On our Prima cruise this past summer, the first time we went to the MDR I mentioned that on the sea day between Norway and Iceland it would be our wedding anniversary. When on land we try to go to a restaurant on water, and could we for that night reserve a table overlooking the ocean? I was told the tables were first come, first serve and other than coming in at 5:30 when they opened, that was not an option. But on that day when we went to the MDR and said it was our wedding anniversary, they sat us at a table bordering the window overlooking the ocean.
I have trouble imagining what you could have done to always get a "bad" table.