If you’re new to cruising — or just booked a Royal Caribbean cruise for your family or friends — you might be wondering: “Will we have to sit with strangers in the Main Dining Room?”
The short answer: no, not unless you want to.
You can usually request your own table, or you can ask to be seated with other guests if you enjoy meeting new people.
My Experience With Main Dining Seating
We’ve had it both ways.
On our first Royal Caribbean cruise, we were seated with a large extended family — grandparents, parents, kids — and it actually turned into a really fun experience.
On our second cruise, we were seated with three other couples and ended up hanging out with them in the pub several nights during the week.
But when we’ve cruised as a family of three, Royal Caribbean has always seated us at a table for four — so it really depends on your party size, ship, and dining time.
How Seating Works on Royal Caribbean
The Main Dining Room (MDR) is one of the main complimentary dining venues onboard. You’ll have one of two dining styles:
| Dining Type | How It Works | Can You Choose Your Tablemates? |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional Dining | You’re assigned a specific time (early or late) and a table for the entire cruise. You’ll likely have the same servers and tablemates each night. | Yes. You can request a private table before your cruise or at the dining host stand once onboard. |
| My Time Dining | You choose flexible dining times each evening — like a restaurant reservation. You may have different waiters or tables each night. | Yes. You’ll be seated only with the people in your party unless you ask to share. |
If you booked through a travel agent, they can make a note on your reservation requesting a “private table for party only.” If you booked directly, you can call Royal Caribbean or adjust your dining preferences in the Cruise Planner before sailing.
Once onboard, visit the Main Dining Room host stand on embarkation day to confirm your seating. If you’d like a table to yourselves (or prefer to sit with others), they’ll try to accommodate.
💡 Tips for Getting the Seating You Want
- Ask early. The sooner you request a private table, the better the odds.
- My Time Dining = more flexibility. This option tends to favor smaller, private tables.
- If you’re social, request shared seating. It’s a great way to meet new people, especially on longer cruises.
- If something feels off, speak up. You can ask the maître d’ to move you to a different table or time after the first night — it happens often.
🍷 Why Royal Caribbean Still Groups Some Parties Together
On certain sailings — especially when dining rooms are full — Royal Caribbean sometimes seats smaller groups together to maximize available tables and maintain service flow. But this is more common with Traditional Dining and larger ships during peak times.
If you prefer to avoid it, always specify “table for 2” or “table for 4” when booking or check in with the dining staff early.
🧭 FAQs About Royal Caribbean Main Dining Room Seating
Q: Can I request a private table before my cruise?
A: Yes! You can make the request through your travel agent, by calling Royal Caribbean directly, or in the Cruise Planner if that option appears. You can also confirm onboard with the maître d’ on embarkation day.
Q: If I have My Time Dining, will I sit with strangers?
A: No. Royal Caribbean’s policy says you’ll be seated with whoever you arrive with. If it’s just your party, that’s who you’ll sit with.
Q: Can I switch from Traditional to My Time Dining?
A: Possibly. Call Royal Caribbean or check with Guest Services as soon as you board. My Time can fill up, but they’ll often place you on a waitlist.
Q: What if I don’t like my assigned tablemates?
A: You can visit the maître d’ or dining room host after dinner and request to move to another table or switch to a private one for the rest of your cruise.
Q: Is shared seating still common after COVID?
A: It’s much less common now. Many ships space smaller parties separately whenever possible, though it still depends on ship size and dining capacity.
🗣️ Final Takeaway
You don’t have to sit with strangers in Royal Caribbean’s Main Dining Room unless you want to and if you do end up sharing a table, it might surprise you how fun it can be.
Whether you prefer a private meal or love meeting fellow travelers, the staff can usually make it happen with a simple request on day one.
Want to feel prepared for your cruise?
I pulled the most important Royal Caribbean prep steps into a printable checklist bundle that walks you through what to do before you leave, what to bring, how embarkation works, and what to expect on disembarkation day—so you’re prepared instead of guessing.
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