Expected changes when cruises resume

[Lilsia]

Honestly I think it should be a request to actually sit with other families and single rooms or shared reservations seated together should be the norm. Our worst experiences during dinners have been when we had tablemates. I always disliked feeling the need to make small talk with the other family. If you have your own table and happen to strike up a conversation with another table to me that is different because it is optional. When you share a table with others it would be considered rude to ignore them and just talk to your own family. This is from an introverts prospective who is a wall hugger during social events

It is not considered rude. I have been on 9 Disney cruises and some families we talk to, but most we say "hi" and then chat among ourselves. I don't think that anyone considers it rude to talk among yourselves after the initial greeting. In fact, most of the time, the other family shows up later and we are on a different course by the time they come in. Communal tables are not a new invention and are standard in many other countries. The feeling of awkwardness is mostly from the countries, like America, that are not used to it.

 

[Lilsia]

1. We are two people usually seated at a table for six. It’s fun to meet fellow cruisers and have dinner mates to chat with. However, we may consider requesting a private table next time. I wonder if these requests will increase and if the dining rooms will be able to accommodate them?

You spend the whole cruise next to people, the pool deck chairs are inches away from each other, the theater seats, the bars, clubs, etc. There is no social distancing on a cruise ship. People need to take more personal responsibility for their health, starting with actually washing your hands often. The 30+ years of working in food service has shown me that people are disgusting and will come into the restaurant after having touched their car door, the door to the building, the menu, the table, and who know what else, etc, etc, and start eating without washing their hands. Don't touch your food after you have touched every surface possible on the way there without washing your hands. And how many people come home(or their stateroom, hotel room) and go about their way and not wash their hands? We have always come home, take off our shoes at the door, and wash our hands before going further into the house. Same with hotel rooms. We don't bring the outside in with us.

 

[cgolf]

It is not considered rude. I have been on 9 Disney cruises and some families we talk to, but most we say "hi" and then chat among ourselves. I don't think that anyone considers it rude to talk among yourselves after the initial greeting. In fact, most of the time, the other family shows up later and we are on a different course by the time they come in. Communal tables are not a new invention and are standard in many other countries. The feeling of awkwardness is mostly from the countries, like America, that are not used to it.

I wish I had known this, because we always tried to make small talk and they did too. Now that I am mid 40s, the dining rooms are tough for me to hear in, too many voices to filter one out, so I have a built in excuse

The most interesting we had was when we sailed without our daughter on the Dream and we were seated on a 6 top with two other couples and we ended up in the middle lol. Since It was a shorter cruise, they must have done the upcharge dining or buffet because all 6 of us were never at the table together again. Either that or we were really bad table mates which is another thread somewhere on here.

 

[dmask]

Interesting topic. The logistics of cruising without a vaccine being available seem impossible. Even then will enough people get the vaccine. Social distancing becomes the norm till then? Do ships reduce capacity for short term, would it even be possible or profitable. Many islands being dependent on the cruise industry would probably open. Cruise lines issue warnings similar to other health issue notices. If passengers appear symptomatic onboard would a cruise port even allow disembarkation? I love to travel and enjoy cruising - having a cruise scheduled for December this year - I will cancel, but have been holding out due to long holds, maybe some wishful thinking too.

 

[n2mm]

I wonder if B2b cruises will be changed. I know that caused some virus problems on a few cruise lines. It may nit even be allowed for awhile, but if so, I’m sure we’ll have to get retested for illness/fever

 

[vegs1]

I hope maritime law will change to allow cruise ships in crisis mode to dock where they need to. I find it incomprehensible that ships are not allowed to dock. People need care. They are sick. They need food. Yes, it may add to the numbers but I’d like there to be a humanitarian side to this where people come first.

 

[GeneralTso]

OMG--the mere thought of a buffet?

 

[braysmommy]

Doesn’t matter seating arrangement in the dining room. Think of how many people are within 10 ft of any table configuration. I’d be worrying about door handles, chairs, elevators, tables and solid surfaces ect

 

[FigmentSpark]

I wonder if B2b cruises will be changed. I know that caused some virus problems on a few cruise lines. It may nit even be allowed for awhile, but if so, I’m sure we’ll have to get retested for illness/fever

I didn't hear any of that. What happened?

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

Doesn’t matter seating arrangement in the dining room. Think of how many people are within 10 ft of any table configuration.

Bread is shared at each table, so that is a common surface that would be avoided if people had private tables. Plus, the virus doesn't travel 10 feet. I'm definitely safer from someone coughing at another table than if he's sitting right next to me.

 

[Chica1581]

OMG--the mere thought of a buffet?

I think self-service at buffets will no longer be allowed. I assume they will have staff serve items including beverages at the soda stations.

 

[oceanbec]

I wonder if B2b cruises will be changed. I know that caused some virus problems on a few cruise lines. It may nit even be allowed for awhile, but if so, I’m sure we’ll have to get retested for illness/fever

What is the difference between doing a B2B vs any longer cruise? Why/how would B2B cause virus problems?

 

[CampbellzSoup]

2. When doing the muster drills we will NOT be on top of each other.

3. The pirate fireworks and deck parties might have a bit more distance between them...

4. The movie theater and big theater will need more distance between them...

5. Lines for characters will need more distance the handing off of your phone to cast members will be over. They don’t want your germy phones and it will spread the disease easier....

 

[hogie1]

Doesn’t matter seating arrangement in the dining room. Think of how many people are within 10 ft of any table configuration. I’d be worrying about door handles, chairs, elevators, tables and solid surfaces ect

What if they turn Cabanas into a "4th Restaurant" for the evening rotation? Perhaps that would thin the herd so to speak, then they could reduce the size of the tables to all seat 2 people, but have the ability to move them around/together for families/cabinmates. It's Disney, they have Imagineers..... they can work to solve these issues!

 

[gotomu212]

It is not considered rude. I have been on 9 Disney cruises and some families we talk to, but most we say "hi" and then chat among ourselves. I don't think that anyone considers it rude to talk among yourselves after the initial greeting. In fact, most of the time, the other family shows up later and we are on a different course by the time they come in. Communal tables are not a new invention and are standard in many other countries. The feeling of awkwardness is mostly from the countries, like America, that are not used to it.

I think this is subjective. When assigned to a group table for the duration of a cruise I would think it was a little rude to talk amongst yourselves and not engage your tablemates. Everyone has different perceptions of rudeness but in all my shared cruising tables we’ve never had people that did not talk with us, and our servers have always waited for the whole table to arrive before taking orders.

Communal tables, where you are not seated together for every dinner, are different to me. I don’t mean to imply you‘re rude just pushing back on your statement that no one would consider this rude.

 

[Melissa S]

I think this is subjective. When assigned to a group table for the duration of a cruise I would think it was a little rude to talk amongst yourselves and not engage your tablemates. Everyone has different perceptions of rudeness but in all my shared cruising tables we’ve never had people that did not talk with us, and our servers have always waited for the whole table to arrive before taking orders.

Communal tables, where you are not seated together for every dinner, are different to me. I don’t mean to imply you‘re rude just pushing back on your statement that no one would consider this rude.

This is exactly why I request a private table every single time. I work a lot of hours and have young children so I look forward to the family time on the cruise. I don’t want to spend thousands of dollars to feel obligated to make small talk with strangers. All the power to those that do. My parents on the other hand love tablemates when they cruise. I have had our requests honored all but one cruise. That cruise we started to walk to the table and when we saw table mates we turned around and started to leave. I explained to the headwaiter it wasn’t fair to the nice people at that table either to pair them with someone who didn’t want tablemates. “Magically” there was a solo table for us.

 

[MomOTwins]

What is the difference between doing a B2B vs any longer cruise? Why/how would B2B cause virus problems?

Do B2B cruisers have to go through health screening twice? If not, I could see how it might be an issue--i.e., someone gets sick on cruise #1, stays on board for cruise #2, infecting two cruises instead of one.

As for "table distancing" I don't think it would matter. Your server is still going table to table, so if another group is sick, he can be a vector for the disease even if you aren't sitting at the same table as the sick person.

 

[tvguy]

I really don't expect any changes. The cruise industry has been dealing with things like norovirus literally for decades.

 

[FightingIrishman]

Do B2B cruisers have to go through health screening twice? If not, I could see how it might be an issue--i.e., someone gets sick on cruise #1, stays on board for cruise #2, infecting two cruises instead of one.

As for "table distancing" I don't think it would matter. Your server is still going table to table, so if another group is sick, he can be a vector for the disease even if you aren't sitting at the same table as the sick person.

When you do B2B you get off the ship and have to check in again all over again. Everything is redone a second time, except taking your luggage off the ship and Disney security.

 

[Lilsia]

I think this is subjective. When assigned to a group table for the duration of a cruise I would think it was a little rude to talk amongst yourselves and not engage your tablemates. Everyone has different perceptions of rudeness but in all my shared cruising tables we’ve never had people that did not talk with us, and our servers have always waited for the whole table to arrive before taking orders.

Communal tables, where you are not seated together for every dinner, are different to me. I don’t mean to imply you‘re rude just pushing back on your statement that no one would consider this rude.

We have never had to wait for everyone to arrive at the table to begin our ordering process. Almost all of the cruises that we have been on, one group was extremely late every night. One group thought that it was open seating to come in any time during that time frame. I am not waiting, or having my hungry kids wait for rude people. I think it is rude not to acknowledge the others as they come in, but I really don't think that most people expect to keep up a running conversation with the rest of the table the whole meal. It is awkward to talk past everyone anyway. Plus you are EATING. Maybe we have always sat with other families that think like we do and are happy to talk mostly among themselves. I really, truly believe that any awkwardness that anyone feels is self imposed. And I would never think that someone is rude if they want to just talk to their family during dinner and not talk to me. I don't need that kind of validation.