Social distancing in main dinning room

[hertz4319]

Hi all,

 

My husband and I are going on the grand princess on February 3rd. I know by then things can be different. Does anyone have any experience asking the host staff to have a table for two with no one close by? As always thank you for your replies.

[Steelers36]

14 minutes ago, hertz4319 said:

Hi all,

 

My husband and I are going on the grand princess on February 3rd. I know by then things can be different. Does anyone have any experience asking the host staff to have a table for two with no one close by? As always thank you for your replies.

It is going to depend on how full your ship is.  Recent cruises are going around half-full so could be lot more space to work with (they are only using 2/3 DR's, so 2/3 of the dining capacity in play).  If by FEB the ships are full or near-full, you may not have the luxury of extra space around you unless dining quite late in evening.  You also won't be able to control personal space in the buffet at prime times.  You might sit down with next table empty, but someone else may sit there five minutes later.  If that is going to be uncomfortable, perhaps you should consider waiting until later in the year?  Of course, this latest wave could be done and gone by early Feb.

[iamaqt2]

41 minutes ago, hertz4319 said:

Hi all,

 

My husband and I are going on the grand princess on February 3rd. I know by then things can be different. Does anyone have any experience asking the host staff to have a table for two with no one close by? As always thank you for your replies.

On my cruise on the Sky 2 weeks ago I saw a couple ask the host if they could get a socially distanced table for 2.  The host told them they would do their best, but it might be a bit, as the dining room was busy.   Tables were NOT spaced out for socially distancing, so I'm not sure how long their wait was.  
I'd make that request day of boarding if it's very important to you.

[Steelers36]

7 minutes ago, iamaqt2 said:

On my cruise on the Sky 2 weeks ago I saw a couple ask the host if they could get a socially distanced table for 2.  The host told them they would do their best, but it might be a bit, as the dining room was busy.   Tables were NOT spaced out for socially distancing, so I'm not sure how long their wait was.  
I'd make that request day of boarding if it's very important to you.

I just think it is an unreasonable expectation unless they luck into a voyage that is very low on guest capacity.  What if everyone wanted a socially-distanced table in the DR?  Can't be done.

 

The best idea is to wait to eat until towards 8pm-ish when I think most guests are done dinner.

[iamaqt2]

22 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

I just think it is an unreasonable expectation unless they luck into a voyage that is very low on guest capacity.  What if everyone wanted a socially-distanced table in the DR?  Can't be done.

 

The best idea is to wait to eat until towards 8pm-ish when I think most guests are done dinner.

I highly doubt everyone is asking the MDR staff for socially distanced seating.  I never even gave it a thought until I heard them ask.  IMO a cruise is just about one of the safest places to take a vacation.   If it really is that important to them, there is no harm in asking on day of boarding if accomodations can be made.  It may be that they end up in fixed dining at a small table in the corner, and if that suits their needs, then all is good.  And if it can't be accomodated, then it sets reasonable expectations for them on the first day.

[cruzsnooze]

I'm on the grand now and we have shared tables if desired which we enjoyed. There is no social distancing but you can ask and they would accommodate you if possible. The ship is half full and there are no crowds or lines. Elevators are easy to get for a change. Today started a new protocol restricting all indoor smoking which includes no smoking in the casino. 

[giejie]

It's going to depend on capacity. I was on the Majestic in August and last week. In Aug it was 55% capacity and last week was 40%. My Aug cruise was with a friend and the 2 of us were able to get a socially distanced table away from everyone. Last week I went with my family of 4 and it was a bit harder because most of the larger tables are in close proximity to others. 

Make sure to make dinner reservations via the Medallion App early and worst case, go to the buffet. There were barely any people there so it was easy to find a table away from people. 

[Bridalgownz]

I also was on the Majestic last week.  The tables for two in the main dining room were distanced from each other, the larger tables were closer together.  We were never seated at anything but a table for two. 

[caribill]

2 hours ago, cruzsnooze said:

Today started a new protocol restricting all indoor smoking which includes no smoking in the casino. 

 

Including the cigar lounge (Snooker's Cigar Bar on deck 6)?

[MissP22]

That sounds like an impossible request. If there were a number of people wanting to do likewise the DR would be filled in a matter of minutes, especially after they first opened.

Your best bet is to eat at the buffet for dinner when there's plenty of space. 

[Bgwest]

The proverbial picture worth a whole bunch of words:

[NSWP]

No shortage of butter pats then?

[Pam in CA]

We were on the Grand for fifteen days (B2B) last month and I’d made reservations for the two of us at our own table, non-sharing. There was distance between us and the nearby tables. I’ve done the same for our B2B on the Majestic in February. 
 

Since we wore masks into and out of the dining room and we were at least 10’ or more from the nearest table, I’d say we were socially distanced. 

[Potstech]

1 hour ago, NSWP said:

No shortage of butter pats then?

Plenty of rock hard frozen buttter.

[cruzsnooze]

22 hours ago, caribill said:

 

Including the cigar lounge (Snooker's Cigar Bar on deck 6)?

Unfortunately no. The smell when walking past the lounge into the theatre was horrid. It also wafted down the hall of the window suites. 

[RSS from SF]

4 hours ago, Pam in CA said:

We were on the Grand for fifteen days (B2B) last month and I’d made reservations for the two of us at our own table, non-sharing. There was distance between us and the nearby tables.

---

Same experience for us on Grand for our October-November B2B2B for 13 days, before your B2B.  Plenty of space between us and the nearest other tables.  (Our three sailings had 500+ / 1300+ / 500+ pax.)

---

Edited December 21, 2021 by RSS from SF

[Jadn13]

From my experience in the past weeks on the Sky, you have a better chance to not have people sit close by if you go at 5pm. It takes longer to fill then if you go when people are already seated. 

[MissP22]

8 hours ago, cruzsnooze said:

Unfortunately no. The smell when walking past the lounge into the theatre was horrid. It also wafted down the hall of the window suites. 

Thanks for the heads-up.

I've never had a cabin on that deck but was wondering about the smoke problem. 

[Bgwest]

Presently we are in F301  The very first cabin forward in the row of window suites. The opening from the window suites corridor is directly outside our door and that of F303. 
We’ve been on board since 12/12. 
 

Neither wife nor I have detected even the slightest hint of smoke in our cabin. 
 

And I’m a reformed a reformed smoker. The worst kind!

[USCcruisecrazy]

Don't understand the concern for Social Distancing if everyone has been vaccinated.  Social Distancing and mask wearing were designed to prevent the spread of the virus pre-vaccine.  Obviously, neither work well against the spread although the vaccine will save your life and prevent in most cases severe illness.   

[Jadn13]

12 minutes ago, USCcruisecrazy said:

Don't understand the concern for Social Distancing if everyone has been vaccinated.  Social Distancing and mask wearing were designed to prevent the spread of the virus pre-vaccine.  Obviously, neither work well against the spread although the vaccine will save your life and prevent in most cases severe illness.   

If you are on an extended cruise you don’t want to test positive mid voyage 

(testing occurs every 7 days) or test positive at all if it can be avoided. 

[USCcruisecrazy]

2 minutes ago, Jadn13 said:

If you are on an extended cruise you don’t want to test positive mid voyage 

(testing occurs every 7 days) or test positive at all if it can be avoided. 

I understand that, but you're missing the point.  If social distancing and masks, especially with Omicron being more transmittable, works then we wouldn't be in the situation we are now.  You get vaccinated and then live life.  If you show symptoms...get tested.  But don't fool yourself that sitting 6 feet away is somehow safer than 4 feet away...science would say otherwise based on how this variant spreads.

[Steelers36]

10 hours ago, USCcruisecrazy said:

I understand that, but you're missing the point.  If social distancing and masks, especially with Omicron being more transmittable, works then we wouldn't be in the situation we are now.  You get vaccinated and then live life.  If you show symptoms...get tested.  But don't fool yourself that sitting 6 feet away is somehow safer than 4 feet away...science would say otherwise based on how this variant spreads.

I get your point.  The virus continues to spread and yet we have mask and social distance protocols where I live.  Although, the distancing isn't all that closely adhered to in some situations.  Anyway, we aren't supposed to be debating Covid protocols here. 

 

I do believe with no question, the day will come when mandates will go away and it will be a personal choice thing of what to do or not do.  Where I live, they were projecting end of public mandates by end of April - but that could be delayed now with the Omicron wave.  I do hope we are now much nearer the end of the pandemic than the beginning of it.