a table alone
You can make a request pre-cruise to for a private table at dinner.
A few weeks before your cruise, send an email to [email protected] asking for a table without anyone else. Provide them with your name, ship name, sail date, and cabin number.
You can also change your table assignment on embarkation day by speaking to the Head Waiter.
As you walk into the Main Dining Room, there's usually a crew member at a kiosk who can assist. It's not a guarantee that they can change it for you, but in my experience they almost always can offer you some kind of an alternative.
If you want to change tables later, that's an option too
If the idea of meeting new people and enjoying a lively dinner conversation sounds great, but the people you're seated with end up being dull or frustrating, you can always change to a different table later.
Ask the Head Waiter or Maître d for a new assignment, and they can usually work with you. Their goal is for everyone to be happy and enjoy their meals.
You can't avoid sitting with strangers at two restaurants
Nearly every other restaurant doesn't require being seated with strangers, but there are two specialty restaurants where you don't have a choice.
Chef's Table is an intricate multi-course meal, paired with glasses of wine, and it's a special occasion where everyone is seated around the same table.
Because this is an intimate meal, there's just one table and it's limited to just a dozen or so passengers. Therefore, you'll be seated with others.
The other restaurant with mandatory communal seating is Izumi Hibachi and Izumi Omakase.
Each hibachi table can accommodate around 10-12 guests. This is very unlike Chef's Table, but because there's such high demand and limited times, you'll be seated with other passengers.
Of course, you could avoid being seated with someone you don't know by buying out the table. Bring a large group with you and make reservations and you'll circumvent the issue because you're bringing the party!
I've been seated with other passengers for meals during shore excursions
The other situation where you could be seated with other passengers is on a shore excursion where a meal is included.
Tours that take you to a restaurant or home for a meal often have limited seating, so it's not uncommon to have to share a table.
Sitting with people you don't know could be a great social opportunity
Some people that cruise a lot swear by how much fun it is to sit with strangers for a meal.
In every situation where I've had to share a table with others, it's never been an awful experience. At worst, they're quiet and don't talk so I'll talk with just my family.
Plus, sitting with others could be a great idea for solo cruisers who wouldn't mind an opportunity to chat.
If you do share a table, be sure to arrive on time and avoid any controversial topics. I recommend talking about your cruise and experiences onboard to keep it light.
