Rare kazu Posted December 22, 2020 #101 Share Posted December 22, 2020 25 minutes ago, KroozNut said: I suppose it's possible that there's a group on the cruise, and I tend to hope not based on some of the negative things I've read here about that scenario. I believe I also read on here some time back that there is a way to check to see if there is a group on your sailing. Do you happen to know how to do that? VMax1700 kindly keeps a list of charters and groups on the HAL Board and updates it regularly. It is by no means guaranteed to be complete but between his research and people reporting it’s pretty good. Here is the link - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirkNC Posted December 22, 2020 #102 Share Posted December 22, 2020 I still believe that early in the restart they are going to encourage folks to eat in their room, particularly if you have a larger room and/or a veranda. They also may have three seatings for dinner with maybe no open seating. The table setup in the dining room does not lend itself to social distancing and the configuration is not easily changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare kazu Posted December 22, 2020 #103 Share Posted December 22, 2020 2 minutes ago, KirkNC said: I still believe that early in the restart they are going to encourage folks to eat in their room, particularly if you have a larger room and/or a veranda. They also may have three seatings for dinner with maybe no open seating. The table setup in the dining room does not lend itself to social distancing and the configuration is not easily changed. This is a guess on my part and I could be wrong, but I suspect if you are linked you will be in your own bubble and be able to be together in the dining room. Mind you, we don’t sail until November (hopefully). Eating in my room with everything plunked down doesn’t thrill me at all and hopefully that won’t be the case. They would need to provide some good wine gratis to encourage us to do that 😉 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirkNC Posted December 22, 2020 #104 Share Posted December 22, 2020 Just now, kazu said: They would need to provide some good wine gratis to encourage us to do that 😉 Kazu, you made me laugh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare kazu Posted December 22, 2020 #105 Share Posted December 22, 2020 1 minute ago, KirkNC said: Kazu, you made me laugh! Happy to put a smile on your face at covid Christmas time 😄 😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted December 22, 2020 #106 Share Posted December 22, 2020 38 minutes ago, KirkNC said: I still believe that early in the restart they are going to encourage folks to eat in their room, If so, I won't be cruising. A complimentary bottle of Villa Maria to accompany lunch and dinner and a quality Bloody Mary for breakfast wouldn't entice me to make a booking. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare TiogaCruiser Posted December 23, 2020 #107 Share Posted December 23, 2020 42 minutes ago, KirkNC said: I still believe that early in the restart they are going to encourage folks to eat in their room, particularly if you have a larger room and/or a veranda. They also may have three seatings for dinner with maybe no open seating. The table setup in the dining room does not lend itself to social distancing and the configuration is not easily changed. Would it really be that hard, if return to sailing depended on it? The tables are just bolted down to an under structure, right? Why couldn’t they be removed, smaller tables put in, bolted down with space between? Or am I trivializing a big job? But having asked that, I certainly am not going to sign on for any cruise where I have to social distance and wear a mask ( and run a big risk of the ship being turned away from ports or pax being quarantined en masse in cabins). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirkNC Posted December 23, 2020 #108 Share Posted December 23, 2020 (edited) 2 minutes ago, TiogaCruiser said: Would it really be that hard, if return to sailing depended on it? The tables are just bolted down to an under structure, right? Why couldn’t they be removed, smaller tables put in, bolted down with space between? Or am I trivializing a big job? But having asked that, I certainly am not going to sign on for any cruise where I have to social distance and wear a mask ( and run a big risk of the ship being turned away from ports or pax being quarantined en masse in cabins). The tables do unbolt but you can only put a table where the bolts will line up. You can’t just set them up anywhere. Hope that makes sense. Edited December 23, 2020 by KirkNC 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted December 23, 2020 #109 Share Posted December 23, 2020 2 minutes ago, KirkNC said: The tables do unbolt but you can only put a table where the bolts will line up. You can’t just set them up anywhere. Hope that makes sense. I see no reason to unbolt tables from the deck. Tables can be covered with a tablecloth and not set for dining service that ought not to be used and/or signs placed on them that they are not available for guests. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirkNC Posted December 23, 2020 #110 Share Posted December 23, 2020 16 minutes ago, rkacruiser said: I see no reason to unbolt tables from the deck. Tables can be covered with a tablecloth and not set for dining service that ought not to be used and/or signs placed on them that they are not available for guests. The problem as I see it is that 1. there are so many large tables and 2. All the tables but particularly the two tops are right on top of each other. I assume they won’t be seating six and eight people together so those large tables become very inefficient. Those smaller tables will have to be every other one being used. These two factors, if true, significantly reduce the numbers of butts in the seat at any one time. I don’t think these kind of restrictions last for ever but certainly for the first few months of the restart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcummin Posted December 23, 2020 #111 Share Posted December 23, 2020 Just remove some of the chairs. Barbara 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted December 23, 2020 #112 Share Posted December 23, 2020 36 minutes ago, bcummin said: Just remove some of the chairs. Barbara Don't disagree with your thinking. But, what about the social distancing between one group of guests and another? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcummin Posted December 23, 2020 #113 Share Posted December 23, 2020 it is a complicated challenge. Barbara Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KroozNut Posted December 23, 2020 #114 Share Posted December 23, 2020 (edited) On 11/19/2020 at 4:32 PM, rkacruiser said: No Ipad have I. No smart phone have I. Do you use two soup cans connected with a long string to communicate with people not within shouting distance? 😁 Edited December 23, 2020 by KroozNut 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KroozNut Posted December 23, 2020 #115 Share Posted December 23, 2020 On 11/20/2020 at 9:08 AM, Roz said: it's worth downloading if you have an upcoming cruise (not that any of us do ☹️). We do... and my navigator app is loaded on my phone with countdown clock ticking away! 😀 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald Posted December 23, 2020 #116 Share Posted December 23, 2020 Most cruisers fail to understand the logistics of mass market cruise ship dining rooms. As the ships get bigger and bigger, they can no longer handle feeding everyone at the same time. So they resort to feeding you in shifts, like in a factory or a school. (One of many good reasons to sail on smaller ships) Even with 2 seatings and additional specialty restaurants, many ships have challenges feeding everyone. You may have experienced this yourself when the Maitre d’ gave you a pager or suggested that you come back later. When the mass market ships re-start, they will most likely carry fewer passengers at first, potentially making it easier. But they will also carry fewer crew, making it more challenging. Removing restaurant chairs and tables helps a bit with social distancing, but also reduces capacity, causing delays for diners. Moving tables is very difficult. A ship dining room floor has several layers. On top is the carpet. Below that is the carpet pad. Below that is the “Screed”, a plasticised concrete. Below that is the steel deck, where the table posts are screwed into steel bases that are welded onto the steel deck. To move a table, one need only unscrew the table post from the deck. Then you need to cover the steel base, cover the gap in the concrete, and cover the gaps in the carpet pad and the carpet. To place the table somewhere else, you need to cut a hole in the carpet, then cut a hole in the carpet pad, then chip away the concrete screed, then weld a steel base onto the steel deck, then screw the table post into the steel base. The result is better social distancing, but fewer chairs and fewer waiters. This means you will have to wait longer to be seated. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxmantoo Posted December 23, 2020 #117 Share Posted December 23, 2020 2 hours ago, Donald said: Most cruisers fail to understand the logistics of mass market cruise ship dining rooms. As the ships get bigger and bigger, they can no longer handle feeding everyone at the same time. So they resort to feeding you in shifts, like in a factory or a school. (One of many good reasons to sail on smaller ships) Even with 2 seatings and additional specialty restaurants, many ships have challenges feeding everyone. You may have experienced this yourself when the Maitre d’ gave you a pager or suggested that you come back later. When the mass market ships re-start, they will most likely carry fewer passengers at first, potentially making it easier. But they will also carry fewer crew, making it more challenging. Removing restaurant chairs and tables helps a bit with social distancing, but also reduces capacity, causing delays for diners. Moving tables is very difficult. A ship dining room floor has several layers. On top is the carpet. Below that is the carpet pad. Below that is the “Screed”, a plasticised concrete. Below that is the steel deck, where the table posts are screwed into steel bases that are welded onto the steel deck. To move a table, one need only unscrew the table post from the deck. Then you need to cover the steel base, cover the gap in the concrete, and cover the gaps in the carpet pad and the carpet. To place the table somewhere else, you need to cut a hole in the carpet, then cut a hole in the carpet pad, then chip away the concrete screed, then weld a steel base onto the steel deck, then screw the table post into the steel base. The result is better social distancing, but fewer chairs and fewer waiters. This means you will have to wait longer to be seated. I don't think the plan is to REMOVE tables only to REINSTALL them at a later date. A much more likely and efficient process is simply to not use some of them for a limited period of time... a few months maybe. We have visited a number of restaurants during the pandemic, and none of them had REMOVED tables; they simply made some of their tables off-limits. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare TiogaCruiser Posted December 23, 2020 #118 Share Posted December 23, 2020 2 hours ago, Donald said:Removing restaurant chairs and tables helps a bit with social distancing, but also reduces capacity, causing delays for diners. .....Removing tables is very difficult. A ship dining room floor has several layers. On top is the carpet. Below that is the carpet pad. Below that is the “Screed”, a plasticised concrete. Below that is the steel deck, where the table posts are screwed into steel bases that are welded onto the steel deck. To move a table, one need only unscrew the table post from the deck. Then you need to cover the steel base, cover the gap in the concrete, and cover the gaps in the carpet pad and the carpet. To place the table somewhere else, you need to cut a hole in the carpet, then cut a hole in the carpet pad, then chip away the concrete screed, then weld a steel base onto the steel deck, then screw the table post into the steel base. The result is better social distancing, but fewer chairs and fewer waiters. This means you will have to wait longer to be seated. Thank you. That is the type of answer I was looking for in my previous question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sea42 Posted December 23, 2020 #119 Share Posted December 23, 2020 15 hours ago, KirkNC said: I still believe that early in the restart they are going to encourage folks to eat in their room, particularly if you have a larger room and/or a veranda. I could deal with that, especially on a port intensive cruise. We often eat in our cabin after a long day ashore. Granted we don't choose to eat large multi-course meals in those situations. We more than likely had a large meal off the ship on port days. A light dinner in our cabin or on the verandah is a relaxing way, for us, to end the day. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Roz Posted December 23, 2020 #120 Share Posted December 23, 2020 The local restaurants I go to regularly simply put signs or tape on tables not available due to social distancing. No need to remove tables and most restaurants don't have a place to store them. I don't understand why a cruise line would have to unbolt tables in order to accomplish social distancing in the MDR. What am I missing? I usually sail solo and many times book an inside cabin. Taking my meals in my cabin would be a definite turnoff and cause me to cancel or not book in the first place. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald Posted December 23, 2020 #121 Share Posted December 23, 2020 25 minutes ago, Roz said: The local restaurants I go to regularly simply put signs or tape on tables not available due to social distancing. No need to remove tables and most restaurants don't have a place to store them. I don't understand why a cruise line would have to unbolt tables in order to accomplish social distancing in the MDR. What am I missing? I usually sail solo and many times book an inside cabin. Taking my meals in my cabin would be a definite turnoff and cause me to cancel or not book in the first place. As I mentioned in my post, the mass market ships with 2 seatings already do not have enough tables and chairs to seat and feed everyone. Yes, removing tables and chairs to achieve social distancing is an easy thing to do. Since you asked, what you are missing is the problem of seating and feeding the people who would have been sitting in those chairs that have been removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger88 Posted December 23, 2020 #122 Share Posted December 23, 2020 1 hour ago, Roz said: The local restaurants I go to regularly simply put signs or tape on tables not available due to social distancing. No need to remove tables and most restaurants don't have a place to store them. I don't understand why a cruise line would have to unbolt tables in order to accomplish social distancing in the MDR. What am I missing? I usually sail solo and many times book an inside cabin. Taking my meals in my cabin would be a definite turnoff and cause me to cancel or not book in the first place. It makes me laugh how all those places follow these rules understanding that social distance is a joke. Its just another way of manipulation of the population. By the time you reach the place you prolly meet dozens of other people. Moreover, if someone sneezes in the room, trust me, it wont matter where in the room you sit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare kazu Posted December 23, 2020 #123 Share Posted December 23, 2020 13 minutes ago, Roger88 said: It makes me laugh how all those places follow these rules understanding that social distance is a joke. Its just another way of manipulation of the population. By the time you reach the place you prolly meet dozens of other people. Moreover, if someone sneezes in the room, trust me, it wont matter where in the room you sit Huh? How do you meet dozens of people along the way? Things must be different where you are. We don’t. And, social distancing and masks help a lot. Why belittle the protections that have been proven to work???? At least they certainly have here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquahound Posted December 23, 2020 #124 Share Posted December 23, 2020 1 hour ago, Roz said: The local restaurants I go to regularly simply put signs or tape on tables not available due to social distancing. No need to remove tables and most restaurants don't have a place to store them. I don't understand why a cruise line would have to unbolt tables in order to accomplish social distancing in the MDR. What am I missing? Agreed. Removing tables seems kinda pointless. But that said, tables usually aren't bolted to the floor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Roz Posted December 23, 2020 #125 Share Posted December 23, 2020 3 hours ago, Donald said: Since you asked, what you are missing is the problem of seating and feeding the people who would have been sitting in those chairs that have been removed. Maybe offer 3 sittings, or do first booked, first to get a table in the MDR. The rest can eat in the Lido, where a host/hostess would seat you. But if the ships have to sail at reduced capacity, why should this be a big issue? Masks, social distancing, etc. won't last forever. Even the Black Plague eventually went away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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