Monarch - MTD or MDR

[cruzcitement]

DH and I are leaving for our first cruise July 5th, have booked the early dinner time (5:45). We can't decide if we want to stick with it or switch to MTD. We want a later dinner but not as late as the second MDR seating, and we think we might enjoy meeting new people at a larger table. So...keep what we have or switch to MTD and get a better dinner time but maybe have to sit by ourselves? What do most newbies do?

[cb at sea]

Do traditional, if you want tablemates. Most MTDer's want to be alone...they don't enjoy tablemates and few (if any) will be willing to share a table with you.

Tablemates are the best part of a cruise, IMO! It's fun to have 'like-minded' folks to talk to! We look forward to dinner everynight, because of the "friends" we have met at dinner!

[Jennfor5]

I agree with CB at Sea . Some of your greatest memories will be of the strangers you meet. btw at the end of the cruise you will be exchanging e-mails.. Can't beat the friendliness of these people because everyone is on vacation!!!!

[JustUs275]

I agree - we went on our first cruise last month, also on Monarch! We had a wonderful time and one of the highlights was coming to the main dining room each night and catching up with our tablemates, who did what and went where that day. We had a great assortment at our table too - us (celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary), a young lady from Germany who just graduated from a USA college and her mother, a newlywed couple, and 2 ladies that have been friends for years but now live far apart just on a girls' getaway. If you happen to Vivik and Jorge for your waiters, you are in for a treat! :D

[cruzcitement]

Thanks for the input -- I think we'll stay with the MDR. Can't wait!!!

[FishOn55]

Do traditional, if you want tablemates. Most MTDer's want to be alone...they don't enjoy tablemates and few (if any) will be willing to share a table with you.

Tablemates are the best part of a cruise, IMO! It's fun to have 'like-minded' folks to talk to! We look forward to dinner everynight, because of the "friends" we have met at dinner!

 

So, if my sister and I want to change to MTD on our Monarch cruise in September, RCI won't allow us to sit at a table for more than 2? I would like to be able to pick my time to dine but also sit with others in the dining room. This isn't possible?

[yogimax]

Some of your greatest memories will be of the strangers you meet.

 

UNLESS, the strangers are indeed "strange."

 

Actually, we've had both good and bad experiences. Met some nice people, but also a couple of "know-it-alls" who diminished the dining experience. We now prefer a table for two.

[PH8]

So, if my sister and I want to change to MTD on our Monarch cruise in September, RCI won't allow us to sit at a table for more than 2? I would like to be able to pick my time to dine but also sit with others in the dining room. This isn't possible?

Only if someone else wants to eat with strangers.....most like to dine just with their own party at MTD...