I met someone once who had been on holiday with his wife and shared a table with an elderly gentleman who spoke often about his late wife. Thinking he had lost her recently they befriended him. One morning he came down to breakfast, placed an urn on the table and said "That's Margaret, I take her everywhere with me." He then proceded to tell the Italian waiters.

Funny enough Jay Trip the Merton hotel in Jersey was the only place I can remember sharing. Myself and my friend were in our twenties (many years ago) and they put a drunk Scots man at our table ( I think it was because we were Scottish) everyone felt sorry for us and we watched and tried to delay going in if he was there.

Linda

I would hate to share a table. I'm so glad I don't go HB anymore. We like to relax over our meal, and I would hate to feel forced into a conversation with others you may not normally have chosen to speak with. Even if the other couple feels the same- you can hardly blether away to your partner as you would on your own.
It is a good point re hotels making it clear that you will be given a shared table ( and even a sitting). I just would not book it.

Its one of the reasons we moved away from your typical Med package as invariably seemed to end up with shared tables and fixed sittings. Rediscovered the Far East and what hotels should be like in terms of service, food and facilities. Now if we do a European beach holiday we do self catering.

We have only had one half board holiday in our lives - to Ibiza 22 years ago. On that holiday we had to share our table with another couple so it's not anything new. just a case of checking what the dining arrangements are before booking

Yep defo, if I do anything other than B&B then I will check in future. (Will be doing B&B for quite a while in future just to enjoy the local food)

All of your stories have made me chuckle!

Gawd, what a nightmare
I would absolutely hate that. We like to eat when we are ready and not be told when. If we've been out all day we might have a rest and not eat to later but then again we might be starving one night and eat early. We are both sociable on holiday but under our own terms (if you know what I mean)

The twice we've been AI was to Mexico and Margarita - both were many years ago and then there were no sittings and you could sit on your own, although I now understand that both hotels now have 2 sittings for dinner and you are allocated one.

Yep, I agree puddleduck2

Half the fun of holidays are that you are not stuck to a time scale as such for anything.............. more like you are on local time - slow and relaxing.

Your/our holiday, so you just do what you want when you want because you can

This happened to us at the Hotel Phenicia in Hammamet, Tunisia. Luckily our table companions were ok, but we'd have preferred our own table!