Cruise Lines That Still Make You Share Dinner Tables With Strangers (And Ones That Don’t)

A lot of people worry they’ll be seated with strangers every night on a cruise. For some, that’s enough to put them off booking altogether.

Some cruisers love meeting new people, but others really don’t want to be bothered with all that socialising!

I’ve been on many cruises across different cruise lines, and have table shared on the odd occasion. It is something I would not pick. I have had some good experiences and some that I really didn’t enjoy.

What People Think Happens

People imagine being assigned a large shared table at the start of the cruise and having to eat with the same group every night.

Traditional cruise dining setups and older cruise lines made this the norm. Many cruise lines soon realised that this arrangement put some people off booking.

Many guests want a more flexible approach to dining when they cruise.

The Reality On Most Modern Cruise Ships

Many cruise lines now offer much more flexibility.

Often, they offer both fixed and flexible dining options.

If you prefer to have a set table at a set time, you can choose that, but if you want to eat when you are hungry, you would be better off choosing a flexible dining option.

On most modern ships, you can easily avoid table sharing if you want to, but there are occasions when you might find yourself being offered a shared table when you hadn’t expected it.

I personally avoid table sharing and have had no problem doing so on most cruises.

When Table Sharing Still Happens

Table sharing is more likely when ships have:

• Fixed dining times with assigned tables.
• Are operating busy sailings when space is limited.
• Ships that are smaller and older, so have fewer dining options onboard.

Even if that is the case, it’s often possible to request a private table for two.

Cruise Lines More Likely To Have Table Sharing

I have recently shared a table on a Fred.Olsen cruise and also an MSC cruise.

I have also table shared with Celebrity and P&O.

Ambassador also has table sharing as the default, but I managed to avoid that.

Find out how I managed that in the video below:

Ambassador are a more traditional British Cruise line, and they operate three smaller ships.

Table sharing probably suits them better, as there are few alternative dining venues onboard, and the main dining room isn’t big enough to accommodate many people sitting in pairs.

Their ships were built in the 1990’s, when table sharing on cruises really was the norm.

Modern cruise ships are built with guests’ preferences in mind, and the idea of sitting in a set place, at a set time with strangers doesn’t appeal to many.

Fred. Olsen are another traditional cruise line, which operates a shared table system.

They have two set dining times, 6 pm and 8 pm. If you pay for the more expensive “freedom fare,” you have more choice about dining times.

Freedom Fare guests can also request a table for either 2, 4, 6 or 8 people. However, please note that your table size and allocation requests cannot always be guaranteed.
If you’re booked your cruise on a Saver Fare, your dining time, restaurant and table size will be allocated automatically.
Saver fare guests can pay a supplement to secure the dining time of your choice, but not the restaurant, for £2.00 per person, per night (subject to availability).

Fred. Olsen

When I sailed with Fred. Olsen, of course, I booked the cheaper saver fare and was allocated a late dining time on a table for four.

Unfortunately, I was very seasick on that cruise! Later dining doesn’t suit me either, so I mostly avoided the main dining room altogether.

Find out more about that here:

Cruise Lines Where It’s Easy To Avoid Table Sharing

More modern cruise ships offering anytime dining – like Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, and Carnival will not ask you to table share, or give you fixed dining options.

MSC Cruises does have fixed dining on their ships. Again, it is the case that those who pay a higher cruise fare have more choice in dining arrangements.

Those in the highest cabin categories can have “my choice” flexible dining, but fixed dining is the norm.

My parents booked a very cheap cruise on MSC Preziosa from Southampton. Once onboard, they found they had been allocated a shared table for eight on late dining.

They requested a table for two on an earlier sitting, and by the second night, this was arranged for them.

(Even if you are lucky enough to be allocated a table for two, the tables are so close together that you might feel like you are table sharing anyway!)

Depending on your ship and experience, you can choose from Early or Late Dining when booking, and we’ll reserve a table for you for the entire duration of your cruise. For even more flexibility, Aurea Guests will enjoy My Choice dining, allowing them to dine at any time within the main restaurant’s opening hours.

MSC

Sharing a table is usually optional on most cruise lines, and you can ask not to share.

Cruise lines Where The Traditional Dining Setup Still Exists (Especially If You Choose Fixed Dining Times.)

• Cunard
  • If you have a fixed dining time, you may be expected to table share.
    • You can request a table for one or two, and they will try to accommodate you where possible.
• Holland America Line
  • Table sharing is common, but you can request not to table-share either once onboard or before you cruise.
• Fred. Olsen
  • Those paying the cheaper “saver” fare will have no choice over dining time or table size.
  • Table sharing is the norm.
• Saga Cruises
  • Table sharing is optional, and you will be given a choice.
  • As an over-50s cruise line, many guests enjoy the traditional shared table experience.
• Ambassador
  • Again, table sharing is the norm, with hardly any tables for two available.
  • Even if you are staying in a suite, you can request a table for two, but it will not be guaranteed.

These lines offer traditional cruises , with shared tables being part of that experience. You may be assigned a larger table, although you can usually request a table for two. You may or may not get it…

Cruise Lines Where Table Sharing Can Happen (But Is Easy To Avoid)

These sit in the middle. They still offer traditional dining, but flexible options are widely available.

• Princess Cruises
  • Princess has a range of fixed and flexible dining options.
  • You can choose to table-share sometimes – but only if you want to.
• Celebrity Cruises
  • You can choose early, late, or anytime dining.
  • If you choose anytime dining, you are unlikely to be expected to table share.
  • If you opt for a set dining time, you can table share, but it is easy to avoid.
• Carnival
  • Table sharing is optional on Carnival Cruise Line.
  • It can occur in the Main Dining Room, particularly if you have a fixed dining time.
• P&O Cruises
  • You can opt for “freedom dining” to avoid table sharing.
  • If you want to share a table, you can choose “club dining”. This means you will be sitting at a table of two to eight people at the same time every night.
    • Club dining is not available on the newest/largest ships, Iona and Arvia.
• MSC
  • MSC is one that can catch you out!
  • With all the new large ships and the modern approach to cruising, you would think they would offer an “anytime dining” option, but they don’t. They have two dinner sittings.
  • You can only have “my choice (flexible) dining” if you pay for a higher grade of cabin. (Aurea or Yacht Club.)
  • Often, there are tables for two, but they are so close together that you feel almost as if you are sharing a table anyway.
  • You are often expected to table-share with up to 8 other people.
    • You can ask for a table for two, and they will accommodate if possible, although this might take some time to organise.

If you choose fixed dining, you might be seated with others. If you choose flexible dining, it’s very easy to get a table for two most nights.

Cruise Lines Where It’s Very Easy To Avoid Table Sharing

These are the most modern, flexible setups. Table sharing is rare unless you actively choose it.

• Norwegian Cruise Line
• Royal Caribbean International
• Azamara

These cruise lines focus on flexible dining with lots of restaurants. You ask for the size of table you want, and you will never be expected to table share. You could ask to share a table if you wanted to.

Cruise Lines Where Table Sharing Is Rare Or Non-Existent

These are the least traditional when it comes to dining.

• Virgin Voyages
  • Virgin Voyages tested a Table Share option in their app, but the latest news (April 2026) is that this feature has been removed. I guess it wasn’t popular with their target audience.
• Marella
  • Marella offers anytime dining, and you won’t be expected to table-share.
  • Some tables are quite close together though, so you could chat to other diners if you wanted to.

Virgin Voyages has no formal dining rooms or fixed seating. Everything is designed for smaller groups, so sharing a table with strangers is not part of the Virgin experience.

The Bottom Line…

On almost all modern cruise lines, you can avoid table sharing if you want to.

It usually comes down to the dining option you choose, not the cruise line itself.

If you book a late or cheap deal, you may not have as much choice in dining arrangements.

Often the more you pay, the more flexibility you have when it comes to dining.

I don’t like table sharing, and I avoid it on almost every cruise I take. Usually, that isn’t a problem.

I know that many people love table sharing and like to meet new people that way.

I appreciate that I am not the average guest. I want to be taking photos of my meals, record video footage and reply to emails. I certainly don’t want to make things awkward for other guests around me.

The last thing I want to do is get other guests in my videos when they have no wish to be filmed. It is an intrusion into their privacy.

What To Do If You Don’t Want To Share

Practical tips for not sharing a table:

• Choose flexible or “anytime” dining when booking, if it is available.
• Request a table for two on day one.
  • As with my parents’ experience on MSC, you might have to table share on day one, but they will try to find you your own table by the second night.
• Use alternative restaurants or the buffet.
• Be polite, but clear with the crew about your preference -they will help if they can.

Restaurant staff are used to these requests. They will be as accommodating as possible.

What If You DO Want To Share?

For some people, meeting people and sharing experiences is the highlight of the cruise.

Table sharing can be a good way to make friends, especially on longer cruises.

Some solo travellers enjoy the company that table-sharing offers; others prefer to have time to themselves and dine alone. Both are perfectly acceptable.

You can usually request a shared table if you want that experience. Speak to the crew when you arrive at the restaurant.

Have a look at the transatlantic cruise I took with the most formal cruise line, Cunard, below.

I had booked “anytime dining” and just shared a table with my family. Lots of other guests were being seated at large, round, shared tables. It seemed to be an enjoyable part of the Cunard experience for them.

Before You Go

I took a very unusual “mystery cruise” with a traditional cruise line. I had no idea where I would end up. Find out what happened here:

I Took a Mystery Cruise with a Traditional Cruise Line (Nobody Knew The Itinerary!)

I took a friend who had only ever cruised with Cunard on a relaxed Marella cruise. Find out what he thought of it here:

I Took a Traditional Cruiser on His First Marella Cruise