Your thoughts -- what will dining rooms look like in this "new normal"

[Cruise frenzy]

Sure would like your thoughts about what we can expect in the dining room when we all get back to cruising.  Table sizes, distance between tables, changes in dining times to accommodate everyone, masks required for us and servers.  Would love your input!!

[cruzsnooze]

31 minutes ago, Cruise frenzy said:

Sure would like your thoughts about what we can expect in the dining room when we all get back to cruising.  Table sizes, distance between tables, changes in dining times to accommodate everyone, masks required for us and servers.  Would love your input!!

How exactly would that work in the dining room? A little flap to insert fork to mouth?

[Cruise-Crazzy]

I don't believe there will be much change.  Cruising will not resume until after the threat of COVID19 is over.  Dining is a big part of cruising and making it unpleasant would discourage people from cruising. 

[Laurie S.]

No change other than in the buffet where food will be served.

[voljeep]

take out 33.3% of the tables in the mdr - they are not used anyway due to Princess staffing shortfalls in the waitstaff

and the kitchen … just walk out of the mdr - notice all the empty tables, and then the line of people waiting to get in

or holding beepers … 

[dog]

Table for 2. Less people to touch every dinner roll in bread basket

Edited April 26, 2020 by dog

[Tak8]

There will be servers for the buffet.  No more taste testing from passengers before selecting items.  Hard to change much in the dining room, except maybe initial cruises will be number controlled, so you could leave more empty tables.  

[Shaver John]

What if the buffet became the normal place to eat, with only 5 or 6 choices and they are served by staff. Use disposable menus, salt and pepper and sugar in packages, and drinks served and silverware served with your meal. Even go as far as to have assigned timing for folks to show up and eat so not everyone would get there at 6pm.Much like the dining rooms are now, but without some of the pomp. Then the now dining rooms could be changed into Fee dining with service like in Chop Grill or Sabatinis or Curtis Stones dining room. That way you could limit the amount of diners at any time in the Fee dining and have lots of room and space for folks the buffet. I know that this would not be popular with a lot of folks, but some may find this a way to keep the prices down still have a great cruise.

[c-boy]

Wow alrighty then. Still thinking about this I'll get back to ya . 

[memoak]

40 minutes ago, Shaver John said:

What if the buffet became the normal place to eat, with only 5 or 6 choices and they are served by staff. Use disposable menus, salt and pepper and sugar in packages, and drinks served and silverware served with your meal. Even go as far as to have assigned timing for folks to show up and eat so not everyone would get there at 6pm.Much like the dining rooms are now, but without some of the pomp. Then the now dining rooms could be changed into Fee dining with service like in Chop Grill or Sabatinis or Curtis Stones dining room. That way you could limit the amount of diners at any time in the Fee dining and have lots of room and space for folks the buffet. I know that this would not be popular with a lot of folks, but some may find this a way to keep the prices down still have a great cruise.

This would make me stop cruising unless the cruise was free.  The buffet food is terrible compared to the MDR

[Potstech]

The uproar heard if the MDR became a fee service would be heard in Antartica. Same thing if reservations were required.  And the buffet could not handle the increase in diners with other suggestions being made. Cruise lines would have to triple the complaint department onboard and at HQ. 

[Shmoo here]

5 hours ago, Shaver John said:

and have lots of room and space for folks the buffet.

I've not see a buffet with "lots of room and space" during dining hours.  

[Expat Cruise]

When they first start sailing again the ships will only be about half full. Read several reports saying this and interviews with management from the big three. If the ship is at 50% guests they can spread out in the dinning room. And after this is over, which will happen it will go back to normal.