Dining on AmaWaterways during Covid

[sjde]

I just received some pre-cruise info and it asked who I was traveling with to be seated with at meals. Will we not be able to sit with others anymore to socialize? I also see the ship is limited to 70% full. 

[Baldo99]

AMA is currently using assigned seating on European cruises. You can choose who you sit with, but it needs to remain the same for all meals.

[cruisr]

As I always dine solo this works for me.  No awkward having to decline others that invite me to dine with them.  Sorry, though social I truly enjoy dining on my own.

[sjde]

Darn- though an introvert I find I do enjoy sitting with others,

[kayakcove]

Anyone have knowledge what what they are doing on the Nile for dining?

[F19810]

On 10/20/2021 at 9:52 PM, kayakcove said:

Anyone have knowledge what what they are doing on the Nile for dining?

I board the Dahlia on Nov 8th, I'll let you know.

Judy

[Lois R]

On 10/20/2021 at 7:26 PM, sjde said:

Darn- though an introvert I find I do enjoy sitting with others,

I am outgoing and I enjoy dining with others.  I mean I eat on my own without any issues but for me?

It is not awkward (for me) to meet new people while cruising.  And a river cruise? It is so much more intimate.......I don't find eating on my own for all 7, 8, 10 or however many nights the cruise happens to be "fun".   I just got home from a 12 night sailing on an Ocean Cruise out of Lisbon. I loved it so much I want to take a river cruise next summer on the Douro.😀

 

Maybe in 7 or 8 months the dining on a river cruise will be more relaxed.

[cynbar]

I thought the current plan is to stay with the table you get on the first night, rather than having the option of switching around every night. I didn't get the impression that you can only dine with your own party. I am considering a solo river cruise for next spring, and dining alone every night would be a deal breaker for me. Can anyone chime on who has sailed recently on AMA? I think I'll go back to the other trip report thread and see if the OP is still checking it.

[Baldo99]

You can choose who to dine with on the first night, or have them assign you to a table with others. But then you must eat all meals at the same table with the same guests for the remainder of the cruise.  

[Wings55]

4 hours ago, Baldo99 said:

You can choose who to dine with on the first night, or have them assign you to a table with others. But then you must eat all meals at the same table with the same guests for the remainder of the cruise.  

Exactly. You can pick who you want on the first night but they are you tablemates for the balance of the cruise. 

Paul

[sjde]

How would we know who to pick on the first night, other than our traveling mates? Since there are 4 of us and I'm guessing they don't have enough space to sit each traveling group on their own, I'm thinking they may assign another 2 or 4 to our table and we'd sit with them at that table the entire cruise?

[KLRDUKS]

sjde, that is the "$64,000 question". 🙂 Do you take a chance and sit with strangers the first night and HOPE they are pleasant because you will be with them the entire cruise OR do you sit alone. I guess if you get to the ship early enough on embarkation day and hang out in the lounge, you may get a sense of who you might want to sit with. Also, if you are on pre-cruise excursion, you will meet some of your shipmates and that might help.

 

I know this, on our 3 previous AMA cruises, there were some great folks we met at dinner that we hung around with the rest of the cruise and there were also some real obnoxious folks that we wanted nothing to do with. It is a real interesting dynamic. 

[Lois R]

I wonder if this part of the cruise may change in 7 or 8 months.........like next summer maybe the dinner requirements will be more relaxed.

[F19810]

9 hours ago, Lois R said:

I wonder if this part of the cruise may change in 7 or 8 months.........like next summer maybe the dinner requirements will be more relaxed.

I hope so.  On ocean cruises, I've had some pretty bad dinning experiences with assigned seating. I now eat alone and talk to the waiters and bing my kindle.  On my previous river cruise, it was nice to sit with different people for lunch and dinner.  Difference being, on the river cruise, I sat with people that I met in the lounge or on excursions.  

Judy

[Wings55]

On 10/26/2021 at 10:11 AM, KLRDUKS said:

sjde, that is the "$64,000 question". 🙂 Do you take a chance and sit with strangers the first night and HOPE they are pleasant because you will be with them the entire cruise OR do you sit alone. I guess if you get to the ship early enough on embarkation day and hang out in the lounge, you may get a sense of who you might want to sit with. Also, if you are on pre-cruise excursion, you will meet some of your shipmates and that might help.

 

I know this, on our 3 previous AMA cruises, there were some great folks we met at dinner that we hung around with the rest of the cruise and there were also some real obnoxious folks that we wanted nothing to do with. It is a real interesting dynamic. 

@KLRDUKS That's exactly what we did. We spent time in the lounge chatting with other couples as they boarded the ship. It didn't take long before we met a lovely couple and they agreed we would make a 'good table'. The ship had their own list of table assignments but they were more than happy to seat us together. 

Paul