Table Sharing in MDR

[Radiioman46]

I haven't seen this talked about yet, but common sense is leading me to believe that Table Sharing may be off the Table. 

 

This is one aspect of cruising we have always loved! Meeting and making new friends each cruise. 

 

What are your thoughts on this?

[jimbo5544]

3 minutes ago, Radiioman46 said:

I haven't seen this talked about yet, but common sense is leading me to believe that Table Sharing may be off the Table. 

 

This is one aspect of cruising we have always loved! Meeting and making new friends each cruise. 

 

What are your thoughts on this?

I would tend to agree, at least at the start.  I understand the desire, but with reduced passengers, there probably is no reason they would have to. 

[karma459]

we have always done MTD, and asked for (and received) a "table for 2".. approx 6 inches away from the adjacent "table for 2"..😉.  thinking of the layout of MTD, I expect they would have to reduce to 1/3 dining room seating to meet the current "6 foot" guideline... it would be like a spiderweb of "available" tables when you think about a 360 degree radius of 6 feet between each occupied seat.. glad I don't have the geometry assignment! 🙂 

I would assume they would convert all Early/Late seating to restrict to tables within a single "group".. i.e. they will have large tables, but they will be reserved for larger families/groups traveling together. Makes me a little sad to think of being sat at a 6-8 top with just 2 people, but that's likely what they will need to do.

 

I also think about the increased inefficiencies towards the serving staff.. before they may be assigned multiple tables within relatively small "group"... those poor folks may still have the same overall table "count".. but will have to travel further distances between them.. it will certainly make their job more difficult, and would likely result in perceived "slower service"... I hope people are kind to them.

 

Edited July 11, 2020 by karma459

[Joe817]

Many of you all know, our cruising experience if very limited. But that said, we sailed on the Dream out of Galveston last July, with MTD at 6pm. We loved it!  We were seated at a 4 top. The first night in the MDR we met a couple, engaged, from Austin & Waco. We immediately became 'new best friends' while on the cruise. we still stay in touch. We were also seated with a couple out of Houston. As luck would have it, he went to the same school that Cindy & I did....TCU. A lovely & engaging couple, much older than we were. They were 'white cards'. I know they had seniority over us, and they graciously and subtly let us know. 

     I like sharing a table as it gives us an opportunity to meet new people. On debarkation day, we had an early early breakfast in the MDR. We were seated with a Canadian couple. I love the Canadians. Very easy going...at least the one's we've been around. We could have made them our 'new best friends', but alas it was debarkation day.  I will be sad to see it go. 

Edited July 11, 2020 by Joe817

[scpirate]

6 hours ago, Joe817 said:

Many of you all know, our cruising experience if very limited. But that said, we sailed on the Dream out of Galveston last July, with MTD at 6pm. We loved it!  We were seated at a 4 top. The first night in the MDR we met a couple, engaged, from Austin & Waco. We immediately became 'new best friends' while on the cruise. we still stay in touch. We were also seated with a couple out of Houston. As luck would have it, he went to the same school that Cindy & I did....TCU. A lovely & engaging couple, much older than we were. They were 'white cards'. I know they had seniority over us, and they graciously and subtly let us know. 

     I like sharing a table as it gives us an opportunity to meet new people. On debarkation day, we had an early early breakfast in the MDR. We were seated with a Canadian couple. I love the Canadians. Very easy going...at least the one's we've been around. We could have made them our 'new best friends', but alas it was debarkation day.  I will be sad to see it go. 

We did it on our first cruise.but being an interracial couple wasn't well received by our table mates.i guess they felt uncomfortable.a white man with a black woman wasn't too common back then still isn't now.my wife is retired army,I was a short timer .in military circles it's accepted.anyway after that cruise we just do lido much more relaxed and more our cup of tea.if someone wants to conversate we have no issues.we found people on celebrity to be friendlier to us anyway.otherwise I just enjoy basking in my wife's sunshine.

[Honolulu Blue]

13 hours ago, Radiioman46 said:

I haven't seen this talked about yet, but common sense is leading me to believe that Table Sharing may be off the Table. 

 

This is one aspect of cruising we have always loved! Meeting and making new friends each cruise. 

 

What are your thoughts on this?

 

Table sharing was never my thing.  I prefer to meet people elsewhere.

 

I don't see it coming back without a vaccine.

[Radiioman46]

1 hour ago, Honolulu Blue said:

I don't see it coming back without a vaccine.

I'm afraid you're right! I'm afraid a lot of changes are going to be permanent regardless of vaccines or anything else. 

[sanmarcosman]

15 hours ago, Joe817 said:

Many of you all know, our cruising experience if very limited. But that said, we sailed on the Dream out of Galveston last July, with MTD at 6pm. We loved it!  We were seated at a 4 top. The first night in the MDR we met a couple, engaged, from Austin & Waco. We immediately became 'new best friends' while on the cruise. we still stay in touch.

I'm confused, were you in assigned time dining or Your Time Dining for dinner?

[MsTabbyKats]

2 hours ago, Honolulu Blue said:

 

Table sharing was never my thing.  I prefer to meet people elsewhere.

 

I don't see it coming back without a vaccine.

Table sharing was definitely not my thing either but I never had a problem with meeting people around the ship.

 

However, with masks/social distancing......"meeting people elsewhere" will be just about impossible.   I know my "meeting places" on ships would be in the casino, the gym, standing in line, in the gift shop.  Keeping a 6 ft distance is not conducive to the small talk that starts off new friendships.

[Honolulu Blue]

2 hours ago, Radiioman46 said:

I'm afraid a lot of changes are going to be permanent regardless of vaccines or anything else. 

 

True.  I won't pretend to know which changes will be permanent.  Part of it will depend on societal norms.  If we, the people, decide to never voluntarily get within 3-6 feet of anyone without a specific reason, that will have endless ripple effects everywhere - including cruise ships.

[Joe817]

3 hours ago, sanmarcosman said:

I'm confused, were you in assigned time dining or Your Time Dining for dinner?

We were in assigned dining time: 6pm.  We prefer it as we had lots of time after dinner to explore the ship. 

[lisagro]

Eating at a large table and meeting new people is one of my favorite things about cruising as well. We have a cruise later this year that I actually hope will be cancelled because I don't think it will be much fun with "social distancing."

[coevan]

We have had a coupe of uncomfortable situations dining with others. The biggest problem was at the brunch and we were seated with people bashing Obama and praising the current situation.  We had to excuse ourselves and asked for a new table. they thought it was hysterical. The other experience was in late dining and we were seated with a guy wearing a tank top. We did not even sit and asked to be seated elsewhere. Two days later we ran into him on the lido deck and asked why we left. We told him the truth, we did not feel he was dressed appropriately.  He shrugged in his wife beater.