Dream headed to Europe

[BartmanLA]

But then you have the issue of people filling up their personal cups at the drink stations. Of course, there may not be self-serve drink stations after cruising restarts. Will they take someone's personal cup back to the kitchen to fill it up? I wouldn't think so.

I believe that they'll do like what they're planning for the buffet, have a CM and turn the drink station into a drink counter, you get your drink served to you by a CM, my only concern is if they remove the self service aspect, will they have the drink counter manned all the time? One thing I liked about the old way was I could go up on deck anytime of the day or night and refill my drink, if they "close" it down so CM's can get rest will that mean we'll have to pay for drinks soft drinks from Room Service like it was before? It poses a conundrum for sure. I liked the freedom of being able to get a drink when ever I wanted. I guess things are changing and we'll have to adjust, I just won't like having to pay for soft drinks from RS if they don't have anything available 24/7 as previously on cruises prior to Covid-19.

 

[Snowwhyt]

I believe that they'll do like what they're planning for the buffet, have a CM and turn the drink station into a drink counter, you get your drink served to you by a CM, my only concern is if they remove the self service aspect, will they have the drink counter manned all the time? One thing I liked about the old way was I could go up on deck anytime of the day or night and refill my drink, if they "close" it down so CM's can get rest will that mean we'll have to pay for drinks soft drinks from Room Service like it was before? It poses a conundrum for sure. I liked the freedom of being able to get a drink when ever I wanted. I guess things are changing and we'll have to adjust, I just won't like having to pay for soft drinks from RS if they don't have anything available 24/7 as previously on cruises prior to Covid-19.

Perhaps Promenade Lounge could serve from 11-6am. And add a counter for beverages and ice cream from 6am (coffee time) through 11pm so Funnel Vision and after dinner pre-bedtime beverages/ice creams could be enjoyed.

 

[o&smom]

All self serve areas got shut down about a week into the last PC cruise. Things moved along mostly normal at Cabana’s. The cast members tended to give you LARGE portions even when you asked for just a little. I felt bad wasting food. The way they handled drinks in Cabana’s was to fill your cup with what you asked for and set it on a table, and then you would pick it up off of the table. I found that interesting, but it made sense.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

The way they handled drinks in Cabana’s was to fill your cup with what you asked for

"Your" cup, as in your personal cup? Or the next disposable cup was yours and that's what they used?

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

It will be interesting also if they figure out a type of drink system goes completely touchless and safe. But to be honest I would have no issue today using those soda machines on the pool deck. Especially since Cove it seems to be more transmittable through droplets in the air anyways. And if you’re really a no you can just take a tissue to use to press the button. Or they come up with a new system where everyone gets a permanent drink mug like at the resorts that would reduce people touching touching other Paper cups.

This idea is even less sanitary than paper cups, with everyone carrying their germy cups around and then holding it under the soda fountain. I found that idea disgusting on RC. DCL has signs near the fountains to always use a new cup to get a drink. Anyone who has cruised during flu season has probably had the experience where suddenly, only a crew member can work the drink station. (This is when you know there's an outbreak onboard.) Someone is there constantly filling up cups and a table is set out, putting all of them on various trays labeled Coke, Sprite, Coke Zero, etc. You just walk up and take a cup. There are no children fumbling to get one cup out from a stack, (or adults for that matter) touching all of them in the process. This way is minimal touching and no guest touches another's cup.
On this same cruise (Feb '07) servers in Topsiders did all the serving around halfway through the cruise.

The fact that WDW still offers refillable mugs while DCL does not, tells me that they are more concerned for sanitary practices on the ships. No one in the parks gives a crap if you clean your hands before entering a restaurant. DCL started with wipes and the last time we were on the Magic (last Sept) they had added real sinks at the entry to Cabanas.
I'm guessing they will be adding more handwashing stations all over, especially near the food offerings on decks 9 or 11. I certainly would appreciate one near the ice cream stations. I wouldn't be surprised if they work these ideas into the new ships plans, rather than trying to retrofit.

 

[o&smom]

"Your" cup, as in your personal cup? Or the next disposable cup was yours and that's what they used?

No, the normal yellowish plastic cups in Cabana’s

 

[Vovin]

Magic, Dream and Fantasy at Brest.

 

[pumpkinqueen93]

But then you have the issue of people filling up their personal cups at the drink stations. Of course, there may not be self-serve drink stations after cruising restarts. Will they take someone's personal cup back to the kitchen to fill it up? I wouldn't think so.

At my job instead of refilling the souvenir bottles. They refill it in a paper cup give the cup to the guest and then the guest can pour it into their bottle. To me I feel like it's wasting more paper cups but that's the solution that my job has.

 

[KashasMom]

Well even when there is a vaccine I don't think self serve buffets will ever come back

I LOVE buffets so as long as they don't do away with them altogether, I'm good with that. Even better if someone is serving since people can be a little...gross. It will definitely slow things down though.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

At my job instead of refilling the souvenir bottles. They refill it in a paper cup give the cup to the guest and then the guest can pour it into their bottle. To me I feel like it's wasting more paper cups but that's the solution that my job has.

That's basically how it (used to) work on DCL. You were requested to use a clean cup to fill yours. Don't know if they will even still have that option when cruising returns,

 

[KashasMom]

This idea is even less sanitary than paper cups, with everyone carrying their germy cups around and then holding it under the soda fountain. I found that idea disgusting on RC. DCL has signs near the fountains to always use a new cup to get a drink.

Disney cruisers ALWAYS bring their nasty cups to refill. It's so disgusting that I want to say something. And they push the top of their Tervis Tumbler (or whatever) all the way to the top of the dispenser so that their cup touches it. UGH! You can't really believe that Disney cruisers do not do this?!! I have seen it on every single Disney cruise.

 

[KashasMom]

That's basically how it (used to) work on DCL. You were requested to use a clean cup to fill yours. Don't know if they will even still have that option when cruising returns,


View attachment 522620


View attachment 522621

If only people really did use a new cup!

 

[MomOTwins]

Was at WDW a couple weeks ago and can confirm that if you had a refillable drink mug or popcorn bucket, they would hand you a paper cup of your drink or paper popcorn container that you would then go dump into your refillable cup/bucket.

 

[brentm77]

Yes, the self serve will be gone but the buffet will remain. I was reading an article over the summer that interviewed Richard Fain (Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited). He stated their buffets will remain but they just won't have those tongs where everybody touches the same tongs to move the food onto their plate. There will be a CM who will tong the food onto your plate for you. Hopefully DCL does this too because I do not want to lose the buffet. That's good and bad news for me. Good news because we don't lose the buffet. Bad news because it's going to be really embarrassing for me to keep standing there and asking the CM to pile more shrimp on my plate. He's going to be looking at me with that look like "really dude?"

I welcome this change with or without COVID continuing. I have seen too many people licking a bit of sauce or food off their fingers between stations. It always blows me away that people can be so oblivious to that kind of thing, and it was hard not to think about when eating. I would love to not be required to touch other people's saliva to scoop up food. I will miss easily configuring my own plate (a touch of this, extra of that, mixing these two things). But the trade off is worth it.

 

[MomOTwins]

I welcome this change with or without COVID continuing. I have seen too many people licking a bit of sauce or food off their fingers between stations. It always blows me away that people can be so oblivious to that kind of thing, and it was hard not to think about when eating. I would love to not be required to touch other people's saliva to scoop up food. I will miss easily configuring my own plate (a touch of this, extra of that, mixing these two things). But the trade off is worth it.

I know: we always had a two wash rule: wash hands upon entering the restaurant, then go back to the handwash station after fixing our plates and dropping them off at the table but before eating

 

[Quellman]

Magic, Dream and Fantasy at Brest.

Do you have a source? I'd like to seek out a bigger screen size of that photo!

 

[auntlynne]

Do you have a source? I'd like to seek out a bigger screen size of that photo!

See the thread, Three Disney Ships. Photo in first post. Enjoy!

 

[Vovin]

Do you have a source? I'd like to seek out a bigger screen size of that photo!

https://www.facebook.com/inselvideo-147597668765249/

 

[BartmanLA]

Do you have a source? I'd like to seek out a bigger screen size of that photo!

Actually the Magic has returned to Dover, UK as of 2 days ago, it's supposed to come back to Brest sometime in late Sept I believe once they get the work done on the Fantasy and maybe the Dream. We'll see, she was scheduled to got to Cadiz for a refit but with the cancellation of the project to convert some Deck 8 staterooms to Concierge they have no reason to send her there, so the refresh will be done in Brest, most likely since they'll have the work crews there to do the work.

 

[Intr3pid]

Most cruise ships - not just DCL's - have been clearing out of the US and into Europe.

Besides the no-sail order, one of the reasons has been to re-provision (and repatriate the crew) as there has been more options to do so from Europe (such as in Gibraltar and Brest)- but also after CDC started color tagging each ship inside the US waters for the level of COVID-19 containment.

In the last two weeks, they have taken off to avoid the US hurricane season.