MDR and COVID safety

[4welches]

Hello!  DH and I are scheduled to sail this month.  Just wondering what experiences others have had with main dining room seating.  We are concerned about being a party of 2 and being assigned to a table with others?  Is RCCL doing that?  What about COVID exposure while seated next to strangers for hour or 2 with no masks on?  Just wondering if royal was separating parties, more tables for smaller parties?  

 

Thank you!

 

[Jasukkie]

It seems less common but I have been seated with another couple at a table for 8 (thus 50% occupied). I find the tables for two more problematic as they are right next to each other. At this point in time I think taking off your mask to eat or drink indoors, whether on a cruise ship or your local restaurant, means you may very well become infected. 

 

I'm curious if anyone has been able to arrange to-go pick up service from the MDR?? 

[mein18]

Even at around 30% capacity, on Allure now and last night the MDR was packed and tables for 2 we're 18" apart. We were sat at a table for 4 for just the 2 of us.

[Momto3girlsintheCarolinas]

My husband and I are just off Serenade where we had a table for two.  We were seated by the window with couples on either side (also at a table for two) that were barely a foot away.  One cannot wear a mask while eating and drinking.  We were at 50% occupancy, but they closed part of the dining room rather than spreading people further apart.

 

And now Serenade is out of service for a bit.......  hmmmm.

[LXA350]

13 minutes ago, Momto3girlsintheCarolinas said:

My husband and I are just off Serenade where we had a table for two.  We were seated by the window with couples on either side (also at a table for two) that were barely a foot away.  One cannot wear a mask while eating and drinking.  We were at 50% occupancy, but they closed part of the dining room rather than spreading people further apart.

 

And now Serenade is out of service for a bit.......  hmmmm.

 

Well, based on those reviews MDR and COVID safety = Non existant

 

[Marie51]

 My sister and I did not want to be seated at a table for 2 with others right next to us and we just told them we wanted to be alone so they ended up seating us at a table for six away from everyone else.   We were the only ones at the table every night. If you don’t like where they put you just speak up and they will move you. 

[davekathy]

3 hours ago, Jasukkie said:

It seems less common but I have been seated with another couple at a table for 8 (thus 50% occupied). I find the tables for two more problematic as they are right next to each other. At this point in time I think taking off your mask to eat or drink indoors, whether on a cruise ship or your local restaurant, means you may very well become infected. 

 

I'm curious if anyone has been able to arrange to-go pick up service from the MDR?? 

We would rather sit at a table for two, next to other tables for two than be seated at a shared table. Pre and post shut down.

[taglovestocruise]

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. 

[binro01]

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.

[Biker19]

7 hours ago, 4welches said:

What about COVID exposure while seated next to strangers for hour or 2 with no masks on?

If you are even asking this, skip the MDR.

[vacationlover_mn]

2 hours ago, 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.

Yep- this is what we are doing too 🙂

[Jasukkie]

I don't know about specialty restaurants. There is more space but not by a significant amount to my eyes. Definitely less potential for waiting in a crowded line though.

 

One idea if you want to eat more safely in the MDR would be to go in as late as possible. It really clears out towards the end. I'd also make it clear to the staff that they should not approach the table while your masks are off. I hate how much they check in to begin with but it was comical on my last cruise. I appreciate their efforts to be attentive but it can be done at a distance. 

[cruiselvr04]

UDP here too.  We don’t want all the food but right now we don’t want to have our mask down that close to others.  It’s sad because we actually used to enjoy meeting and dining with others. 
 

At least on our last cruise in November specialty dining was spaced.  

Edited January 9, 2022 by cruiselvr04

[marjoriemcdonaldd11]

3 hours ago, 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. 

 

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

[mackfam]

Just returned from Brilliance of the Seas. To my surprise, DH and I were seated at a table with two other couples. We enjoy meeting new people on cruises so in spite of feeling a little uncomfortable because of the lack of distancing possible while being unmasked, we didn’t ask to be moved. We enjoyed our dinner conversations and had a great time. However, one of our table mates just texted us to say she tested positive for COVID when she got home. We had a negative test to fly home and were tested again on arrival and are awaiting that result. We now plan on doing a rapid test in a couple of days to make sure we’re still negative.

[superduper123]

8 hours ago, Momto3girlsintheCarolinas said:

My husband and I are just off Serenade where we had a table for two.  We were seated by the window with couples on either side (also at a table for two) that were barely a foot away.  One cannot wear a mask while eating and drinking.  We were at 50% occupancy, but they closed part of the dining room rather than spreading people further apart.

 

And now Serenade is out of service for a bit.......  hmmmm.

I was on this sailing as well, and was about to post a similar response. We were also seated at a table for two, near the windows, and experienced the same thing. For all the "distance" between the tables, may as well been seated at a group table. Didn't make much of a difference.

[Californian]

On 1/9/2022 at 11:53 AM, 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. 

I'm also interested in whether anyone was successful in doing this.

[paradise4me]

We were on the Odyssey last week and checked the table for three of us right away. It was in the middle of the dining room and after telling them I had issues with that she told me I could sit at the table right by the waiters station. We checked it and said heck yeah  it was more private for us. They were very accommodating which was great. Check your table right when you get your sea pass card and if you don’t like it they will change it. Happy cruising!

[death_star]

16 minutes ago, Californian said:

I'm also interested in whether anyone was successful in doing this.

We were on the first Brilliance cruise back and the late dining was seated in the unvaccinated section. We felt like we had the entire dining room to ourselves with the nearest other party maybe 20'+ away.  Contrast this with MDR breakfast where we were sat with other parties at least one morning. 

[Painter4me]

On 1/9/2022 at 2:10 PM, davekathy said:

We would rather sit at a table for two, next to other tables for two than be seated at a shared table. Pre and post shut down.

Agree, but if those t lea raw only a foot apart, RCL better not come to me and tell me to quarantine bc I was sitting next to someone who tested positive. NFW. Their fault for sitting me next to them or them next to us. Contact tracing is BS.

[UKWLDCruise]

I was solo on a celeb round the UK cruise in August and I had a table to four by myself and a table gap to the next occupied one.  This was on a all vaccinated and tested cruise.

 

[MommaBear55]

On 1/9/2022 at 3:12 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.

We've done that on both cruises we've taken post Covid and really enjoyed and appreciated the experience. The only problem we have is that the waiters keep reminding us that we can order much more than we do and we get really tired of only being offered asparagus as a vegetable in Chops. I don't consider spinach with cream and cheese a vegetable, even though it is delicious. 

[Joseph2017China]

On 1/9/2022 at 9:55 AM, 4welches said:

Hello!  DH and I are scheduled to sail this month.  Just wondering what experiences others have had with main dining room seating.  We are concerned about being a party of 2 and being assigned to a table with others?  Is RCCL doing that?  What about COVID exposure while seated next to strangers for hour or 2 with no masks on?  Just wondering if royal was separating parties, more tables for smaller parties?  

 

Thank you!

 

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?

 

[Presbycruiser67]

My unvaccinated daughter and I had to eat at a set time on the "unvaccinated" level of Mariner's three tiered MDR.  We chose the late sitting (8 pm).

 

It was like having the restaurant all to ourselves!  Only a handful of.tables were occupied and they were nowhere near us.

 

The ship was less than half full which made a difference.  Even so, our level was so empty at 8 pm that I think we would have been in good shape even if we sailed at full capacity.

Edited January 13, 2022 by Presbycruiser67

[alexgtp]

On 1/9/2022 at 8:55 AM, 4welches said:

Hello!  DH and I are scheduled to sail this month.  Just wondering what experiences others have had with main dining room seating.  We are concerned about being a party of 2 and being assigned to a table with others?  Is RCCL doing that?  What about COVID exposure while seated next to strangers for hour or 2 with no masks on?  Just wondering if royal was separating parties, more tables for smaller parties?  

 

Thank you!

 

Off Anthem NYE sailing. No worries and we sailed with my parents who are in their 80's.

 

You will be next to ppl no way to really avoid it. There were even tables with 10+ ppl seated.

 

If you are concerned, I would avoid WJ. That is where a majority of staff got infected, on our cruise.