Looks like Michael Bayley has the key in the ignition, ready to go.

[boscobeans]

9 minutes ago, paulh84 said:

 

It was pretty widely reported a fews months ago that with the additional cleaning and various requirements, it would be difficult to sail with much less crew than normal even with significantly less passengers onboard. 

I doubt that since 40-50 % of the cabins would be empty and bars may not need 2-3 bartenders and waiters would be reduced along with all crew that dealt with passenger service.

[boscobeans]

29 minutes ago, njkruzer said:

They may not have entertainers on board yet, which would add more to crew numbers.

I did see a vlog one day recently showing some entertainment staff waving from their quarantines from veranda cabins. Very distanced. 

[paulh84]

10 minutes ago, boscobeans said:

I doubt that since 40-50 % of the cabins would be empty and bars may not need 2-3 bartenders and waiters would be reduced along with all crew that dealt with passenger service.

The message came from Fain or Bayley...not me. I assume they know? It's not just bartenders and waiters. There are all of the mechanical/ops crew that are still mandatory who are not customer facing along with minimum manning requirements to meet safety standards. 

[ONECRUISER]

1 hour ago, boscobeans said:

Michael Bailey said at 50% they break even and at 60% they begin making a profit.

 

At 60% the ships would seem deserted as is evidenced on the cruises now sailing with reduced capacity. The service seems the same but with lots of social distancing at every venue.

 

Went on 4 Cruises Post 9/11, ships were running about 50-75% passengers even into Spring, were very quiet but still had a Blast 

[sgmn]

2 hours ago, boscobeans said:

 

The article I read describes how some of the crew not yet able to cruise to the USA will be transferred to the Anthem. By the time the Anthem crosses over to the USA in late October/November she should be ready to go.

But will the Anthem crew be vaccinated before she arrives in Southampton this Summer?

Edited May 17, 2021 by sgmn

[3kidsncats]

3 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I noticed dining room tables arent really spaced out like I thought or hoped they would be.  

He did say they he has to get vaccinated.  I guess crew didnt get vaccinated while docked in Israel.

I imagine the table setup is for normal capacity and social distancing will come into play by alternating empty tables between seated tables.  

[100viper]

1 minute ago, 3kidsncats said:

I imagine the table setup is for normal capacity and social distancing will come into play by alternating empty tables between seated tables.  

Or maybe Royal is planning to do fully vaccinated cruises so social distancing might not be in effect?

[boscobeans]

4 hours ago, paulh84 said:

The message came from Fain or Bayley...not me. I assume they know? It's not just bartenders and waiters. There are all of the mechanical/ops crew that are still mandatory who are not customer facing along with minimum manning requirements to meet safety standards. 

 

First of ell I specified, ":crew that dealt with passenger service."  By that I meant crew that dealt directly with the passengers and not the HVAC system or Generators or OTHER needed mechanical systems..

How many room stewards would be needed if 40-50 % of the staterooms were vacant?

 

How many less in the laundry would be needed if there was half the demand for clean linens and towels?

 

How many waiters and assistant waiters would be needed for 40-50 % less diners in the MDR, any specialty restaurant and how many less staff would be needed if there were 40-50 % less room service requests?

 

In the galley would they need the same amount of line cooks at each station if they were only filling half the soup bowls, grilling half the steaks or broiling half the lobster tails?  OF COURSE NOT.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dswallow]

4 minutes ago, boscobeans said:

 

First of ell I specified, ":crew that dealt with passenger service."  By that I meant crew that dealt directly with the passengers and not the HVAC system or Generators or OTHER needed mechanical systems..

How many room stewards would be needed if 40-50 % of the staterooms were vacant?

 

How many less in the laundry would be needed if there was half the demand for clean linens and towels?

 

How many waiters and assistant waiters would be needed for 40-50 % less diners in the MDR, any specialty restaurant and how many less staff would be needed if there were 40-50 % less room service requests?

 

In the galley would they need the same amount of line cooks at each station if they were only filling half the soup bowls, grilling half the steaks or broiling half the lobster tails?  OF COURSE NOT.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are expected to be a number of protocols in place that will make for extra work. Cleaning in cabins and throughout the ship is certainly one of them. Increased staffing to deal with things that previously were self service, like the buffet area. And at some level they need to provide for some additional staffing in general because they can't just bring on someone at the last minute at the moment; they need vaccinations and quarantining. So there will need to be some reasonable number of staff that aren't already 100% occupied in their work time.

 

So sure, I can't imagine it requiring 100% staffing. On the other hand, in a 100%-occupancy cruise I've been feeling it has been a bit understaffed for a few years, as they've tried to "optimize" staffing aboard the ship. 

 

And in addition while initial occupancy levels were expected to be 40-60%, it also has been expected that they would increase those levels as they gained some practical experience as things ramp up, so again they may feel it appropriate to provide for some occupancy increases over what they expect to start with.

 

[boscobeans]

12 minutes ago, dswallow said:

 

There are expected to be a number of protocols in place that will make for extra work. Cleaning in cabins and throughout the ship is certainly one of them. Increased staffing to deal with things that previously were self service, like the buffet area. And at some level they need to provide for some additional staffing in general because they can't just bring on someone at the last minute at the moment; they need vaccinations and quarantining. So there will need to be some reasonable number of staff that aren't already 100% occupied in their work time.

 

So sure, I can't imagine it requiring 100% staffing. On the other hand, in a 100%-occupancy cruise I've been feeling it has been a bit understaffed for a few years, as they've tried to "optimize" staffing aboard the ship. 

 

And in addition while initial occupancy levels were expected to be 40-60%, it also has been expected that they would increase those levels as they gained some practical experience as things ramp up, so again they may feel it appropriate to provide for some occupancy increases over what they expect to start with.

 

It will be a balance of things.

 

The CDC rules as far as capacity, vaccine or no vaccine.......

The passenger's comfort

The bean counters.

 

 Only time will tell.

[John&LaLa]

21 minutes ago, dswallow said:

 

There are expected to be a number of protocols in place that will make for extra work. Cleaning in cabins and throughout the ship is certainly one of them. Increased staffing to deal with things that previously were self service, like the buffet area. And at some level they need to provide for some additional staffing in general because they can't just bring on someone at the last minute at the moment; they need vaccinations and quarantining. So there will need to be some reasonable number of staff that aren't already 100% occupied in their work time.

 

So sure, I can't imagine it requiring 100% staffing. On the other hand, in a 100%-occupancy cruise I've been feeling it has been a bit understaffed for a few years, as they've tried to "optimize" staffing aboard the ship. 

 

And in addition while initial occupancy levels were expected to be 40-60%, it also has been expected that they would increase those levels as they gained some practical experience as things ramp up, so again they may feel it appropriate to provide for some occupancy increases over what they expect to start with.

 

 

Totally agree, stewards get less cabins to do more cleaning, more linen changes for laundry, more general cleaners for public areas, monitors to keep things moving, extra help in dining areas.   Now guests will be down, but staff to guest ratio will likely balloon

[coldflame]

6 hours ago, jrapps said:

This was part of the issue with the Odyssey sailing. The violence in Israel was likely a part of the decision, but also the fact that the entire crew had not yet been vaccinated.,

 

Now that the ship is heading to FL, I wonder how long it will take the crew to get shots and reach "full vaccination" status. I also wonder if Royal intends for the Odyssey to start sailing cruises from FL (either as test cruises or vaccinated revenue cruises) since none of those have been offered for sale yet, or if they intend to chop up that crew and send them to other ships in the US.

 

Same question, I haven't seen any announcements yet. If they do, we might swap reservation to one of those itineraries over the Anthem which we're booked in.

[Another_Critic]

7 hours ago, boscobeans said:

The article I read describes how some of the crew not yet able to cruise to the USA will be transferred to the Anthem. By the time the Anthem crosses over to the USA in late October/November she should be ready to go.

Fingers and toes crossed that I'll be on that sailing (Oct 20).  🤞

[Another_Critic]

9 hours ago, Jimbo said:

What was that large thing in the air over the pools?Starts over the tv screen and goes back down the center of the pool deck? That's going to block some sun when people are trying to get a tan.

 

8 hours ago, Biker19 said:

Looks like a walkway to the Northstar, which would also block some of the sun over that pool.

 

8 hours ago, Jimbo said:

I have been on 1 ship with North Star, can't remember which one it was now but didn't have a walkway like that to get on it. Weird design.

 

Edit: It was Quantum of the Seas

 

8 hours ago, Biker19 said:

On the other Q class ships that pool is covered by glass and that walkway (or whatever it is) is not there.

 

 

8 hours ago, Jimbo said:

At least those glass panels don't block as much of the sun as that crazy looking structure in that video.

 

8 hours ago, Biker19 said:

That middle structure under the arm of Northstar in current Q class may block just as much sun - won't know till someone can provide real feedback. 

That is part of the infrastructure of the Northstar.  It's the same as on top of the covered pool on other Q class.

 

Around :25 in this video.

 

 

[njkruzer]

3 hours ago, Another_Critic said:

Fingers and toes crossed that I'll be on that sailing (Oct 20).  🤞

If you're talking about the TA we are also scheduled to sail then.  We hope so also but with not being allowed in Canada, a cruise more than 7 days and arriving before November 1st, prohibited by the cdc, I have my doubts.  Also if you look at port schedules,  the Anthem arrives in Southampton on October 20th but the schedule doesn't show it leaving nor does the schedule show it arriving in NJ!  It does show it sailing out of NJ on November 7th.  BTW we are on the 11 nt Canary Islands sailing on October 9th.  My question is do I need a flight home on the 20th from England or one on the 30th from NJ.