Social distancing on a cruise: what changes would you actually enjoy?

[Husker Mike]

I do suspect that room service might become a more encouraged option to help with social distancing in the dining rooms. Sitting on the veranda for a sunset meal sounds like a nice option.

 

[jane01jp]

I've seen tons of toddlers in the family pool bc mommy wants to get in the pool too....and even a few cases of toddlers getting the in main pool with swim diapers with brown stuff seeping from the sides.

Ugh! Isn't there already a rule against that?

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Make the family pools (goody, Donald pools) totally off limits to toddlers.
Toddlers have their own kiddy pool and aqua lab so they shouldn't let them in the family pool.. I've seen tons of toddlers in the family pool bc mommy wants to get in the pool too....and even a few cases of toddlers getting the in main pool with swim diapers with brown stuff seeping from the sides.
Toddlers also tend to be efficient carriers of the flu, and lack awareness about coughing and covering their mouths.

So, strictly enforce no toddlers in the family pool.
I'd even make it 12 and up only as pre-teens are more aware and disciplined.

This is really gross. They should be enforcing this already. One baby could get hundreds of other passengers sick. Some CMs are really afraid of confrontation and that's too bad because it ruins the experience for others whose opinions are just as important. We first started cruising when our kids were 4 & 7. Now they're 20 & 24. It was a loooong time before we could go relax at the the adult pool or adult beach, or even just close our eyes in a chair near the pool.
Some parents are just too selfish to consider others around them.

I think age 12 as a pool requirement for a family-focused cruise line is a bit steep though.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Ugh! Isn't there already a rule against that?

Ummmm......yes.

And, once it happens, they have to close the pool, drain it, sanitize, and refill. Effectively closing said pool for at least a day.

The was the first (sea)day on our Hawaii cruise:

 

[Disneyland_emily]

The dining rooms are so nice and quiet during lunch time. We loved our experience. But indeed, the menu was different. Would you want the entertainment as well?

yup! I’d want the full experience just at like 1/130. Then we could grab a burger or sandwich before/after showtime if we were still hungry.

 

[tvguy]

But even before the pandemic, this has faded on a number of other cruise lines with large ships as they move more towards the concept of choice dining. Now people can choose outside their main dining rotation which dining they want and at different times which takes away the traditional MDR social interaction. Disney is much slower in moving away from that. Part of that likely is do to limited space on Disney ships. The dining rooms are full as it is. But the pandemic may force some changes here. And those changes may be permanent.

I think Disney's business model is probably more profitable. Their extra cost dining options are often sold out. Other lines have overbuild extra cost dining rooms and underbuilt in my experience. On our last cruise in October 2019 on Celebrity, you couldn't enter the no extra cost dining rooms and buffet without passing someone asking you if you to sign up for extra cost dining. By Wednesday of a Sunday to Sunday cruise, they had people at lunch time going by every table giving the sales pitch for extra cost dining, for HALF OFF. Our main dining room staff were the ones that told us the main dining rooms had turned out to be much more popular that the cruise line expected when they designed the ship.
On our last HAL cruise they actually waved the fee on the lower cost extra cost restaurant a couple of nights.
Then there is Freestyle Dining. Our first night on NCL, we waited 90 minutes for a table "freestyle", You could make reservations for the entire week ahead for the extra cost dining rooms, but only 24 hours in advance for the included dining. So when we arrive for dinner one night, we made the next night's reservation, and we latched on to a server team. It made it a much more enjoyable cruise, but we had to work around the Freestyle system to make it work.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Putting families together during dining has always been a traditional staple of cruising. It forces the social interaction that has been part of cruising that some people actually do look forward to. But even before the pandemic, this has faded on a number of other cruise lines with large ships as they move more towards the concept of choice dining. Now people can choose outside their main dining rotation which dining they want and at different times which takes away the traditional MDR social interaction. Disney is much slower in moving away from that. Part of that likely is do to limited space on Disney ships. The dining rooms are full as it is. But the pandemic may force some changes here. And those changes may be permanent.

I can't imagine having young children and trying to find a reservation for a group of 6 or 8 or having a long wait to be seated with little ones. I like that we know we have a table waiting for us, our servers remember our names, and by day 2 they have glasses of ice tea waiting for us as well. If we feel like staying late at the pool, or have a late excursion, we'll just eat at Cabana's. No big deal. I hope they never switch to freestyle. One of the appealing parts of cruising is that we don't have to do all the planning for reservations like you do for WDW.

 

[Malestrom Troll]

One thing I've thought about is the elevator situation especially after the muster drill. I don't want to see 80 year olds trying to climb 10 floors of stairs to get to the deck party.

 

[CamColt]

I would like private tables in the MDR to become the norm.

Yes! While we request it and usually get it, a couple of time we did not.

 

[deliela999]

Ummmm......yes.

And, once it happens, they have to close the pool, drain it, sanitize, and refill. Effectively closing said pool for at least a day.

The was the first (sea)day on our Hawaii cruise:
View attachment 550568

View attachment 550569

It was extra bad to take out one day of a 3 night cruise. One of the lifeguards told me that's why it was closed and completely covered in netting.

 

[Cheburashka]

One thing I've thought about is the elevator situation especially after the muster drill. I don't want to see 80 year olds trying to climb 10 floors of stairs to get to the deck party.

Elevators have to stay open because there will always be those who will need them. When we stayed at Four Seasons Orlando, they had designated markers on the elevator floor to indicate how to space people out, plus they had someone stationed in the main lobby to operate the elevator (push the buttons, etc.) I could imagine DCL doing that. Another thing they could do to minimize elevator crowding could be to require that all bags over a small size be handled by DCL both ways, so there aren't so many families trying to take the elevators with all of their gear at embarkation and disembarkation.

But at the end of the day, a major capacity cut will be needed to reduce crowding in elevators and elsewhere. And personally, given that the mass vaccination campaign has already started, I expect DCL to wait it out until most Americans have had the chance to be vaccinated, so the rules won't have to be so strict onboard.

 

[DisneYE]

Ugh! Isn't there already a rule against that?

there are rules about not wearing swim diapers but ppl ignore them and as princesshmoo said below, CMs are too scared to enforce them. I've seen the family pool closed so many times due to babies/toddlers peeing/number2 on them its infuriating. they literally steal time and enjoyment from older kids and families. It's so outrageous.
And entitled mommies get upset when you tell them something..
I only once told a mom her baby had brown stuff leaking from the diaper & she started yelling and telling me she would sue me...lol.. for what? talking? I wish the term Karen was known then. I'd have said OK Karen..She was a Karen gone wild.

Anyway, ppl are so entitled and crazed about their babies it's dangerous to approach them. I've since only tell CMs but as mentioned, they're scared to upset entitled mommies.

Hopefully the pandemic will bring stronger enforcement about absolutely no swim diapers, babies or toddlers at the family pools. It is well known number2 carries Covid molecular material so it could become a major problem..
Sanitation in general needs to be improved dramatically. I'm sure DCL will do that.

 

[DisneYE]

This is really gross. They should be enforcing this already. One baby could get hundreds of other passengers sick. Some CMs are really afraid of confrontation and that's too bad because it ruins the experience for others whose opinions are just as important. We first started cruising when our kids were 4 & 7. Now they're 20 & 24. It was a loooong time before we could go relax at the the adult pool or adult beach, or even just close our eyes in a chair near the pool.
Some parents are just too selfish to consider others around them.

I think age 12 as a pool requirement for a family-focused cruise line is a bit steep though.

What upsets me a lot more than the dangers of toxic material on the pool and the entitled ppl is the time that is taken away from older kids and their parents... the majority of kids sailing DCL look forward to quality time in/around the pool with their families. And that's taken away from them due to selfish parent's and lenient CMs.. it's a huge pet peeve of mine when cruising...a lot more than lounge hustlers/huggers..
I don't exaggerate when I say I've seen the family pool closed at least 1/4 of the time when we've cruised. And you know what's the reason: kids p** in the pool and the need to thoroughly disinfect.

 

[jane01jp]

Hopefully the pandemic will bring stronger enforcement about absolutely no swim diapers, babies or toddlers at the family pools. It is well known number2 carries Covid molecular material so it could become a major problem..

I am sure that COVID will bring stronger enforcement - if not from DCL, then from the other passengers.

 

[Cheburashka]

Ugh! Isn't there already a rule against that?

Yes, but some parents couldn't care less because it's all about their own personal vacation. That said, we've been on 6 Disney cruises and have been fortunate enough to have only seen the pool shut down one time.

 

[tvguy]

they're rules about not wearing swim diapers but ppl ignore them and as princesshmoo said below, CMs are too scared to enforce them. I've seen the family pool closed so many times due to babies/toddlers peeing/number2 on them its infuriating. they literally steal time and enjoyment from older kids and families. It's so outrageous.
And entitled mommies get upset when you tell them something..
I only once told a mom her baby had brown stuff leaking from the diaper & she started yelling and telling me she would sue me...lol.. for what? talking?

There was a common term on the DIS cruise forum when I started lurking in 2002 for swim diapers that seems to have faded away. Fecal tea bag.

 

[jane01jp]

Yes, but some parents couldn't care less because it's all about their own personal vacation. That said, we've been on 6 Disney cruises and have been fortunate enough to have only seen the pool shut down one time.

Our youngest is 22, so it's been awhile since we were at the family pools. What I see most at the adult pool is chair hogging. It is almost never enforced. I try to go by around 9:00 a.m. and I can almost always get a chair. I stay for about an hour, and then let someone else put their stuff on it for the day.

 

[jane01jp]

Fecal tea bag.

That's a new one for me. Hard to forget.

 

[dobball23]

I'm with you when I am traveling with my spouse and/or other family members. I like the table mates. In 2019, I travelled with my spouse on back-to-back double dippers. We had great table mates, including lots of Disney cast members, a flight attendant from California and several lovely couples.

We like having tablemates as well. We've made some great friends, and it is an outstanding way to have more social interaction with other Guests throughout the voyage. I hope this continues to be an option, which will likely make it an even better experience, because only those people who want to have tablemates would.

 

[amyamya]

We've enjoyed meeting other families at shared tables and still keep in touch via social media, but the idea of having a meal on the verandah sounds wonderful! I think we will be seeing more to-go and delivery options for food, especially to replace the buffet. Pete mentioned on a recent pod that he doesn't think buffets will come back in any form, and I am personally ok with that. The issue arises how to feed all those people!