You have to make a private group or join one and then play the private group option(in multiplayer) to play with friends as it will keep you together. Only down fall is that you'll be playing alone and not in 'open' play anymore.
*Just make sure your not going into open play or nothing will change
Done all that, which is why I have tickets...we havea a private group, we "sometimes" see each other while sitting 200 m off each other's bow and then *poof*, one of use disappears!