How will X handle COVID era dinner?

[cl.klink]

Blu is a small room with tables close to each other. Luminae has tables spaced more, but many not 6' and a small room.  MDR has lots of folks and lots of not 6' distance.  If tables are more spread out, fewer people can sit at once, and not sure that will be balanced by smaller numbers of passengers per sailing.  So, once cruises start, what do you think will be done?  More seatings?  Reservations in Blu and Luminae?  Which dining room (MDR, Blu, Luminae) will be "safest"?  What will your plan of attack, come dinner time?

 

- Joel

Edited October 10, 2020 by cl.klink

[cruisestitch]

Isn’t the larger question, will the cruise lines sail at 100% capacity? If they aren’t at 100% then the dining rooms may be perfectly adequate for the number of diners they will allow on board

Edited October 10, 2020 by cruisestitch

[cl.klink]

Just now, cruisestitch said:

Is it the larger question, will the cruise lines sale at 100% capacity? If they aren’t at 100% then the dining rooms may be perfectly adequate for the number of diners they will allow on board

 

Yeah, but, I wonder ...

 

- Joel

[garyl62]

Overall I'd say the OP has a legitimate question, and granted, we don't know how they will limit capacity, but the idea of limiting inside and ocean view cabins has a lot of believers.  Additionally a lot of people have expressed the the idea of filling suites and "other high end balcony cabins" so if those logics are followed, the MDR could be fine, but Luminae and Blu could require some changes.

 

I'll be the quick to say though, this is just speculation, none of us know how they will handle capacity restraints or what distance requirement will be implemented so really, like most threads nowadays, there are no right or wrong answers

[MSTEG]

I wonder what MSC is doing in their dining rooms right now on their Italy cruises.  That might give us a hint at what X will be doing when they startup.

[Essiesmom]

Relieve pressure on Blu by restricting suite guests to Luminae.  EM

[RICCruisers]

15 minutes ago, MSTEG said:

I wonder what MSC is doing in their dining rooms right now on their Italy cruises.  That might give us a hint at what X will be doing when they startup.

 

If you read the trip report from miaminice you will see the ship only had about 400 people which was at 30% capacity. No problem spreading people out at meals. That was a TUI Cruise not MSC. 

Edited October 10, 2020 by RICCruisers

[K.T.B.]

1 hour ago, cruisestitch said:

Isn’t the larger question, will the cruise lines sail at 100% capacity? If they aren’t at 100% then the dining rooms may be perfectly adequate for the number of diners they will allow on board

 

My suspicion is they will not sail at 100% capacity.  At most it'll be 75%, but possibly as low as 60%. That way they can easily separate people in the dining room.  No more large groups at tables though.

[jelayne]

2 hours ago, K.T.B. said:

 

My suspicion is they will not sail at 100% capacity.  At most it'll be 75%, but possibly as low as 60%. That way they can easily separate people in the dining room.  No more large groups at tables though.

I would speculate for the first 6-8 sailings per ship it would be closer to 40-50% capacity and initially there may be assigned dining times in all venues except the OV. 

[ipeeinthepool]

I doubt that they will reduce the number of guests in Suites or Aqua Class because these categories are much more profitable.  My guess would be that with reduced capacity they will close some of the specialty restaurants and convert them to Suite dining or Blu.

[shipgeeks]

Seating only with one's travel companion(s).  Non-adjacent tables.

[Cruise a holic]

9 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

Relieve pressure on Blu by restricting suite guests to Luminae.  EM

Since I do not think suite passengers will dine in Blu- perhaps a handful might try, I do not think this is a valid solution.  My DH and I do dine in Luminae and also dine in sp restaurants- Used to dine in Blu when AQ first started and found it cramped so we elevated our experience to suite dining and sp restaurants only for dinner and the grill for lunch.  

 

 

[emmas gran]

9 hours ago, MSTEG said:

I wonder what MSC is doing in their dining rooms right now on their Italy cruises.  That might give us a hint at what X will be doing when they startup.

This is a link to a cruise on MSC in Sept, Petra has done a comprehensive view and answered questions

 

[4774Papa]

Another issue onboard during COVID crisis without a vaccine is the ability to use the elevator.

 

On most cruises, my wife and and don't use the elevators unless we have to go up more than 3 floors.  We try to burn some calories.

Still, every time we use the elevators they are crowded.   We see many use the elevator for one floor.

 

Will the elevators be restricted to only those with physical limitations and can't climb stairs?   Hard to get social distancing in an elevator.

[miched]

48 minutes ago, 4774Papa said:

 

 

Will the elevators be restricted to only those with physical limitations and can't climb stairs?   Hard to get social distancing in an elevator.

They will only have service in every other elevator.  🤗😱

 

happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[wrk2cruise]

On TUI it was reported 4 person max per elevator.   That's similar to what we see locally, very restricted occupancy.  I'm expecting to be using the stairs almost exclusively and planning my deck choice accordingly.

[bouhunter]

12 hours ago, cruisestitch said:

Isn’t the larger question, will the cruise lines sail at 100% capacity? If they aren’t at 100% then the dining rooms may be perfectly adequate for the number of diners they will allow on board

For at least the first 2-3 months it's likely only the diehard addicts will choose to mask up and go on highly restrictive cruises.  I suspect they'll easily sail at greatly reduced occupancy rates.

[miched]

How will they sail at 50 to 60 % if the ships are already almost full and still have those sailing listed to book?  

Do you think they are anticIpating that many will cancel, take the FCC,  or L &S ? 
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅
 

 

[jelayne]

6 minutes ago, miched said:

How will they sail at 50 to 60 % if the ships are already almost full and still have those sailing listed to book?  

Do you think they are anticIpating that many will cancel, take the FCC,  or L &S ? 
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅
 

 

There are many on here with bookings who have been adamant that if masks, only ships tours & no widely available vaccine they won’t sail. That will free up a bunch of cabins 😉.  
 

Looking at available cabins showing on-line May not be a accurate indicator.  It is possible that some vacant cabins are blocked from sale to achieve a reduced  occupancy.   

[wrk2cruise]

I looked at the 1/4/2021 sailing which just past final payment.   All suites have been booked for most of the time the sailing has been open for bookings.   When I checked yesterday there was 1 S1, 3 CS, 2 RS, 2 PH booked, the rest were all available.  I didn't check S2.   Also looked at A1 and C1 and those had over 50% openings as well.

 

I think many are making other arrangements prior to final payment at least until Celebrity publishes it's plans and protocols for restarting.

 

I also think they are supposed to restart with very short cruises with private islands (or very limited stops) I believe they will cancel everything and open a set of new itineraries at least for the first month or 2.  Only my opinion but seems that was the way TUI and MSC started.

 

Now after a couple of months where I still think they will need to sail with reduced capacity but may be allowing longer sailings I don't know if the situation will handle itself naturally due to restrictions.   If they don't allow inside or oceanview cabins that may cause some forced cancellations (or maybe free or reduced upgrades).

[Husky61]

As long as masks are required on the ship and other restrictions apply, we will not cruise. Just our personal preference.☺️

[Baron Barracuda]

I also wouldn't be surprised if they cancel all current sailings and replace with 3 - 4 night ones.  If a 7 night is cancelled they can offer 50% of booked passengers a cabin in the 4 day and the other 50% one in the following 3 day.  Not sure if they would allow b2b.

 

As far as restaurant spacing, they can always use the specialties as overflow space for Luminae and Blu.  

[cl.klink]

So, let me change the question, then.  How closely spaced are the tables USUALLY placed in Luminae?  In other words, if I were in a suite, and ate in Luminae, how close is the usual spacing to the spacing that would be needed in the likely new system's rules?

 

- Joel 

[jelayne]

10 minutes ago, cl.klink said:

So, let me change the question, then.  How closely spaced are the tables USUALLY placed in Luminae?  In other words, if I were in a suite, and ate in Luminae, how close is the usual spacing to the spacing that would be needed in the likely new system's rules?

 

- Joel 

  It can vary by the class of ship and  location of the table.   Tables with seating on the banquette are about 3' apart, some in the middle of the room next to a column can have 3-4' all the way around.  On M class that space is tighter 2-3 feet.

Those that line the windows  have about 3' between.  Strategically removing a small number of tables could provide the needed spacing and with some reduction in passenger capacity could provide the needed seating. 

[kwokpot]

3 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

I looked at the 1/4/2021 sailing which just past final payment.   All suites have been booked for most of the time the sailing has been open for bookings.   When I checked yesterday there was 1 S1, 3 CS, 2 RS, 2 PH booked, the rest were all available.  I didn't check S2.   Also looked at A1 and C1 and those had over 50% openings as well.

 

I think many are making other arrangements prior to final payment at least until Celebrity publishes it's plans and protocols for restarting.

 

I also think they are supposed to restart with very short cruises with private islands (or very limited stops) I believe they will cancel everything and open a set of new itineraries at least for the first month or 2.  Only my opinion but seems that was the way TUI and MSC started.

 

Now after a couple of months where I still think they will need to sail with reduced capacity but may be allowing longer sailings I don't know if the situation will handle itself naturally due to restrictions.   If they don't allow inside or oceanview cabins that may cause some forced cancellations (or maybe free or reduced upgrades).

That's EXACTLY how it will be done. Royal already has done it this way with the Quantum in Singapore.