MDR and COVID safety

[soremekun]

Covid is the polite virus.  It doesn't infect you when you're unmasked during meals (while seated) and taking pictures (if you've purchased the picture package).

Edited January 13, 2022 by soremekun

[Maitaivegas]

On 1/9/2022 at 2:12 PM, binro01 said:

We are just getting the UDP and will enjoy a nicely spaced out specialty dining experience every night. For the price and the value you get from the UDP, it was a no brainer.

Me too, $166 plus tips, buys me some piece of mind.  You can also eat outside at some of the speciality restaurants in Central Park and on the Boardwalk.

[rj59]

As a solo passenger, I was repeatedly seating within 2 feet of others at tables crammed together in a restaurant on Ovation in September. I didn't feel comfortable, but instead I simply tried another restaurant and asked the person assigning tables to get me a social distanced one, which they did, so I had spacing and speedy servers I liked. The other important thing is to avoid peak dining times if you want spacing--I chose to eat at 8, so it was easy for them to find a good table for me.

 

The other thing I found is that for breakfast and lunch, the vaccinated-only restaurant was crowded, with the horrible pre-pandemic practice of cramming everyone in one part of a dining room to make it easier for servers but unpleasant and dangerous for passengers, but when I went to the unvaccinated dining room, it was uncrowded and had tables blocked off for distancing, and so for every meal I got there early and had a nice table next to the window and was able to eat very quickly, because the servers weren't busy. 

 

Unfortunately, Royal is still living in 2020 and refusing to update their protocols to account for breakthrough infections (other than the recent masking policy), so they let vaccinated people be crammed together in the lower level of the theater and in dining rooms. On my last cruise in December I deliberately avoided the vaccinated-only section, with no distancing, and went to an isolated side of the upper tier, where I could distance, the same as I did in the theaters on Ovation. One evening they tried to force me to sit in the crowded lower level, so after that I simply took off my wristband before going to a show. 

[Jerseygirl1416]

On 1/9/2022 at 2:53 PM, taglovestocruise said:

It has been reported that many vaccinated are asking to move to unvaccinated area as there is much more room and separation.  We are boarding Navigator tomorrow and we will ask to move to deck 4 unvaccinated as to get a second seating table along the balcony. 

On Oasis they didn’t allow vaccinated people in the unvaccinated dining room or the unvaccinated floor of the theater. 

[taglovestocruise]

On 1/13/2022 at 12:07 PM, Jerseygirl1416 said:

On Oasis they didn’t allow vaccinated people in the unvaccinated dining room or the unvaccinated floor of the theater. 

 Just returned today from Navagator.  We requested a table for two on the balcony rail, which would be in the unvaccinated area.  Worked out far better than we anticipated.  We could look down to the main floor and it was row after row of two tops about a foot from each other, waiter told us it was packed for early traditional and when my time started to arrive.  We had late seating on deck four, deck five was closed, there were about 12 tables being used on both sides of deck four. We missed nights 2 and 3 as we had specialty dinning. On our return we found there were about 25 tables being used, waiter said every night people on deck three vaccinated were asking to be moved up to our deck.  Same was true for the Royal theater, about 100+ in the lower show room with no distancing or restrictions and they were all bunched together in the center rows. We sat on the first balcony level for every show and there were maybe 10 -12 total. Mask were required unless you were drinking, and lots were drinking and mask free the whole show. We sat up stairs and never wore a mask or had a drink. Same was true for the Ice show, everybody on the port side and center were bunched together with plenty drinking and no masks.  The starboard side was apparently for unvaccinated and again that was where we sat with a total of a dozen or so.  Elevators were empty except for returning from shore. We took the late tender back from Catalina with about 100 or so. everybody was waiting for the elevators and they were pretty full. I counted 12 in our elevator going up.  Our official passenger count was 546 with 150 D and D+ and 60 pinnacle. DL was open everyday light breakfast items served in the morning, fruit and small sandwiches in the early lunch hour. Coffee machine was self serve and working everyday. DL was for Pinnacles only every night during HH, D and D+ had a private event on deck 14 every night during HH. Sad to say but there were never more than 6 people total in the Cosmopolitan club from 7 on every night. water , tea, lemonade and coffee was self serve around most of the ship. All bars and lounges open, Guitar player in the pub every night, piano player in Schooners every night, live band in Boleros and the star lounge with karaoke in the cosmopolitan club most nights and a live band if no karaoke. We had a wide range of drinks everyday using the vouchers, specialty drinks in the bamboo room, lime and coconut and playmakers.  Only once were we charged extra for a specialty drink and it was a extra $1.28 for Royal Zombie in the bamboo room. Plaza bar and Schooners were old school. Bartender looked at the word Diamond on the card and just gave it back and rang up nothing. Really a great cruise with just 546 and 4  being children.  Things were changing for todays 3 night cruise, 1175 expected with over 125 children.  

[BazingAu]

22 minutes ago, taglovestocruise said:

 Really a great cruise with just 546 and 4  being children.  Things were changing for todays 3 night cruise, 1175 expected with over 125 children.  

Thanks for the update. School holiday weekend (MLK Jr Day) so families taking the long weekend to cruise. Glad you were able to socially distance at dinner. It's incredible to me that they would pack people in like that in light of omicron. RC, GET WITH THE TIMES!! Anyway, I asked my TA last week to request socially distanced dining from RC Dining and they refused. Your post gave me hope, and I will try again once on board. Did you need to speak with anyone specific (like a dining manager) or just any host/waiter?

[taglovestocruise]

On 1/9/2022 at 2:55 PM, marjoriemcdonaldd11 said:

 

Please keep us posted if you are successful in doing this!

Worked out fantastic. We were assigned a table in the unvaccinated deck four along the rail.  There were 6 tables being used in all of deck four, we could look down to the main floor and it was wall to wall two tops inches apart.  We had specialty on nights 2 and3. When we showed up on night 4 there were 25 - 30 tables being used.  Waiter told us every night people on deck 3 were asking to be moved up.  We also sat in the unvaccinated balcony  for all the shows. No restriction to seating in the show rooms, masks were required unless you were drinking and lots were drinking. We never had a drink or wore a mask in the showrooms. Had a drink and did not wear a mask for the ice show. 

[taglovestocruise]

12 minutes ago, BazingAu said:

Thanks for the update. School holiday weekend (MLK Jr Day) so families taking the long weekend to cruise. Glad you were able to socially distance at dinner. It's incredible to me that they would pack people in like that in light of omicron. RC, GET WITH THE TIMES!! Anyway, I asked my TA last week to request socially distanced dining from RC Dining and they refused. Your post gave me hope, and I will try again once on board. Did you need to speak with anyone specific (like a dining manager) or just any host/waiter?

We emailed rcdining a week before the cruise. I knew deck three would be packed and asked for a table by the balcony rail knowing that would get us off deck three. . I knew we would be in the unvaccinated area but we were fine with that. 

[3kidsncats]

On 1/13/2022 at 5:22 AM, Joseph2017China said:

I eat in a restaurant almost daily, sit with others, and sit around others with no social distances.  I never wear a mask, and most around me never wear a mask.  On the ship, those people you are concerned about, were tested prior getting on, and are vaccinated.  I am safer on the ship, than any other place in my life.  But if you need to ask, than is a cruise really for you?

 

Just because you choose to do something, ie dine in less than ideal circumstances all things considered these days, does not mean it is right for everyone — and since the cruise lines are all touting health protocols to encourage people to cruise in spite of exposure risks, imo its a reasonable question to ask.  We’ve done 4 post covid cruises,  one of which where diners were seated at tables with about 6” between the tables.  I didn’t like that before covid, and I certainly don’t like it post covid.  Doesn’t mean I should not cruise, it means I should advocate for myself and plan accordingly.

[xpcdoojk]

On 1/9/2022 at 4:32 PM, Biker19 said:

If you are even asking this, skip the MDR.

Biker speaks wisdom