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

[monarchsfan16]

I think that will meet with a good bit of resistance. Loading up your own plate is part of the appeal.

And I have to wonder how cafeteria-style will impact the breakfast and lunch crowds. Unless they double or triple the Cabanas staffing, I’m thinking it’s a lot quicker to serve yourself than wait for a CM to serve you.

They were already switching to cafeteria style anytime there was a known stomach bug on the ship. My first cruise was the 2016 norovirus cruise on the Wonder. They were incredibly efficient and it did not take away from the experience at all.

 

[mevelandry]

The only social distancing measure I can see myself enjoying is a half-full ship. Anything that would enhance my cruise would flow naturally from that reduced capacity.

Chair-hogging on the pool deck, seat-saving in the theaters, “kid soup” in the family pool, lines for the AquaDuck, getting a Cabana on CC - those are all of my normal issues, and all would be alleviated.

But if a ship is sailing half-full, I suppose that would mean other things are in place, like masks, no buffets and maybe curtailing of youth activities. If those measures were in effect, we’d rather not sail.

Odd as it may seem, for all that DCL has to offer, Cabanas is a primary draw for my kids. Like, when you ask them what they are most looking forward to on our next cruise, “Cabanas” is always in the Top 3, if not #1. It’d be a huge buzz-kill for them to sail without that buffet.

Our next cruise is not until May ‘22, so

I think Cabanas will always be there. Probably not self-serve, but it's still an amazing option.

 

[mevelandry]

Our last cruise Feb 2020 they were very on top of not letting people through till they washed hands or wipe ( when it got more busy).

So it must have improved since our last DCL cruise in 2017. Good.

 

[mevelandry]

I think that will meet with a good bit of resistance. Loading up your own plate is part of the appeal.

And I have to wonder how cafeteria-style will impact the breakfast and lunch crowds. Unless they double or triple the Cabanas staffing, I’m thinking it’s a lot quicker to serve yourself than wait for a CM to serve you.

It looks like we are going to have to let go of some things, unfortunately.

 

[mevelandry]

On our Celebrity Cruise in October 2019 the muster drill was all in the dining rooms and theaters and a video presenation. No more outdoor drill and no brining the life jackets from your cabin. That would be easy tos social distance. They would just have to make sure there are big screen TVs in the dining rooms and theaters to play the video

I've had inside drill many times and it was certainly nicer than being outside. However, the goal here is to make sure to avoid assembly. That being said, it was already part of the plans to make them happen "in-room". I think the pandemic is simply forcing them to make it a reality sooner than expected.

 

[jlwhitney]

It looks like we are going to have to let go of some things, unfortunately.

Buffets will be back, having other serve the stuff is inefficient and causes other problems. Even Ruby Tuesday has their salad bar back and has been for months, they have gloves they make you use.

 

[mevelandry]

Buffets will be back, having other serve the stuff is inefficient and causes other problems. Even Ruby Tuesday has their salad bar back and has been for months, they have gloves they make you use.

Gloves could be an option... However that option is less safe than having a trained crew member serving your food.

Remember that during that time, we'll be sailing at reduced capacity, which means less guests. I don't think service will be that bad.

 

[Matrix21]

In my personnal opinion, here are the changes i'd like them to adopt :

- Enforce the "potty trained" babies in the pools.
- more private MDR tables
- Hand sanitizing reinforcement before eating

Other than that, as long as the masks and 6ft apart is gone, i'll be willing to cruise again.

EDIT : Buffets with CMs that are serving us instead would be good too.

 

[squirk]

It looks like we are going to have to let go of some things, unfortunately.

I don’t doubt that cafeteria-style is on the table (no pun intended), at least out of necessity in the short term, but I’m not convinced it will stick once a sizable percentage of the population is vaccinated. There’s just too much going on in there for everything to be served to you.

I don’t like cafeteria-style, so I fully admit to a bias in my opinion.

 

[squirk]

They were already switching to cafeteria style anytime there was a known stomach bug on the ship. My first cruise was the 2016 norovirus cruise on the Wonder. They were incredibly efficient and it did not take away from the experience at all.

In six cruises, I’ve never experienced cafeteria-style in Cabanas, so I will take you at your word that it was efficient and didn’t take away from the experience. It just seems like on a busy Bahamian or Caribbean sailing, it’d be crazy-making if everything had to be served to you during the breakfast and lunch rushes.

Salad bar? Condiments? Ice cream toppings? Oatmeal/muesli with all of the add-ins? That sounds like an efficiency nightmare if you have to ask a CM to do all of that for you vs. doing it yourself.

I was on one of the last Wonder sailings in late Feb., before they got shut down, and it was still 100% self-serve in Cabanas. However, they were very strict about using the hand-washing stations before you entered the buffet.

Oddly, no heightened hygiene procedures before entering Palo, which was also still self-serve.

Honestly, installment and strict enforcement of use of washing stations is something they should have been doing years ago.

Use the “car-wash” machines like they have in the kids clubs, and if anyone is too much of a lazy-*** or an entitled jerk to hold their hands in those machines for 20 seconds, then they don’t get into the buffet, period.

Make it a hard and fast rule (accommodating special situations, of course) and make it crystal clear to people before they book so no one can say they didn’t know. And empower the CMs to not back down if someone tries to barrel past them without using the machines.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

In my personnal opinion, here are the changes i'd like them to adopt :

- Enforce the "potty trained" babies in the pools.
- more private MDR tables
- Hand sanitizing reinforcement before eating

Other than that, as long as the masks and 6ft apart is gone, i'll be willing to cruise again.

EDIT : Buffets with CMs that are serving us instead would be good too.

These two bolded things don't really mesh.

I don't understand how a private table is going to be protective against exposure, if tables are within inches of each other.

 

[squirk]

These two bolded things don't really mesh.

I don't understand how a private table is going to be protective against exposure, if tables are within inches of each other.

I guess if sailing at reduced capacity? Maybe?

But on a full sailing? I think you are quite right. Separate tables are not going to do much in terms of social distancing.

Prime example: Enchanted Garden on Dream-class ships. People are cheek-to-jowl in there, even when at separate tables.

 

[Matrix21]

These two bolded things don't really mesh.

I don't understand how a private table is going to be protective against exposure, if tables are within inches of each other.

I should have said "more private tables for those who wants it"
Sometimes i like the social interaction during dinner, but on some other times i don't lol

Current measures are hand washing, masks and social distancing. As long as the masks and social distancing are gone, i'll be willing to cruise or travel again.

 

[AquaDame]

Buffets will be back, having other serve the stuff is inefficient and causes other problems. Even Ruby Tuesday has their salad bar back and has been for months, they have gloves they make you use.

All that extra trash at sea... are the gloves paper or otherwise burnable/compostable?

 

[DisneYE]

In my personnal opinion, here are the changes i'd like them to adopt :

- Enforce the "potty trained" babies in the pools.
- more private MDR tables
- Hand sanitizing reinforcement before eating

Other than that, as long as the masks and 6ft apart is gone, i'll be willing to cruise again.

EDIT : Buffets with CMs that are serving us instead would be good too.

Basic, minimal adjustments that I agree but I would add:

- Enforce the "potty trained" babies in the pools. - No babies in family pool, no swim diapers. Only 6 and up.
- more private MDR tables - Make them all private. At least until the pandemic is a thing of the past
- Hand sanitizing reinforcement before eating - Totally
EDIT : Buffets with CMs that are serving us instead would be good too. - I'm cool with that but why not give those paper-y disposable gloves they have at the WholeFoods food bars. Also, only adults allowed to self serve (kids are not as mindful about washing hands/distancing)

 

[squirk]

Current measures are hand washing, masks and social distancing. As long as the masks and social distancing are gone, i'll be willing to cruise or travel again.

They’ve got to put some teeth behind the hand-washing policy. How many times have you seen people brusquely refuse a wipe when entering Cabanas and the CM doesn’t say a word in order to prevent a “scene”?

DCL needs to come to grips with the fact that some people are going to act like *******s about this, and “scenes” may be necessary to get guests to realize that Disney really means it this time.

 

[Matrix21]

They’ve got to put some teeth behind the hand-washing policy. How many times have you see people brusquely refuse a wipe when entering Cabanas and the CM doesn’t say a word in order to prevent a “scene”?

DCL needs to come to grips with the fact that some people are going to act like *******s about this, and “scenes” may be necessary to get guests to realize that Disney really means it this time.

True. Hand sanitizing must be non-negociable now.
it basically takes an extra 10sec out of our vacation !

 

[Matrix21]

Basic, minimal adjustments that I agree but I would add:

- Enforce the "potty trained" babies in the pools. - No babies in family pool, no swim diapers. Only 6 and up.
- more private MDR tables - Make them all private. At least until the pandemic is a thing of the past
- Hand sanitizing reinforcement before eating - Totally
EDIT : Buffets with CMs that are serving us instead would be good too. - I'm cool with that but why not give those paper-y disposable gloves they have at the WholeFoods food bars. Also, only adults allowed to self serve (kids are not as mindful about washing hands/distancing)

- more private MDR tables - Make them all private. At least until the pandemic is a thing of the past

i'd love that, IMHO.
but they would need to "re imagine" all MDR...or instead of allowing 6000 people onboard, make it 5000 ? Again...loss of revenue for Disney Co.

 

[tvguy]

Buffets will be back, having other serve the stuff is inefficient and causes other problem

Hasn't been an issue the last 20 years, Most cruise lines have had plenty of staff to serve folks at the buffet when norovirus issues come up.

 

[mevelandry]

In six cruises, I’ve never experienced cafeteria-style in Cabanas, so I will take you at your word that it was efficient and didn’t take away from the experience. It just seems like on a busy Bahamian or Caribbean sailing, it’d be crazy-making if everything had to be served to you during the breakfast and lunch rushes.

Salad bar? Condiments? Ice cream toppings? Oatmeal/muesli with all of the add-ins? That sounds like an efficiency nightmare if you have to ask a CM to do all of that for you vs. doing it yourself.
(...)

They might reduce the food offer a little bit... or add more staff to make sure the service is fast enough.

I’ll come back to what I said earlier. There will be change. At this point, we have to be open minded and trust them... or we rebook for 2022 or 2023, hoping things might come back to what they were. But it’s important to remember that they might never be the same.